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^be  IDtctoria  Ibtstor)^  of  the 
Counties  of  JEnglanb 

EDITED  BY  WILLIAM  PAGE,  F.S.A. 


A   HISTORY  OF 

DURHAM 

VOLUME    III 


THE 

VICTORIA  HISTORY 

OF  THE  COUNTIES 
OF  ENGLAND 

DURHAM 

V.3 


LONDON 

THE  ST.  CATHERINE  PRESS 

STAMFORD  STREET 
WATERLOO.  S.E. 


Thii  History  is  issued  by 

The  St.  Catherine  Tress 

and  printed  by  IV.  H.  Smith  &  Son 

The  Arden  Press,  London 


v. 3 


INSCRIBED 

TO  THE   MEMORY  OF 

HER      LATE      MAJESTY 

QUEEN     VICTORIA 

WHO        GRACIOUSLY       GAVE 

THE      TITLE      TO      AND 

ACCEPTED     THE 

DEDICATION    OF 

THIS   HISTORY 


THE 

VICTORIA  HISTORY 

OF    THE    COUNTY    OF 

DURHAM 


Edited  by  WILLIAM  PAGE,  F.S.A. 


VOLUME    THREE 


LONDON 

THE  ST.  CATHERINE  PRESS 

STAMFORD  STREET,  WATERLOO,  S.E. 

192  8 


CONTENTS  OF   VOLUME  THREE 

FACE 

Dedication  ......  .........        v 

Contents     ................        ix 

List  of  Illustrations      ............••« 

List  of  Maps lii 

Editorial  Note xiii 

Topography         ....     General  descriptions  and  manorial  descents  compiled  under 

the  superintendence  of  William  Page,  F.S.A.  ;    Heraldic 
drawings  and  blazon  by  the  Rev.  E.  E.  Dorlinc,  M.A., 
F.S.A. ;     Charities    from    information  supphed  by  J.  W. 
Owsley,  I.S.O.,  late  Official  Trustee  of  Charitable  Funds 
City  of  Durham  : 

General    History   of    the 

City  ...     By   the    Very    Rev.    Henry   Gee,   D.D.,   F.S.A.,   Dean   of 

Gloucester  ........  I 

City  Jurisdictions   .         .     By  K.  C.  Bayley,  F.S.A 53 

The  Castle     .         .         .     By  W.  T.  Jones,  F.S.A 64 

The  Cathedral : 

Historical  Description       By  C.  R.  Peers,  C.B.E.,  M.A.,  F.B.A.,  F.S.A.,  Chief  Inspector 

of  Ancient  iMonuments  ......       93 

Architectural  Descrip- 
tion       .         .         -By    the    late   John    Quekett,    M.A.,    F.S.A.,   and   F.   H. 

Cheetham,  F.S.A. 96 

Monastic  Buildings      .     By  F.  H.  Cheetham,  F.S.A.       ......     123 

Parish  of  St.  Oswald         .     General  descriptions  and  manorial  descents  by  Henrietta 

L.  E.  Garbett  ;  Architectural  descriptions  by  F.  H. 
Cheetham,  F.S.A.         .......     144 

Parish  of  St.  Giles  .  .     General  descriptions  and  manorial  descents  by  Henrietta 

L.  E.  Garbett  ;  Architectural  descriptions  by  F.  H. 
Cheetham,  F.S.A 182 

Stockton  Ward  :    .         .  .     General  descriptions  and  manorial  descents  compiled  under 

the  superintendence  of  William  Page,  F.S.A.  ;  Heraldic 
drawings  and  blazon  by  tlie  Rev.  E.  E.  Dorlinc,  M.A., 
F.S.A. ;  Arcliitcctural  descriptions  by  F.  H.  Cheetham, 
F.S.A. ;  Charities  from  information  supphed  by  J.  W. 
Owsley,  I.S.O.,  late  Official  Trustee  of  Charitable  Funds 

Introduction.         ,         .     By  Myra  Curtis,  Classical  Tripos     .         .         .         .         .191 

BiUingham     ...„„„  „  195 

Bishop  Middleham  •       »        «  ..  »  » 204 

ix  b 


CONTENTS  OF  VOLUME  THREE 


Topography  {continued) 

Stockton  Ward  {continued) 
Bishopton 
Crayke  . 
Low  Dinsdalc 
Egglescliffe 
Elton     . 
Elwick  HaU 
Greatham 
Grindon 
Hart      . 
Hartlepool 
Hurworth 
Middleton  St.  George 
Long  Newton 
Norton 
Redmarshall 
Sedgefield 
Sockburn 
Staintun 

Stockton-on-Tees 
Stianton 


By  John  Brownbill,  M.A. 


By  John  Brownbill,  M.A. 


»  »> 


By  Madeleine  Hope  Dodds,  Historical  Tripos 
By  Myra  Curtis,  Classical  Tripos     . 


If        If  If 


By  Madeleine  Hope  Dodds,  Historical  Tripos 

i»  ff  If  ff  If  ff 

By  John  Brownbill,  M.A. 


By  Myra  Curtis,  Classical  Tripos 

By  Myra  Curtis,  Classical  Tripos 

By  John  Brownbill,  M.A. 

By  Madeleine  Hope  Dodds,  Historical  Tr: 


pot 


213 
216 

217 
222 
232 
23s 
242 
247 

254 
263 
285 
293 
299 
304 

31S 

321 

343 
344 
348 
365 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


h-West/ 


The  Castle  Gateway    . 
Durham  :  Elvet  Bridge,  c.  1829 

„  Castle  from  the  North- 

„  Seal  of  the  City    ..... 

„  Elvet  Bridge          ..... 

„  Castle  Plan  ...... 

„  ,,       „    adapted  from  a  plan  of  about  1775 

„  „   The  Courtyard  looking  South 

„  „   The  Courtyard  from  the  South- West  T 

„  „      „            „          „       „   South-East  / 

„  „  The  Buttery 

„  „  The  Black  Staircase 

„  „  The  Norman  Gallery    . 

„  „  The  Courtyard  looking  North 

„  „  The  Norman  Doorway  to  Lower  Hall 

„  „  c.  1700,  from  an  old  Painting 

„  „  The  Chapel  Bench-ends 

„  „  The  Tunstall  Chapel  "\ 

„  „  The  Norman  Chapel } 

n  )»       )>         )>  J)         -^  ^^^^ 

„      Cathedral :  The  Nine  Altars    . 
„  „  The  Ne\'ille  Screen,  East  side 

„  „  The  Chancel  looking  West 

„  „  The  Nave  looking  South-East 

„  ,,  The  North  Doorway  "1 

„  The  South  Doorway  J 

„  The  Prior's  Doorway 

„  12th-century  Ring  or  Knocker  on  North 

„  The  Gahlee 

„  The  Cloister  and  Western  Towers 

„  The  Cloister 

Deanery  ;    Ground  Plan 
Cathedral  and  Monastery  :  Coloured  Plan 
Finchale  Priory  Plan       .... 
„  ,,     Exterior 

„  ,,     The  West  View  in  1728 

,,  ,,     The  West  Doorway 

„  „     The  East  View    "\ 

„  „     The  Undercroft  J 

„  „     The  Chapter  House 

Kepier  Hospital  T 

St.  Oswald's  Church  :  The  Nave  looking  East  J 
„  „  „  Plan      .... 

,,  „  ,,  from  the  South 

St.  Margaret's  Church  Plan     .... 
,,  „  „      The  Nave  looking  East   . 


'}, 


Doo 


PACE 

Frontispiece 
plate, facing      1 2 


•  34 

.         .         .  63 

plaie,/acing  64 

.          .          .  67 

.  68 


plate, facing      68 


.  71 

plate, facing  76 

.  .  .  78 

.  80 


plate, facing       80 
•     j;         »  84 

.  .  .       85 


plate, facing       88 

89 

96 

102 

103 

"4 

>.        116 

117 
.     117 
plate,  facing     1 20 
I" 
123 

•  133 
plate,  facing     136 

148 

•  149 


plate,  facing  150 

.    „         »  151 

.  152 

plate,  facing  174 


•  17s 

.  .  .  176 

.  .  .  178 

plate,  facing  178 


XI 


LIST  OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 


-West/ 


Durham  :  St.  Mary  Magdalene's  Chapel  Plan 

„         St.  Giles'  Church  Plan  . 
BiUingham  Cliurch  Plan        .... 

„  „       from  the  South-West 

„  „  „      „    South 

,,  „       Looking  West  "^ 

„  „      The  Font        J 

Bishop  j\riddleli:im  Church  from  the  South-West 
Low  Dinsd.ile  Church  from  the  West    "^ 
Elwick  Hall  „        ,,      ,,  South  J 

EgglesclifFe  ,,        ,,      ,,  North-East    . 

Elton  „         ,,       ,,   South-West    . 

Grindon  :  The  Vane  Arms  in  the  Village  of  Thorpe  Thewles 
„  Wynyard  Hall 

„  Church  :  Ruins  from  the  South- 

»  ..       Plan 

,,  ,,      Ruins  of  Porch  "1 

Hart  „      The  Font  f 

»  .,      Plan 

„  ,,      from  the  South-East 

Hartlepool  :  The  Friary.     Site  now  occupied  by  the  Hospital"! 
„  One  of  the  Gates  of  the  Town  Wall  J 

,,  Church  from  the  Street  looking  East 

„  „  „         „  South-West  "l 

„  ,,  ,,         „   South-East  J 

„  „         Plan      .... 

„  „         The  Chancel  Arch  and  Nave  Arcades 

,,  „         The  Nave  Arcades 

Middleton  St.  George  Church  from  the  South 
Long  Newton  Church  from  the  Soutli-West 
Norton  Church  Plan    .... 
Norton         ,,      from  the  North-East  "\ 
„  „      The  Crossing  J 

„  „      The  Tower 

Rcdmarshall  Church  Plan 

,,  „       from  the  South 

„  „       The  South  Doorway 

Scdgefield  :  Hardwick  Hall    . 

„  Church  Plan 

Rcdmarshall       „       The  Nave  looking  East  "4 
Sedgefield  „        from  the  North-East     J 

„  „        The  Tower    . 

Stainton  Church  from  the  South-East    . 
Stockton        ,,        „        „  South 
Stranton        „        „        „      „  .         . 


■} 


PACE 
183 
187 


.       200 

plate,  facing    200 
.     201 


plate,  facing  202 

•  »         ,>  210 

•  ,,         ,,  220 

.  230 

•  23s 
.  248 

plate, facing  248 

•  253 

plate,  facing  254 

.  260 

plate, facing  260 

•  »        ,.  266 

•  »         ,,  270 
•     »         „  276 


•  279 

plate,  facing  280 

•     »         »  284 

.     „         „  298 

.  310 

plat€,  facing  310 


■  312 

.         .         .  318 

■  3'9 
plate, facing  320 

•  322 

.         .         .  338 


plate, facing     338 


■  34> 

•  347 
pliile,  facing  362 

•  373 


LIST  OF   MAPS   AND   PLANS 


Plan  of  the  City  of  Durham,  c.  161 1,  by  J.  Speed 

J)      >>    ))      )>    J)         »         in  '754    • 

„      „    „   Ancient  Fortifications  of  Durham  City 

Index  Map  to  Stockton  Ward       .... 

Topograpliical  Map     ...... 


plate,  facing      34 

•     ,.        >,  46 

.  92 
.      192 

.  at  end  of  Volume 


Xtl 


EDITORIAL  NOTE 

The  Editor  wishes  to  thank  all  those  who  have  assisted  him  with  notes 
and  information  in  the  compilation  of  this  volume  during  the  long  period 
that  it  has  been  in  preparation.  The  work  was  almost  finished  and  partly 
in  type  when  the  war  and  post-war  conditions  required  it  to  be  put  aside 
for  nearly  ten  years.  On  the  resumption  of  work  it  was  difficult  to  pick 
up  the  threads  left  by  a  scattered  staff,  but  since  that  time  the  whole 
volume  has  been  revised  and  brought  up  to  date.  In  this  work  the  Editor 
has  particularly  to  thank  Dr.  John  Bilson,  who  by  his  unique  knowledge 
of  Durham  Cathedral  has  afforded  much  help  in  the  revision  of  the 
architectural  description  of  that  great  monument.  This  piece  of  work, 
although  begun  by  Mr.  S.  C.  Kaines  Smith,  M.B.E.,  M.A.,  F.S.A.,  was 
mainly  written  by  the  late  Mr.  John  Quekett,  M.A.,  F.S.A.,  whose 
brilliant  career  as  a  literary  architect  was  cut  short,  to  the  sorrow  of  his 
numerous  friends,  on  the  battlefield  in  Flanders  on  31  July  19 17. 
Mr.  Quekett  left  his  account  of  the  Cathedral  buildings  almost  complete 
from  the  east  end  of  the  church  to  the  eastern  part  of  the  nave.  From 
this  point  the  remainder  of  the  account  of  the  church  and  all  the  descrip- 
tion of  the  monastic  buildings  have  been  written  by  Mr.  F.  H.  Cheetham, 
F.S.A.,  who  at  the  same  time  has  made  such  revision  in  the  earlier  part 
of  the  work  as  alterations  in  the  meantime  have  necessitated.  The  Editor 
desires  further  to  thank  Professor  Hamilton  Thompson,  M.A.,  F.S.A., 
for  reading  the  proof  of  the  whole  of  the  account  of  the  Cathedral  and 
Monastery,  and  Mr.  C.  R.  Peers,  C.B.E.,  F.S.A.,  F.B.A.,  for  advice 
and  help  in  the  parts  of  the  description,  other  than  that  of  the  historical 
development  of  the  church  for  which  he  himself  is  responsible. 

Acknowledgment  is  also  gratefully  made  to  the  Very  Rev.  Henry 
Gee,  D.D.,  F.S.A.,  Dean  of  Gloucester,  Brigadier-General  Herbert 
Conyers  Surtees,  C.B.,  C.M.G.,  D.S.O.,  M.V.O.,  F.S.A.,  D.L.,  J.P., 
Mr.  W.  T.  Jones,  F.S.A.,  Mr.  E.  V.  Stocks,  M.A.,  the  Rev.  Canon  E. 
Sykes,  the  Rev.  Canon  W.  Bothamly,  Mr.  K.  C.  Bayley,  F.S.A.,  and 
Mr.  C.  H.  Hunter  Blair,  M.A.,  F.S.A.,  for  assistance  given  to  the  Editor 
in  various  ways.  The  Editor  also  thanks  the  clergy  who  have  read  the 
proofs  of  their  parishes  or  otherwise  helped  in  passing  the  pages  through 
the  press.  He  would  mention  the  assistance  he  has  received  m  this  way 
from  the  Rev.  F.  P.  Bates,  the  Rev.  J.  Bennett,  the  Rev.  W.  A.  Blackwell, 
the  Rev.  E.  Doddington,  the  Rev.  J.  Clegg,  the  \'en.  Archdeacon 
Derry,  the  Rev.  A.  T.  Dingle,  the  Rev.  E.  A.  Douglas,  the  Rev.  J.  C. 
Douglas,  the  Rev.  A.  T.  Faber,  the  Rev.  J.  R.  Fuller,  the  Rev.  E.  H. 
Greatorex,  the  Rev.   D,  Hodgson,   the   Rev.   C.   E.  Jackson,  the   Rev. 

xiii 


EDITORIAL  NOTE 

J.  H.  Kirner,  the  Rev.  H.  Martin,  the  Rev,  H.  S.  Milner,  the  Rev.  E.  R. 
Ormsby,  the  Rev.  J.  Ousey,  the  Rev.  M.  B.  Parker,  the  Rev.  G.  W. 
Reynolds,  the  Rev.  A.  C.  Rose,  the  Rev.  T.  Rudd,  the  Rev.  T.  E.  Scott, 
the  Rev.  F.  T.  Saher,  the  Rev.  H.  Wilhamson,  and  the  Rev.  W.  R. 
Wyldbore-Smith. 

The  Editor  has  to  thank  H.M.  Office  of  Works  and  the  Society  of 
Antiquaries  of  Newcastle-upon-Tyne  for  permission  to  reproduce  the 
plan  of  Finchale  Priory,  Mr.  Brook  Kitchin  for  the  plan  of  the  Deanery, 
Durham,  taken  from  The  Story  of  the  Deanery,  Durham,  by  the  late 
G.  W.  Kitchin,  D.D.,  F.S.A.,  Dean  of  Durham,  and  Mr.  W.  T.  Jones, 
F.S.A.,  for  various  photographs  and  plans  of  Durham  Castle,  especially 
for  use  of  the  large  detailed  plan  of  the  Castle  prepared  by  him.  It  is 
also  with  pleasure  that  the  Editor  expresses  his  gratitude  to  the  Durham 
and  Northumberland  Archzeological  Society  for  the  grant  they  have 
generously  made  from  their  funds  towards  the  heavy  expenses  of 
producing  this  volume. 


XIV 


A     HISTORY     OF 
DURHAM 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


THE  City  of  Durham  is  situated  in 
the    southern    portion    of    the    coal 
measures    which    extend    from    the 
Coquet  to  the  Tees.     It  lies  upon 
and     around     a     central     peninsula 
formed  by  the  River  Wear  13  miles  above  its 
mouth.i    This   curious   horseshoe  bend  is  one 
of   several  loops  which  the   river  makes   as   it 
passes  from  the  western  uplands  to  Wearmouth. 
The  peninsula  is  about  800  yds.  long  and  about 
250  yds.  from  bank  to  bank  of  the  river  at  its 
narrowest   point.     It    incloses  about   58   acres, 
and  this  area  forms  what  Leland  says  is  'alonely 
caullid     the    wauUed     Toune    of     Duresme.' 
The   name  Durham,  however,   comprises,   and 
has  for    centuries    comprised,   various    ancient 
jurisdictions    outside    the    peninsula.     One    of 
these,  as  we  shall  see,  has  some  claim,  at  all 
events,  to  be  considered  the  original  settlement 
and    to    antedate    Durham    itself,    strictly    so 
called,   by  at  least   two  centuries.     From  this 
central  peninsula  the  city  now  extends  in  various 
directions  over  the  undulating  neighbourhood 
and  in  somewhat   straggling  order,   so  that  as 
an    early  local  writer  says  :    '  I  may  liken  the 
form  of  this  Bishopric  to  the  letter  A  and  Durham 
to  a  crab  ;    supposing  the  city  for  the  belly  and 
the  suburbs  for  the  claws.' ** 

The  lay-out  of  Durham,  like  most  mediaeval 
towns,  is  so  arranged  that  the  roads  and  bridges 
bring  all  the  traffic  through  the  market-place  in 
order  to  collect  the  tolls  from  merchandise  and 
give  entertainment  to  travellers.  The  suburbs 
grew  up  at  the  three  chief  entrances  to  the  city. 
In  this  way  Framwellgate  and  Crossgate  arose 
at  the  foot  of  Framwellgate  Bridge  on  the  roads 
from  Newcastle  and  the  north  and  from  Lan- 
chester  and  the  north-west  ;  Gilesgate,  at  the 
entrance  of  the  roads  from  the  east,  one  from 
Sunderland  and  the  other  from  Hartlepool,  the 
chief  mediaeval  port  of  the  Palatinate  ;  and 
Elvet,  at  the  foot  of  Elvet  Bridge,  along  the  road 
from  Darlington  and  the  south.  Although  the 
city  still  maintains  its  importance  as  the  centre 
of  the  Palatinate,  it  has  not  developed  indus- 

'  V.C.H.  Dur.  i,  25. 

1*  Robert  Hegge,  Legend  of  St.  Cuthbert  (1626,  ed. 
J.  B.  Taylor,  1816),  2. 


trially  in  the  way  that  other  northern  towns 
have  done.     For  this  reason  it  retains  many  of 
its  ancient  features,  and  the  plan  of  the  city  and 
its  suburbs,  with  their  tortuous  thoroughfares, 
has  remained    practically   unaltered    since    the 
Middle  Ages.     The  older  part  of  the  city  lies 
about  the  market-place,  on    the   west    side  of 
which  is  the  modern    town    hall,   and   on   the 
north,    standing   isolated    by   the    entrance   to 
Claypath,  is  the  modern  church  of  St.  Nicholas. 
An  equestrian  statue  of  the  third  Marquess  of 
Londonderry  completes  the  catalogue  of  some- 
what uninteresting  features  of  the  market-place. 
The   house   on   the   north-west   side   of   Silver 
Street  (No.   38),    now   occupied    as   a   shop  by 
Messrs.  Caldcleugh,  belonged  to  Sir  John  Duck, 
and  retains  internally  much  characteristic  work 
of  the   late    17th   century.     The   staircase   has 
richly    carved    strings,    twisted    balusters    and 
square  carved  newels.     Over  the  fireplace  of  the 
front  room  on  the  first  floor,  which  is  lined  with 
panelling,  is  a  curious  oil  painting  emblematical 
of  Duck's  career,  containing  views  of  the  hospital 
founded  by  him  at  Lumley  and  of  his  house  at 
Harwell-on-the-Hill.     The  house  numbered  12 
on  the  same  side  of  the  street  is  an  early  17th- 
century  gabled  building  of  brick  three  stories  in 
height.    The  '  Dunelme  Cafe,'  on  the  opposite 
side,  is  a  half-timber  house  of  three  oversailing 
stories  of  about  the  same  date. 

Of  the  old  work  remaining  in  Gilesgate,  the 
houses  numbered  2  and  5  are  early  17th-century 
buildings,  considerably  modernised  ;  and  num- 
bers 21  and  23,  which  are  of  two  stories  with 
gabled  dormers,  though  much  altered,  appear  to 
be  of  the  same  period.  The  '  Woodman  Inn,'  on 
the  same  side,  a  plastered  two-storied  building 
with  a  moulded  stone  entrance,  bears  a  panel 
inscribed  'G  M  1715.'  Number  194  on  the 
opposite  side  is  a  plastered  18th-century  house 
of  two  stories  with  a  flat  canopy  over  the  en- 
trance supported  by  wrought  iron  brackets. 

Saddler  Street  has  been  levelled  and  filled  up 
for  a  depth  of  many  feet,  and  deep  below  its 
present  surface  are  the  remains  of  the  old  rising 
bridge  to  the  Gateway,  one  or  two  arches  of 
which  may  be  seen  in  the  lower  basements  of 
premises  on  the  east  side.  Spanning  the  street 
at  its  southern  end  stood  the  North  Gate.     Of 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


the  Norman  gateway  here  we  have  only  the 
reference  by  Laurence  that  it  was  '  stately  and 
threatening,'  with  a  tower  and  barbican.  It 
was  strengthened  by  Bishop  Skirlaw  (i  388-1406), 
and  greatly  reconstructed  and  enlarged  by 
Bishop  Langley  (1406-37),  who  formed  a  portion 
of  it  into  a  prison  for  '  criminals  '  and  '  cap- 
tives.' There  were  three  gates,  the  outer, 
the  main  and  the  inner  gate.  The  outer  defen- 
sive portion  as  shown  by  existing  prints  con- 
sisted of  a  short  barbican  with  walls  of  great 
thickness  and  defensive  passages,  with  outer 
turret  towers  square  at  the  base  and  octagonal 
above  the  gate.  Apparently  the  drawbridge 
was  within  the  barbican.  The  main  gate  had 
two  large  turrets,  square  at  base  and  octagonal 
above,  and  is  described  as  possessing  '  salli- 
poris  and  upper  galleries  for  the  annoyance  of 
assailants.'  Its  portcullis  (which  was  supposed 
to  have  been  raised  for  a  century)  unexpectedly 
fell  down  in  1773  and  stopped  the  communica- 
tion between  the  Bailey  and  Saddler  Street,  until 
'  the  workmen  with  saws  and  axes  cut  it  to 
pieces.'  On  the  south  side,  the  south-east 
and  south-west  angles  of  the  gate  were  covered 
with  smaller  octagonal  turrets,  doubtless  stair- 
cases for  the  use  of  the  residential  or  prison 
quarters,  rising  considerably  higher  than  the 
general  level  of  the  tower  and  possibly  pro- 
viding access  to  the  roof.  Towards  the  end  of 
the  15th  century  a  small  square  central  pro- 
jecting wing  was  built  out  between  the  main 
turrets  over  a  large  portion  of  the  barbican,  the 
parapets  of  which  bore  three  shields ;  two  of 
these  are  supposed  to  have  been  preserved,  and 
were  fixed  some  fifteen  years  ago  on  the  west 
wall  of  the  Bishop's  garden.  The  chamber 
described  by  James  Nield  in  1805 1''  as  intended 
for  an  oubliette  exists,  much  filled  up,  under 
the  building  formerly  called  the  library  on  the 
west  side  of  the  street.  Where  the  '  great  hole,' 
also  mentioned  by  him,  was  situated  cannot  be 
identified,  but  part  of  the  basement  under  the 
Advertiser  office  on  the  east  side  of  the 
street  doubtless  formed  some  of  the  *  holes  '  he 
described.  This  Gateway,  one  of  the  most 
picturesque  buildings  in  the  North,  was  de- 
stroyed in  1820,  shortly  after  the  new  prison 
was  built  at  the  top  of  Old  Elvet,  because  it 
was  supposed  to  be  an  obstruction  to  traffic.^ 
From  the  almoners'  rentals  of  1424  and  1432 

1"  G<?n/.  ;l/a^.  (Nov.  1805). 

2  Fortunately,  excellent  prints  and  pictures  exist — 
notably  that  of  the  North  Front  by  T.  M.  Richard- 
son, in  the  Castle  Common  Room  ;  a  drawing  of  a 
portion  of  the  North  Front  (unsigned)  in  the  Chapter 
Library ;  and  a  print  from  the  North-West  by 
W.  Bryne  in  the  same  Library.  There  is  also  a 
painting  of  the  south  side  of  the  gate  hanging  in  the 
Castle,  and  two  charming  sketches  by  Bouet,  in  the 
possession  of  Mr.  J.  G.  Wilson. 


we  obtain  some  particulars  of  the  castle  area  at 
these  dates.  The  Earl  of  Westmorland  had  his 
town  house  in  Owengate  or  Ovengate,  and  a 
house  in  North  Bailey  called  '  Sheriffhouse ' 
belonged  to  the  Archdeacon  of  Durham.  Bow 
Lane  was  known  as  '  Le  Chare,'  and  its  houses 
on  the  east  side  arc  said  to  have  been  bounded 
by  the  castle  wall.  Nearly  opposite  but  north 
of  the  present  gateway  to  the  college  was  the 
infirmary,  then  let  out  in  tenements,  one  of 
which  was  occupied  as  a  school.  Opposite  the 
infirmary  were  some  houses  called  '  Halfseters.'^* 
Among  the  buildings  on  the  east  side  of  the 
North  Bailey  which  now  form  Hatfield  Hall  is 
part  of  an  old  inn.  The  dining  room,  which  is 
in  this  portion,  is  a  large  mid-i8th  century 
apartment  with  a  coved  and  flat  ceiling  and  a 
*  Venetian  '  window  with  internal  finishings  of 
the  Doric  order.  The  house  known  as  the 
Rectory  is  decorated  internally  in  the  late  18th- 
century  Gothic  manner  with  good  effect.  To 
the  south  of  Hatfield  Hall,  at  the  corner  of  Bow 
Lane,  stands  the  church  of  St.  Mary-le-Bow. 
Number  24  in  the  North  Bailey,  to  the  south  of 
Bow  Lane,  like  many  other  houses  in  the  North 
and  South  Baileys,  appears  to  bean  early  17th- 
century  house  remodelled  in  the  last  half  of 
the  i8th  century.  The  entrance  hall  is  a  charm- 
ing example  of  the  period.  The  principal  stairs 
are  of  the  geometrical  type  and  the  first  floor 
landing  is  open  to  the  hall,  across  which  it  is 
carried,  like  a  gallery,  upon  Doric  columns  and 
pilasters,  the  front  having  a  handrail  supported 
hy  turned  balusters.  St.  John's  Hall,  also  in 
the  North  Bailey,  occupies  a  good  stone  18th- 
century  house  of  three  stories  with  a  basement. 
The  central  portion  is  slightly  broken  forward, 
and  the  entrance  doorway  has  a  pediment  sup- 
ported by  carved  consoles.  To  the  south  of 
the  15th-century  gateway  to  the  'College,'  on 
the  west  side  of  the  South  Bailey,  stands  the 
church  of  St.  Mary-the-Less.  Beyond  this  point 
the  road  turns  to  the  westward  and  descends 
sharply  to  Prebend's  Bridge,  passing  beneath  a 
semicircular  archway,  which  incorporates  some 
mediaeval  fragments  and  stands  near  the  site  of 
the  former  '  Water  Gate.'  Viewed  from  the 
river,  the  houses  in  the  Bailey,  with  their 
gardens  terraced  upon  the  steeply  sloping  bank, 
present  an  extremely  picturesque  appearance. 
The  foot  of  the  peninsula  is  skirted  from  Elvet 
Bridge  to  FramweUgate  Bridge  by  the  path 
known  as  '  the  Banks.'  On  the  west  side, 
where  the  slope  is  steeper,  and  in  parts  almost 
precipitous,  the  path  divides,  one  branch  climb- 
ing the  wooded  face  of  the  rock  and  passing 
directly  under  the  west  front  of  the  Galilee, 

2i>  Rolls  in  the  Durham  Treasury.  The  house 
called  '  SherifThouse  '  was  earher  known  as  Lithfot- 
house.   See  Durham  Treasury  2,  2.  Elemos.  16  and  17. 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


After  crossing  Framwellgate  Bridge  from 
Silver  Street  the  road  divides  into  three 
branches  :  Crossgate,  which  runs  nearly  due 
east,  and  out  of  which  lead  South  Street  and 
Allergate ;  the  old  Newcastle  road  running 
northwards  through  Milburngate  and  Fram- 
wellgate ;  and  the  new  North  Road,  which  leads 
in  a  north-westerly  direction,  and  after  passing 
under  the  London  and  North  Eastern  Railway 
south  of  the  station  joins  the  Newcastle  road 
again  outside  the  town.  Framwellgate  and 
Milburngate,  with  Crossgate,  South  Street  and 
Allergate,  constitute  the  old  western  suburb  of 
Durham,  and  it  is  along  these  thoroughfares  that 
the  bulk  of  the  older  buildings  are  found.  The 
North  Road,  with  the  streets  which  fill  up  the 
triangle  between  Framwellgate  and  Crossgate, 
is  entirely  modern,  and  represents  the  chief 
development  of  Durham  in  the  19th  century. 

Many  excellent  examples  of  18th-century 
work  survive  in  the  houses  in  Framwellgate. 
The  Convent  of  the  Sisters  of  Mercy  attached 
to  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  of  St.  Godric 
occupies  what  was  formerly  the  Wheatsheaf  Inn. 
On  a  lead  rain-water  head  is  the  date  1741.  The 
old  dining  room  of  the  inn  is  an  exceptionally 
fine  example  of  the  interior  decoration  of  the 
period.  The  walls  are  lined  with  carved 
panelling  surmounted  by  an  entablature  with 
shell  and  scroll  ornament  upon  the  frieze,  and 
the  room  is  lighted  from  one  end  by  a  large 
'  Venetian  '  window  with  Ionic  pilasters  sup- 
porting entablatures  from  which  the  archivolt 
of  the  central  light  springs  ;  while  on  the  side 
opposite  the  fireplace  are  two  rectangular 
windows  with  enriched  architraves.  The  chim- 
ney-piece is  of  carved  wood  with  swags  and 
consoles,  and  the  overmantel  has  a  scroll  pedi- 
ment and  cartouche  supported  by  pilasters 
shaped  like  terminals.  The  doorcases  are  also 
elaborately  ornamented,  and  the  plaster  ceiling 
is  designed  in  the  rococo  manner  of  the  period. 
In  the  house  now  occupied  by  the  Church  of 
England  Mission  is  a  room  of  about  the  same 
date,  with  plaster  panelling  and  a  large  '  Vene- 
tian '  window.  The  moulded  stone  entrance 
doorway  shows  the  house  to  be  of  the  late  17th 
century  ;  the  staircase,  a  good  example  of  the 
period,  has  twisted  balusters  and  square  newels. 
In  Milburngate,  the  southern  extremity  of 
Framwellgate,  are  some  two-storied  half- 
timber  cottages,  now  plastered,  of  early  16th- 
century  type. 

On  the  south  side  of  Crossgate,  just  to  the 
westward  of  its  junction  with  South  Street, 
stands  the  church  of  St.  Margaret.  At  the 
corner  of  South  Street  and  Crossgate  is  an 
early  16th-century  two-storied  house  of  half- 
timber  ;  the  building  has  been  considerably 
repaired  and  the  ground  story  has  been  faced 
with    brick.     On   the   opposite   side   of    South 


Street  is  a  three-storied  half-timber  house  with 
oversailing  upper  floors.  It  appears  to  be  of 
early  17th-century  date  ;  the  ground  story  is 
now  plastered,  and  the  upper  stories  have  been 
cased  with  brick,  but  the  original  entrance  door- 
way has  been  left  intact.  Little  else  of  archi- 
tectural interest  remains  in  South  Street,  which 
runs  southwards  parallel  with  the  river  along 
the  crest  of  the  steep  bank.  The  '  Fighting 
Cocks  Inn  '  in  Crossgate  contains  a  good  square 
well  staircase  of  the  latter  half  of  the  17th  cen- 
tury, with  heavy  moulded  handrails,  turned 
balusters,  and  square  newels. 

The  eastern  suburb  of  Elvet  consists  of  the 
streets  known  as  Old  Elvet  and  New  Elvet,  into 
which  the  road  divides  after  crossing  Elvet 
Bridge.  New  Elvet  runs  southward  nearly 
parallel  with  the  river  for  a  short  distance,  and 
again  forks  into  Church  Street,  through  which 
the  main  road  to  the  south  passes,  and  Hallganh 
Street,  the  commencement  of  the  road  to 
Stockton.  On  this  side  the  town  appears 
hardly  to  have  extended  at  all  since  the  middle 
of  the  i8th  century.  Work  of  this  century  pre- 
vails in  the  houses  of  the  suburb,  though  some 
retain  detail  of  an  earlier  period.  No  features  of 
particular  interest  remain  in  Church  Street,  on 
the  west  side  of  which,  between  the  road  and 
river,  is  St.  Oswald's  Church.  On  the  north 
side  of  Old  Elvet  are  some  good  18th-century 
houses,  while  the  principal  feature  on  the  south 
side  is  the  Shire  Hall  erected  in  1897.  At  the 
end  of  Old  Elvet  are  the  modern  Assize  Courts 
and  prison,  standing  back  from  the  road. 

It  will  be  convenient  to  take  the  varying 
boundaries  of  the  city  as  they  come  before  us 
in  connection  with  the  history  of  the  separate 
jurisdictions,  and  to  begin  with  the  report  of 
the  Commissioners  on  proposed  division  of 
counties  and  boundaries  of  boroughs  in  1832. 
The  map  which  they  made  shows  that  at  that 
time  the  city  of  Durham  consisted  of  a  misshapen 
square  which  inclosed  a  great  deal  more  than 
the  peninsula.  The  boundaries  were  as  follows : 
Starting  from  the  old  Hallgarth  Toll  Bar,  now 
demolished,  but  formerly  standing  on  the  ex 
treme  south-east  point  of  the  city,  the  line  ran 
west  by  Back  Lane,  now  called  Gladstone  Terrace, 
and  thence  across  the  south  end  of  the  river- 
bend  over  South  Street  to  the  present  work- 
house in  a  northerly  direction.  It  crossed  the 
North  Road  opened  in  183 1  to  the  top  of 
Framwellgate.  Here  it  curved  to  the  east, 
crossing  the  river  below  the  city  near  Crook 
Hall.  Thence,  skirting  the  ruins  of  Magdalen 
Chapel,  it  passed  to  the  junction  of  the  Sherburn 
and  Sunderland  Roads.  At  this  point  it 
turned  sharply  to  the  west  to  take  in  St.  Giles' 
Church,  whence  it  struck  south,  crossed  the 
river,  and  passing  over  the  middle  of  the  old 
race-course,  reached  Hallgarth  Toll  Bar.     The 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


Commissioners  proposed  large  additions  to  this 
area.  The  south-east  limit  was  now  extended 
to  Shincliffc  Bridge,  from  which  the  boundary 
passed  to  Hallgarth  Toll  Bar.  Thence  it  ran 
rather  to  the  south  of  the  old  line  to  Charley 
Cross,  and  via  Quarry  Head  Lane,  round  by 
Margery  Lane  and  Flass  Lane  to  the  gates  of 
the  present  Hospital,  and  up  the  Newcastle 
Road  to  Springwell  Hall.  Here  it  turned 
sharply  to  the  east  in  a  straight  line  to  Kepier 
Hospital,  and  thence  round  by  Kepier  Lane  to 
what  is  now  Bell's  Villa  Lane,  where  it  turned 
west,  rounded  the  end  of  Pelaw  Wood,  and  fol- 
lowed the  right  bank  of  the  river  to  Shincliffe 
Bridge. 

In  1849  Mr.  G.  T.  Clark,  a  superintending 
inspector  under  the  Public  Health  Act  of  the 
previous  year,  instituted  a  preliminary  inquiry 
on  the  sanitary  conditions  of  the  city.  His 
report  to  the  General  Board  of  Health  will  be 
noticed  in  another  connexion.  In  this  he  pro- 
posed a  further  addition  to  the  boundaries  of 
the  city  on  its  extreme  north-east  limit,  so  as 
to  take  in  an  uneven  parallelogram  containing 
what  was  then  known  as  New  Durham.  The 
proposal  was  not  accepted  at  that  time,  nor  was 
it  allowed  in  1905,  when  the  city  boundaries 
were  again  altered.  Accordingly  the  limits 
were  not  changed  between  1832  and  1905. 

The  Municipal  Corporations  Act  of  1835,^ 
which  gave  effect  to  the  Commissioners'  Report 
of  1832,  divided  the  city  into  three  wards  on 
the  recommendation  of  the  revising  barristers. 
These  wards  were  called  respectively  the  North, 
South,  and  St.  Nicholas  wards,  and  were  un- 
changed for  the  next  seventy  years.  In  1905, 
in  pursuance  of  certain  sections  in  the  Local 
Government  Act  of  1888,''  an  extension  order 
was  drawn  up  under  which  the  existing  boun- 
daries and  wards  were  settled.  A  new  ward 
was  added  on  the  west  of  the  city  to  comprise 
the  suburb  which  had  grown  up  in  recent  years 
in  the  direction  of  Neville's  Cross.  By  some 
redistribution  and  enlargement  the  three  wards 
were  increased  to  six,  and  are  now  known  as 
Neville's  Cross  ward  on  the  west,  Framvvellgate 
ward  on  the  north  and  Crossgate  ward  below 
it,  St.  Nicholas  ward  in  the  centre  of  the  city, 
Gilesgate  and  Elvet  to  the  north-east  and  south- 
east respectively.  The  intake  added  consider- 
ably to  the  area  and  population  of  the  city — 
viz.,  181  acres  and  2,220  persons.  The  addi- 
tions over  and  above  that  of  the  Neville's  Cross 
ward  consisted  of  an  enlargement  of  the  limits 
of  the  old  South  ward  so  as  to  take  in  an  area 
bounded  by  Honeyhall  wood,  Mountjoy  reser- 
voir, Oswald  House,  South  End,  and  Bow 
cemetery  ;  and,  further,  an  increase  of  the  old 


3  Stat.  5  and  6  Will.  IV,  cap.  76. 
*  Ibid.  51  and  52  Vict.  cap.  41. 


North  ward  by  a  circular  boundary  running 
from  Frankland  Lane  through  Hopper's  Wood 
to  Akeley  Heads  Farm,  thence  skirting  and  in- 
cluding the  Dryburn  estate  to  Western  Lodge 
and  Springwell  Hall.  The  Parliamentary  boun- 
dary was  not  affected  by  the  changes  of  1905, 
and  is  therefore  not  strictly  conterminous  with 
the  municipal  boundary. 

Although  the  county  was  the  birth-place  of 
passenger  traffic  by  rail,  it  was  some  time  before 
the  city  participated  in  the  new  means  of 
communication;  nor  was  there  any  desire  for  it, 
though  many  of  the  inhabitants  took  part  in  the 
festival  opening  of  the  Stockton  and  Darlington 
Railway  in  1825.  Durham  itself  was  first 
brought  within  useful  distance  of  the  railway  in 
1838,  when  the  Durham  Junction  Railway  from 
South  Shields  to  Leamside  was  opened.  Thus 
a  drive  of  6  miles  only  lay  between  the  city  and 
the  railway.  In  1844  direct  communication 
was  opened  with  Leamside  from  a  station  in 
Gilesgate.  Later  a  new  station  at  the  north 
end  of  the  city  was  completed  and  Durham  was 
connected  with  the  Weardale  and  Durham 
Railway.  In  1841  the  Great  North  of  England 
Railway  was  opened  as  far  as  Darlington,  and 
was  continued  to  Newcastle  in  1844,  passing 
through  Leamside  and  giving  Durham  easy 
access  to  Newcastle  and  York.  All  these  lines 
which  directly  affected  Durham  were  consoli- 
dated into  the  North  Eastern  Railway  in  1854. 
In  1857  the  Bishop  Auckland  line  was  finished 
and  was  brought  to  the  North  Road  station 
over  a  viaduct  which  was  called  the  Victoria 
Viaduct.  Since  1872  the  usual  express  route 
from  Newcastle  to  York  has  lain  through  the  city 
by  the  completion  of  the  Team  Valley  Railway, 

The  railways  put  an  end  by  degrees  to  the 
large  service  of  stage  coaches  which  had  run 
through  Durham.  In  1827  there  were  sixteen 
coaches  daily  leaving  or  reaching  the  various 
coaching  inns.^  Of  these  eight  were  in  commu- 
nication with  London,  four  with  Edinburgh, 
and  the  rest  with  Sunderland,  Newcastle,  Leeds 
or  Lancaster.  There  were  numerous  carriers 
to  all  local  towns  and  villages.  The  main  roads 
were  the  Great  North  Road,  connecting  north 
and  south  and  running  through  the  city  ;  a 
road  to  Brandon  and  Brancepeth  on  the  west ; 
another  to  Sunderland  on  the  north-east, 
branching  off  to  Sherburn  and  Hartlepool ;  and 
a  fourth  diverging  at  Springwell  Hall  from  the 
Great  North  Road  and  running  to  Lanchester. 

The  River  Wear  was  never  navigable  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Durham  owing  to  its  frequent 


^  Parson  and  White  (Hist.  Dir.,  and  Gazetteer  of 
Dur.  and  Northumb.,  1S27)  give  full  particulars.  In 
1827  there  were  about  eighteen  daily  coaches  and 
about  forty-one  carriers. 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


shallows.  In  the  reign  of  George  II  *  a  scheme 
was  proposed  for  making  the  stream  available 
for  barges  at  a  time  when  coal-mines  were  being 
developed.  This  scheme  was  revised  in  1796' 
in  a  very  ambitious  way  with  the  design  of  con- 
necting the  Wear  and  the  Tyne. 

The  modern  municipal  administration  of  the 
city  begins  with  a  paving  Act  of  1773.  Until 
this  time  the  various  jurisdictions  which  will 
be  described  later  had  their  own  surveyor  in 
each  case.  Certain  Commissioners  were  ap- 
pointed by  the  Act,  and  they  nominated  a  single 
surveyor  for  the  whole  city,  placing  under  him 
all  pavements,  sewers,  drains,  water-courses, 
footpaths,  carriage-ways,  and  lamps.  This  Act 
was  superseded  by  an  important  Act  of  1790. 
It  recited  the  fact  that  the  ways '  are  not  properly 
paved,  cleansed,  or  lighted,  and  are  rendered 
very  inconvenient  by  several  nuisances,  annoy- 
ances, encroachments  and  obstructions.'  Ac- 
cordingly a  very  large  commission  was  appointed 
of  257  persons,  representing,  apparently,  the 
whole  magistracy  of  the  city  and  county  with 
others.  There  is  no  extant  record  of  what  the 
commission  did  with  their  ample  powers  of 
levying  rates,  regulating  tolls,  extending  roads 
and  abating  nuisances.  In  1816  the  streets  were 
still  unpaved,  or  very  badly  paved,  for  they  are 
described  as  being  '  as  soft  as  an  Irish  bog  and  not 
paved  with  stones  point  upwards  as  some  other 
towns.'  No  improvement  took  place,  and  in 
1822  the  Act  of  1790  was  amended  ^  after  a 
strong  indictment  of  the  city  roads  at  Quarter 
Sessions.  All  of  them,  it  is  said,  were  '  at  this 
time  in  an  indictable  state,'  the  flagging  being 
perfectly  useless  in  wet  weather  owing  to  the 
drip  from  the  eaves  of  the  houses,  and  the 
streets  themselves  full  of  filth  wheeled  out  from 
the  houses.  According  to  the  preamble  of  this 
new  Act  the  rates  raised  under  its  predecessor 
were  not  sufficient.  The  making  and  main- 
tenance of  pavement  or  flagging  in  front  of  each 
house  was  now  thrown  upon  the  owner,  and 
fixed  days  for  sweeping  the  causeways  were 
appointed  to  the  householder.  The  North  and 
South  Baileys  were  placed  under  the  Commis- 
sioners for  paving  purposes  for  the  first  time." 
In  1823  Hallgarth  Street  was  macadamized,'" 
and  the  same  system  was  introduced  next  year 
in  Old  Elvet  ;  but  the  dust  which  it  produced 
caused  some  annoyance,  so  that  the  plan  was 

^  Arch.  Ael.  ii,  118. 

'  Sykes,  Local  Rec,  sub  anno. 

*  I.oc.  and  Personal  Act,  3  Geo.  IV,  cap.  26. 

*  The  north  gate  of  the  castle  having  been  first 
taken  down.  See  further  on  this  change  below. 
Books  still  preserved  were  from  this  time  kept  by  the 
Commissioners,  and  form  a  kind  of  history  of  city 
progress. 

*"  The  Macadam  system  was  introduced  for  Dur- 
ham turnpike  roads  about  1821. 


not  universally  adopted  in  the  city.  Its  com- 
parative failure,  perhaps,  led  to  the  cobbling  of 
Claypath  and  Gilesgate  in  1830.  By  1840  the 
cobbling  of  the  streets  generally  was  complete, 
so  that  a  feature  which  has  been  thought  to  be 
characteristic  of  old  Durham  is  comparatively 
modern.  Cobbles,  however,  have  been  widely 
replaced  by  granite  paving,  and  the  cobbles  have 
largely  disappeared  in  favour  of  tar  paving  and 
other  systems.  In  no  place,  however,  has  there 
been  used  wood,  cork  or  asphalt. 

The  Act  of  1790  was  imperfectly  carried  out 
as  regards  lighting,  and  indeed  its  mention  of 
lamps  existing  and  to  be  made  is  incidental  and 
ambiguous.  The  result  was  an  increase  of 
disorder  at  a  period  of  great  political  unrest. 
Accordingly,  in  18 14,  the  Secretary  of  State 
intervened,  and  oil  lamps  were  placed  in  the 
Baileys,  Market-place,  South  Street  and  the 
Elvets.  Lamp-smashing  now  began  to  be  a  city 
sport  for  the  rougher  element  in  the  populace, 
so  that  parish  constables  were  appointed  to 
help  the  city  constables.  At  last,  in  1823, 
lighting  by  gas  was  considered,  and  the  offices 
were  enlisted  of  Mr.  West,  who  had  recently 
contracted  for  the  gas  supply  of  Stockton.  At 
the  beginning  of  1824  the  whole  city  was 
lighted  by  gas.  '  We  behold,'  says  the  Durham 
Advertiser,  '  a  city  long  notorious  for  its 
nocturnal  darkness  become  at  once  perhaps  one 
of  the  best  lighted  towns  in  the  kingdom.' 
All  the  plant  and  installation  were  the  property 
of  Mr.  West,  from  whom  they  were  purchased 
in  1841  by  the  first  Durham  Gas  Company. 
An  opposition  company  was  soon  merged  in 
the  former,  which  continued  its  work  until  1873, 
when  the  present  company  was  formed.  The 
area  of  supply  is  about  33  miles.  Incandescent 
street  lamps  were  introduced  in  1902,  owing  to 
the  competition  produced  by  the  appearance  of 
electric  lighting,  which  was  made  accessible  in 
Durham  in  1901.  A  transformer  station  to  the 
north  of  the  city  receives  supply  from  the 
County  of  Durham  Electric  Power  Distribution 
Company,  whose  generating  station  is  at 
Carville-on-Tyne. 

The  peninsula  had,  and  still  has  to  some  extent, 
its  own  natural  water  supply  at  a  depth  of  30  ft. 
to  40  ft.  The  castle  and  cathedral  had  their 
own  wells,  and  most  of  the  Bailey  houses  had 
theirs.  They  gave  trouble,  however,  and  about 
1540  Bishop  Tunstall  brought  a  supply  to 
cathedral  and  castle  from  beyond  the  river.  The 
portions  outside  the  peninsula  were  supplied  by 
their  own  wells,  e.^.  Framwell,  Southwell, 
St.  Cuthbert's  Well,  St.  Oswald's  Well,  Hakow 
Well.  In  1450  water  was  brought  to  the  market 
place  from  Crook  Hall,  and  a  pant  or  fountain 
was  erected.  Such  was  the  general  provision 
until  1844,  when  a  water  company  was  formed 
and    the   trade    of    water    carrying    became  by 


5 


A   HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


degrees  a  thing  of  the  past.  This  Durham  water 
company  built  worics  outside  the  south-east 
corner  of  the  city  and  pumped  filtered  river 
water  into  a  supply  reservoir  on  Mountjoy  until 
1880.  In  this  year  the  company  was  taken  over 
by  the  Weardale  and  Shildon  water  company, 
which  afterwards  became  the  Weardale  and 
Consett  company.  Thus  an  excellent  supply 
of  beautifully  soft,  pure  water  was  brought  from 
Waskerley,  near  Consett,  to  Durham. 

Traces  of  old  sewers  of  uncertain  date  are 
often  found,  but  there  is  nothing  by  which  to 
reconstruct  the  ancient  scheme  of  drainage. 
Save  for  the  elaborate  latrine-pits  on  the  western 
wall  of  the  monastery  and  others  in  the  castle, 
there  was  probably  in  ancient  times  no  regular 
drainage.  The  haphazard  substitutes  con- 
tinued until  recent  times,  and  their  condition 
was  the  object  of  an  elaborate  report  drawn  up 
by  Mr.  G.  T.  Clark  in  1849  under  the  Public 
Health  Act  of  the  previous  year.  His  descrip- 
tion of  the  sanitary  condition  of  the  city  is 
sufficiently  shocking.  Apparently  very  little 
had  been  done  under  the  powers  of  the  Acts  of 
1790  and  1822,  and  it  was  reported  by  the 
engineers  of  the  new  water  company  that  only 
eight  streets  had  good  sewers,  whilst  twenty- 
three  had  none  !  In  1852,  as  the  outcome  of 
these  reports,  a  scheme  for  resewering  the  whole 
city  was  drawn  up,  but  was  carried  out  im- 
perfectly in  the  interests  of  a  false  economy. 
Sewers  under  this  scheme,  so  far  as  it  was  put 
into  operation,  entered  the  river  at  seventeen 
different  points.  Considerable  discussion  arose 
about  the  city  sewerage  at  various  times,  and  at 
last  in  1899  it  took  shape  in  the  elaborate  system 
introduced  by  Mr.  H.  W.  Taylor.  Gravitating 
sewers  now  followed  the  course  of  the  river  on 
both  sides,  and  brought  the  sewage  to  a  point 
below  the  city,  whence  it  is  pumped  by  centri- 
fugal pumps  into  chemical  precipitation  tanks 
whence  it  is  conveyed  over  some  12  acres  of  land 
and  eventually  reaches  the  river  in  a  thoroughly 
purified  state.  The  ultimate  cost  of  this  elabo- 
rate scheme  is  ^43,000,  and  it  will  serve  a 
population  of  30,000  so  far  as  the  sewage  con- 
veyance goes,  and  18,000  so  far  as  sewage 
disposal  is  concerned. ^^ 

In  1790  provision  was  made  for  a  watch  of 
not  more  than  twenty-four  :  four  were  actually 
chosen.  In  182 1,  owing  to  the  ruffianism  alluded 
to  above,  a  regular  police  force  on  a  small  scale 
was  trained,  which  was  supplemented  by  paro- 
chial constables.  The  watch  were  not  merely 
guardians  of  the  peace  but  inspectors  of  nui- 
sances, of  weights  and  measures,  and  until  1822 
of  the  assize  of  bread.     In  1823  some  control 

11  For  details  see  Mr.  Pegge's  paper  in  Journ.  of 
Inst,  of  Munic.  Eng.  vol.  i  (1909)  ;  Mr.  Taylor's 
explanation,  ibid.  94. 


of  fire  engines  was  placed  in  their  hands.  The 
Act  of  1835  inaugurated  the  permanent  police 
force. 

In  regard  to  trade  and  industry  Durham  was 
far  more  self-contained  before  the  days  of  rail- 
ways, producing  on  the  spot  most  articles 
required  in  the  city.  Communication  with 
London  and  great  industrial  centres  has  had  the 
effect  of  starving  out  or  of  greatly  reducing 
many  trades  which  once  were  supported.  The 
chief  trade  at  present  is  with  the  pitmen  and 
neighbouring  villagers  who  constantly  come  in 
to  shop.  Trades  that  have  disappeared  are 
those  connected  with  mustard  manufacture, 
brickyards,  tanning,  grease-making,  whilst  those 
of  the  currier,  gunsmith,  lead-sheet  worker, 
pewterer,  glover,  spurrier  and  cutler  are  extinct 
or  have  been  merged  in  allied  departments. 
There  are  still  at  work  tinplate  workers,  carriage 
builders,  cartvvrights,  iron-founders,  engineers 
of  various  kinds,  plumbers,  whitesmiths,  brass- 
workers,  ropcmakers,  bookbinders,  printers, 
coopers,  millers,  builders  and  contractors.  AH 
these  in  addition,  of  course,  to  purveyors  of 
provisions  of  all  kinds,  drapers  and  clothiers. 
The  manufacture  of  mustard  and  of  carpets 
has  long  been  associated  with  Durham,  but 
mustard-making  is  now  transferred  to  Yarm, 
and  the  carpet  factory  has  been  restarted  in  its 
old  home '-  in  recent  years  with  every  prospect 
of  rapid  development. 

We  pass  to  the  origin  and  development  of 
the  city.  Maiden  Castle,  to  the  south-east  of 
Durham,  indicates  a  prehistoric  settlement  in 
Elvet  ^^  and  probably  the  occupation  at  that  time 
of  the  large  plateau  formed  by  the  great  river 
loop  between  it  and  St.  Oswald's  Church." 

After  the  English  occupation,  the  dawn  of 
history  touches  the  districts  to  the  north  and 
south  before  it  reaches  Durham.  Lindisfarne, 
Bamburgh,  Whitby,  York  are  all  illuminated, 
whilst  the  hills  of  Durham  are  still  in  darkness. 
It  is  usual  with  historians  to  contrast  the 
comparatively  late  origin  of  Durham  with  that 
of  York  or  Ripon,  and  to  proceed  at  once  with 
the  familiar  events  of  the  arrival  of  St.  Cuth- 
bert's  body  in  995.  Some  reasons  are  now  to 
be  given  for  going  back  at  least  200  years  beyond 
that  date  to  what  is  probably  the  first  mention 
in  history  of  the  locality,  if  not  of  the  peninsula 
itself.  The  Anglo-Saxon  Chronicle  under  the 
year  762  records  the  consecration  of  Peohtwine 
as  Bishop  of  Whithern  in  Galloway,  at  a  place 
called  Aelfet  ee.  The  circumstances  which  led 
to  the  choice  of  this  particular  spot  are  not  given, 

'^  For  its  origin  see  below,  p.  49. 

*'  See  V.C.H.  Dur.  i,  348,  and  for  an  older,  more 
detailed  account  Surtees,  Hist,  and  Antiq.  of  Dur.  iv, 
90. 

11  V.C.H.  Dur.  i,  354. 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


and  do  not  really  concern  us.  At  all  events  the 
context  makes  it  clear  that  the  locality  must  be 
sought  in  Bernicia,  and  there  appears  to  be  no 
other  name  there  which  would  develop  from 
Aelfet  but  Elvet.  Whatever  Aelfet  may  mean,i* 
the  phrase  Aelfet  ee  must  signify  Aelfet  island, 
and  the  expression  would  suit  the  river  girt 
character  of  the  plateau.  But  other  considera- 
tions help  out  the  identification.  The  peninsula 
itself  can  never  have  been  very  well  adapted  for 
corn  and  other  crops,  but  the  open  district 
within  the  river  loop  at  Elvet  can  scarcely  have 
failed  to  be  productive.  When  Christianity 
was  re-established  in  Northumbria  in  the  7th 
century,  as  Bede  tells  us,  under  King  Oswald, 
a  rapid  and  widespread  development  of  the 
Church  took  place  throughout  his  realm. 

Christianity  would  surely  visit  this  fertile 
spot  at  an  early  date,  where  probably  an  Anglian 
village  arose.  Now  the  church  in  Elvet  is 
dedicated  to  St.  Oswald,  and  such  dedication 
would  be  a  very  natural  one  to  give  to  any 
church  in  a  district  where  St.  Oswald  was  a 
native  prince,  and  where  his  efforts  made  perma- 
nent the  conversion  of  Northumbria  to  the 
Christian  faith. 1*  At  any  rate  St.  Oswald's 
Church  was  the  mother  church  of  a  very  exten- 
sive district,  and  even  St.  Margaret's,  which 
was  built  in  the  early  part  of  the  12th  cen- 
tury, remained  a  chapelry  in  the  large  parish 
of  St.  Oswald  until  the  15th  century.  With  the 
antiquity  of  the  site  and  dedication  of  the  church 
works  in  an  interesting  discovery  of  Saxon 
remains  made  in  the  year  1895  in  the  churchyard 
wall  of  St.  Oswald's.  The  portions  of  pre- 
Conquest  crosses  then  recovered  are  now  in  the 
Cathedral  Library,  and  certainly  suggest  a  local 
Christianity  of  that  period.  They  have  already 
been  described  in  this  history." 

Once  more  we  have  proof  that  in  995  a  settle- 
ment actually  existed  on  the  left  bank  of  the 
river,  and  this,  we  may  take  it,  was  in  Elvet  and 
near  St.  Oswald's  if  the  general  theory  here 
advanced    is    sound.     The   proof  mentioned  is 

*^  The  late  Mr.  W.  H.  Stevenson  suggested  swan. 
Prof.  F.  M.  Stenton  writes :  'There  can  be  little  doubt 
that  the  ^Ifet  where  Peohtwine  was  consecrated  to 
Whithern  in  762  is  Elvet  near  Durham.  The  place 
must  be  sought  within  the  ancient  Kingdom  of 
Bernicia.  So  far  as  I  know  there  is  no  other  name 
which  could  descend  from  .lElfet.  Raine's  suggested 
identification  with  Elmet  is  obviously  impossible.' 

1^  The  interesting  reference  to  the  Scottish 
missionaries  and  the  building  of  churches  in  North- 
umbria in  Bede,  Hist.  Ecd.  iii,  3,  taken  with  the 
absence  of  churches  when  Oswald  began  to  reign 
(ibid,  iii,  2),  points  to  a  really  vnde  work  by  the 
king. 

"  See  V.C.H.  Dur.  i,  224-5  ;  Trans.  Dur.  and 
Northumb.  Arch,  and  Archit.  Soc.  iii,  32  ;  iv,  281, 
with  plates. 


given  by  Simeon  of  Durham,'*  the  12th- 
century  Durham  monk  and  historian,  who  not 
only  knew  the  locality  well,  but  had  access  to 
Northumbrian  traditions  and  chronicles  which 
no  longer  exist.  He  says  that  when  the  body 
of  St.  Cuthbert  came  in  995  to  the  peninsula, 
the  place  was  practically  uninhabitable,  and  with 
the  exception  of  a  level  surface  of  no  large  size, 
it  was  totally  covered  with  very  thick  wood. 
This  level  part  '  people  were  in  the  habit  of 
cultivating  by  ploughing  and  sowing.'  It  is 
at  the  least  tempting  to  suppose  that  these 
farmers,  who  can  scarcely  have  lived  on  a  site 
so  densely  covered  with  trees,  lived  beyond  the 
river,  and  came  to  and  fro  for  their  agricultural 
operations.  It  should  also  be  pointed  out  that 
the  road  passing  along  through  Crossgate  has 
been  known  from  time  immemorial  as  South 
Street,  at  all  events  in  one  portion  of  it.  '  Street,' 
however,  is  an  unusual  word  in  Durham. 
Silver  Street  within  the  peninsula,  and  South 
Street  on  the  other  side,  are,  strictly  speaking, 
the  only  Durham  streets.  Why  '  south  '  when 
it  runs  on  the  west  of  the  city  ?  And  why 
'  street,'  which  is  so  rare  a  word  ?  Is  it  not 
likely  that  the  road  so-called  forms  a  part  of  a 
really  ancient  way  which  ran  past  the  peninsula 
and  skirted  Elvet  to  the  south  ? 

The  general  conclusion  that  the  district  called 
Elvet  was  settled  and  christianized  before  762 
is  fairly  warranted.  The  existence  of  a  village 
here  with  its  unwritten  history  is  in  no  way 
disproved  by  Simeon's  story  of  the  advent  of 
St.  Cuthbert's  body  and  the  foundation  of  the 
historical  Durham.  Indeed  in  one  particular, 
as  we  have  seen,  the  record  presupposes  an 
existing  settlement.  We  will  now  take  some 
points  in  the  story  which  has  already  been  told 
in  an  earlier  volume.''  The  congregation  of 
St.  Cuthbert  were  travelling  from  Ripon  to 
Chester-le-Street.  Their  route  to  Piercebridge 
would  follow  the  course  of  the  great  Roman 
road.  If  they  did  not  continue  it  to  Lanchester 
and  strike  thence  to  Chester-le-Street  they  may 
have  followed,  whatever  its  exact  course,  the 
road  which  ultimately  led  from  the  south 
through  Elvet  and  out  to  the  intended  destina- 
tion of  the  congregation. 

At  the  moment  the  Danish  menace  had  lifted, 
but  the  time  was  stiU  threatening,  for  the 
incident  which  had  prompted  the  flight  to 
Ripon  was  part  of  a  long  series  of  invasions. 

Chester-lc-Street,  despite  its  sanctuary  asso- 
ciations extending  over  a  period  of  1 13  years, 
was  not  really  safe,  and  the  minds  of  the  congre- 
gation must  have  been  highly  strung  and  excited. 

*'  Simeon  of  Durham,  Op.  Hist.  (Rolls  Ser.),  i,  80. 

"  V.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  7.  XVTiat  is  said  in  the  text  is 
to  be  taken  as  a  supplement  to  what  was  there 
written. 


A  HISTORY   OF  DURHAM 


At  some  point  in  the  journey  the  impregnable 
character  of  the  peninsula  was  doubtless  pointed 
out,  and  there  it  was  determined  to  defend  the 
saint's  body  and  to  make  the  place  an  abiding 
home  without  fear  of  Danish  molestation.  The 
legend  of  the  car  immovable,  of  the  vision  from 
heaven,  of  the  wait  for  three  days,  will  then 
resolve  itself  into  an  allegory  concerning  the 
debate,  the  doubts,  the  decision  which  led  to 
the  transfer  of  St.  Cuthbert  to  Durham.  We 
may  perhaps  reread  the  account  of  the  momentous 
decision  as  follows.  The  two  principal  actors 
are  certainly  Aldhun,  the  Bishop  of  Chester-le- 
Street,  head  of  the  congregation  of  St.  Cuthbert, 
and  Uchtred,  who  rather  later  became  Earl  of 
Northumbria.  The  latter  was  now  or  afterwards 
the  bishop's  son-in-law,  and  appears  to  have 
acted  as  vicegerent  to  his  aged  father.  Earl 
Waltheof.  When  the  congregation  set  out  to 
Ripon  in  the  spring  of  995  various  manors, 
parcel  of  the  patrimony  of  St.  Cuthbert,  were, 
during  the  present  necessity,  committed  to  the 
care  of  Uchtred  and  his  father.^"  Elvet  may 
have  been  one  of  these,  but  it  is  not  included  in 
the  imperfect  list  of  Simeon.^*  It  is,  at  all 
events,  no  unlikely  conjecture  that  on  the  return 
journey  a  few  months  later  some  agreement  was 
reached  between  the  bishop  and  Uchtred. 
The  precious  body  of  St.  Cuthbert  was  far  too 
valuable  an  asset  to  run  the  risk  of  its  being 
sent  on  further  wanderings  at  the  appearance 
of  the  next  band  of  Svvegn's  followers.  Close 
to  Elvet,  and  well  known  to  all  who  passed 
to  and  fro  along  South  Street,  was  the  rocky 
fortress  of  Dun  holm,  as  it  was  probably  called 
at  this  time.'^^  No  more  inviolable  sanctuary 
could  have  been  chosen  than  this  fastness.  A 
political  reason  has  been  suggested  as  an 
additional  motive  in  the  choice  at  this  time. 
It  has  been  pointed  out  that  the  selection  was 
due  not  merely  to  reverence  and  interest  in  the 
possession  of  St.  Cuthbert's  body,  but  to  the 
need  of  a  new  capital  more  to  the  south  of  the 
Northumbrian  dominions  at  a  moment  when 
those  dominions  had  been  cut  short  by  the 
comparatively  recent  cession  of  Cumbria  to  the 
Scots.^' 

The  site  of  the  new  city  had  now  been  chosen, 
and  no  time  was  lost  in  erecting  the  buildings 
necessary  for  the  congregation  of  St.  Cuthbert. 
First  and  foremost  a  small  wattled  church  was 
built  where  the  saint's  body  was  placed,  a  spot 
which  tradition  has  identified  with  St.  Mary-le- 
Bow  in  the  North  Bailey,  but  at  all  events  the 
reputed  scene  of  a  cure  which  carried  far  and 

*"  Simeon  of  Dur.  op.  cit.  i,  83.  21  11,1^^ 

22  The  famous  dun  cow  legend  has  not,  so  far,  been 
traced  beyond  the  i6th  century.  See  Rites  of  Dur. 
(Surr.  Soc),  254. 

23  See  F.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  133-4. 


wide  the  fame  of  the  new  sanctuary,  and  gave 
Durham  a  notoriety  which  only  grew  as  years 
passed  on.  But,  whatever  the  exact  site  of 
this  small  shrine,  it  was  only  in  use  for  a  few 
days,  and  then  the  body  was  transferred  to 
another  church,  known  as  the  Alba  Ecclesia, 
in  which  it  rested  for  three  years.  This  period 
was  employed  in  extensive  building  operations 
under  the  direction  of  Aldhun  with  the  help 
of  Uchtred,  to  whom  was  due  a  levy  of  the 
whole  population.  Under  apparently  forced 
service^  they  cut  down  all  the  wood  on  the 
peninsula,  and  built  houses  for  the  various 
members  of  the  congregation,  to  whom  they 
were  assigned  by  lot.  This  done,  the  larger 
church  was  begun  and  was  pressed  on  with  all 
the  zealous  care  of  the  bishop  and  his  helpers. 
It  was  completed  before  the  year  998  ran  out, 
and  on  4  September  was  dedicated  with  every 
manifestation  of  joy  in  the  presence  of  a  large 
concourse  of  the  widespread  levy  which  had 
helped  in  the  building.  It  was  soon  after  this 
that  the  cure  mentioned  above  took  place,  and 
was  regarded  as  a  special  sign  of  divine  appro- 
bation bestowed  upon  the  saint's  new  resting- 
place.  The  cure  had  the  effect  of  constituting 
Durham  a  place  of  pilgrimage  as  widely  sought 
as  Chester-le-Street  had  been.  The  sanctuary 
privileges  which  had  grown  up  at  Lindisfarne 
and  at  Chester-le-Street  were  undoubtedly 
confirmed  to  Durham,  though  no  express  men- 
tion of  them  is  made  by  Simeon,  since  we  shall 
find  them  confirmed,  not  granted,  by  11th- 
century  kings.  In  this  way  the  earliest  buildings 
were  erected  and  the  influence  of  Durham 
began. 

There  is  no  mention  of  walls  and  fortifications 
so  far  ;  Simeon  speaks  of  the  place  as  '  naturally 
fortified.'  With  the  recrudescence  of  Danish 
fury  after  the  massacre  of  St.  Brice  at  the  end  of 
1002,  it  doubtless  became  necessary  to  strengthen 
these  natural  defences.  The  danger  indeed  to 
the  infant  city  was  twofold,  since  Scots  as 
well  as  Danes  menaced  the  district.  In  1006, 
apparently,  Durham  was  invested  by  the  Scots, 
but  by  this  time  the  position  was  fenced  with 
ramparts  throughout  its  whole  circuit,  and  was 
relieved  by  the  strategic  skill  of  Uchtred,  the 
bishop's  son-in-law.  The  Scots,  however,  driven 
out  of  Northumbria  at  this  time,  were  victorious 
in  the  important  fight  at  Carham  in  1018, 
when  '  the  people  of  St.  Cuthbert '  were  anni- 
hilated. The  disaster  broke  the  heart  of 
Bishop  Aldhun,  who  despaired  of  any  recovery 
of  the  former  prosperity  of  his  see.  At  his 
death  in  1019  the  western  tower  alone  of  his 
church  was  unfinished.  But  Aldhun's  sad 
prophecy  of  the  permanent  desolation  of  the 
place    was    not    fulfilled.     The    conversion    of 

-*  Simeon  of  Dur.  op.  cit.  i,  81. 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


Canute  to  the  Christian  faith  disposed  him  to 
patronize  the  English  sacred  places,  and  amongst 
them  Durham  was  the  recipient  of  his  favours. 
He  not  only  made  his  famous  pilgrimage  in 
person,  but  bestowed  fresh  gifts  of  land  and,  as 
we  may  presume,  confirmed  the  sanctuary 
privileges  of  Durham. ^^  After  his  death  the 
Scots  again  besieged  Durham  under  King 
Duncan,  but  without  success.  This  second 
successful  withstanding  of  the  Scots  must  have 
enhanced  the  fame  of  the  city,  and  there  is 
evidence  that  the  church  became  rapidly  more 
wealthy  and  prosperous,  deriving  its  treasures 
not  only  from  the  offerings  of  the  pilgrims,  but 
also,  it  is  probable,  from  the  deposits  of  those 
who  stored  here  the  money  which  it  was  not 
safe  to  keep  at  home.^* 

Various  stories  recorded  by  Simeon  show  the 
attractiveness  of  Durham  and  its  shrine  during 
the  reign  of  Edward  the  Confessor.  One  of 
these  by  its  mention  of  hospitium^''  suggests 
that  lodging  houses  were  already  in  existence 
before  the  Norman  Conquest,  in  which  guests 
coming  to  the  shrine  of  St.  Cuthbert  might 
find  entertainment.  We  thus  get  an  allusion 
to  one  of  the  most  characteristic  features  of 
mediaeval  life  in  Durham.  There  is,  however, 
no  evidence  at  all  as  to  the  pre-Conquest 
buildings  and  streets  save  as  regards  the  church 
itself.  When  the  Conquest  came,  Durham  was 
the  northern  rallying  point  of  those  Northum- 
brians who  hoped  to  set  up  Edgar  Atheling 
against  the  Conqueror.  The  submission  of 
Ethelwin  the  bishop  to  William  at  York  was 
probably  feigned.  When  in  1068  the  northern 
rebellion  broke  out,  William  advanced  towards 
the  north.  At  his  approach  all  this  brave 
confederation  collapsed  and  a  discontented 
remnant  fled  to  Durham,  where  they  hastily 
erected  a  strong  tower  to  aid  them  in  their 
defence  of  the  place.  The  incident  of  the  tower 
is  mentioned  in  one  Norman  chronicler  only,^^ 
but  the  reference  can  scarcely  have  been  an 
invention.  If  we  accept  its  historical  character 
we  have  here,  in  all  probability,  the  foundation 
of  Durham  Castle,  but  the  work  can  scarcely 
have  been  carried  far,  since  in  the  very  next 
year  events  happened  which  broke  it  all  off. 
The  episode  of  Earl  Cumin  and  his  retinue, 
against  whom  the  men  of  Durham  rose  in  their 
might  until  all  the  streets  ran  with  blood,  was 
ruthlessly  punished  by  the  Conqueror  at  the  end 
of  1069.^^  Incidentally  the  story  of  Cumin 
shows  that  Durham  was  now  a  city  of  some  size, 
with  its  houses  and  streets,  in  which  the  bishop's 

2^  Simeon  of  Durham,  op.  cit.  i,  90. 
«  Cf.  ibid.  91-2.  "  Ibid.  95. 

^^  William   of  Jumieges,   as   quoted  by  Freeman, 
Norman    Conquest,   iv,    194. 

^'  Simeon  of  Dur.  op.  cit.  i,  99,  245  ;  cf.  ibid,  ii,  1S7. 


residence  stood  near  the  church  and  close  to 
its  western  tower.  This  tower,  completed 
after  Aldhun's  death  in  1019,  was  in  grave 
danger  of  burning  when  the  populace  in  their 
rage  set  on  fire  the  house  in  which  the  earl  had 
passed  the  night. 

The  Normans  found  Durham  practically 
empty,  for  the  bishop  and  his  retinue  had  fled 
with  the  saint's  body  to  Lindisfarne.  The 
church  without  defenders  and  ministers  was 
used  as  a  hospital  for  the  sick  and  dying  who 
crawled  thither,  perhaps  in  the  hope  of  sanctuary, 
whilst  the  Norman  army  spread  ruin  and  famine 
in  every  direction.  Spring  brought  new  hope 
as  the  avenging  force  retired,  and  Durham, 
which  does  not  appear  to  have  been  itself 
ravaged  by  the  Normans,  was  re-entered  by  the 
bishop  and  his  people,  who  found  their  church 
polluted  by  its  recent  usage  and  its  treasures 
piUaged.  The  strong  walls  of  Durham  saved 
it  when  Malcolm's  forces  invaded  Northumbria 
in  1070,  burning  churches  and  carrying  slaughter 
in  every  direction.  Events  now  followed  which 
made  the  city  something  more  than  sanctuary 
and  fortress  by  constituting  it  the  centre  of 
government.  Something  of  the  kind  was 
probably  intended  when  William  outlawed 
Ethelwin  the  bishop  and  made  the  Lotharingian 
Walcher  from  Liege  bishop  in  his  stead. 
Walcher  was  already  familiar  with  a  franchise,"* 
which  in  some  sort  corresponded  to  the  franchise 
of  St.  Cuthbert,  which  had  grown  up  even 
before  the  Conquest.  But,  however  this  may 
be,  the  coming  of  Walcher  led  to  an  important 
development  in  the  city  of  Durham,  for  it  was 
through  his  friendship  with  Waltheof,  the  new 
Earl  of  Northumbria,  that  the  castle  came  to  be 
built.  As  an  Earl  of  Northumbria  had  been 
the  guiding  force  in  building  the  city,  so  another 
earl  was  the  builder  of  the  castle.  It  seems 
quite  clear  that  the  earldom  had  still  extensive 
powers  in  the  neighbourhood  and  a  particular 
control  of  the  city,  though  it  is  not  possible  to 
define  these  powers. ^"^  The  building  of  the 
castle  was  probably  carried  out^-  by  a  levy 
summoned  hy  the  earl,  but,  as  we  have  seen, 
there  is  reason  to  believe  that  some  part  of  the 
fortress  already  e.xisted.  It  was  now  begun 
in  1072,  and  in  the  same  year  the  Conqueror 
visited  Durham,  probably  for  the  first  time,  and 
confirmed  the  sanctuary  and  other  privileges 
which  Canute  had  endorsed  years  before.  When 
in  1075  Waltheof  died,  Walcher  succeeded  him 
as    earl,    and    thus    brought    to    Durham    that 

'"  For  the  early  history  of  Liege,  see  Histoire  de 
Feveche  et  de  la  principauti  de  Liege,  by  J.  Daris  (Liege, 
1868-90). 

^1  This  power  was  not,  perhaps,  surrendered  until 
the  1 2th  century.     Cf.  V.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  137-8. 

'-  Simeon  of  Dur.  op.  cit.  ii,  199. 


A   HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


political   sovereignty  which  had  hitherto  been 
established  at  Bamburgh.     Then  Durham,  for 
the  time,  was  not  only  sanctuary  and  fortress, 
which  it  had  been  for  eighty  years,  but  the  seat 
of  government  in  Northumbria  as  well,  a  position 
which   became   permanently  attached  to  it   in 
the     1 2th     century.     About     the     same     time 
Walcher    began    to    convert    the    ecclesiastical 
establishment    into    a    Benedictine    monastery, 
and  it  is  possible  that  the  buildings  between  the 
present  chapter-house  and  deanery  contain  some 
remains  of  his  work.     His  rule  was  unfortunately 
cut  short  by  an  ebullition  of  the  Northumbrian 
animosity   against    the    Norman    regime.     The 
murder  of  the  bishop  might  have  been  avoided, 
as   Simeon   seems  to   suggest,  if  he  had  been 
willing    to    remain    within    his    castle.     How 
strong  eight  years  had  made  that  fortress  was 
proved  when  the  murderers  rushed  from  Gates- 
head, where  they  killed  him,  to  Durham,   and 
there    made    a    determined    assault    upon    the 
castle.^'    Their    efforts,    maintained    for    four 
days,  were  quite  unsuccessful.     But  the  castle 
had  to  open  its  gates  a  little  later  to  Odo  of 
Bayeux,  who  placed  a  military  garrison  there, 
and  apparently  conducted  his  terrible  expedition 
of  vengeance  for  the  death  of  Walcher  from 
Durham    as    his    base    of    operations.**     Little 
remains  to-day  of  the  castle  as  Waltheof  built 
it,  with  the  exception  of  the  interesting  Norman 
chapel,    which    is    unhesitatingly    ascribed    by 
Rivoira  to  the  time  of  the  reputed  foundation 
of  the  building,  1072.     The  chapel  is  the  oldest 
building  in  Durham. 

We  now  approach  a  century  which  made  the 
city  what  it  was  both  architecturally  and 
politically  until  the  Reformation,  and  although 
that  political  prestige  has  long  since  disappeared 
the  architectural  interest  of  the  12th  century 
largely  remains  to-day.  St.  Calais,  the  Norman 
bishop  who  followed  Walcher,  was  rash  enough 
in  the  days  of  Rufus  to  meddle  with  another 
anti-Norman  plot  hatched  in  Durham,  which  had 
so  consistently  fostered  the  English  spirit  of 
resistance.  For  complicity  in  this  affair  St.  Calais 
was  banished  for  three  years  to  Normandy.  The 
castle  had  only  surrendered  its  bishop  after  a 
siege  and  during  the  prelate's  exile  was  seized 
and  held  by  the  king  in  his  most  approved 
fashion.  When  the  bishop  came  back  he  made 
that  pact  with  the  Earl  of  Northumberland  which 
is  reasonably  supposed  to  confer  upon  the 
mediaeval  Bishop  of  Durham  the  outstanding 
rights  hitherto  retained  in  the  hands  of  the 
earl,  who  held  certain  ill-defined  powers  over 
the  patrimony  of  St.  Cuthbert.^'  gy  ^1,^3 
transfer  of  rights  we  see,  no  doubt,  how  the  way 

*'  Simeon  of  Dur.  op.  cit.  i,  118. 

3«  Ibid. 

35  V.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  137. 


was  paved  for  the  erection  of  the  great  Norman 
cathedral  whose  design  St.  Calais  had  very  likely 
formed  during  his  absence  on  the  Continent. 
What  Walcher  had  planned   St.  Calais  carried 
out,  for  he  finished  the  transformation  of  the 
ecclesiastical  establishment  into  a  Benedictine 
monastery  (1087).      St.  Calais  began  his  great 
church  in  1093,  carrying  it  eastward,  and  com- 
pleting the  walls  of  the  quire,  and  westward  to 
the  first  bay  of  the  nave.     An  important  change 
which  affected  the  city  as  well  as  the  Cuthbertine 
lands    outside    was    the    division    of    property 
between   bishop   and   monastery  instituted   by 
St.  Calais,  and  completed  by  his  successor.^"     It 
was    probably    by    this    arrangement    that    the 
divided  ownership  of  Durham  and  its  suburbs 
was  defined.     The  land  was  now  divided  between 
bishop  and  monastery.      Up   to  this  time  the 
bishop,  as    head    of    the    congregation    of    St. 
Cuthbert,  had  full  rights  over  the  church  and 
its  immediate  surroundings,^'  whereas  the  earl 
had  at  all  events  some  ownership  outside  those 
precincts.     It  was  the  earl,  for  instance,  who 
built    the    castle. 3*    When  St.  Calais   put   the 
monastery    in    place    of    the    congregation    by 
authority  of  the  bulls  of  Hildebrand,  he  became 
supreme  landlord  of  all  the  Cuthbertine  terri- 
tory, and  by  his  agreement  with  the  earl  he  was 
constituted  owner  of  all  the  earl's  rights,  and 
Rufus  endorsed  the  arrangement. ^^     St.  Calais 
was  thus  in  a  position  to  divide  as  he  pleased. 
In  this  way  he  made  over  the  ancient  settlement 
of  Elvet  and  Crossgate,  with  its  church,  to  the 
monastery.^    This,   by  the  way,  is   a   further 
confirmation    of    the    view    taken    above    that 
Elvet  was  the  original  settlement  with  a  church 
of  undoubted  antiquity.     The  bishop  kept  in 
his  own  hand  the  castle  and  precincts  and,  for 
the  present,  a  much  more  immediate  authority 
and  control  over  the  monastery  buildings  than 
was  the  case  at  a  later  date.''^     We  have  as  yet 
no  proof  of  the  existence  of  Framwellgate  and  of 
what  is  now  the  parish  of  St.  Nicholas,  but  it  is 
probable  that  there  were  such  suburbs  at  this 
date. 

To  Bishop  Flambard  (i  099-1 128)  the  city  of 
Durham  owes  more  than  to  any  other  single 
prelate,  but  it  is  unfortunate  that  the  dearth  of 
documents  at  this  critical  period  prevents  us 
from  tracing  the  details  of  his  work.     He  was 

•"^  Simeon  of  Dur.  op.  cit.  i,  123. 

3'  Simeon  represents  the  bishop  as  building  the 
church  and  Uchtred  as  helping.  Bishop  and  earl 
had  often  been  at  strife  over  their  rights  (op.  cit.  i, 
125). 

3'  This  is  clearly  what  Simeon  represents. 

33  F.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  137. 

*"  Ibid,  ii,  and  reference  there  given. 

■"  St.  Calais  builds  as  he  wills,  and  so  do  Flambard 
and  Pudsey.  There  is  as  yet  no  dispute  between 
bishop  and  convent  (ibid.  14). 


10 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


the    keen    champion   of   the   palatinate   power 
against  all  outside  aggression,'*^  but  he  built  it 
up  by  exaction  and  invasion  of  the  Cuthbcrtine 
liberties,   though   before   his   death  he   bitterly 
repented  his  conduct.''^     To  him  is  due  the  con- 
tinuation of  the  majestic  nave  of  the  cathedral. 
St.  Calais  had  built  the  church  and  the  monks  the 
monastic  buildings,  but  after  the  bishop's  death 
in  1096  the  monks  went  on  with  the  church  and 
abandoned   the   completion   of   the   monastery. 
Flambard  reverted  to  the  former  arrangement, 
and  in  addition  enlarged  the  narrow  chapter- 
house.     He    built    the    city    wall,    rendering 
the    place    stronger   and   more   imposing.       In 
addition    to    this    he    ran    a    wall    from    the 
cathedral  apse  to  the   castle   keep,  and  cleared 
Palace  Green  or  Place  Green  (as  it  was  later 
called)  of  the  many  dwellings  which  then  stood 
upon  it.    His  design  in  this  clearance  was  to  get 
rid  of  any  danger  to  the  church  either  from  pol- 
lution or  from  fire.    This  mention  of  habitacula 
multa  proves   that  the    century    elapsed    since 
the  foundation  of  Durham  had  witnessed  the 
spread  of  buildings  within  the  peninsula,  and 
we  shall  soon  get  proof  that  suburbs  had  sprung 
up  outside.   Room  must  have  been  found  for  the 
dispossessed  tenants  of  the  Palace  Green,  and  it 
is   no    improbable    conjecture   that    they   were 
placed  by  the  bishop  on  that  part  of  the  bishop's 
lands  which  now  goes  by  the  name  Framwellgate. 
We  have  no  direct  documentary  testimony  as  to 
the  origin  of  this  suburb,  but  the  fact  just  named 
and  the  building  of  Framwellgate  Bridge,  which 
was   undoubtedly   Flambard's   work,   might   be 
considered    to    make    probable    the    hypothesis 
that  Flambard  planted  the  evicted  persons  on 
his  own  land,  and  consoled  them  by  making  their 
new   habitations   immediately  adjacent   to   the 
road  by  which  pilgrims  came  and  went  when 
they  visited  Durham.      The  new  bridge  gave 
ready  access  to  the  city,  and  connected  Fram- 
wellgate and  Crossgate  with  the  district  of  St. 
Nicholas,  which  was  already,  no  doubt,  occupied 
by  houses,  and  had  its  own  parish  church,  either 
at  this  time  or  in  the  episcopate  of  Pudscy.  The 
fact  that  Framwellgate  had  no  church  of  its  own, 
taken  in  connexion  with  its  constant  documen- 
tary connexion  with  the  Borough  (which  after- 
wards came  to  be  the  name  of  St.   Nicholas' 
parish),  will  suggest  the  priority  of  the  latter  in 
point  of  time.   The  dedication  to  St.  Nicholas  is 
worth  noting,  as  there  is  some  reason  to  believe 
that  this  patron  saint  of  sailors  was  also  adopted 
by  traders  who  plied  their  craft  under  his  pro- 
tection. 

The  chronology  of  Flambard's  episcopate  is 
obscure,  but  it  is  not  at  all  improbable  that  his 
works  were  in  part  carried  out  in  connexion  with 


*^  Simeon  of  Dur. 
"  Ibid.  141. 


op.  cjt.  1,  139. 


the  most  picturesque  scene  of  the  time,  the 
translation  of  the  body  of  St.  Cuthbert  to  the 
shrine  in  the  completed  church.  The  date  is 
4  September  1104.  Now,  if  not  before,  began 
the  history  of  a  great  north  country  event  when 
the  Fair  of  St.  Cuthbert  was  instituted,  and, 
as  we  see  from  many  12th-century  references, 
became  at  once  a  celebration  of  impressive 
character  and  proportions.  The  nave  of  the 
cathedral  was  not  quite  finished  when  Flambard 
died,  but  was  completed  by  the  monks  in  the 
interval  of  five  years  before  his  successor  arrived. 
Just  before  his  death  the  bishop,  in  token  of 
repentance  for  much  harsh  treatment  of  his 
Durham  neighbours,  made  over  to  them  a 
considerable  sum  of  money  which  the  king 
afterwards  demanded  again.""  The  foundation 
by  Flambard  of  the  Hospital  of  St.  Giles,  com- 
monly known  as  Kepier  Hospital,  can  be  accu- 
rately dated  to  the  year  11 12.  At  the  same  time 
Flambard  also  built  the  church  of  St.  Giles, 
which  stood  on  the  summit  of  a  hill  north-east 
of  the  city,  gathering  round  it,  as  time  went  on, 
a  settlement  which  went  by  the  name  of  Giles- 
gate  or,  in  local  phrase,  GiUygate.  Such  was  the 
beginning  of  a  new  and  important  suburb,  des- 
tined to  be  closely  connected  with  the  hospital. 
Finchale,  which  was,  perhaps,  an  old  Celtic 
monastic  site,  was  made  over  by  Flambard  to  the 
monks  of  St.  Cuthbert  in  iiiS.''^ 

A  period  of  vicissitude  soon  followed  the  death 
of  Flambard,  entailing  great  suffering  on  Dur- 
ham and  its  environs.  Miseries  which  are  quoted 
by  a  modern  historian  as  characteristic  of  the 
anarchy  of  Stephen's  reign  had  perhaps  their 
chief  exemplification  in  the  misfortunes  of  the 
city."*^  As  at  the  Norman  Conquest  Durham 
had  been  distracted  between  two  parties,  so  now 
it  was  menaced  by  a  double  allegiance.  The 
majority  took  the  side  of  Stephen,  but  the 
activity  of  David  of  Scotland,  espousing  the 
cause  of  the  Empress  Maud  his  niece,  brought 
the  whole  district  into  imminent  danger. 
Stephen's  entry  into  Durham  in  February  1 1 36 
obliged  David  to  withdraw  the  troops  with 
which  he  meditated  the  reduction  of  the  city  and 
the  annexation  of  the  patrimony  of  St.  Cuthbert. 
Terms  were  arranged  at  the  castle  during  Ste- 
phen's stay.  The  ebb  and  flow  of  the  invasions 
that  ensued  did  not  affect  Durham  again  until 
1 1 38,  and  then  only  in  passing,  as  the  Scots 

^^  This  may  refer  in  p.irt  to  his  dispossession  of  the 
traders  (as  they  probably  were)  on  the  Palace  Green 
(cf.  Simeon  of  Dur.  op.  cit.  i,  141). 

*5  It  is  .in  old  theory  that  the  Synod  of  Pincahala 
in  787  was  held  at  Finchale  (Haddan  and  Stubbs, 
Councils,  iii,  444).  At  all  events  in  the  12th  century 
foundations  of  ancient  buildings  were  to  be  discerned 
under  the  turf  (Reginald,  De  Vita  St.  Godric  [Suttees 
Soc],  69). 

^■^  Green,  Short  History,  98-9. 


I  I 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


advanced  to  the  battle  of  the  Standard,  or  fled 
from  it  through  Durham  in  confusion.  A  truce 
was  ratified  in  Durham  in  the  same  year,  and  in 
1 139  peace  was  signed  in  the  castle.  By  this 
Treaty  of  Durham  the  bishopric  became  for  a 
time  an  oasis  in  a  Scottish  Northumbria,  for 
whilst  the  Scottish  boundary  was  now  to  be  the 
Tees,  the  rights  of  the  territory  of  St.  Cuthbert 
were  respected.'"  Then  came  the  clever  and 
unscrupulous  attempt  of  David's  Chancellor  to 
annex  Durham  and  the  Cuthbertine  territory 
under  cover  of  law.'**  Cumin  the  usurper  had 
laid  his  plans  before  the  bishop's  death,  and  all 
was  ready  when  the  prelate  drew  his  last  breath 
in  the  castle.  The  fortress  was  betrayed  by  the 
dead  man's  nephew,  and  most  of  the  bishopric 
barons  declared  for  Cumin.''*  The  usurper 
commenced  his  turbulent  three  years'  reign  in  the 
castle.  At  first  he  was  affable  enough  and  tried 
to  cajole  the  monks  into  acquiescence.*"  When 
at  the  end  of  two  years  a  band  of  them  managed 
to  get  to  York  and  there  to  elect  a  lawful  bishop 
the  rage  of  Cumin  knew  no  bounds.  He  now 
showed  himself  in  his  true  colours  as  a  savage 
and  rapacious  tyrant.  Within  the  city  the  monks 
who  would  not  swear  allegiance  were  ejected, 
and  the  citizens  were  put  to  the  most  cruel 
torture.  Outside,  his  mercenary  troops  pillaged 
in  every  direction,  sallying  forth  from  the  castle 
and  returning  to  it  laden  with  their  booty, 
making  it  a  den  of  thieves.  The  misery  of  the 
city  was  intense  and  its  general  aspect,  says  the 
chronicler,*^  was  as  if  all  the  tyrants  that  had 
injured  it  at  different  times  had  united  to  do 
their  worst.  Every  house  in  the  place  was  visited 
and  the  most  cruel  tortures  were  invented  for 
those  still  loyal  to  the  true  bishop.  Meanwhile 
the  lawful  prelate,  William  of  Ste.  Barbe,  had  to 
fight  for  his  see.  He  was  eagerly  joined  by  a 
growing  band  of  supporters  and  took  up  his  posi- 
tion on  the  hill-top  a  mile  from  castle  and  cathe- 
dral, where  a  suburb  had  already  sprung  up 
round  the  Church  and  Hospital  of  St.  Giles.  Here 
fortifications  were  erected,  and  the  two  armies 
watched  each  other  from  neighbouring  heights. 
Il  was  now  that  the  desolation  of  the  cathedral 
took  place,  which  has  been  described  for  us  by 
one  of  the  monks  who  was  evidently  an  eye- 
witness. It  was  the  result  of  a  regular  siege  of 
the  building  where  the  faithful  monks  were  col- 
lected together  in  prayer.  Suddenly  the  soldiers 
of  Cumin  burst  open  the  doors,  set  ladders  to  the 

"  F.C.H.DuT.ii,  139. 

*'  The  main  authority  for  the  usurpation  is  the 
continuation  of  Simeon,  which  is  probably  the  work  of 
Laurence,  who  became  Prior  of  Durham.  See  Simeon 
of  Dur.  op.  cit.  i,  143-60.  The  poem  of  Laurence 
mentioned  in  the  next  paragraph  was  written  close  to 
the  events  of  the  Cumin  episode. 

*'  Simeon  of  Dur.  op  cit.  i,  164. 

»«  Ibid.  162.  61  Ibid.  164. 


windows,  swarmed  in  at  every  point  and  easily 
overpowered  the  very  thought  of  resistance  from 
the  unarmed  men.  The  voice  of  prayer  and 
praise  was  silenced  and  so  continued  until  a  year 
and  seven  weeks  had  passed.  Then  a  truce 
brought  respite  for  seven  months  in  all,  but  no 
cessation  of  hostilities.  At  last  in  1144  Earl 
Henry  of  Northumberland  advanced  to  ter- 
minate the  situation  and  to  place  the  true  bishop 
in  his  see  and  castle.  As  he  drew  near  Cumin 
wreaked  his  last  act  of  vengeance,  burning  the 
suburb  of  St.  Giles  which  had  so  recently  been 
the  camp  of  his  opponent's  forces,  and  likewise 
setting  fire  to  the  district  of  Elvet,  which,  as  we 
have  seen,  was  a  peculiar  possession  of  the 
monks.*^ 

We  are  fortunate  in  possessing  a  curious  Latin 
poem  written  by  Laurence,  later  Prior  of  Dur- 
ham (1149).  As  chaplain  of  Bishop  Geoffrey 
Rufus  (1133)  he  lived  in  the  castle,  and  on  the 
death  of  his  master  became  precentor  of  the 
cathedral,  and  actually  witnessed  some  of  the 
events  of  Cumin's  usurpation.  With  much  feel- 
ing he  tells  the  story  of  those  days  of  blasphemy 
and  rebuke.  Incidentally  he  works  into  his 
narrative  some  description  of  the  city  in  general, 
and  of  the  castle  in  particular.  Unfortunately 
the  exigencies  of  metre  make  it  difficult,  some- 
times, to  follow  the  description  given,  but  the 
main  features  are  clear  enough.  He  mentions 
in  turgid  verse  the  lofty  situation,  the  horse- 
shoe bend  of  the  river,  the  precipitous  banks,  the 
impregnable  character  of  the  position.*^  To 
this  last  feature  he  recurs.**  Palace  Green 
with  its  opportunities  of  fun  and  laughter  is 
there,  and  the  town  wall  surrounding  the  penin- 
sula, and  pierced  by  at  least  three  gates.  Special 
attention  is  paid  by  the  poet  to  the  castle  he  knew 
so  well  and  a  rather  detailed  inventory  is  given  of 
its  parts.** 

Pudsey's  long  episcopate  (1153-95)  carried  on 
the  work  of  Flambard,  which  had  been  inter- 
rupted by  the  anarchy  of  Stephen's  reign.  At 
the  outset  the  new  bishop  had  to  face  the  great 
ruin  of  the  city,  which  the  reign  of  William  de 
Ste.  Barbe  had  scarcely  begun  to  repair.  More- 
over at  the  commencement  of  Pudsey's  con- 
nexion with  Durham  a  terrible  fire  seems  to 
have  burnt  down  the  northern  wing  of  the  castle.*' 
It  is  apparently  described  in  two  more  or  less 
contemporary  documents  *'  from  which  we 
gather  that  it  broke  out  in  Silver  Street  and 
being  fanned  by  a  north  wind  quickly  overleaped 

*-  Simeon  of  Dur.  op.  cit.  i,  159. 

*'  Laurence,  Dialogi  (Surt.  Soc),  8. 

*''  Ibid.  27.  *''  See  below,  p.  65."' 

*'  Mentioned  in  Hist.  Dunelm.  Scriptores  Tres  (Surt. 
Soc),  12. 

*'  In  the  Life  of  St.  Godric  (Surt.  Soc),  182,  and  in 
Reginald  of  Durham,  Libellus  de  admirandis  Beati 
Cuthberti  tiirtutibus  (Surt.  Soc),  cap.  xxxix. 


12 


Durham  :    Elvet  Bridge  c.   1829 
(By  W.  Westall) 


Durham  Castle  from  the  North-west 
(EaHy  l8th  century) 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


the  battlements  of  the  castle.     Proof  of  this 
disaster  is  found  in  the  stone-work  of  the  very 
part  in  question  which  shows  some  traces  of 
the  action  of  fire.^*    The  chronology  of  Pudsey's 
building  operations  is  as  uncertain  as  that  of 
Flambard's  work,  but  the  view  here  taken  is  that 
the  rebuilding  must   be  referred  to  the  latter 
half  of  the  episcopate.    During  the  former  half 
his  time  was  much  taken  up  by  disputes  with  the 
king,    and    Henry's   policy   of   centralizing   the 
governing  power  was  not  likely  to  permit  the 
bishop  to  develop  his  capital  too  rapidly.    It  was 
probably  after  the  difficulties  of  1173  and  1174 
that  Pudsey  set  to  work  with  the  help  of  his 
architect  Richard  and  carried  out  the  series  of 
building  operations  connected  with  his  name.  He 
practically  rebuilt  the  castle.    He  renewed  the 
wall  between  the  north  and  south  gates  which  is 
thought  to  be  represented  by  the  foundations 
which  still  stretch  along  the  river  bank  from  the 
Bailey  to  the  Prebend's  Bridge.^'     His  eager- 
ness in  building  pressed  him  on,  and  he  spared 
no  expense  to  carry  out  his  designs  and  to  win 
general  applause.    As  an  instance  of  his  lavish- 
ness  he  restored  the  borough  of  Elvet  which 
Cumin   had   destroyed,   and   threw  a   splendid 
bridge  across  the  river  to  unite  the  old  suburb 
with  the  peninsula.    When  the  work  was  com- 
plete he  gave  back  to  the  monks  what  had  been 
so  long  their  own  possession,  resigning  all  right 
and  authority  over  it.*"    No  doubt  at  this  time 
the  church  of   St.  Margaret   was  erected  as  a 
chapelry  of  Elvet  (St.  Oswald's)  Church,  though 
the  invocation   as  it   now  exists  may  probably 
have  been  much  later.  The  architectural  evidence 
of  the  building  points  pretty  decisively  to  this 
period,  and  had  we  more  data  we  should  prob- 
ably find  that  the  district  in  which  the  church 
stands  had  been  likewise  ruined  by  Cumin.    It 
is  equally  certain,  too,  that  the  Church  of  St.  Giles 
was   rebuilt  by  Pudsey  at   this  time,  and   it  is 
probable  that  his  work  here  was  a  part  of  his 
refoundation  of    Kepier   Hospital   as   described 
above.*'     The    achievement    in    Durham    most 
widely  associated  with  his  name,  however,  is  the 
Galilee  of  the  cathedral,  which  was  completed 
by  the  year  11 89,  when  his  nephew  the  Count  of 
Bar  was  buried  there.*^     Pudsey's  position  as 

^'  An  examination  of  the  lower  courses  of  the  stones 
in  the  buttresses  on  the  North  Terrace  revealed  this 
to  the  writer  and  Mr.  W.  T.  Jones. 

^*  The  summary  is  given  in  Hist.  Dun.  Scriptores 
Tres  (Surt.  Soc),  11-12. 

*"  To  him  is  also  due  the  sumptuous  mediaeval 
shrine  of  silver  and  gold  in  which  the  bones  of  Bede 
were  placed.  The  chronicler  makes  much  of  its  impres- 
siveness  (Ibid.).  *i  V.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  iii. 

"^  A  reference  in  Reginald  of  Durham  enables  us 
to  date  the  Galilee  with  great  exactitude  to  the  year 
1 177  {De  Fita  S.  Godrici  (Surt.  Soc),  384,  and  for  the 
date  ibid.  385  n.). 


Earl  of  Northumberland  and  also  Earl  of  Sad- 
berge  *^  gave  him  no  doubt  some  excuse  for 
the  sumptuous  and  magnificent  enrichment  of 
Durham,  which  was  now  the  centre  of  a  highly 
developed  franchise. 

But  the  most  important  event  of  Pudsey's 
episcopate,  so  far  as  Durham  is  concerned,  is 
his  charter  to  the  burgesses. 

Durham  is  again  fortunate  in  possessing  two 
books  which  were  written  in  Pudsey's  time  and 
illustrate  in  an  interesting  way  the  buildings 
and  life  of  that  period.  The  writer  is  Reginald, 
a  monk  of  Durham,  or,  according  to  one  account, 
of  Coldingham.  He  lived  within  the  abbey  and 
held  high  position  there,  dying,  as  it  might 
appear,  before  the  end  of  Pudsey's  episcopate.  His 
earlier  book**  is  a  collection  of  sermons  and  ad- 
dresses dealing  with  the  miracles  of  St.  Cuthbert, 
and  it  is  a  probable  conjecture  that  he  him- 
self was  one  of  those  whom  Pudsey  sent  with 
relics  of  the  saint  to  perambulate  various  dis- 
tricts of  England  and  Scotland  in  order  to  spread 
abroad  the  praises  of  St.  Cuthbert*^  and  to 
attract  pilgrims  to  his  shrine.  Somewhat  later 
than  this,  and  with  an  appendix  of  probably 
still  later  date,  is  Reginald's  Life  of  St.  Godric,^ 
the  celebrated  recluse  of  Finchale.  It  is  easy  to 
pick  from  the  two  volumes  a  large  number  of 
references  which  throw  much  light  upon  what 
Durham  was  then  like.  It  was  usually  approached 
from  the  north,  apparently  by  a  via  regia  *'  which 
is  almost  certainly  the  old  road  leading  from 
Elvet  and  the  south  towards  Newcastle.  At  the 
distance  of  one  mile  from  the  city  stood  a  cross 
which  was  probably  one  of  an  inner  circle  of 
crosses  marking  the  limit  of  the  leuga  or  sanc- 
tuary circle.**  Reginald  has  several  allusions  to 
Pudsey's  buildings,  and  twice  over  to  the  ex- 
tension of  the  cathedral  by  the  Galilee. 

Without  the  city  itself  Reginald  mentions 
Kepier*'  which  was  not  only  a  hospital  but  a 
shelter  for  pilgrims ;  the  Church  of  St.  Giles" 
where  Godric  had  been  a  frequent  worshipper ; 
the  city  walls,''  which  had  to  be  passed  in  what- 
ever direction  the  traveller  came  or  went.  Within 
their  circuit  the  details  are  minute.  There  was 
the  Church  of  St.  Nicholas,'-  in  the  midst  of  the 
city ;  the  Church  of  St.  Mary ,'3  with  its  school 
where  Godric  strove  to  compensate  for  early 
defects  of  education;  the  lodging  houses'* 
where  the  pilgrims  stayed;  the  shops'*  in  the 

63  Roger  of  Hoveden,  Chron.  (Rolls  Ser.),  iii,  19. 
**  Libellus   de   admirandis   B.    Cuthberti   virtutibus 
(Surt.  Soc).  ^  Ibid,  no,  cf.  77,  109. 

66  De  Vita  S.  Godrici  (Surt.  Soc).        *'  Ibid.  334. 

68  Ibid.  334  ;   Reginald,  Libellus  B.  Cuthberti,  282. 

69  De  Vita  S.  Godrici  (Surt.  Soc),  402. 
'0  Ibid.  59.  "  Ibid.  334. 

'2  Ibid.  388.  '3  Ibid.  59. 

'*  Libellus  B.  Cuthberti,  271. 

'5  Ibid.  266  ;   De  Vita  S.  Godrici,  345. 


13 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


market  or  with  open  fronts  along  the  streets. 
Reginald  speaks  of  the  muddy  approach'*  to  the 
cathedral  over  Palace  Green,  and  more  than 
once  of  Palace  Green"  itself,  of  the  Cross'*  that 
stood  in  the  churchyard,  of  burials  that  took 
place  here."  The  great  bells  were  visible  from 
without,  and  the  youth  of  Durham  gladly  took 
their  turn  in  ringing  them.'"  The  '  usual ' 
entrance  was  the  north  door,*'  and  hard  by  were 
the  attendants,*-  ready  to  open  it  or  to  repel  if 
need  be.  On  the  door  were  handles  of  brass.  On 
entering  the  minster  the  pilgrims  passed  by  the 
mighty  cyhnders  of  the  new  pillars.*'  At  the 
crossing  he  saw  the  statues  of  kings  and  saints. 
Hard  by  were  the  inner  gates,*'  usually  guarded, 
and  through  these  the  pilgrims  reached  the 
shrine.  A  new  marble  pavement  had  recently 
been  laid  by  Prior  Roger  *^  (1137-49),  probably 
after  the  desecration  caused  by  Cumin's  soldiers. 
The  shrine  had  its  special  adornment  and  its 
own  custodian.**  Here  the  pilgrim  might  offer 
his  candle*'  and  any  gift  that  he  had  brought. 
If  it  was  a  great  festival  the  church  was  deco- 
rated with  care  as  at  Easter  **  or  Whitsuntide.*' 
The  two  great  festivals  of  St.  Cuthbert  on 
20  March  *»  and  4  September *'  brought  crowds  to 
Durham,  when  attractions  within  the  cathedral 
were  many  ;  and  without,  sports  and  games  were 
held.*2  Peculiarly  interesting  were  the  relics 
exhibited  at  such  times  to  the  pubHc  view.*' 
The  banner  of  St.  Cuthbert**  was  a  conspicuous 
object  near  the  shrine.  At  night  the  monks  had 
the  church  to  themselves  and  sang  the  midnight 
office '5  in  their  stalls**  after  the  attendants  had 
prepared  the  cressets  to  light  them."  There 
is  mention  of  the  altar  of  St.  Oswald,**  of  the 
pulpit**  upon  which  the  lectionary  lay,  of  the  small 
bell  in  the  quire,'""  of  the  bishop's  throne,' 
of  the  Crucifix  -  opposite  it  within  the  quire,  of 
the  signals  given  by  the  bells*  when  service 
began,  or  the  various  hours  of  day  and  night  had 
to  be  indicated. 

Then  there  was  the  monastery  with  its  build- 
ings and  its  monks.  Reginald,  however,  has 
little  to  say  except  in  this  incidental  way  about  the 

'*  Libellus  B.  Cuthberti,  373. 

"  De  Vita  S.  Godrici,  189,  191. 

'*  Libellus  B.  Cuthberti,  164. 

''^  De  Vita  S.  Godrici,  SI. 

*"  Libellus  B.  Cuthberti,  266. 

*i  Ibid.  119.  *2  Ibid.  292. 

*'  Ibid.  266,  cf.  ibid.  190. 

**  Ibid.  166,  cf.  ibid.  82. 

85  Ibid.  154.  8fi  Ibid.  161,  268. 

*'  Ibid.  179.  88  Ibid.  163.  **  Ibid.  202. 

*"  Ibid.  40  ;    De  Vita  S.  Godrici,  893. 

»i  Libellus  B.  Cuthberti,  54,  98.  «2  Ibid.  284. 

»*  Ibid.  165.  9*  Ibid.  83. 

*^  Ibid.  71.  **  Ibid.  81,  174. 

*'  Ibid.  167.  98  Ibid. 

«*  Ibid.  173.  '""Ibid.  189. 

'  Ibid.  166.  2  Ibid.  81.  3  Ibid.  189. 


surroundings  of  his  own  life.  He  knows  the 
castle  from  the  outside  and  refers  to  its  massive 
gates,*  the  porter  who  guarded  them,*  the 
battlements*  with  their  sentinels'  on  watch,  the 
concourse  of  servants,*  the  bishop's  prison.  * 
From  a  later  reference  there  is  some  reason  for 
supposing  that  this  prison  was  on  the  west  side 
of  Palace  Green  until  the  days  of  Bishop  Lang- 
ley.'" 

Elsewhere  there  is  allusion  to  Allergate,"  to 
the  suburbs  of  Durham, '^  to  South  Street  with  its 
white  houses  as  seen  from  the  neighbourhood  of 
the  cathedral.'*  In  between  ran  the  river  with 
its  dam  and  mills  and  water-wheels.'*  Saturday 
then,  as  now,  was  the  market-day.'*  There  was  a 
town-crier.'*  The  mint-master  was  a  man  of 
position." 

One  more  document  of  Pudsey's  episcopate 
remains  to  be  mentioned.  Boldon  Book,  a  very 
important  recital  of  all  the  bishop's  vills,  was 
drawn  up  in  the  year  11 83.'*  Unfortunately, 
the  light  it  throws  upon  Durham  itself  is  neither 
clear  nor  full.  It  tells  us  that  Durham  was  at 
farm,  and  had  mills  producing  large  revenue. 
It  calls  Durham  alone  of  all  the  vills  named 
a  civitas.  Beyond  this  there  is  no  information, 
and  we  are  not  even  told  what  the  dues  farmed 
out  may  have  been  in  amount,  nor  what  the 
farmers'  names  were. 

The  uncertain  references  to  the  city  itself, 
however,  are  only  disappointing  in  so  far  as 
they  give  no  details  of  the  administration  of 
Durham.  The  works  of  Reginald  supply  a  vivid 
enough  picture  of  the  place.  It  is  not,  therefore, 
very  difficult  to  form  some  conception  of 
Pudsey's  Durham  in  the  light  of  what  has  now 
been  said.  The  shrine  brought  the  pilgrims, 
and  the  pilgrims  brought  business.  The  secular 
side  of  Durham  as  the  centre  of  government  was 
perhaps  secondary,  though  extremely  important. 
The  whole  meaning  of  the  two  books  of  Reginald 
the  monk  lies  in  the  fact  that  Pudsey  greatly 
increased  the  attractions  of  Durham  as  a  place 
of  pilgrimage.  Reginald  incidentally  shows 
by  more  than  one  amusing  touch  how  anxious 
the  new-born  fame  of  St.  Thomas  of  Canterbury 
rendered  the  Durham  monks.  Fear  of  this 
important  rival  no  doubt  prompted  some  of  the 
revelations  which  are  recorded,  in  order  to 
confirm  the  wavering  prestige  of  St.  Cuthbert's 
shrine,  and  their  satisfactory'  conclusion  has  a 
spice  of  humour  in  it.  Some  of  Pudsey's  work 
was  planned,  no  doubt,  for  the  express  purpose 

*  Libellus  B.  Cuthberti,  211.  *  Ibid.  233. 
6  Ibid.  282.                  'Ibid.  211.  *  Ibid.  212. 

*  Ibid.  314.  '"  See  below,  p.  23. 
"/)<•  Vita  S.  Godrici,  403. 

'2  Libellus  B.  Cuthberti,  172.    "  Ibid.  252.    '*  Ibid. 
'5  De  Vita  S.  Godrici,  388. 

»*  Libellus  B.  Cuthberti,  206.  "  Ibid.  210. 

'*r.C.W.Z)«r.  1,259. 


H 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


of  increasing  the  attractions  of  the  place  in 
the  eyes  of  pilgrims.  They  and  other  visitors, 
as  they  came,  would  require  the  services  of 
a  host  of  tradesmen,  purveyors,  and  hucksters. 
It  is  no  surprise,  also,  to  find  not  merely 
constant  reference  in  Reginald  to  the  crowds 
of  visitors,  but  various  allusions  elsewhere 
to  the  existence  of  the  Durham  mint.  It  was 
a  necessity,  in  order  to  provide  a  local  medium  of 
exchange,  and  its  resuscitation  by  special  grant, 
just  after  Pudsey's  death,  goes  to  prove  that 
the  necessity  was  felt  and  allowed  by  the  king. 
At  the  moment  when  Boldon  Book  was  written, 
the  mint  was  temporarily  in  abeyance.  The 
local  imports,  connected  not  merely  with  the 
city,  but  with  the  bishopric,  were  numerous, 
consisting  of  wine,  mill-stones,  salt  and  herrings. 
It  was  sometimes  an  incidence  of  service  that 
such  commodities  should  be  carted  to  Durham. '' 
On  the  other  hand,  there  was  an  e.xport  trade 
of  some  volume  ;  as,  for  instance,  mill-stones 
from  Durham  to  Ireland,  and  also  salmon  and 
iron,  with  other  merchandise.^"  No  doubt 
the  Cuthbertine  Fairs  in  March  and  September 
were  the  chief  opportunities  of  trade,  and 
Reginald's  incidental  mentions  of  these  great 
occasions  suggest  their  very  great  social  and 
economic  importance.  They  not  merely  afforded 
trade  and  market  meetings  on  a  great  scale, 
but  brought  no  little  gain  to  the  bishop  or  the 
farmers  appointed  by  him,  as  we  gather  from 
the  returns  for  '  booth-silver '  or  stallage, 
a  similar  rent  being  paid  still  to  the  corporation 
of  Durham  for  travelling  shows,  etc.,  allowed 
to  take  up  their  stand  in  the  market-place. 

In  the  13th  century  two  great  strifes  occu- 
pied the  attention  of  Durham  people — the  one 
between  bishop  and  monastery,  and  the 
other  between  bishop  and  barons  of  the 
bishopric.  Both  have  been  described  elsewhere,^* 
and  do  not  concern  us  here,  save  as  very  sig- 
nificant factors  in  the  condition  of  the  inhabit- 
ants, who  were  washed  to  and  fro  in  the  rough 
tide-way  as  the  storm  flowed  or  ebbed.  The 
monastery  dispute  opens  with  the  savage  attack 
of  the  foreign  Bishop  Philip  upon  the  cathedral, 
which  has  been  described  for  us  by  the 
chronicler  Geoffrey  of  Coldingham.22  It  was 
almost  the  Cumin  episode  over  again.  A 
deadly  controversy  had  arisen  between  the 
bishop  and  the  monastery.  Apparently  the 
bishop,  a  foreigner,  was  induced  to  believe  that 
the  monks  had  invaded  the  episcopal  liberties, 
and  in  particular  had  usurped  the  patronage 
of  the  Church  in  Elvet.  Stung  by  this  supposed 
invasion  of  his   own  rights,  he   started  up   to 

•9  V.C.H.  Dur.  i,  305. 

20  Ibid.  306. 

"F.C.//.Z)ur.ii,  16-18. 

*2  Hist.  Dunelm.  Script.  Tres  (Surt.  Soc),  17-27. 


defend   his   injured   pride.      If  we   may   trust 
Geoffrey,   whose   interest,   of   course,   lay   very 
emphatically  with  the  monks,  Philip  regularly 
besieged  Elvet  Church,  placing  armed  sentinels 
all  round  it,  applying  fire  and  smoke   to   doors 
and  windows,  ordering  that  no  food  should  be 
given  to  the  beleaguered  monks.     The  general 
sympathy,  we  are  told,  was  aU  on  the  side  of  the 
religious,    who    for    conscience'    sake    endured 
every  species  of  indignity  heaped  upon  them, 
until  the  bishop,  for  very  shame,  surrendered 
the  church  and  made  no  further  claim  upon  the 
advowson  of  St.  Oswald's.    An  interval  of  peace 
elapsed,  and  then  further  disputes  broke  out, 
which  gave   Philip   opportunity   for   exhibiting 
all  the  ferocious  savagery  of  character  with  which 
the  chronicler  credits  him.   The  prelate  thought 
nothing  of  imprisoning  the  citizens  of  Durham 
and    of    the    bishopric    generally,    haling    them 
off  to  prison  and  spoihng  their  goods.     Some 
resorted   to   the   most   contemptible   adulation 
towards  the  prelate,  hoping  to  make  him  their 
friend  and  to  secure  peace.    Others  meditated  a 
general  rising  against  his  tyranny.     The  Prior 
Bertram  actually  journeyed  to  the  royal  court 
to  seek  his  favour  at  a  time  when  John's  hands 
were  full  with  other  things.    The  king  amused 
his  visitor  with  kind  words  and  promises ;    but 
Bertram  returned  to  find  that  the  bishop  was 
already  punishing  the  monks,  and  through  them 
the  citizens,  for  the  prior's  action.   The  postern 
gate,  by  which  access  was  gained  to  the  Abbey 
Mill  below  the  cathedral,  was  built  up  to  prevent 
any  passing  to  and  fro,  and  so  to  starve  the 
monks.       They    had    made    a    new    fish-pond, 
and  this  was  destroyed.  The  ovens  in  the  monks' 
borough  of  Elvet  were  rendered  useless.     The 
fish  tank  at  Finchale  was  broken  up.   The  water 
supply,  which  was  brought  apparently  in  pipes 
from  beyond  the  river,  and  perhaps  crossed  the 
Wear  at  the  mill-dam,  conveyed  the  water  to 
Palace  Green.     The  bishop  diverted  this,  and 
brought  the  water  into  the  castle,  so  as  to  cut 
it  off  from  the  monastery.     All  this  mad  fury 
eventually   culminated   at   the   autumn   fair   of 
St.  Cuthbert,  when  the  city  was  thronged  with 
visitors,  and  Philip  prohibited  the  prior  from 
celebrating  the  High  Mass  usual  at  that  time 
and   made    a    general    proclamation   forbidding 
all  alike,  clergy  and  laity,  from  being  present 
in  the  cathedral.    Bertram  celebrated  notwith- 
standing,   when    an    unseemly    scuffle    ensued, 
which  was   only  ended   by  the   common  sense 
of  the  Archdeacon  of  Richmond,  who  was  pre- 
sent,  and   appealed   to   the   excited   throng  to 
await    the    return    of    the    prior's    messengers, 
who  had  been  sent  to  Rome  to  appeal  to  Pope 
Innocent  III.^^ 


»  Roger  of  Wendover,  Flores  Hist.  (Rolls  Ser.  84), 
ii,  68. 


15 


A   HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


The  black  shadow  of  the  papal  interdict  fell 
upon  Durham,  and  much  impressed  Geoffrey 
the  chronicler.  No  service,  no  bells,  no  proces- 
sions were  allowed,  and  in  the  monastery, 
though  not  in  the  parish  churches,  one  weekly 
Mass  alone  was  celebrated,  and  that  with  closed 
doors.  But  these  dark  days  which  followed 
the  death  of  Philip  in  1208  brought  a  new  and 
unheard  of  oppression  upon  the  men  of  Durham, 
and  the  patrimony  of  St.  Cuthbert  generally. 
Hitherto  all  taxation  had  been  internal,  and  had 
been  imposed  by  bishop  or  prior  as  the  case 
might  be ;  but  John  now  began  to  impose 
burdens  which  no  appeal  to  ancient  right  or 
liberty  could  evade. ^^  In  Durham,  during  the  long 
vacancy  after  Philip  (i  208-1 7), the  one  ray  of  hope 
was  the  election  of  William  as  prior  in  1209.2* 
He  was  not  merely  a  Durham  monk,  but  a 
Durham  man,  and  his  brief  office  (1209-15) 
brought  some  respite  at  all  events  to  the  monas- 
tery and  to  the  monastery  tenants.  His  tenure 
of  office  witnessed  a  royal  confirmation  of  the 
Cuthbertine  liberties,^*  for  which  the  monks 
paid  500  marks,  and  shortly  after  his  death, 
when  the  new  bishop,  Richard  Marsh,  was 
appointed,  Henry  III  permitted  restoration  of 
lands  and  houses  to  all  whose  property  had  been 
confiscated  in  John's  recent  march  through  the 
bishopric  to  subdue  the  northern  barons." 
But  the  new  bishop  falsified  the  hopes  that  had 
been  formed,  and  all  the  old  strife  between 
bishop  and  monks  broke  out  again.'*  At  last, 
in  1229,  it  was  ended  by  the  famous  compromise 
drawn  up  by  Bishop  Poor  and  known  as  the 
Convenit,  which  was  supposed  to  be  a  settle- 
ment of  all  outstanding  questions  between 
bishop  and  monks.^*  The  sphere  of  the  bishop's 
court  and  the  sphere  of  the  prior's  had  to  be 
defined,^"  but  in  the  result  the  monks  considered 
that  their  own  liberties  had  been  somewhat 
overridden  by  the  settlement.  One  or  two 
matters  in  this  document  specially  concerned 
the  monastery  tenants  in  Elvet  who  had  suffered 
much  in  Bishop  Philip's  time.  It  was  enacted 
that  '  the  customs  and  amendments  respecting 
brewing  and  bad  bread  and  bad  wxights  or 
measure  in  regard  to  the  prior's  men  at  Elvet 
and  the  Old  Borough  shall  continue  for  the 
Durham  monks  freely  and  fully  for  ever  ;    but 

"*  Hist.  Dunelm.  Script.  Ires  (Surt.  Soc),  27. 
"  Ibid. 

26  Boldon  Bk.  (Surt.  Soc),  98,  p.  xxiii. 
"  Cal.  Pat.  1216-25,  P-  77- 

28  Hist.  Dunelm.  Script.  Ires  (Surt.  Soc),  36. 

29  Teoi.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc),  212. 

'"  The  prior's  court  had  been  confirmed  to  the  prior 
by  King  John  in  a  full  and  ample  manner  (ibid.  96). 
Probably  the  prior  quoted  his  charter  for  more  than 
its  real  value,  so  that  in  the  disputed  area  of  juris- 
diction (referred  to  by  Dr.  Greenwell,  ibid.  p.  xxiv) 
the  prior  drew  into  his  court  more  than  his  due. 


if  the  men  of  these  same  are  found  in  the  bishop's 
borough  with  bad  bread,  or  used  bad  weight 
or  measure,  justice  shall  be  done  therein 
by  the  bishop's  bailiffs,  and  if  there  issue  thence 
fine,  fee,  or  other  profit,  it  shall  be  halved  between 
the  bishop  and  the  prior.  Moreover,  the  men 
aforesaid  of  Elvet  and  the  Old  Borough  shall 
use  the  same  measures  and  weights  which  the 
bishop's  men  shall  use  in  his  Borough  of 
Durham.' 

The  years  which  followed  the  Convenit  seem 
to  have  been  a  period  of  growth  and  vigorous 
development  in  the  city  of  Durham,  so  far  as 
our  scanty  information  goes.  Melsamby  became 
prior  in  1 233,  and  in  1237  would  have  been 
appointed  bishop  had  not  Henry  III  stepped 
in  and  prohibited  his  consecration,  on  the 
ground  that  he  could  not  be  sure  of  his  loyalty.'* 

An  extraordinary  story  preserved  about 
Melsamby  in  the  king's  objections  runs  as 
follows  :  '  He  ought  to  be  rejected  as  a  mur- 
derer. When  a  certain  performer  was  going 
up  a  rope  stretched  from  tower  to  tower  in  the 
churchyard,  with  the  prior's  express  permission, 
he  fell  and  was  killed.  The  said  prior  ought 
never  to  have  been  present  at  such  unseemly 
proceedings  nor  to  have  given  his  consent ; 
indeed,  he  ought  to  have  expressly  prohibited 
their  taking  place.'  '2  Near  the  north  door 
of  the  cathedral  is  a  much-visited  tomb.  A 
sculptured  figure  is  represented  upon  it  as 
holding  a  glove  or  purse.  Local  tradition,  well 
known  to  all  pitmen  and  others  who  visit 
the  cathedral,  is  very  definite  in  maintaining 
that  the  grave  contains  the  body  of  a  tight-rope 
walker  who  fell  from  the  tower. 

Prior  Bertram  greatly  increased  the  opulence 
of  the  monastery,  and  left  to  his  successor, 
Hugh  Darlington  (1258-72),  a  well-replenished 
exchequer.  Probably  the  monastery  had  never 
been  so  prosperous  before  ;  but  Bertram  left 
behind  him  a  reputation  for  more  than  material 
prosperity.  He  was  a  copyist  of  liturgical  works, 
and  a  commentator  of  some  local  fame,  writing 
postils  on  various  books  of  Old  and  New  Testa- 
ment. His  successor,  Hugh,  had  the  advantage 
of  being  trained  by  him,  and  used  the  wealth 
of  the  house  in  a  way  which  was  much  approved. 
In  the  Barons'  War  he  bought  off  unwelcome 
intruders  upon  the  peace  and  prosperity  of 
Durham,  and  was  able  to  bring  to  completion 
the  great  bell-tower  of  the  cathedral.'' 

There  must  have  been  agreat  deal  of  hospitality 
at  the  monastery  ;  but  beyond  an  occasional 
reference  to  visitors  of  importance,  no  special 
account  of  this  department  exists.   Accordingly, 

'1  Hist.  Dunelm.  Script.  Tres  (Surt.  Soc),  38-9 ; 
App.  no.  liv. 

'2  Ibid.  App.  p.  Ixxiii. 

"  Greenwell,  Dur.  Cath.  95,  6. 


16 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


a  somewhat  obscure  allusion  to  the  conditions 
of  life  in  the  abbey  is  interesting.  It  occurs 
in  1272  in  connexion  with  a  proposed  surrender 
of  Bearpark  or  Beaurepaire,  on  the  western  side 
of  the  city,  a  refugium  of  the  prior  lying  in  the 
wide  open  valley  and  enlivened  by  the  breezes 
that  sweep  in  from  the  western  uplands.  The 
monks  made  emphatic  protest  against  the  pro- 
posal, alleging  that  the  convent  cannot  agree 
to  give  up  '  Beaurepaire  ubi  conventus  quorum 
labor  est  gravis  et  aer  corruptus  habet  pro 
majori  parte  suam  recreationem.'  *'  This  may 
be  interpreted  to  mean  that  it  is  their  one  special 
place  of  relaxation,  since  the  work  at  Durham 
is  heavy  and  the  air  bad.  But  in  what  sense  bad  ? 
The  actual  Durham  air  is  healthy,  but  somewhat 
sleepy  in  summer  ;  but  this  is,  perhaps,  not 
likely  to  be  the  chronicler's  meaning.  It  has  been 
suggested  that  the  words  refer  to  what  was,  in 
days  of  imperfect  sanitation,  a  very  real  draw- 
back in  the  life  of  the  monastery  and  city. 
Durham  Abbey  did  not  receive  the  purging 
help  that  the  river  so  generally  gives  in  other 
places.  Here  the  latrines  gave  upon  the  pre- 
cipitous bank  some  105  feet  above  the  Wear, 
and  the  house  depended  in  a  general  way  on  the 
length  of  the  drop.  With  the  river  low,  as  it  often 
is  in  summer,  and  with  a  prevailing  westerly 
breeze,  the  defects  of  mediaeval  drainage  must 
have  been  constantly  and  painfully  apparent. 
Under  such  circumstances,  the  monks  were  in 
consternation  at  the  prospect  of  losing  their  chief 
holiday  resort. 

The  long-standing  dispute  as  to  the  Arch- 
bishop of  York's  right  to  visit  the  chapter  and 
the  see,  introduced  some  strange  episodes  in 
which  the  city  took  its  part.  In  1274  during 
the  vacancy  after  Bishop  Stichlll's  death  Arch- 
bishop Giilard,  who  was  much  concerned  with 
the  reform  of  abuses  at  York,  made  a  visitation 
of  the  monastery,  after  which  he  proceeded  to 
the  castle  in  pontifical  state,  no  objection  being 
taken  to  his  action.^*  Giffard's  successor.  Arch- 
bishop Wickwane,  a  prelate  of  more  vigorous 
reforming  tendency,  found  a  very  different 
temper  prevailing  when  he  visited  Durham. 
The  change  was  due  to  a  presentation  dispute, 
Wickwane  refusing  to  institute  a  nominee  of 
prior  and  convent  to  a  living  in  Yorkshire.  The 
Archbishop  by  an  unwarranted  stretch  of  his 
authority  demanded  to  visit  the  chapter  during 
the  temporary  absence  of  the  Bishop  of  Durham 
and  entered  the  city  without  opposition.     As  he 

3*  Hist.  Dunelm.  Script.  Tres  (Surt.  Soc),  49. 
The  suggestion  in  the  text  was  made  to  the  writer 
by  Canon  J.  T.  Fowler.  The  quotation  shows  the 
value  of  Bearpark  to  the  monks  in  general  at  this  time. 
In  severe  weather  change  of  air  would  probablv  be 
sought  not  in  breezy  Bearpark  but  in  the  warm  and 
secluded  river  valley  in  which  Finchale  lies. 

«  Ibid. 


came  up  Saddlergate  to  the  great  north  gate 
of  the  castle  in  order  to  pass  up  to  the  cathedral 
he  found  his  way  blocked  by  the  barons  of  the 
bishopric.  Halting  there,  he  addressed  the 
people  and  proceeded  to  excommunicate  the 
bishop,  who  naturally  sided  with  the  monastery, 
as  well  as  the  prior  and  convent,  citing  them  to 
undergo  his  visitation  at  a  later  date.  An 
appeal  to  Rome  issued  in  a  triumph  for  the 
prior,^*  but  the  death  of  the  bishop  in  1283 
renewed  the  strife.  Wickwane  again  journeyed 
to  Durham  to  force  what  he  considered  his 
undoubted  right  sede  vacante.  The  prior  even 
refused  him  admission  to  the  cathedral.  Upon 
this  the  Archbishop  descended  the  hill  and 
made  his  way  to  the  church  of  St.  Nicholas, 
which  lay  upon  episcopal  land  in  the  borough 
of  Durham,  and  was  probably  claimed  as  his  by 
right  during  the  vacancy  of  the  see.  Hereupon 
some  of  the  youths  of  the  borough  made  up 
their  minds  to  resist  the  Archbishop's  action  as 
an  invasion  of  the  rights  of  Durham  and  so 
alarmed  the  Archbishop  by  their  demonstration 
that  he  was  glad  to  escape  from  the  church. 
He  made  his  vvay,  apparently,  through  a  back 
door  and  down  a  flight  of  steps  leading  into 
Walkergate,  and  so,  with  what  secrecy  he  could, 
to  the  river  bank  and  thus  to  the  hospitable 
shelter  of  Kepier.  The  brief  chronicle  of  this 
escape  contains  one  incidental  reference  of 
importance  when  it  tells  us  that  Wickwane  fled 
down  the  steps  '  towards  the  schools.'  We  have 
already  discovered  an  allusion  to  schools  in  the 
Bailey,  more  than  a  century  before  this  date, 
but  here  we  get  what  seems  to  be  a  distinct 
trace  of  schools  in  the  borough  which  was 
directly  a  part  of  the  episcopal  section  of  Dur- 
ham. It  may  be  added  that  the  popular  Hugh 
Darlington,  who  had  resigned  the  priorate  to 
Richard  Claxton,  the  prior  opposing  Wickwane, 
was  re-elected  in  1285  and  made  his  second 
tenure  of  office  memorable  by  bringing  the  strife 
to  an  end.^'  It  was  Prior  Hugh's  last  con- 
siderable act,  for  soon  after  this  he  began  to 
show  the  infirmities  of  age  and  was  forced  to 
resign. 

Another  scene  enacted  in  1290  within  the 
cathedral  throws  some  light  upon  mediaeval 
customs  and  manners  in  Durham.  There  were, 
of  course,  various  serjcanties  and  services  by 
which  the  barons  of  the  bishopric  held  their 
lands  and  houses.  The  repulse  of  Wickwane 
at  the  North  Gate  was  effected  by  the  barons 
of  the  bishopric  (j)er  milites  episcopatus),  and  their 
part  in  the  drama  looks  as  if  the  resistance  of 
invasion  was  a  duty  of  military  service  at  the 
North  Gate.  The  tenures  are  very  imperfectly 
known,  but  the  story  now  to  be  told  shows  that 


»7 


3«  Hist.  Dunelm.  Script.  Tra  (Surt.  Soc),  60. 
"  Ibid.  73. 

3 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


the  Raby  lands  were  held  on  condition  of  pre- 
senting a  deer  at  the  abbey  on  St.  Cuthbert's 
feast  in  September.  The  destination  of  the 
animal  is  in  itself  interesting,  for  the  lord  of 
Raby  was  in  no  sense  a  baron  of  the  prior  but 
of  the  bishop.  It  seems  probable,  therefore, 
that  this  custom  was  a  reminiscence  of  the 
earlier  period  when  Canute  gave  the  manors  of 
Raby  and  Staindrop  to  the  congregation  of 
St.  Cuthbcrt  about  1018.  Probably  the  prior 
still  received  the  payment  even  after  the  division 
of  lands  between  bishop  and  convent,  and 
apparently  the  arrangement  was  confirmed  after 
Flambard's  death  in  I131.  There  was  no 
difficulty  until  1290,  when  the  third  Lord 
Nevill,  Ralph,  who  was  then  in  possession  of 
Raby,  made  claims  upon  the  prior  in  return 
which  caused  much  trouble.  This  Ralph  has 
been  mentioned  in  a  previous  article^*  as  one 
of  those  who  induced  nearly  all  the  knights  and 
freeholders  to  revolt  against  Bek.  In  1290  he 
was  probably  asserting  himself  in  preparation 
for  the  leadership  which  he  afterwards  assumed. 
On  this  occasion  he  brought  the  deer  and  made 
the  unheard-of  demand  that  not  only  he  him- 
self, as  always,  but  all  his  retinue  should  be 
entertained  by  the  prior.  It  was  the  great 
gala  day  in  the  Durham  year  when  the  city 
was  filled  to  overflowing  and  the  prior's  hospit- 
ality was  probably  strained  to  the  utmost.  The 
prior  perhaps  refused  on  the  score  of  difficulties 
of  service,  whereupon  Ralph  said  that  his  own 
servants  should  wait,  but  that  all  his  retinue 
should  dine  with  the  prior.  Since  a  knight's 
retinue  was  no  small  company  Prior  Hotoun 
refused  again  and  gave  orders  that  the  deer 
should  not  be  accepted  when  and  if  Nevill 
brought  it  with  the  customary  pomp  to  the 
shrine  of  St.  Cuthbert.  Nevill  meant  to  come 
and  to  dine  with  all  his  following,  and  accord- 
ingly he  issued  many  invitations  for  the  spectacle. 
In  vain  John  Balliol  of  Barnard  Castle  advised 
him  to  yield  his  claim,  but  Nevill  refused  and 
presented  himself  at  the  church  door  with  his 
offering.  A  procession  was  formed  and  with 
much  winding  of  horns  paced  up  to  the  shrine 
carrying  the  stag  with  great  pomp,  not  to  the 
hall  of  the  prior,  but  right  up  to  the  Nine  Altars. 
When  the  prior  saw  what  was  intended  he 
refused  to  have  the  animal  received  in  this 
tumultuous  manner.  Hereupon  the  servants 
of  Nevill  proceeded  to  bear  it  ofl  towards  the 
kitchen  in  order  to  cook  it,  apparently  for  the 
lord  of  Raby  and  his  friends.  A  disgraceful 
struggle  arose  and  monks  and  men  were  soon  at 
strife  within  the  church.  The  monks  caught  up 
the  candles  round  the  shrine  and  using  them  as 
weapons  drove  back  the  servants  of  Nevill. 
Two  suits  followed,  the  one  before  the  Pope 

M  V.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  153. 


at  Rome  for  hindering  the  divine  offices,  and 
the  other  before  the  bishop's  justices  for 
assault,  but  both  parties  in  the  end  agreed  not 
to  proceed  on  the  earnest  entreaty  of  some  who 
strove  to  mediate  between  them. 

We  have  now  come  well  into  the  reign  of 
Edward  I  and  the  restless  episcopate  of  Bishop 
Bek.  A  franchise  such  as  that  of  Durham  was 
not  likely  to  escape  the  king's  notice,  while  Bek 
was  not  the  man  to  let  his  liberties  and  dignities 
suffer  any  eclipse  if  he  could  help  it.  For 
nearly  twenty  years  no  collision  took  place,  but 
troubles  began  in  1293,  when  the  king  made  a 
review  of  franchises  and  titles.  He  acted  with 
promptitude,  seizing  all  such  liberties  into  his 
own  hands  for  due  scrutiny  and  decision. 
Accordingly,  for  the  time  being,  he  resumed  into 
his  own  hands  all  the  jura  regalia  of  the  pala- 
tinate. A  regular  inspection  was  carried  out, 
as  has  been  said  in  another  volume,^*  and  the 
final  award  notifies  various  matters  of  right 
which  affect  the  city  of  Durham  as  well  as 
others  which  touch  the  bishopric  more  generally. 
In  these  clauses  the  importance  of  Durham 
comes  out  very  clearly.  Thus  the  bishop  held 
pleas  of  the  Crown  at  Durham  ;  he  had  his  own 
gallows  and  mint  within  the  city ;  he  had  his 
own  market  and  fair.  The  market  was  the 
Saturday  market,  which  is,  at  least,  as  old  as  the 
time  of  St.  Godric  in  the  12th  century.  The 
fair  refers  chiefly  to  that  at  the  Translation  of  St. 
Cuthbert  (4  Sept.),  but  also  to  the  spring  festival 
on  20th  March.  The  document  shows  that 
the  prior  had  the  old  Elvet  liberties  still,  as  he 
had  had  them  since  the  days  of  St.  Calais.  This 
document  belongs  to  a  period  when  the  King 
of  England  was  already  trying  to  get  a  hold  in 
Scotland  through  John  Balliol.  Next  year  the 
prior  was  deputed  by  the  king  as  his  commissary 
to  collect  all  dues  accruing  to  the  Crown  within 
the  bishopric.  This  brought  him,  as  similar 
action  brought  the  various  collectors  elsewhere, 
into  grave  disrepute  with  the  commonalty  of  the 
bishopric,  undoing  the  popularity  of  the  last 
priors.  Bek  was  much  troubled  by  the  ampli- 
tude of  the  prior's  position,  which  had  been 
steadily  growing.  It  was,  possibly,  in  part  to 
regain  the  importance  of  earlier  bishops  that  Bek 
became  a  builder.  In  various  ways  he  asserted 
himself,  and  gained  a  prestige  which  the  last 
bishops  had  somewhat  lost.  He  built  the 
magnificent  hall  at  the  castle,  so  long  attributed 
to  Bishop  Hatfield,  and  in  all  probability  placed 
there  the  two  '  seats  of  regality  '  which  Bishop 
Fox  altered  in  or  about  1499.  These,  it  may 
be  conjectured,  were  thrones  for  his  dual 
capacity  as  bishop  and  as  ruler  of  the  palatinate. 
Before  the  one,  no  doubt,  the  barons  of  the 
bishopric   took  their   oaths   of   allegiance,   and 


39  r.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  152. 


18 


CITY  OF   DURHAM 


before  the  other  the  clergy  of  the  diocese  gathered 
to  take  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  bishop. 

The  expedition  of  1296,  when  Edward  I 
passed  through  Durham,  took  many  men  from 
the  palatinate  across  the  borders  into  Scotland, 
and  this  service  outside  the  bishopric  proper 
led  them  to  formulate  a  claim,  which  they  had 
long  tacitly  held,  that  no  obligation  of  service 
outside  the  palatinate  was  incumbent  upon 
them.  Durham  men  were  again  at  Falkirk  in 
1298,  returning  without  permission  before  the 
campaign  was  over.  The  warlike  Bishop  Bek 
remonstrated  with  the  deserters,  who  pleaded 
the  immemorial  right  of  bishopric  men  to  serve 
only  between  Tyne  and  Tees,  on  the  ground  that 
they  were  the  privileged  guardians  of  the  body 
of  St.  Cuthbert.  The  bishop  flung  them  into 
his  prison  at  Durham,  an  act  which  incensed  the 
bishopric  barons  and  free  tenants  to  the  utmost, 
until  the  movement  assumed  the  proportions  of 
a  serious  rebellion.  One  outcome,  which  the 
bishop  probably  did  not  desire,  was  the  growing 
popularity  of  the  prior,  with  whom  the  offended 
men  of  Durham  sided  as  against  the  bishop. 
We  have  no  specific  date  in  the  chronicle  for 
the  building  of  Auckland  Castle  and  Chapel, 
but  it  is  not  improbable  that  Bek,  the  builder 
of  both,  erected  the  magnificent  new  abode  as  a 
residence  which  would  prove  more  pleasant 
than  Durham  Castle  and  the  immediate  neigh- 
bourhood of  prior  and  convent.  The  feud 
between  bishop  and  prior  continued,  despite 
the  good  offices  of  the  king,  and  was  intensified 
in  1300  by  a  sudden  attack  upon  the  prior's 
lands  carried  out  by  Bek's  command.  The 
bishop  seized  some  of  the  prior's  manors  into 
his  own  hands,  taking  their  rents  and  destroying 
the  parks.  Scenes  recalling  those  of  the  time  of 
Bishop  Philip  were  now  enacted,  when  a  regular 
siege  of  the  abbey  began.  Armed  men  sur- 
rounded it  to  prevent  all  approach  of  food  or  of 
messengers.  Down  below  in  the  valley  men 
broke  up  the  prior's  aqueduct,  which  seems  to 
mean  the  conduit  crossing  the  river  and  bringing 
water  to  the  cathedral  and  Palace  Green.  Bek 
was  determined  to  oust  Prior  Hotoun,  and 
although  he  was  not  personally  responsible  for 
every  act  of  violence  which  now  took  place,  he 
was  sufficiently  to  blame.  Hotoun  and  his 
monks  held  the  monastery  and  its  surroundings, 
but  the  superior  force  of  Luceby,  the  prior  of 
Bek's  choice,  beat  in  the  doors  of  the  cloister  and 
let  his  partisans  into  the  church.  In  the  general 
hubbub  Luceby  was  actually  installed  and  by 
the  bishop's  support  he  was  kept  in  position. 
Prior  Hotoun  was  thrown  into  prison,  but 
managed  to  escape  and  take  his  appeal  to 
Rome.'*"  It  was  the  famous  Boniface  VIII  who 
heard  this  appeal  and  in  the  result  the  prior 


obtained  a  favourable  decision,  though  he  died 
before  he  could  be  reinstated.  A  sentence  of 
Boniface  when  examining  the  adherents  of  the 
bishop  proves  incidentally  the  great  prestige 
and  importance  of  the  prior's  position  at  this 
time.  Bek  urged  that  Hotoun  had  resigned  his 
office  voluntarily,  but  Boniface  brushed  aside 
the  suggestion,  saying  that  no  one  who  knew 
what  it  was  to  be  Prior  of  Durham  would  ever 
voluntarily  give  up  the  position. 

The  strife  between  bishop  and  prior  cannot 
have  failed  to  absorb  the  attention  of  the  city 
of  Durham  with  its  various  jurisdictions  depend- 
ing on  one  or  other  of  the  two  chief  figures. 
And  yet  another  of  the  various  struggles  in 
which  Bek  was  engaged  must  have  had  a  more 
vital  effect  upon  the  citizens  generally.  The 
circumstances  have  been  set  out  in  another 
volume*^  and  are  concerned  with  a  long  con- 
stitutional dispute  between  the  bishop  and  the 
commonalty  of  the  bishopric.  One  point  in 
this,  namely  the  question  of  service  outside  the 
boundaries,  has  already  been  named.  The 
commonalty  complained  at  the  Parliament  of 
Lincoln  as  to  various  infringements  of  their 
rights.  These  do  not  concern  us  generally, 
though  the  decisions,  no  doubt,  eased  the  people 
from  certain  miscarriage  of  justice,  and  other 
grievances  which  they  preferred.  Right  of  free 
entry  to  St.  Cuthbert's  shrine  was  allowed  to  all 
men  of  the  bishopric  ;  hunting  was  made  widely 
possible  ;  and  various  other  rights  were  assured. 
The  document  clearly  shows  that  Bek  had  very 
greatly  tyrannized  over  the  country  at  large,  but 
its  silence  about  the  bishopric  boroughs  makes 
it  probable  that  these  in  general,  and  Durham 
in  particular,  were  quite  able  to  hold  their  own. 
The  evidence  of  the  Assize  Roll  of  1243  as  to 
the  strength  of  the  burgesses  of  Durham  is 
thus  supported  after  an  interval  of  sixty  years. 

We  have  now  definitely  entered  the  i^th 
century,  which  is  one  of  the  darkest  of  all  the 
centuries  of  local  history.  In  the  past  the 
troublers  of  the  peace  had  often  come  from 
within,  but  in  and  after  Bek's  day  they  came 
from  without  in  the  shape  of  Scottish  invader, 
or  of  pestilence  and  famine.  The  first  rumours 
of  troubles  with  the  Scots  were  brought  into 
Durham  in  1277,  and  after  a  respite  they  revived 
in  1296,  the  year  of  the  desolation  of  Hexham. 
Edward's  operations  in  Scotland  kept  further 
invasion  at  bay  for  a  number  of  years,  but  in 
and  from  1308  the  troubles  merely  died  away 
in  winter  to  revive  with  the  new  spring  of  each 
year.  Soon  after  his  marriage  in  1308  Edward  II 
would  seem  to  have  been  with  his  wife  at  Dur- 
ham, for  a  single  roll  of  Bek's  episcopate  belonging 
to  that  year  contains  the  receipt  entered  by  the 
bishop's    oflScial :     '  And    for    "js.    lod.    of   the 


40 


Hist.  Dunelm.  Script.  Tra  (Surt.  Soc),  78.  "  F.C.H.  But.  ii,  154. 

19 


A   HISTORY  OF   DURHAM 


meadow  at  Durham  because  the  King  and 
Queen  took  the  whole  of  the  first  crop.'  The 
meadow  in  question  was  close  to  the  city  and 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  Franklyn  Wood,  which 
was  the  bishop's  special  preserve.  For  Edward's 
expedition  into  Scotland  in  1309  a  special  order 
was  received  from  the  king  to  raise  forces  in  the 
bishopric.  Next  year,  as  the  Scottish  menace 
pressed  more  threateningly,  alarm  grew,  and 
we  find  an  instance  recorded  of  money  banked 
within  the  castle  at  Durham  for  safety's  sake.''- 

Bek  died  in  13H,  receiving  interment  within 
the  cathedral  instead  of  the  chapter  house. 
With  his  successor's  appearance  in  Durham 
wc  get  the  splendid  palatinate  register  of  Bishop 
Kellaw  (1311-18),  the  only  palatinate  record 
that  has  survived.  Since  it  is  chiefly  occupied 
with  the  general  affairs  of  the  bishopric  as  a 
whole,  we  cannot  expect  to  find  much  detail 
concerning  Durham  in  particular.  A  few  points 
of  local  history,  however,  are  mentioned  in  it. 
We  have,  for  instance,  the  bishop's  confirma- 
tion''^ of  the  foundation  in  1312  of  the  chapel 
of  St.  James  on  the  New  Bridge  of  Durham,  or 
Elvet  Bridge.  This  chapel  was  situated  at  the 
north  end  of  Elvet  Bridge  and  existed  on  this 
site  until  the  dissolution  of  the  chantries.  At 
the  south  end  a  chapel  had  already  been  founded 
by  William,  son  of  Absalon,  between  1274  and 
1283.  Another  grant  of  the  same  period  as  the 
chapel  of  St.  James  was  the  right  of  free  fishery 
between  the  old  and  new  bridges  within  the  city. 
It  should  be  noticed  that  the  conveyance  of  this 
privilege  from  the  bishop  to  the  prior  and  con- 
vent describes  the  old  bridge  as  lying  '  between 
the  market  of  Durham  and  South  Street.'  As 
there  is  no  mention  of  Silver  Street  the  words 
seem  to  suggest  that  the  name  now  given  to  the 
descent  from  the  market  place  to  the  bridge  was 
bestowed  at  some  later  period.  Kellaw's  Regis- 
ter also  shows  us  incidentally  that  the  church  of 
St.  Nicholas  was  in  disrepair  in  1312,  when  a 
survey  was  ordered  by  the  bishop.** 

The  most  interesting  local  topic  in  Kellaw's 
Register  is  the  Scottish  aggression.  A  letter 
from  the  bishop  in  131 1  excusing  himself  from 
attendance  at  a  Council  in  Rome,  to  which  he 
had  been  summoned  by  the  pope,  illustrates 
the  position  at  the  time.  He  says  that  in 
September  Brus  and  his  confederates  swarmed 
into  the  diocese  burning  churches,  boroughs, 
towns,  crops,  in  their  way.  They  spared  neither 
sex  nor  age  and  were  already  preparing  an 
invasion  to  outdo  their  former  severities,  so  that 
a  general  flight  was  in  progress.  The  fears  of 
the  bishop  were  verified,  but  his  presence 
seemed  to  put  some  heart  into  the  citizens  of 


«  Reg.  Pdat.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  i,  441. 
'^  Ibid,  ii,  1 173. 
"  Ibid,  i,  144. 


Durham.  A  commission  was  issued  to  levy 
contributions  for  the  see,  and  various  assess- 
ments were  made.  Perhaps  an  indulgence  of 
forty  days  granted  by  the  bishop  at  this  time*^ 
to  all  who  should  listen  to  the  preaching  of  the 
gospel  in  Durham  Cathedral  may  be  connected 
with  the  general  fear  felt  as  the  Scots  drew 
nearer.  Next  year  (13 13)  the  Scots  crept  up 
nearer  and  nearer  to  Durham.  The  suburbs, 
at  all  events,  if  not  the  city  itself,  were  fired  by 
Brus's  troops.  The  vague  time-marks,  how- 
ever, make  it  impossible  to  date  this  calamity^* 
with  any  precision,  if  it  actually  took  place,  and 
it  seems  curious  that  an  event  of  such  magnitude 
should  receive  no  confirmation  from  any  writer 
except  the  two  chroniclers.  Was  the  rebuilding 
of  the  barbican  before  the  North  Gate  a  con- 
sequence of  this  fire,  or  was  the  defence  added 
in  view  of  the  approach  of  the  Scots  ?  At  all 
events  in  May  1 3 1 3  the  bishop's  order  went  forth 
to  estimate  the  loss  to  the  rector  of  the  North 
Bailey  Church  and  some  others  whose  houses, 
abutting  on  the  North  Gate,  would  have  to  be 
taken  down  in  the  process  of  building  the  wall 
of  the  barbican." 

There  are  other  traces  of  taxation  and  trouble 
about  this  time.  In  the  previous  year  the  king 
wrote  to  the  bishop  concerning  a  complaint  of 
the  commonalty  of  the  city  who  had  been  sum- 
moned, unjustly  as  it  appeared,  to  pay  tallage  to 
the  bishop.''*  Eventually,  however,  the  king 
did  not  merely  acquiesce  in  the  levy,  but  com- 
manded the  bishop  to  exact  it.  In  1315  the 
king  notified  the  bishop  that  he  had  assented  to 
the  grant  of  murage  by  the  latter  to  the  city  of 
Durham.  This  had  clear  reference  to  recent 
Scottish  trouble,  for  the  king's  writ  says  :  '  The 
men  of  your  Liberty  of  Durham  have  suffered 
loss  beyond  calculation  owing  to  the  constant 
ravages  of  the  Scots  who  have  pillaged  and  burnt 
excessively  in  those  parts,  and  all  the  more 
frequently  because  there  are  no  mihtary  fortresses 
or  towns  defended  by  walls  wherein  to  find 
refuge  or  shelter  for  the  security  of  themselves 
and  their  goods.'  The  petitioners  beg  that  the 
king  would  allow  the  grant  of  murage  on 
things  for  sale  which  come  into  the  city.^* 
This  was  in  May  :  then  came  the  most  severe, 
perhaps,  of  all  the  invasions  so  far,  the  Scots 
sweeping  right  up  to  Durham.  It  might  have 
been  thought  that  the  land  was  bare,  as  though  a 
swarm  of  locusts  had  passed  over  it,  for  after 
the  great  descent  of  13 13  a  terrible  murrain  had 

*5  Reg.  Palat.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  i,  250. 

*^  Hist.  Dunelm.  Script.  Ires  (Surt.  Soc),  94. 
So  Lanercost  Chronicle. 

"  Reg.  Palat.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  i,  338. 

*8  Ibid,  ii,  863  ;  cf.  ibid.  920,  935. 

*' Ibid.  1071.  See  Pollock  and  Maitland,  //»/<. 
of  Engl.  Law,  i,  162  ;  Lapsley,  Hist.  Palat.  Dur. 
277. 


20 


CITY  OF   DURHAM 


fallen  upon  flocks  and  herds,  followed  by  such  a 
famine  that  grain  of  aU  kinds  was  sold  at  starva- 
tion rates.  The  chronicler  even  says  that 
women  ate  their  own  babes,  so  famished  were 
they.  But  the  Scots  knew  that  some  oases 
remained,  and  that  wealth  was  stored  up  in 
Durham,  so  that  at  the  end  of  June  1315  they 
threw  themselves  right  into  the  county  and 
made,  it  would  seem,  for  Durham.  The  city 
was  probably  fuU  of  refugees,  and  of  driven 
flocks  and  herds,  but  bishop  and  prior  were 
away,  and  perhaps  it  was  useless  to  try  anything 
like  a  siege.  The  Scots  rushed  off  to  Bearpark, 
where  the  prior  was,  and  surrounded  the  park. 
Prior  Burdon  got  the  alarm  and  managed  to 
flee  on  horseback  in  the  direction  of  Durham, 
the  Scots  in  hot  pursuit,  and  although  they 
failed  to  catch  him  they  seized  his  carriage 
and  equipage  with  practically  all  the  contents 
of  the  house  at  Bearpark.^"  Glutted  with 
booty,  Brus  made  o5  to  Chester-le-Street. 
The  men  of  Durham  conferred  together  and 
hastily  carried  out  a  house-to-house  visitation 
of  the  city  and  neighbourhood  in  order  to 
purchase  a  truce  from  the  Scots.  This  was  not 
the  first  occasion  on  which  the  commonalty  of 
the  bishopric  tried  to  arrange  truces.  Other 
instances  can  be  quoted,  but  this  coUeaion  has 
the  interest  of  being  carried  through  by  the 
Durham  members  of  the  community.*"^  There 
was  little  respite,  for  next  year  on  St.  Swithun's 
day  so  vast  a  flood  came  that  all  the  lands 
adjacent  to  streams  were  flooded,  carrying  off  all 
the  crops  in  indiscriminate  ruin,  breaking  down 
mills,  bursting  the  dams,  rushing  into  the 
houses,  as  the  waters  rose,  and  drowning  men, 
women  and  children.  Once  more  murrain, 
pestilence,  and  general  want  fell  upon  the  city 
and  neighbourhood. 

The  threatening  cloud  did  not  lift  for  some 
time.  The  Scots  had  been  not  merely  aggressive 
but  insolently  overbearing  since  1 3 14,  when  the 
battle  of  Bannockburn  was  fought.  The 
minority  of  David  of  Scotland  gave  the  English- 
men new  hope,  and  at  Dupplin  in  1332  the 
English  took  heart  of  grace.  Next  year  when 
the  king  was  on  his  way  to  the  great  triumph  of 
Halidon  Hill  he  stopped  at  Durham,  where  a 
quaint  episode  described  by  the  chronicler  took 
place.  As  our  authority  is  Graystanes  himself, 
who  in  that  very  year  was  elected  to  be  Bishop  of 
Durham,  it  may  be  presumed  that  his  tale  is 
true.  He  records  that  Edward  HI  was  being 
entertained  by  the  prior.  After  nearly  a  week 
had  passed,  Queen  Philippa  arrived  and  drove 
to  the  monastery  gate,  and  made  her  way  to 
the  prior's  house.     After  supper  she  went  to 

w  Hist.  Dunelm.  Script.  Tres  (Surt.  Soc),  96. 
^*  See   the   whole    matter   explained   by   Lapsley, 
op.  cit.  122. 


bed,  and  then  one  of  the  monks  plucked  up 
courage  to  tell  the  king  of  the  traditions  of  the 
abbey  and  St.  Cuthbcrt's  dislike  to  the  presence 
of  women.  At  the  king's  suggestion  the  queen 
threw  a  cloak  over  her  and  made  her  way  across 
the  Palace  Green  to  the  castle."  A  requisition 
had  already  been  made  for  baggage  carts,  and 
these  had  been  concentrating  at  Durham,^' 
whence  the  move  was  made  northwards  towards 
Berwick,  near  which  the  English  revived  at 
Halidon  Hill  the  success  of  Dupplin. 

Bishop  Bury  succeeded  Beaumont  in  1333. 
This  celebrated  lover  of  books  made  Durham 
not  merely  the  resort  of  men  of  learning,  but  a 
home  of  books.  Chiefly  impressive  to  the  poor 
were  his  bountiful  gifts  of  money,  for  he  had  a 
regular  scale  of  largess  to  be  distributed  when- 
ever he  drove  between  Durham  and  Auckland, 
or  Durham  and  Newcastle.  His  first  appearance 
in  the  city  was  in  June  1334,  when  he  was 
enthroned  by  Prior  Cowton  within  the  cathedral. 
Afterwards  he  gave  a  great  banquet  in  the  castle 
hall,  at  which  a  brilliant  assembly  was  present — 
Edward  HI  and  Queen  Philippa,  the  king's 
mother,  Isabel  of  Boulogne,  David  H  King  of 
Scotland,  the  two  archbishops,  John  Stratford 
of  Canterbury  and  WiUian  la  Zouche  of  York, 
five  bishops,  seven  earls  with  their  wives,  all 
the  great  men  north  of  Trent,  many  knights  and 
squires,  several  abbots,  priors  and  monks,  and 
also  an  innumerable  throng  of  the  commonalty 
of  the  bishopric.'* 

It  is  during  Bury's  episcopate  that  we  get  a 
little  group  of  references  to  St.  Margaret's 
chapel  in  the  Old  Borough,  which  may  indicate 
some  extension  in  that  direction.  St.  Margaret's, 
since  its  foundation  in  the  12th  century,  had 
been  a  chapel  of  ease  to  St.  Oswald's.  Various 
documents  suggest  that  the  parishioners  were 
not  quite  content  with  the  subordinate  position 
of  the  chapelry.  In  1343  Prior  Fossor  became 
cognizant  of  the  fact  that  a  baptismal  font  had 
been  erected  without  any  reference  either  to  the 
bishop  or  to  the  prior,  who  was  patron  of  St. 
Oswald's.  The  prior  had  it  removed,  to  the 
great  indignation  of  the  people  in  the  Old 
Borough,  who  made  a  bitter  complaint  to  the 
bishop  in  the  castle.  He  tried  to  mediate,  and 
ordered  a  parish  meeting  within  the  chapel  to 
discuss  the  question  whether  the  font  should 
remain  against  the  will  of  the  monastery,  or 
on  the  express  understanding  that  it  was  by  the 
prior's  grace.  In  the  end  the  font  was  allowed 
to  remain  on  condition  that  there  should  be  no 
prejudice  to  the  prior's  rights.'*     The  bishop 

'-  Hist.  Dundm.  Script.  Tres  (Surt.  Soc),  117. 

^^  Cal.  Close,  1333-7,  P-  i°o ;  ^'''-  ^'"-  i330-4> 
p.  446. 

'*  Hist.  Dunelm.  Script.  Tres  (Surt.  Soc),  128. 

''  The  documents  are  printed  in  Dean  Kitchin's 
Richard  d'Aungcnilk  of  Bury  (Surt.  Soc). 


21 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


proved  a  further  kind  friend  of  St.  Margaret's. 
The  parishioners  were  evidently  extending  their 
church,  and  had  begun  a  south  aisle,  in  which 
was  an  altar  dedicated  to  St.  Thomas  of  Canter- 
bury. Unfortunately  their  means  did  not 
suffice  to  complete  the  work  in  progress,  so  that 
the  bishop  was  moved  to  send  a  brief  to  the 
clergy  of  his  diocese  asking  them  to  contribute. 

Meanwhile  there  had  been  a  recrudescence  of 
Scottish  troubles,  and  in  1341,  according  to 
Froissart,  Durham  itself  was  burned,  but  the 
assertion  is  otherwise  unsupported,  and  it  has 
been  supposed  to  refer  to  Auckland  or  some 
other  town.'*  The  neighbourhood  of  Durham 
was  rarely  quiet  in  these  days  for  long  together, 
and,  if  the  Scots  receded,  the  ways  were  infested 
with  robbers  who  did  much  damage.  In  fact 
the  dangers  of  the  roads  must  have  kept  the 
pilgrims  from  approaching  the  city,  so  that  the 
annual  fairs  were  probably  much  impoverished." 
With  the  Battle  of  Durham  in  1346,  when  the 
men  of  Durham  largely  contributed  to  the  suc- 
cessful issue  of  the  battle  outside  the  city,  a 
temporary  improvement  began.  So  far  as  the 
Scots  were  concerned,  they  were  no  further 
trouble  for  a  long  time,  but  a  far  greater  evil 
than  any  of  the  Border  invasions  fell  upon  the 
neighbourhood  in  1349  with  the  advent  of  the 
Black  Death.  It  does  not  seem  conceivable  that 
the  city  escaped,  but  numerous  and  pathetic  as 
are  the  details  of  the  ravages  in  the  bishopric  at 
large  no  very  clear  tradition  has  survived  of 
mortality  in  Durham  itself.  It  may  be  argued 
from  a  request  for  money  to  repair  the  cathedral 
in  1359  that  the  abbey  was  much  impoverished^ 
by  the  Scottish  wars,  and  perhaps  references  to 
mortgages  show  that  the  times  of  pressure  had 
obliged  some  owners  to  raise  money,  while 
money-lending  in  Durham  appears  to  have  been 
profitable.'^  Bishop  Hatfield,  however,  was 
able  to  find  workmen  in  1350  when  he  entered 
into  a  bond""  with  a  certain  John  of  Northaller- 
ton to  rebuild  the  roof  of  the  castle  hall. 

The  Cursitor  records,  which  exist  from  the 
time  of  Bury  onwards,  contain  a  good  many 
references  of  some  interest  as  to  the  conveyance 
of  property  in  those  parts  of  the  city  belonging 
to  the  bishop.  We  find  the  lease  of  a  messuage 
and  garden  on  'the  place  of  Durham,'**  of 
'  a  place  or  plot  in  Owengate,'  of  '  a  place  of 
land  .  .  .  under  the  moat  of  the  Castle  of 
Durham,'  of  '  one  close  called  Spetelplace 
formerly  occupied  by  men  who  were  lepers,  and 
now   lying   waste   without    occupation   of   any 

**  Arch.  Ael.  xiv,  362. 

"  Cal.  Pat.  1 343-S,  p.  67  ;  Dep.  Keeper'' s  Rep. 
xxxi,  100. 

'8  Hist.  MSS.  Com.  Rep.  ix,  App.  i,  191. 
''  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  ixxi,  153. 
«oibid.  113. 
*i  Ibid,  xxxii,  App.  i,  300. 


lepers,'""'-  of  'a  piece  of  land  of  the  waste  of 
the  lord  outside  the  north  gate  of  Durham  to 
the  south  of  the  said  gate  between  the  postern 
there  and  a  certain  round  tower  situated  in  the 
wall  of  the  castle  behind  the  tenement  of  the 
Master  of  Kepier  Hospital.'*'  Thus  we  have 
proof  that  in  the  14th  century  houses  abutted 
on  the  Palace  Green,  that  there  were  plots  of 
land  leased  out  below  the  keep,  that  the  name  of 
Owengate  is  at  least  as  old  as  the  century  in 
question,  though  probably  much  older.  The 
reference  to  the  old  Spitalplace  shows  that  there 
were  other  hospitals  than  Kepier  and  Sherburn 
in  the  neighbourhood. 

Another  lease  mentions  Jebet  Knoll,"  and  this 
is,  no  doubt,the  little  eminence  in  fuU  view  of  the 
city  on  the  north-west  which  is  still  called  Gibbet 
Knoll.  Another  speaks  of  the  Tolbooth  in 
Durham,  and  conveys  a  shop  under  it.*'  Many 
other  references  to  the  Tolbooth,  which  was  re- 
erected  by  Tunstall  in  the  i6th  century,  show 
that  it  must  have  been  a  building  of  some  size 
standing  in  the  market-place  and  with  shops 
leased  out  below  it.  Again  in  1398  '  William 
Warde  took  from  the  lord  a  place  of  the  waste  of 
the  lord  under  the  walls  of  the  Castle  of  Durham 
on  the  east,  viz.,  in  length  from  Kingsgate  to  the 
Quarry  where  John  Lowyn  digs  stones,  and  in 
width  from  the  wall  of  the  aforesaid  Castle  to 
the  water  of  Wear  to  hold  and  enclose  in  sever- 
alty.'** Other  parts  of  the  city  named  in  these 
rolls  of  the  14th  century  are  Clayport,  Saddler- 
gate,  Feshewerrawe  or  Fleshewergate,  Alverton- 
gate,  North  and  South  Bailey.  All  these  names 
survive  to-day,  with  very  little  change. 

If  we  had  more  evidence  for  the  period  before 
Bury  and  Hatfield,  we  should  probably  get  proof 
of  many  changes  and  improvements  in  mediaeval 
Durham,  and  of  quickening  trade.  The  first 
reference,  that  has  been  noted,  to  the  inclosing 
and  paving  of  the  city,  other  than  the  mention  of 
murage  above,  is  in  1379,  when  Bishop  Hatfield 
made  a  grant  of  tolls  for  the  purpose  of  inclosing 
and  paving,*'  but  no  light  is  thrown  on  the 
details  of  what  was  done.  In  the  previous 
year  the  commonalty  of  the  bishopric  made  a 
clamosa  querela  to  the  bishop,  representing  to 
him  that  the  butchers,  fishmongers,  inn-keepers, 
and  vintners  were  asking  prices  higher  than 
those  allowed  by  recent  statute.  A  special 
commission  was  issued  to  the  judges  to  hear  the 
complaint,  and  to  put  an  end  to  such  offences.** 
The  grievance  does  not  refer  to  Durham  alone, 
of  course,  yet  the  Durham  tradesmen  probably 
bore  their  share. 

**  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  13,  fol.  454  (Skirlaw's  17th 
year).  *'  Ibid.  fol.  465. 

*■•  Ibid.  fol.  257  d.  (Skirlaw's  lothyear). 
*'  Ibid.  6*  Ibid.  fol.  479. 

*'  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xxxii,  App.  i,  275. 
**  Lapsley,  op.  cit.  1 36. 


22 


CITY  OF   DURHAM 


Some  of  the  references  in  the  lines  above  have 
to  do  with  the  episcopate  of  Skirlaw  (1388- 
1405).  A  year  before  his  consecration  trouble 
was  occasioned  by  some  men  who  broke  prison. 
Possibly  this  indicates  that  the  building,  which 
was  then  on  the  west  side  of  Palace  Green,  was 
ruinous.  At  all  events,  Skirlaw  made  it  his 
business  to  build  a  new  gaol,  which  was  after- 
wards completed  by  Langley,  and  continued  to 
be  the  ordinary  gaol  of  the  city  until  1820.  An 
important  little  valor  of  Skirlaw's  first  year 
informs  us  not  only  as  to  the  building  of  the 
prison,  but  as  to  other  matters  connected  with 
its  immediate  neighbourhood. 

This  interesting  document  states  that  the 
castle  with  all  houses  and  rooms  was  in  good  and 
thorough  repair.  Within  its  walls  stood  the 
abbey  and  two  parish  churches  and  between  the 
lower  gates  of  the  castle  and  the  graveyard  of  the 
abbey  was  a  space  called  '  le  Place  '  containing 
by  estimation  2  acres  with  the  houses  intended 
for  the  offices  of  the  Chancery,  Exchequer  and 
Receipt  ;  a  hall  for  the  Pleas  of  Justice ;  a 
granary ;  a  large  grange  ;  and  various  other 
rooms  on  the  west  side  of  the  said  space  pertain- 
ing to  the  old  gaol  before  the  lord  built  anew 
the  tower  called  '  le  Northgate  '  at  the  entrance 
to  the  castle  where  his  gaols  now  are  by  his 
ordinance ;  and  a  house  for  coining  money 
built  on  the  east  side  of  the  said  space.  These 
buildings  returned  nothing  because  they  were 
occupied  by  the  constable,  chancellor  and 
moneyer.  The  mint,  which  was  held  by  Alulkus 
of  Florence,  the  lord's  moneyer,  was  then  worth 
40J.  a  year,  but  at  the  time  of  the  change  of  the 
coinage  of  the  money  of  England  brought  in 
20  marks.  The  city  of  Durham  with  its  rents, 
services,  courts,  customs,  fines  on  the  citizens, 
proceeds  of  two  water-mills,  ovens,  fair  and 
market  tolls  and  all  other  profits  and  com- 
modities belonging  to  the  said  city,  escheats, 
forfeitures  of  lands  and  houses,  if  any,  was  let 
to  farm  to  Nicholas  Hayford  and  his  fellows  at  a 
term  of  six  years  for  no  marks  a  year.  The 
constable  had  a  parcel  of  land  called  Harden- 
fcld,  lying  near  Washington,  to  support  a 
chaplain  celebrating  within  the  chapel  of  the 
same  castle.  There  was  there  also  a  [wood] 
called  Franklyn,  full  of  great  oaks,  containing 
by  estimation  300  acres.  A  certain  meadow 
called  Le  Bishopmeadow  containing  by  estima- 
tion 27  [acres]  was  let  for  106/.  Sd.  a  year. 
John  Cook  held  a  house  once  belonging  to  John 
Morpathe.  John  Runkhorn,  chaplain  of  the 
chantry  of  St.  James  upon  the  new  bridge  of 
Durham,  held  a  house  and  a  .  .  .  .  with  a  meadow 
called  Millmeadow.  Margaret  Corbridge  held  a 
tenement  in  the  Bailey  near  Owengate,  once 
belonging  to  Hugh  Cor[bridge].  The  com- 
moner of  Durham  held  a  tenement  in  the  bailey, 
once  belonging  to  Robert  of  Leicester.     John 


Dighton  held  a  tenement  in  the  North  Bailey 
once   belonging  to  Peter  Mainsforth  and  ren- 
dered   3/.     John    Arceys,    chaplain,    holds    a 
tenement,  newly  approved,  on  the  Place  near  the 
inn  of  the  Archdeacon  of  Durham,  once  the 
property  of  William  Orchard  and  rendered  ijs. 
The   same   chaplain   held   a   place   there   newly 
approved,  once  belonging  to  Master  John  Hag- 
thorp,  and  rendered    izd.     Geoffrey  Langton, 
rector  of  the  Church  of  St.  Mary  in  the  North 
Bailey,  held  a  tenement  without  the  North  Gate, 
near  a  vennel   there  and   rendered    5/.  a   year. 
The  Almoner  of  Durham  held  within  the  Bailey 
aforesaid  a   tenement   with  a   garden  formerly 
Lightfoot's,    and    rendered    3/.    a    year.     John 
Aslacby  held  a  certain  stage  adjoining  the  tene- 
ment of  Ralph  Warshop  before  his   door  and 
rendered  id.     The  heir  of  John  Lumley  held  a 
tenement  formerly  belonging  to  Alan  Goldsmith 
in  Saddlergate  in  Durham,  and  rendered  i6d. 
WiUiam  Werdall  held  a  tenement  in  Saddlergate, 
once  belonging  to  the  said  Alan,  and  rendered 
4£/.    a   year.     Thomas   Colvell  held    one   place 
upon   the   moat,   on   the   western   side   of  the 
tenement    once    belonging   to    John    Malleson, 
which  used  to  render  14^.  but  was  then  occupied 
by  those  employed  by  the  lord  on  building  of  the 
new  tower  4^.  .  .  .  held  a  garden  on  the  eastern 
part   of    the    same    bridge   once   belonging  to 
Robert    Herlesey    and    before    that    to    Agnes 
Brown  and  rendered  ^d.  a  year.     Thomas  Clerk 
held   a   tenement   formerly  belonging  to  John 
Marshall  within  the  North  Gate  near  the  tene- 
ment of  Thomas  Smith.     Thomas  Gray,  knight, 
of  Houghton,  held  a  tenement  in  Owengate,  and 
rendered   3d.   a   year.     The   Prior   of   Durham 
held  a  tenement  in  Saddlergate,  once  belonging 
to  John  Appleton.     He  also  held  a  tenement 
called  Wearmouthplace  within  the  North  Bailey 
once  belonging  to  Robert  Greenwich.     The  heir 
of  William  Catterick  held  a  tenement  formerly 
William  Fleshcwer's  under  the  moat  towards  the 
old  bridge  and  rendered  6d.     John  Wyrethorp 
held  a  garden  under  the  Castle  Moat  formerly 
John    Woodcock's    and    rendered     izd.     John 
Killinghall    held    a    garden    outside    Kingsgate 
once  Henry  Klidrow's  and  renders  2/.      There 
is  in  the  same  place  a  garden  lately  in  the  occupa- 
tion   of    William    Auckland,    lying    waste    and 
unoccupied.    William  Huddlestone  held  in  right 
of  his  wife,  a  tenement  near  Owengate  on  the 
south  side  and  formerly  John  Cutler's  and  ren- 
dered at  St.  Cuthbert's  Feast  and  in   Septem- 
ber   one    pound    of    pepper.     John    Runkhorn 
held   two    waste    places    under    the    arches    of 
Elvet    Bridge,    and    a    parcel   of   ground,    and 
rendered  lod.     John  Dighton  held  a  tenement, 
formerly    Robert    Walton's,    and       previously 
William  Lanchester's,  in  the  North  Bailey,  and 
rendered  6d.  a  year.     Thomas  Goldsmith  held 
a  shop  under  the  Tolbooth  once  J.  Cusson's 


23 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


and  rendered  6s.  %d.  Agnes  Cupper  held  a  shop 
under  the  Tolbooth,  and  rendered  los.  a  year. 
Thomas  Plumer  held  a  place  under  the  moat, 
once  John  Chester's  and  rendered  6d.  a  year. 
Thomas  Smith  held  a  tenement  formerly  the  said 
John  Chester's  and  rendered  \zd.  a  year.  There 
is  in  the  same  place  a  tenement,  formerly  John 
Maidenstan's  in  the  Bailey  of  Durham.  He 
rendered  at  the  Feast  of  St.  Cuthbert  in  Septem- 
ber one  pound  of  cumine.  '  He  does  not  know 
where  it  lies,  so  let  inquiry  be  made.'  There 
was  in  the  same  place  a  house  formerly  Ede 
Barbon's,  which  was  then  waste  and  out  of 
occupation.  Ralph  Shotton  held  a  garden 
under  the  Castle  Moat  formerly  William  Ward's 
which  had  usually  paid  2J.,  then  only  lid.  Thomas 
Bulman  held  a  garden  under  the  moat  rendering 
lid.  Thomas  Walworth  held  a  garden  there 
and  rendered  izd.  Joan  Clerk  held  a  garden 
there  and  rendered  lid.  Llias  Harper  held  a 
garden  near  the  said  Joan's,  formerly  William 
Orchard's,  towards  the  Wear  which  had  usually 
paid  lid.  a  year.  Isabella  Fenrother  held  a 
garden  on  the  waste  reclaimed  near  Kingsgate 
on  the  south  side,  rendering  6d.  John  P.Jman, 
chaplain,  held  two  gardens  there,  each 
rendering  4^/.  Roger  Wright  held  a  garden 
formerly  Matilda  Raven's,  usual  rent  of  which 
was  lid.  There  is  there  a  garden  lying  between 
the  garden  of  Matilda  Raven  and  the  garden  of 
Richard  Ic  B.  .  .  garth.  John  Kay,  chaplain, 
held  a  vcnell  formerly  Theodore  Coxside's  in 
Saddlergate,  rent  2d.  Margery,  who  was  wife 
of  Hugh  Corbridge,  held  a  place  of  ground  near 
her  own  house  under  the  Castle  Moat,  containing 
30  ft.  in  breadth,  and  in  length  38  ft.  and 
rendered  zd.  a  year.*' 

The  document  seems  to  be  a  return  of  all 
rents  let  out  to  farm  in  Durham  itself  by  the 
bishop.  As  has  been  seen  in  Boldon  Book,  the 
city  was  even  then  at  farm,  and  in  the  14th  cen- 
tury the  grants  of  one  or  other  section  of  the 
bishop's  property  are  not  infrequent.  Thus  in 
1386  Fordham  in  a  deed  enrolled  granted  to  John 
Le\vyn,  Walter  Cokyn,  Roger  Aspour,  Henry 
Sherburn  '  the  borough  '  of  Durham  to  farm 
with  all  rents,  services,  etc.  appurtenant  thereto 
for  the  term  of  six  years.  A  year  later  Thomas 
Tudhoe,  and  John  Custson  surrendered  the  farm 
of  '  the  vill '  of  Durham  to  Ralph  de  Eure  the 
steward  thereof  who  demised  the  same  to  others 
in  turn.  It  is  by  no  means  improbable  that  the 
valoT  quoted  above  refers  to  the  steward's  state- 
ment of  particulars  in  connexion  with  the 
demise  here  named.  The  details  are  in  some 
respects  a  help  to  forming  a  picture  of  Durham 

*'  The  valor  is  numbered  Ministers'  Accounts 
R.  220196  and  is  preserved  among  the  Palatinate 
Records  in  the  custody  of  the  Ecclesiastical  Com- 
mission. It  was  first  used  by  Dr.  Lapsley,  but  has 
only  recently  been  transcribed  in  full. 


in  1388.  The  castle  was  in  good  repair,  as  of 
course  it  would  be  after  Hatfield's  work  upon  it.™ 
St.  Mary,  in  the  South  Bailey,  was  already  a  parish 
church.  Around  the  Palace  Green  were  two 
sets  of  buildings.  On  the  west  side  were  the 
earlier  exchequer  and  chancery  courts,  the  court 
of  justice,  the  old  gaol,  and  certain  buildings  of 
store.  The  old  gaol  had  been  recently  super- 
seded, and  as  the  document  speaks  of  extensive 
work  on  the  new  gaol  it  is  probably  safe  to  say 
that  Fordham,  or  more  probably  Hatfield,  built 
the  new  fabric.  All  these  houses  were  official 
and  produced  no  rent.  On  the  east  side  stood 
the  mint,  to  which  we  shall  recur.  On  the  same 
side,  as  we  know,  though  the  document  does  not 
say  so,  was  the  inn  of  the  Archdeacon  of  North- 
umberland, and  beside  it  were  other  houses. 
Apparently  a  careful  distinction  is  drawn  be- 
tween the  Bailey,  the  North  Bailey,  and  the  South 
Bailey.  There  is  no  difficulty  as  to  the  last  two, 
but  Margaret  Corbridge's  house  and  garden  may 
suggest  that  the  Bailey  was  the  space  behind 
Owengate  and  below  the  castle  mound.  If  so 
her  garden  may  perhaps  still  be  identified  as  the 
garden  inclosed  and  still  in  that  position.  The 
rector  of  the  North  Bailey  church  seems  still  to 
have  lived  outside  the  north  gate,  as  a  previous 
reference  in  131 1  makes  clear.  There  were 
houses  and  gardens  below  the  moat,  both  on  the 
FramweUgate  side  and  round  towards  Saddler- 
gate. There  were  several  gardens  below  the 
Bailey  wall,  and  between  it  and  the  river. 
Finally  there  were  two  instances  of  quaint 
mediaeval  tenure,  but  nothing  is  here  said  of 
Castle- Ward  and  other  duties. 

Attention  must  be  drawn  to  the  mint.  The 
valor  places  it  on  the  east  side  of  Palace  Green. 
It  was  under  the  management  of  a  Florentine, 
but  it  was  not  long  in  his  hands.  Seven  years 
later  '  William  Ward  took  from  the  lord  a  house 
or  a  place  in  the  Castle  of  Durham  called 
Moneyer's  house  together  with  another  room 
beyond  the  gate  called  Owengate,  to  hold  until 
some  moneyer  should  come  who  wishes  to  make 
money  in  the  same.'"  This  suggests  that  the 
moneyer  had  a  residence,  perhaps,  on  the  north 
side  of  Owengate,  whilst  his  mint  proper  was  on 
the  south  side  of  that  street.  This  not  only 
works  in  with  local  tradition  "  but  is  supported 
by  a  document  of  1455  which  leases  '  on  the 
east  of  the  Place  of  Durham  '  and  '  South  of 
an  ortus  {sic)  called  Coneyorgarth  '  a  parcel  of 
the  lord's  waste."  Obviously  the  Coneyorgarth 
or  Mintersgarth  was  on  the  south  of  Owengate. 
References  to  the  mint  in  the  15th  century  are 
pretty    frequent.     In    1460    one    Norwell    of 

'"  Hist.  Dunelm.  Script.  Ires  (Surt.  Soc  ),  138. 
1  Dur.   Rec.   cl.   3,  no.   13,    fol.    152.     (Skirlaw's 
7th  year). 

"  Cf.  Surtees,  Hist,  and  Antiq.  of  Dur.  iv,  3S. 
"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  15,  fol.  720. 


H 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


Durham,  coiner,  entered  into  bond  with  certain 
persons  to  pay  so  much  to  the  bishop  for  the 
farm  of  the  coinage,  delivering  up  the  dies  and 
instruments  used  after  the  expiration  of  a  year.^* 
He  was  also  to  answer  to  the  bishop  for  any 
defect.  In  1473  a  goldsmith  of  York  was 
licensed  to  make  the  coining  dies,'*  but  in  14.76 
the  grant  was  to  one  William  Omoryghe,  gold- 
smith of  Durham,  to  make,  grave,  and  print 
coining  irons  for  the  mint  of  the  bishop  of 
Durham,  under  the  supervision  of  John  Kelyng, 
Chancellor  of  Durham,  and  John  Raket."  In 
1490  there  was  another  bond  on  the  appointment 
of  mintmaster,"  and  in  1493  there  was  a  bond 
in  ;^200  entered  into  by  five  tradesmen  of  Durham 
for  the  due  execution  of  the  office  of  keeper  of 
the  mint  of  Durham.'*  The  mintmaster  was 
one  of  the  five,  and  his  name  was  William 
Richardson,  merchant.  The  danger  of  false 
coining  naturally  led  to  such  precautions  as  these 
bonds  and  covenants  suggest,  and  that  vigilance 
was  needed  is  attested  by  the  fact  that  in  1475 
false  money  had  been  issued,  for  which  oflence 
the  king's  pardon  was  sought  and  obtained." 

It  is  now  necessary  to  return  to  the  history  of 
the  city  in  the  15th  century.  The  period  opens 
with  many  evidences  of  founding  and  repairing. 
Much  of  this  is  due  to  Cardinal  Langley,  who 
became  bishop  in  1406.  He  left  his  mark  upon 
Durham  in  various  ways.  It  is,  once  more,  a 
little  difficult  to  assign  dates  to  his  work,  but  it 
is  probable  that  the  considerable  changes  at  the 
north  gate  of  the  castle  are  to  be  attributed  to 
the  early  years  of  his  episcopate.  At  all  events 
in  141 3  a  lease  of  a  chalk-pit  and  quarry  at 
Sherburn  was  granted  to  Thomas  Alanson  on 
condition  of  rendering  120  horse-loads  of  chalk 
'  to  the  works  of  the  castle  of  Durham.'  ^*  The 
chronicler  ascribes  to  Langley  '  the  whole  of 
Durham  gaol,  and  the  very  costly  stone  gates  of 
the  gaol,  where  in  old  times  was  the  ancient 
gateway  at  that  period  in  disrepair.'  ^^  Until 
Langley's  time  the  gaol  was  in  an  entirely 
different  part  of  the  castle  precincts,  and  he 
built  the  great  gaol  tower  over  Saddler  Street 
which  lasted  until  1820.  It  is  not  improbable 
that  the  older  gaol  occupied  the  site  of  the 
exchequer  buildings  rebuilt  by  Neville  about 
1450.  In  any  case  it  must  have  been  near  them. 
Langley's  rearrangement  of  the  ground  at  the 
top  of  Saddlergate  and  behind  Owengate, 
towards  the  castle,  cannot  be  followed  in  detail, 
as  no  exact  description  survives,  and  later 
adaptation  introduced  alterations.  There  were, 
however,  various  alleys  and  spaces  running  back 

'*  Dep.  Keeper^!  Rep.  xxxv,  107. 

'^  Ibid.  102.  "*  Ibid.  142. 

"  Ibid,  xxxvi,  13.  '*  Ibid.  52. 

'9Ca/.P<j/.  1467-77,  p.  511. 

^^  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  14,  fol.  533. 

"  Hist.  Dundm.  Script.  Ires  (Surt.  See),  146. 


towards  the  mound  of  the  keep,  both  above  and 
below  the  great  gateway.  In  1453  there  was  a 
lease  to  Richard  Raket,  clerk  of  the  exchequer, 
of  '  a  small  garden  lying  next  the  wall  of  the 
castle  which  leads  from  the  north  gate  to  the 
tower  of  the  castle  .  .  .  and  a  parcel  of  waste 
land  lying  next  the  said  wall  between  the  tene- 
ment of  Ralph  Earl  of  Westmorland  and  William 
Prior  of  Durham  on  the  one  part,  and  the  said 
wall  as  far  as  the  entrance  which  leads  to  the 
great  house  of  the  seneschal  in  the  said  north 
gate  on  the  other  part.'  '^  All  the  parts  here 
named  appear  to  be  on  the  Palace  Green  side 
of  the  great  gate. 

Langley,  probably,  pulled  down  a  good  deal  of 
old  work  on  the  west  of  the  Green.  There  had 
been  a  wall  from  the  keep  to  the  cathedral 
running  along  the  east  side  of  the  Green,  origi- 
nally built  by  Flambard,  and  its  foundations  can 
still  be  traced  underneath  existing  houses. 
When  the  cardinal  founded  in  14 14  his  two 
schools,  the  one  for  grammar  and  the  other  for 
music,  he  probably  destroyed  this  wall.  For  a 
description  of  the  schools  and  for  the  story  of 
their  refoundation  by  Cosin  in  the  time  of 
Charles  II,  the  reader  must  be  referred  to  the 
first  volume  of  this  series.  Cardinal  Langley 
also  founded  the  chantry  in  the  Galilee,  and 
restored  the  Galilee  itself,  at  considerable  cost. 
Under  the  chantry  his  tomb  in  time  was  placed.*^ 
In  the  midst  of  these  operations  a  terrible  \asit 
of  pestilence  fell  upon  Durham  in  1416,**  and 
also,  later,  in  Langley's  last  year,  1438."'  In 
between  these  two  pestilences  occurred  one  of 
the  most  notable  calamities  in  Durham  history, 
when  in  1429  a  terrific  thunderstorm  burst  *^ 
over  the  city  and  destroyed  the  upper  part  of 
the  central  tower  of  the  cathedral.  Prior  Wes- 
sington  wrote  a  pathetic  account  to  the  bishop 
concerning  the  damage  done.  The  storm  was 
not  only  terrible  but  quite  unheard  of  in  those 
parts,  lasting  from  ten  o'clock  at  night  to  seven 
next  morning.  Just  before  i  a.m.,  when  the 
monks  were  at  matins,  a  crash  so  aw^ul  came 
that  they  thought  the  building  was  collapsing. 
Probably  at  this  time  the  wooden  top  of  the 
bell-tower  was  struck,  but  the  fire  was  not  dis- 
covered until  the  storm  abated,  and  then  until 
noon  the  flames  gained  an  increasing  hold, 
whilst  the  molten  lead  began  to  pour  through 
the  roof  on  to  the  pavement  below.  The  people 
rushed  up  to  the  church  as  the  news  of  the  con- 
flagration spread,  and  at  last  by  their  efforts  and 
prayers  the  flames  subsided  after  raging  for  about 
twelve  hours,  whereupon  monks  and  populace 

8=  Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  3,  no.  15,  fol.  612. 
**  Hist.  Dundm.  Script.  Jres  (Surt.  See),  146. 
s-*  Dep.  Keeper^ s  Rep.  xxxiii,  1 10. 
**  Ibid,  xxxiv,  227. 

*^  Hist.  Dundm.  Script.  Tres  (Surt.  See),  p.  ccxrii ; 
Arch.  Ad.  ii,  59. 


25 


A   HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


sang  a  Te  Deum.  The  concourse  was  all  the 
greater  because  it  was  Corpus  Christ!  day,  a 
general  holiday,  when  all  the  trade  gilds 
walked  in  procession.  Probably  Wessington's 
work  of  repair  in  the  cathedral  was  partly  in 
consequence  of  the  damage  done  by  this  storm.*' 

Beside  Bishop  Langley's  chantry  in  the 
Galilee,  served  by  the  masters  of  his  two  newly- 
built  schools,**  several  other  chantries  were 
established  at  this  time  by  clerical  donors,  and  in 
143 1  St.  Margaret's  Chapel  at  last  received  the 
status  of  a  parish  church." 

The  Corpus  Christi  gild,  whose  inauguration 
is  much  earlier,  probably,  was  refounded  in 
1437.  To  this  gild  Thomas  Billing  had  granted 
permission  to  inclose  and  cover  a  well  in  his 
manor  of  Sidgate  near  Framwellgate,  and  to 
bring  the  water  by  a  subterranean  aqueduct  to 
the  market  place  of  the  city  for  the  use  and  con- 
venience of  the  men  and  burgesses  thereof.  Such 
is  the  chartered  beginning  of  the  main  fresh- 
water supply  of  the  centre  of  the  city,  a  supply 
which  has  only  been  superseded  by  other  means 
within  the  memory  of  men  still  living.  Bishop 
Neville  confirmed  the  arrangement  in  1451.*" 

It  was  in  this  same  year  that  the  earliest 
extant  incorporation  of  a  special  trade  fraternity 
took  place,  and  as  had  been  the  case  in  London 
the  first  incorporation  was  granted  to  the 
weavers.  The  Assize  Roll  of  1243  shows  that 
such  trade  was  vigorous  in  Durham  two  cen- 
turies before  this  date,  so  that  as  in  the  case  of 
the  Corpus  Christi  gild  Neville's  charter  is 
probably  an  incorporation  of  an  existing  society. 
The  ordinance  follows  more  or  less  the  usual 
lines  of  such  documents.  Corpus  Christi  day 
was  the  trade  festival  when  the  gildsmen  walked 
in  procession,  and  were  to  '  playe  or  gar  playe  y^ 
playe  yat  of  old  times  longes  to  yair  crafte  at 
yair  aliens  costage  after  the  ordinance  of  the 
two  wardens,  and  ilka  man  sail  be  at  y*  said 
procession  yearly  when  his  oure  is  assygned 
by  the  wardens  and  at  all  other  meetings  under 
penalty  of  6d.  to  the  Bishop  and  6d.  to  the  lights 
of  the  crafte  unless  reasonably  excused.'  This 
company  and  others  acted  on  strictly  protec- 
tionist principles,  of  course,  and  were  allowed 
'  to  take  to  prentes  noe  Scotfesman  nor  noe 
Scotteswoman  on  payne  of  6s.  8d.  to  the  Bishop, 
and  6s.  Sd.  to  the  lights  for  ilk  defautc.'  A  few 
years  later  a  dispute  sprang  up  between  rival 
branches  of  the  craft,  and  an  inquisition  was 
held  at  Durham  to  decide  the  matter,  when  it 
was  ruled  and  the  decree  enrolled  that  '  no  one 

*'  Hist.  Dunelm.  Script.  Ires  (Surt.  Soc),  p.  cclxxii. 

88  Ibid.  146. 

8'  All  the  details  are  set  out  in  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iv, 
127,  from  the  register  of  the  prior  and  convent. 

**  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xxxiv,  200.  The  supply  still 
operates  and  forms  a  reservoir  in  case  of  fire  or  other 
need. 


of  the  said  craft  is  to  make  the  work  of  the  other 
under  a  penalty  of  100  shillings.' "' 

The  cordwainers  were  next  in  order  of  enrol- 
ment. In  1458,  and  by  confirmation  in  1460, 
this  company  was  incorporated  in  much  the  same 
way  as  the  weavers  had  been.®-  Then  came  the 
barbers,  whose  oldest  extant  ordinary  is  in  1468, 
from  which  it  appears  that,  as  usual,  the  term 
barbers  is  intended  to  comprise  surgeons  as  well. 
In  later  days  they  affiliated  certain  other  trades 
to  their  fraternity.'' 

Other  trades  in  the  city  were  perhaps  not  as 
yet  incorporated,  or  they  may  have  been  re- 
founded  after  the  Reformation.  In  1448,  for 
instance,  the  fullers  and  the  shoemakers  were 
prohibited  from  employing  any  native  of  Scot- 
land in  their  craft.*' 

In  the  15th  century  the  shrine  of  St.  Cuthbert 
was  a  great  attraction  still,  and  pilgrims  flocked 
to  the  city  as  they  had  done  for  more  than  four 
centuries,  bringing  demands  which  the  various 
companies  were  able  to  supply  abundantly.*^ 
In  the  main  the  century  was  peaceful,  for 
Scottish  troubles  were  rare,  and  the  astute 
opportunism  of  Booth  saved  city  and  bishopric 
from  reprisal  when  the  Yorkist  side  became 
supreme.  When  we  turn  to  the  conditions  of 
life  in  Durham  at  this  period  there  is  little  to 
guide  us.  In  1417  a  fatal  accident  at  the  butts 
near  Framwellgate  shows  that  archery  was 
practised  by  the  inhabitants.  We  have  already 
seen  the  allusions  to  the  mystery  plays  of  the 
gilds,  an  observance  which  no  doubt  took  up  a 
large  amount  of  time  and  preparation  as  May 
approached  year  by  year.  In  1492  a  chance 
entry  suggests  a  large  unwritten  chapter  in  local 
history,  which  if  it  could  be  recovered  would 
entertain  the  reader  with  that  long  list  of  Durham 
characters  who  have  played  their  part  in  the  life 
of  the  city  and  have  passed  away.  Two  shoe- 
makers became  bail  for  the  good  behaviour  of 
'  Thomas  Smyth,  minstrel,  of  Durham,  other- 
wise called  Piper  whom  the  Lord  Bishop  had 
pardoned  for  all  felonies  and  other  offences.' "* 
There  was  fishing  in  the  river,  and  the  Wear  then, 
as  now,  was  a  salmon  river.  How  far  it  was 
generally  open  to  all  does  not  appear,  but  in 
1390  and  again  in  1437  commissions  were 
issued  to  observe  the  '  fence  months.'  This,  of 
course,  was  in  accordance  with  the  statute  of 
Westminster  the  Second. 

The  end  of  the  15th  century  witnessed  more 
building  in  Durham.     Bishop  Fox  carried  out 

^1  Dep.  Keeper'' s  Rep.  xxxv,  1 30. 

*2  Curs.  R.  3  Booth,  T.  m.  6  d. 

"*  Some  of  the  details  are  given  in  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iv, 
20-1.  For  the  general  fortunes  of  the  trade  after 
this  see  V.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  314-15. 

"*  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xxxiv,  224,  244. 

"^  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

"•^  Dep.  Keeper^  Rep.  xxxvi,  7. 


26 


CITY  OF   DURHAM 


the  changes  associated  with  his  name  in  the 
castle,  dating  their  conapletion,  perhaps,  by  the 
legend  which  is  still  to  be  seen  over  the  kitchen 
hatch,  viz.  1499.  This  was  the  year  in  which  he 
was  the  means  of  concluding  the  prospective 
marriage  between  James  IV  of  Scotland  and  the 
Princess  Margaret  of  England.  The  bride's 
youth  postponed  it  for  some  four  years,  and  Fox, 
meantime  appointed  Bishop  of  Winchester, 
came  back  in  the  royal  retinue  proceeding  to 
Scotland  to  give  a  royal  feast  to  Margaret  and 
the  noble  company  that  assembled  in  the  hall. 
Possibly  Fox's  elaborate  changes  were  designed 
to  make  this  banquet  worthy  of  the  match  which 
he  had  so  largely  brought  about.  A  visit  from 
Lord  Darcy,  destined  many  years  later  to  be  a 
rebel  leader,  gives  an  interesting  side-light.  He 
said  to  Fox  :  '  My  lord,  both  I  and  my  lady  was 
in  all  your  new  works  at  Durham,  and  verily  they 
are  of  the  most  goodly  and  best  cast  that  I  have 
seen  after  my  poor  mind,  and  in  especial  your 
kitchen  passeth  all  other.' 

Princess  Margaret's  visit  to  Durham  is  the 
most  picturesque  event,  perhaps,  in  the  history 
of  the  city  ;  it  gives,  moreover,  a  sort  of  farewell 
description  of  the  mediaeval  monastery  on  a 
festival  occasion.*'  In  connection  with  it, 
too,  we  find  elsewhere  for  the  last  time  recorded 
how  the  shrine  of  St.  Cuthbert  was  still  visited, 
and  how  cures  were  reputed  to  be  worked  there.'* 
A  far  more  detailed  account  of  what  the  great 
monastery  was  in  its  very  latest  years  is  given 
in  really  fascinating  detail  by  the  author  of 
the  Rites  of  Durham,  which  was  written  in 
1593  by  one  whose  memory  went  back  to  its 
sunset  days  in  the  twenties  and  the  thirties.'* 

After  the  visit  of  the  princess,  the  next  con- 
spicuous event  is  the  Scottish  invasion  of  the 
bishopric,  and  the  great  EngUsh  victory  at 
Flodden-i"*  Ruthall  the  bishop,  who  was  with  the 
king  in  France,  hurried  back  to  Durham,  and  from 
the  castle  superintended  the  Durham  musters. 
From  the  castle  too  he  wrote  to  Wolsey  a  full 
account  of  Flodden,*  telling  him  how  the 
Durham  people  ascribed  their  triumph  to  the 
intercession  of  St.  Cuthbert,  and  how  the  King 
of  Scots'  banner,  sword,  and  '  gwyschys,'  or 
armour  for  the  thighs,  had  been  brought  to 
the  cathedral.  The  banner  was  hung  up  near 
the  feretory.^     The  signal  triumph  must   have 

"  It  is  given  in  Leland's  Collectanea,  iv,  258, 
under  the  title  of  the  '  Fyancells  of  Margaret.' 

^^  Hist.  Dunelm.  Script.  Ires  (Surt.  Soc),  152-3. 

"  Published  by  the  Suttees  Society. 
loOBest  local  account  in  Arch.  Ael.  v. 

^  Quoted  ibid,  v,  175,  from  L.  and.  P.  Hen.  VIII, 
i,  4461-2.  See  also  ibid.  4523  for  Ruthall's  account 
of  his  Auckland  hospitality. 

*  The  general  aspect  of  the  feretory  and  its 
surroundings  is  described  in  Rites  of  Durham  (Surt. 
Soc),  4-s,  94-5. 


brought  much  satisfaction  to  the  city  which 
had  been  harassed  by  the  Scots. 

Just  before  the  Scottish  war.  Bishop  Bain- 
bridge  had  made  a  grant  of  some  importance 
to  the  people  of  Durham  when  he  gave  the 
prior  and  convent  all  the  right  bank  of  the 
river  between  Elvet  and  Framwellgate  Bridges 
below  the  castle  and  cathedral  walls  down  to 
the  Wear,  and  also  the  river  itself  between 
those  points,  reserving  ingress  and  egress  for 
all  the  castle  folk  and  right  of  winning  stones 
for  the  walls  with  full  access  to  them.  The 
reason  of  the  grant  is '  lest  the  prior  and  convent 
and  their  successors  in  time  to  come  should  be 
troubled,  disturbed,  or  annoyed  by  ill-disposed 
persons  in  their  prayers  and  other  divine  offices.'  * 
Then  they  were  able  to  police  and  guard  what 
Durham  calls  '  the  Banks '  on  both  sides,  the 
other  side  being  theirs  already.  The  bishop 
lost  what  in  later  days,  when  trees  were  planted, 
came  to  be  the  most  beautiful  part  of  the 
peninsula.* 

From  this  we  pass  on  to  mention  the  classic 
reference  to  Durham  so  often  quoted  from 
Leland's  Itinerary.  The  writer  paid  his  visit 
to  the  city  on  the  eve  of  the  great  changes, 
but  probably  before  the  demolition  of  the 
shrine  of  St.  Cuthbert  in  1538. 

The  town  self  of  Durham  standeth  on  a  rocky  lull, 
and  standeth  as  men  come  from  the  south  country 
on  the  ripe  of  Wear.^  The  which  water  so  with  his 
course  natural  in  a  bottom  windeth  about,  that  from 
Elvet,  a  great  stone-bridge  of  14  arches,  it  creepeth 
about  the  town  to  Framwellgate  Bridge  of  three 
arches  *  also  on  Wear,  that,  betwixt  the  two  bridges, 
or  a  little  lower  down  at  St.  Nicholas,  the  town 
except  the  length  of  an  arrow-shot  is  brought  in 
insulam.  And  some  hold  opinion  that  of  ancient 
time  Wear  ran  from  the  place  where  now  Elvet 
Bridge  is  straight  down  by  St.  Nicholas  now  standing 
on  a  hill,'  and  that  the  other  course  part  for  policy, 
and  part  by  digging  of  stones  for  building  of  the  town 
and  minster  was  made  a  valley,  and  so  the  water-course 
was  conveyed  that  way,  but  I  approve  not  full  this 
conjecture.*  The  close  itself  of  the  minster  on  the 
highest  part  of  the  hill  is  well  walled,  and  hath 
divers  fair  gates.  The  Church  itself  and  the  Cloister 
be  very  strong  and  fair,  and  at  the  very  east  end  is 

^  The  grant  is  given  in  Hist.  Dunelm.  Script.  Ires 
(Surt.  Soc),  App.  no.  cccwiii. 

*  Trees  were  not  planted  on  the  castle  and  cathedral 
side  until  late  in  the  l8th  century.  In  Bainbridge's 
day  the  land  in  question  was  '  vastum,'  and  the 
'  Bishop's  Waste  '  sur\ived  as  a  name  until  within 
living  memory. 

^  Coming  in  from  Brancepeth  through  Crossgate 
he  has  South  Street  pointed  out  to  him  as  it  runs 
along  the  river  bank. 

*  Now  shortened  to  two. 

'  An  intelligent  anticipation  of  what  geology  has 
told  us  ;  see  below,  p.  63. 

*  A  wild  theory  :  still  the  banks  have  been  much 
hollowed  out  for  the  sake  of  stone. 


27 


A  HISTORY  OF   DURHAM 


a  cross-aisle  beside  the  middle  cross  aisle  of  the 
minster  church."  The  Castle  standeth  stately  on 
the  north-east  side  of  the  Minster,  and  Wear  runneth 
under  it. 

Leland  adds  some  words  as  to  recent  im- 
provements at  the  castle,  which  would  be 
those  of  Fox,  and  then  concludes :  '  The  building 
of  Durham  Town  is  meetly  strong,  but  it  is 
neither  high  nor  of  costly  work.'  Obviously 
Leland  had  no  eye  for  anything  outside  the 
peninsula  itself. 

Leland  had  no  anticipation  of  the  great 
changes  which  even  then  were  setting  in. 
Tunstall  the  bishop  was  very  little  in  Durham. 
When  the  supremacy  was  agitated  in  1532, 
special  messengers  came  to  Durham  as  well 
as  to  Auckland  and  Stockton  to  seize  any 
'  books  bearing  on  the  king's  cause.'  i"  In- 
cidentally, we  find  how  ill  furnished  the  castle 
was,  for  the  visitors  found  '  such  a  little  house- 
hold stuff.'  Tunstall  soon  came  down,  and 
in  Durham  preached  the  king's  supremacy 
very  convincingly.  In  the  next  year  or  two, 
the  people  of  Durham  had  to  witness  the 
visits  of  royal  commissioners  and  the  virtual 
suspension  of  the  bishop's  powers  in  his  own 
capital."  Then  came  the  monastic  visitation 
at  the  end  of  1535,  but  the  visitors  could  find 
no  flaw  in  the  morality  of  Durham  Abbey, 
though  certain  local  superstitions  were  held 
up  to  ridicule.  All  the  royal  action  was  a 
blow  to  the  bishop's  power,  and  still  more 
severe  was  the  act  of  resumption  in  1536, 
which  was  the  greatest  diminution  of  the  jura 
regalia  that  any  bishop  had  yet  suffered. *- 

Before  the  year  was  over,  the  first  act  of  the 
Pilgrimage  of  Grace  had  been  carried  out, 
which  was  not  entirely  a  religious  demonstration, 
but  largely,  as  one  of  the  leaders  said,  a  rising 
'  under  Captain  Poverty.'  "  The  Durham  in- 
surgents bore  away  the  banner  "  of  St.  Cuthbert 
as  their  ensign. 

The  rising  collapsed  about  March  1537, 
when  Norfolk  held  his  assize  in  Durham  castle,*^ 
an  event  of  great  significance,  for  here  was  the 
royal  power  over-riding  the  paramount  authority 
of  the  bishop  in  Durham. **  A  year  later  came 
a  catastrophe  which  meant  more  to  the  trades- 
men and  inhabitants  of  Durham  than  any 
diminution  of  episcopal  independence.  The 
shrine  of  St.  Cuthbert  was  despoiled  in  March 
1538,  close  to  the  spring  feast  and  fair  of  the 

•  The  nine  altars  which  form  an  eastern  transept. 

1*  Earls  of  Westmorland  and  Cumberland  to  Crom- 
well on  2  May,  L.  and  P.  Hen.  VIII,  v,  986-7. 

"  V.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  31-2.  12  Ibid.  163. 

"  L.  and  P.  Hen.  Fill,  xii  (i),  615. 

"  It  was  broken  in  the  fray  ;  cf.  Dur.  Acct.  R. 
(Surt.  Soc),  483. 

15  See  Engl.  Episcopal  Palaces  (Piovince  ofYork),  157. 

"  r.C.H.  Di,r.  ii,  163-4. 


saint,  and  the  very  centre  of  the  arch  upholding 
the  fabric  of  mediaeval  Durham  at  once  fell  in." 
It  was  a  loss  of  means  to  very  many  in  the 
city,  and  even  of  subsistence  to  some.  A  year 
before,  another  rebellion  would  have  been  the 
result,  but  men  had  learnt  to  fear  the  king's 
mailed  hand,  which  after  the  Pilgrimage  of  Grace 
had  hit  hard.  A  horseman  on  the  London 
road  said  to  a  man  of  Durham  :  '*  'Is  there 
none  that  grudgeth  with  such  pulling  down  of 
abbeys  in  your  country  ?  '  To  this  the  wayfarer 
replied  : '  I  trust  no,  for  if  there  be  any  such 
they  keep  it  secret,  for  there  hath  been  so  sore 
punishment.'  In  1539,  a  conversation  in  Dur- 
ham Castle  gives  a  glimpse  of  the  reign  of 
terror  that  had  set  in  when  at  dinner  in  hall 
one  present  declared  that  the  Prior  of  Mount 
Grace  would  never  surrender  his  charterhouse." 
But  he  did,  and,  before  the  year  was  out,  the 
great  Benedictine  abbey  of  Durham  had  sur- 
rendered,-" an  event  which,  to  the  speaker  in 
the  hall  that  day,  would  have  seemed  unthink- 
able. 

So  the  shrine  was  despoiled  of  the  saint's 
body,  and  the  abbey  came  to  an  end.  To  the 
citizens  of  Durham  it  must  have  seemed  as  if 
the  glory  of  Durham  had  departed.  But  it 
was  intended  to  re-constitute  the  foundation 
on  a  secular  basis,  and  an  interim  constitution 
was  drawn  up.^*  Under  this,  the  prior  acted 
as  guardian,  the  estates  and  property  were 
administered  by  his  direction,  and  the  household 
carried  on  by  a  sufficient  staff  until  the  details 
were  settled  with  much  debating  and  alteration 
of  plan.  No  doubt  the  people  of  Durham  were 
given  to  understand  that  a  new  and,  perhaps, 
a  better  order  was  designed.  For  the  present 
it  was  ordered  that  all  debts  and  e.xpenses  should 
be  duly  paid.  All  superfluous  servants  were 
to  be  discharged  with  six  months'  wages  in 
advance.  It  is  probable  that  a  large  amount 
of  the  abbey  plate  went  up  to  London  '  for 
the  King's  majesty's  use.'  As  for  the  church 
services,  daily  matins  at  6  and  Mass  of  Our 
Lady  were  ordered  to  be  sung  according  to  the 
use  of  Sarum."^ 

1'  See  further  below,  p.  29. 

IS  L.  and  P.  Hen.  VIII,  xiv  (2),  p.  277. 

13  L.  and  P.  Hen.  VIII,  xiv  (2),  750. 

^o  The  correct  year  is  1539  and  not  1540  as  generally 
given — e.g.,  V.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  32. 

^1  The  directions  to  commissioners  are  given  in 
Harl.  MS.  539,  fol.  147-50,  from  which  the  account 
in  the  text  is  given  as  a  supplement  to  V.C.H.  Dur. 
ii,  32. 

^"^  Various  schemes  were  propounded  between 
1539  and  1541.  At  one  stage  it  was  proposed  to 
found  what  was  virtually  a  university  in  Durham 
with  readers  of  humanity,  divinity,  physic,  etc. 
There  were  also  '  alms  for  poor  householders  '  to 
the  sum  of  ,^66  13/.  \d.  yearly.  (Aug.  Off.  Misc. 
Bk.  xxiv.) 


28 


CITY   OF   DURHAM 


The  erection  of  the  new  foundation  in  1541 
has  been  described  elsewhere.^'  Not  the  least 
important  part  of  the  establishment  was  the 
reconstitution  of  the  ancient  grammar  school.^* 
Further  changes  took  place  in  the  cathedral 
in  the  autumn,  when  many  of  the  relics  were 
turned  out  and  the  shrines  were  broken  dovvn.^ 
In  December,  as  two  bills ^'  in  the  Cathedral 
Library  still  attest,  the  place  where  St.  Cuthbert's 
shrine  had  been  was  levelled  and  covered  in 
with  a  marble  slab." 

Gloomy  years  now  followed.  War  broke 
out  with  Scotland  in  1542,  and  the  passage  of 
troops  to  and  fro  kept  the  city  in  excitement. 
Special  requisition  was  made  on  the  townsfolk 
for  transport  service,-*  and  Tunstall  came 
down  to  the  castle  to  superintend  the  levies. 
Next  year  rumours  were  brought  in  of  a  French 
fleet  off  Hartlepool,^'  and  some  confused  story 
about  local  insurrection.^"  In  1544,  one  of  the 
most  severe  in  the  long  series  of  plagues  befell 
the  city  and  neighbourhood.'* 

So  the  reign  of  Henry  passed  to  its  close. 
In  Edward's  first  year,  the  pressure  of  drastic 
change  was  felt  in  the  dissolution  of  Kepier 
Hospital,  and  particularly  in  the  suppression 
of  the  Corpus  Christi  gild,  round  which  so 
much  of  local  trade  had  centred.'^  The  old 
plays  and  functions  came  to  an  end  now  entirely, 
or,  at  all  events,  in  large  measure.  The  citizens 
saw  with  curious  eyes,  if  not  with  indignation, 
the  visitors  sent  round  in  the  summer  of  1547 
to  inaugurate  the  changes.  Next  year,  in 
connection  with  Scottish  affairs,  a  commission 
from  London  came  to  search  the  palatinate 
records  in  Durham.  It  was  soon  after  this 
that  the  city  became  an  important  item  in  the 
programme  that  the  Duke  of  Northumberland 
was  scheming.  The  intention  was  to  make 
Durham  the  capital  of  a  northern  principality 
over  which  the  duke  was  to  preside,  whilst 
his  son  Guilford  Dudley  should  be  Prince 
Consort  in  the  south  to  Lady  Jane  Grey  ruling 
in    London.     In    forwarding    this    design,    the 

"  V.C.H.  Dur.  n,  32. 

^*  The  chief  authority  for  the  history  is  Mickleton 
MS.  xxxii,  Ivii,  Ixix.  See  further  below.  A  good 
summary  is  in  Durham  School  Register. 

^*  We  get  the  date  of  the  spoiling  of  the  shrine 
as  March  1538  from  the  movements  of  the  com- 
missioners as  foUowed  in  the  State  Papers,  and  the 
date  of  the  general  destruction  of  shrines  (R.  VV. 
Dixon,  Hist.  0/  Ch.  0/  England  from  Abolition  of  Roman 
Jurisdiction,  ii,  12-72).  The  description  is  in  Rites 
of  Dur.  (Surt.  Soc),  102. 

2"  Printed  in  Dur.  Acct.  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  741-2. 

*'  The  date  of  the  paving  is  given  in  the  bills  named 
in  the  text. 

^*  L.  and  P.  Hen.  Fill,  xvii,  1040. 

29  L.  and  P.  Hen.  Fill,  xviii  (i),  755,  814. 

3»  Ibid.  884.  3' Ibid,  xix  (0,931. 

S2  Rites  of  Dur.  (Surt.  Soc),  69. 


duke  meant  the  castle  to  be  the  residence  of 
the  new  northern  ruler,  suggesting  that  '  his 
Majesty  receive  both  the  castle  which  hath  a 
princely  site,  and  the  other  stately  houses  which 
the  bishop  hath  in  this  county.'  The  king 
did  resume  all  the  episcopal  property  in  Durham 
and  elsewhere,  but  he  did  not  make  over  to 
Northumberland  his  heart's  desire.*' 

The  reign  of  Mary  soon  restored  what  had 
been  torn  from  the  see  in  Durham.  The 
palatinate  power  was  restored  to  the  bishop, 
and  he  regained  the  castle  as  well.  The  queen 
granted  him  the  patronage  of  the  prebends, 
and  so  instituted  a  right  which  gave  the  bishop, 
for  the  time  being,  the  opportunity  of  filling 
the  stalls  with  men  agreeable  to  himself.  When 
in  1554  the  papal  jurisdiction  was  restored, 
Durham  hailed  it  with  satisfaction.  Great 
festival  was  held  at  the  cathedral  and  the  biU 
still  exists  for  '  Expens.  maid  the  day  that  the 
proclamation  and  bonefyrs  war  maid  for  the 
receyving  of  the  Pope  in  this  realm  agayn.'  ** 

The  interest  of  the  early  years,  at  all  events, 
of  the  long  reign  of  Elizabeth  is  largely  religious, 
and  will  not  be  dealt  with  in  detail  here.  The 
sympathies  of  the  city  were  very  clearly  with  the 
Marian  order,  which  was  now  altered.  In  the 
queen's  first  year  the  city  formed  one  of  the 
centres  of  the  great  ecclesiastical  visitation. ** 
The  visitors  made  it  abundantly  evident  that 
the  government  would  brook  no  opposition,  so 
that  the  citizens  probably  made  up  their  minds 
to  bide  their  time  in  the  hope  that  one  more 
rapid  revolution  of  the  wheel  would  bring  back 
what  the  visitors  were  driving  away.  It  was  in 
a  city  so  actuated  that  the  planning  of  the 
Northern  Rebellion  in  1569  kindled  new  hope 
and  interest.  Every  notice  of  Durham  during 
the  closing  months  of  that  critical  year  indicates 
suppressed  excitement  and  strong  antipathy 
towards  the  government.  The  moment  the 
control  of  the  government  was  relaxed  the 
inhabitants  very  largely  joined  in  with  the  in- 
surrection and  were  willing  participators  in  the 
events  which  centred  round  the  cathedral. 
When  the  premature  movement  had  collapsed 
in  the  gloomy  winter  days  Durham  bore  a  fore- 
most part  in  the  vengeance  that  followed.  The 
unfortunate  Earl  of  Westmorland  lost  the  houses 
which  he  held  within  the  city.     In  this  way  the 

'•^  The  story  is  more  fully  told  in  Engl.  Episcopal 
Palaces  (Province  of  York),  161.  For  the  general 
connection,  see  R.  \V.  Dixon,  op.  cit.  iii,  487,  506. 
Northumberland's  preposterous  letter  is  in  S.  P.  Dom. 
Edw.  VI,  XV,  no.  35. 

'*  Engl.  Episcopal  Palaces  (Province  of  York),  163. 
The  triple  arrangement  of  prebendal  hospitality, 
alluded  to  in  later  days  as  first,  second,  and  third 
class,  is  seen  for  the  first  time  in  the  document  there 
quoted.     The  bill  is  in  the  Treasury  documents. 

'5  F.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  34. 


29 


A   HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


New  Place  near  St.  Nicholas'  Church  was  con- 
fiscated, and  somewhat  later  became  the  pro- 
perty of  the  corporation.  Other  tenements  were 
also  transferred  to  the  queen. 

Just  before  this  ebullition  of  Durham's  latent 
sympathy  a  civic  event  of  great  significance  took 
place  in  the  issue  of  the  first  charter  of  incor- 
poration. Until  1565  the  old  mediaeval  order 
continued,  bailiffs  and  their  underlings  being 
appointed  by  the  bishop.  There  is  no  particular 
clue  as  to  the  motives  of  the  grant.  The  reason 
may  have  been  that  the  bishop  might  ingratiate 
himself  with  the  inhabitants,  at  a  time  when 
Pilkington's  letters  show  that  he  was  sorely  in 
need  of  friends.  More  probably  the  real  circum- 
stances have  to  be  sought  in  the  altered  condi- 
tions of  life  in  the  city.  A  new  Durham  rose 
which  knew  nothing  of  the  old  pilgrim  bands, 
of  the  trade  which  they  brought,  of  the  great 
Cuthbertine  fairs  and  festivals,  of  the  sanctuary 
privileges.  It  may  be  supposed  that  the 
mediaeval  trade  was  largely  in  connection  with 
monastery,  pilgrims  and  fairs.  The  city  itself 
was  not  populous,^^  and  the  wants  of  its  in- 
habitants were  readily  supplied  by  the  members 
of  the  trades  gilds  whose  origin  we  have  marked. 
Durham  no  longer  attracted  great  crowds  all  the 
year  round,  and  its  fairs  have  left  no  clear  record 
in  their  perhaps  attenuated  survival.  Probably 
the  only  direct  compensation  for  the  great  blow 
the  changes  had  dealt  to  the  city's  trade  was  the 
commencement  of  the  proverbial  hospitality 
shown  by  dean  and  prebendaries  during  resi- 
dence. A  chapter  act  indicates  that  certain 
lands  were  annexed  to  the  individual  prebends 
in  augmentation  of  hospitality,  and  the  enact- 
ment goes  to  prove  that  one  of  the  distinctive 
ordinances  of  the  Marian  statutes^'  was  to  be  no 
dead  letter.  It  directs  that  the  prebendaries 
'  keep  residence  and  hospitality.'  One  of  the 
earliest  references  to  the  custom  belongs  to  the 
reign  of  Charles  I,  when  the  '  Three  Norwich 
Soldiers,'  whose  charming  diary  still  exists, 
visited  Durham,  and  were  entertained  in  strict 
accordance  with  the  statute.  It  is  probable 
that  such  hospitality  was  not  unequal  in  volume 
to  the  entertainment  of  strangers  by  the  monas- 
tery, but  what  of  the  almoner's  doles,  the 
corrodies,  and  the  old  customary  subventions  of 
earlier  dates  f  Apparently  there  are  no  Eliza- 
bethan notices  extant  of  such  benefaction  on  any 
large  scale  by  dean  and  canons.  It  might  on 
reflection  seem  likely  that  no  little  bitterness 
would  exist  among  the  keepers  of  lodging- 
houses  and  taverns,  who  had  been  wont  to 
receive  pilgrims  into  their  houses,  and  amongst 
the  sellers  of  objects  of  piety  who  had  to  deplore 

"  See  below,  pp.  42,  46. 

8'  Stat.  16  in  Hutchinson,  Hist,  and  Antiq.  of 
Dur.  ii,  163. 


the  passing  of  their  trade,  and  yet  had  the 
mortification  of  seeing  dean  and  canons  lodged 
more  comfortably  and  luxuriously  than  their 
monastic  predecessors.  It  has  been  suggested 
that  a  traditional  jealousy  between  city  and 
cathedral  is  due  to  a  condition  of  affairs  which 
made  the  chapter  bless  the  new,  and  the  towns- 
men deplore  the  old.  But,  on  any  showing,  the 
trade  of  the  city  was  precarious  in  the  later 
i6th  century,  and  probably  more  precarious 
than  in  later  times. 

How  far  Bishop  Pilkington  was  concerned  to 
improve  the  trade  may  be  questioned,  though 
its  need  of  patronage  can  scarcely  be  doubted. 
The  charter  is  dated  31  January  1565,  shortly 
after  the  bishop's  appearance  in  the  north  and 
before  the  Rebellion  of  the  Earls,  with  its 
attempted  swing-back  to  older  conditions.  It 
seems  to  be  modelled  upon  the  ordinary  charter 
of  the  time,  which  may  be  illustrated  at  Hartle- 
pool and  elsewhere.  The  subservience  of  the 
corporation  to  the  bishop  is  defined  at  every 
point.  The  twelve  assistants  bore  office  during 
good  behaviour  and  for  so  long  a  period  only  as 
the  bishop  should  think  fit.  An  oath  was  taken 
in  the  bishop's  presence  or  in  that  of  his  chan- 
cellor, and  the  burgess  undertook  to  keep  his 
lord's  counsel.  The  rules,  decrees  and  regula- 
tions should  be  subject  to  the  bishop's  approval. 
In  fact,  the  bishop  preserved  a  rigid  control  over 
his  corporation  of  Durham.  The  first  alderman 
was  Christopher  Surtees,  who  was  probably  of 
the  same  family  as  Robert  Surtees,  the  historian 
of  Durham,  though  not  a  direct  ancestor.^* 
The  family  furnished  other  aldermen  or  mayors 
in  later  days.  Christopher  Surtees  and  his  early 
successors  have  left  no  record  of  their  tenure  of 
office.  They  raised  no  voice  of  protest  that  has 
left  any  echo  from  the  rebellion  of  1569.  Pos- 
sibly the  magistrates  were  overawed,  but  more 
probably  the  majority  of  the  citizens  desired  the 
old  times  and  the  old  conditions  back  again. 

Pilkington  was  concerned  not  only  for  the 
incorporation  of  the  city  but  for  the  reformation 
of  manners  therein.  To  this  end  he  erected  a 
Consistory  Court  in  1573,  which  undertook  to 
survey  the  morality  of  city  and  diocese,  and  to 
press  pains  and  penalties  for  sins  against  the 
public  decency.  He  ordered  his  own  procedure 
and  appointed  Robert  Swift,  one  of  the  Durham 
prebendaries,  as  his  official.  Some  of  the  acts 
of  this  court  survive,  and  these,  together  with 
various  contemporary  references  to  church  dis- 
cipline, bear  witness  to  the  rigorous  measures 
which  were  employed  in  this  connection.  Such 
a  regime  had  been  first  commenced  by  the 
visitors  of  1559,  acting  under  Royal  Com- 
mission.'*    Pilkington  pressed  it  forward,  not 

''  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iv,  168. 

''  Injunctions  of  Bp.  Barnes  (Surt.  Soc),  p.  xvii. 


30 


CITY  OF   DURHAM 


as  prelate  only,  but  as  Higli  Commissioner  under 
Letters  Patent  of  1561.'"  Bishop  Barnes,  his 
successor,  continued  the  policy,  and  was  par- 
ticularly zealous  in  disciplining  his  diocese/^ 

About  this  time  we  get  the  commencement 
of  several  parish  documents  which  throw  some 
light  upon  life  in  and  near  Durham.  Thus  we 
have  the  Gilesgate  Grassmen's  Accounts  from 
1579.  It  was  the  duty  of  the  Grassman  to 
take  charge  of  the  common  lands  of  the  parish. 
In  the  parish  of  St.  Giles  these  lay  to  the  east, 
on  what  is  known  as  Gillygate  Moor.  The  two 
officers  elected  yearly  on  the  Sunday  after 
Ascension  Day  presented  their  accounts  on  going 
out  of  office.  The  returns  are  interesting 
mainly  from  the  narrower  parochial  point  of 
view  as  giving  some  brief  notes  of  local  changes 
and  local  names.  Thus  we  appear  to  trace  the 
surrounding  of  the  moor  dike  with  a  quickset 
hedge  about  1580.  Houses  and  allotments  for 
the  poor  of  the  parish  had  been  apportioned  on 
the  moor."*-  The  vestry  books  of  St.  Oswald 
begin  in  1580,  and  are  largely  of  the  usual  type 
of  churchwardens'  accounts,  with  notes  of 
repairs  to  parish  buildings,  while  entries  here 
and  there  reflect  passing  occurrences.  These 
accounts  of  St.  Oswald's  are  of  some  importance 
owing  to  the  large  extent  of  the  parish  in  those 
days,  far  beyond  the  boundaries  of  the  city. 

The  latent  sympathy  of  many  in  the  city  with 
the  older  order  is  a  constant  factor  in  Durham 
life,  so  that  a  cathedral  set  and  a  set  of  irrecon- 
cilables  were  characteristic  of  the  place  for 
many  a  long  day.  How  readily  this  latter 
portion  of  the  populace  took  the  side  of  the  earls 
in  1569  has  already  been  seen.  The  disappointed 
rebels  acquiesced  from  that  point  with  an  ill 
grace,  and  were  probably  ready  to  join  in  any 
new  enterprise  if  occasion  offered.  At  the  time 
of  the  Armada  there  was  considerable  fear  of 
some  sympathetic  movement,  and  an  elaborate 
muster  was  made.  Reference  has  already  been 
given  to  the  romantic  side  of  the  story  in  the 
chequered  fortunes  of  the  Jesuit  and  secular 
missionaries  who  began  to  give  trouble  from 
about  1580.'"  Durham  was  largely  a  centre 
from  which  they  worked. 

A  great  deal  of  local  Roman  Catholic  history 
is  interwoven  with  old  Elvet,  which  was  their 
particular  resort."  Gibbet  Knowie,  or  Knoll, 
near  the  present  county  hospital,  was  the  scene 
of  several  executions.  In  1591  four  seminary 
priests  were  put  to  death  on  one  day,  and  a  story 
was  long  told  in  Durham  which  is  worthy  of 

*'  Pat.  3  Eliz.  pt.  X,  m.  34  d. 

"  V.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  37. 

«  Mem.  of  Si.  Giles's,  Dur.  (Surt.  Soc),  lo. 

«  y.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  38. 

■"  The  name  '  Popish  Elvct '  is  still  recalled  in 
Durham.  Many  of  the  old  Roman  Catholic  county 
families  had  residences  in  Elvet. 


some  primitive  martyrology  and  evidently  made 
a  deep  impression.  The  young  bride  of  Mr. 
Robert  Maire  of  Hardwick  was  present  with  her 
husband,  and  the  pair  were  so  much  moved  by 
the  constancy  of  the  dying  priests  that  they  both 
went  over  to  the  Roman  Church,  to  which  their 
descendants  have  belonged  ever  since.  The  lady 
was  niece  of  John  Heath,  who  had  settled  at 
Kepier  some  years  previously,  founding  a  family 
long  connected  with  the  city  and  ultimately 
the  ancestors  of  the  Vane-Tempests.  Her  father 
was  Mr.  Henry  Smith,  who  diverted  his  estates 
from  his  '  graceless  Grace,'  as  he  calls  her,  and 
made  them  over  in  large  measure,  as  we  shall  see, 
to  the  city  of  Durham. 

It  may  be  supposed  that  there  was  some  stir 
of  trade  after  the  incorporation  of  the  city.  At 
all  events,  more  than  one  trade  gild  was  estab- 
lished or  confirmed  in  Elizabeth's  reign,  viz.,  the 
mercers,  grocers,  haberdashers,  ironmongers  and 
salters  in  1561,  the  fuUers  in  1565,  and  the 
curriers  and  chandlers  in  1570.  The  charter  of 
the  last-named  shows  the  same  subservience  to 
the  bishop  which  is  characteristic  of  the  city 
charter.  The  title  of  the  fullers'  company  is 
'  Clothworkers  and  Walkers.'*-'  The  latter  name 
is  still  seen  in  Walkergate,  near  St.  Nicholas' 
Church,  which  has  been  recently  revived  instead 
of  the  colloquial  and  customary  Back  Lane.  The 
oldest  of  all  the  city  gilds,  that  of  the  weavers, 
was  refounded,  or  at  all  events  rehabilitated 
towards  the  end  of  the  reign.**  Some  reference 
will  be  found  above  to  the  inception  of  the  earlier 
gilds,""  but  it  may  be  convenient  to  repeat  here 
the  chronological  order  of  their  commencement 
so  far  as  it  is  known  :  Weavers  1450,  cord- 
wainers  1458,  barbers  1468,  skinners  and  glovers 
1507,  butchers  1520,  goldsmiths  1532,  drapers 
and  tailors  1549.  Constant  changes,  however, 
were  made  in  the  lilies  and  the  composition  of 
the  gilds  in  the  17th  century.  The  gilds,  with 
their  curious  inclusion  of  unallied  arts,  were 
probably  incorporated  together  according  to 
locality.  Then  the  mercers  and  their  allies 
centred  round  the  market  place,  whilst  modern 
names  indicate  the  habitat  of  walkers,  saddlers, 
and  fleshers.  Recent  use,  however,  has  merged 
Fleshergate  into  Saddler  Street  (properly  Gate), 
and  Sutor  Pell,  the  old  locality  of  the  cobblers, 
has  long  since  given  way  to  Elvet  Bridge.  There 
does  not  appear  to  be  sufficient  evidence  to 
follow  the  development  of  trade  under  the  super- 
vision of  the  gilds  during  the  Elizabethan  period. 
The  general  impression  given  by  a  cursory  survey 
of  their  meagre  records  for  that  time  tends  to 
show  a  stagnant  condition  of  affairs  in  this  par- 
ticular respect.     It  is  not  improbable  that  some 


*^  Surtces,  op 

«  Ibid. 

*'  See  above,  p.  26. 


cit.  IV,  21. 


31 


A   HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


of  the  minor  unions  jusiified  their  existence  as 
social  clubs  rather  than  as  serious  commercial 
organizations.  Thus  the  cordwainers  '  paid  for 
the  minstrcll '  i8^.  in  1568,  in  1575  '  to  William 
Weddrell  our  mynstrcU  '  iSd.,  in  1578  '  to  the 
waytts  '  zs.  In  1588  the  drapers  and  tailors 
have  an  item  '  gyven  to  the  mynstrall  at  our 
dinner  p.  ^d.''  There  are  entries,  too,  of 
special  benefactions  to  deserving  and  necessitous 
persons,  and  occasionally  a  payment  for  some 
public  festivity,  as,  for  instance,  in  1599,  when 
one  company  'paid  for  y*  tar  barrels  I2(/.,'  no 
doubt  at  a  time  of  thanksgiving  for  the  passing  of 
the  plague. 

But  the  most  enduring  excitement  in  Durham 
during  the  last  years  of  the  i6th  century  was  the 
constant  search  for  Jesuits  and  seminary  priests, 
to  which  allusion  has  already  been  made.''*  The 
prison  in  the  north  gate  of  the  castle  above 
Saddler  Street  was  often  fuU  of  recusants,  not  to 
mention  the  debtors  who  were  constantly  there. 
The  first  recorded  benefaction  for  the  latter  was 
made  in  1572  by  John  Franklyn  of  Cochen  Hall, 
who  bequeathed  a  small  annual  sum  to  the 
prisoners  and  other  poor  people  of  the  city.''* 
In  the  Armada  year  there  was  some  stir  in 
Durham  in  connection  with  the  probability  of  a 
Spanish  descent  upon  the  coast,  and  prepara- 
tions were  made,  apparently,  to  defend  the  city 
against  any  sudden  incursion,^"  but  the  pikes 
and  the  corselets  were  never  used  in  battle  array. 
A  visit  from  Bothvvcll  in  1593  seems  to  have 
caused  little  interest.^! 

The  long  reign  ebbed  out  miserably.  There 
were  several  visitations  of  plague,  with  no  evi- 
dence of  any  activity  on  the  part  of  the  new 
corporation  in  preventive  measures.  A  severe 
outbreak  in  1589  had  been  preceded  two  years 
earlier  by  a  failure  of  the  crops,  which  brought 
prices  up  to  famine  pitch,  as  the  parish  registers 
attest  with  much  detail."  As  in  the  days  of  the 
Judges,  such  scarcity  was  aggravated  by  marau- 
ders. The  Scots,  who  had  been  comparatively 
still  for  many  a  long  year,  made  frequent  incur- 
sions into  the  bishopric  if  not  into  Durham 
itself.  A  letter  of  1595  from  the  Secretary  of 
the  Council  of  the  North  says  :  '  Raids,  incur- 
sions and  frays  [arc]  more  common  into  the 
Bishopric  than  heretofore  on  the  Border.'*'  In 
1598  the  keeper  of  the  gaol  at  Durham  described 
in  much  detail  the  robberies  perpetrated  by  the 
Scots.  But  locally  all  these  troubles  and 
rumours  of  mischief  paled  before  the  terrible 


«8  V.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  38-9. 
^'  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iv,  29. 
so  Cal.  Border  Papers,  i,  610. 
"  Ibid.  874. 

S2  Registers  of   St.  Nicholas,  St.  Oswald  and  St. 
Giles,  sub  anno  ;  cf .  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iv,  6. 
■*3  Cal.  Border  Papers,  ii,  103. 


plague  of  1598,  which  broke  out  again  in  the 
autumn  of  the  next  year.  This  pestilence  was 
long  remembered  for  its  appalling  mortality, 
nor  did  the  gloom  it  occasioned  lift  for  some 
years.  It  may  be  said  to  have  disorganized  the 
city  and  neighbourhood.  The  St.  Nicholas 
register  records  of  1597  :  '  In  this  year  was  the 
great  Visitation  in  the  Cittie  of  Durham.'  The 
summer  assizes  were  postponed  because  of  its 
violence.  It  first  broke  out  in  Elvet,  and  there 
was  soon  a  general  flight  of  all  who  could  leave. 
The  poor  had  booths  and  huts  made  upon  the 
moors  outside  Durham,  but  they  died  off  rapidly, 
so  that,  as  one  account  says  :  '  poor  Durham 
this  year  was  almost  undone.'  The  gaol  did  not 
escape,  and  twenty-four  prisoners  were  carried 
out  for  burial  from  it.  In  addition  to  these  400 
died  in  Elvet,  100  in  St.  Nicholas,  200  in  St. 
Margaret's,  60  in  St.  Giles',  60  in  the  North 
Bailey;  and  Durham  was  not  alone  in  the  dis- 
aster, for  the  disease  spread  to  many  of  the  towns 
and  villages  in  the  neighbourhood. 

The  one  bright  spot  in  a  time  of  terrible  gloom 
was  the  institution  of  Smith's  Charity  in  1598. 
This  eventually  became  the  main  conduit  into 
which  the  minor  city  charities  were  brought. 
Henry  Smith,  to  whom  reference  has  already 
been  made,'^  was  a  prominent  citizen.  He  had 
married  the  daughter  of  John  Heath  the  elder, 
of  Kepier,  and  was  doubly  identified  with  the 
city.  By  his  will  he  left  real  and  personal  estate 
of  some  value  to  the  city  of  Durham,  '  chiefly 
that  some  good  trade  may  be  devised  for  the 
setting  of  youth  and  other  idle  persons  to  work 
as  shall  be  thought  most  convenient  whereby 
some  profits  may  appear  to  the  benefit  of  this 
city,  and  relief  of  those  that  are  past  work  and 
have  lived  honestly  upon  their  trade.'  Before 
long,  as  we  shall  see,  this  benefaction  became  the 
means  of  promoting  the  cloth  trade  in  Durham, 
and  after  many  vicissitudes,  frequent  inquiries, 
and  several  new  schemes,  the  charity  still  exists 
as  an  important  factor  in  the  charitable  funds 
of  the  city.*5 

The  Elizabethan  period  was  not  marked  by 
much  building  in  Durham.  A  return  of  1564 
had  noted  the  decay  of  Elvet  and  Shincliffe 
Bridges.  Elvet  Bridge  was  newly  built  in  1574. 
In  1588  the  county  house  was  erected  on  Palace 
Green.**  This  building  was  of  wood,  and  was 
used  by  the  justices  for  the  dispatch  of  business. 
A  legend  over  the  door  of  an  upper  room  for  the 
jurors  contained  the  words  '  God  preserve  our 
gracious  Queen  Elizabeth  the  founder  hereof 
25  July  1588.'    Separated  by  a  passage  from  the 

*■'  See  above,  p.  31. 

**  Surtees  has  collected  an  account  of  Smith's 
Charity  (op.  cit.  iv,  26),  and  modern  summaries  are 
given  by  Carlton  in  his  Dur.  Charities. 

*6  Mickleton  MS.  xxxvi,  fol.  317. 


32 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


wooden  county  house  was  a  court  room  for  the 
judges  of  assize,  which  was  built  over  the 
bishop's  stables.  Cosin  made  great  changes  in 
these  buildings  some  eighty  years  afterwards. 

There  are  several  references  to  '  decays  in  the 
bishopric  '  ^'  in  contemporary  documents,  and 
mention  is  made  in  one  paper  under  date  1593 
of  decays  in  bishopric  houses,^*  but  there  is  no 
special  mention  of  Durham  itself  in  this  con- 
nexion, though  a  story  is  preserved  of  the  poor 
accommodation  found  by  a  queen's  messenger 
who  visited  the  city  in  1594.*°  A  note  of  1589 
speaks  of  wanton  damage  to  Neville's  Cross 
during  the  night.*" 

With  Elizabeth's  last  year  we  reach  a  landmark 
of  considerable  local  importance  in  the  charter 
of  Bishop  Matthew,  which  superseded  the 
earlier  charter  of  Pilkington.  He  was  one  of  the 
few  men  in  high  office  in  the  bishopric  who  really 
knew  Durham  before  his  elevation.  He  had  been 
dean  for  thirteen  years,  and  in  that  position  "* 
exercised  wide  influence  as  High  Commissioner 
and  member  of  the  Council  of  the  North.  To 
this  intimate  knowledge  of  the  place  and  its  needs 
we  may  attribute  the  new  grant.  Attention  has 
been  already  drawn  to  the  bondage  of  the  city  to 
the  bishop's  will :  dummodo  episcopus  non  contra- 
dixerit  had  been  its  keynote,  at  least  three  times 
repeated  in  Pilkington's  charter.  There  had  been 
no  increase  in  the  trade  and  well-being  of  Dur- 
ham, and  the  troubles  of  the  last  decade  of 
the  sixteenth  century  had  greatly  exhausted 
the  resources  of  the  district.  Bishop  Matthew's 
charter  was  an  honest  attempt  to  improve 
matters  by  giving  the  corporation  greater  inde- 
pendence, so  increasing  their  energy  and  self- 
respect.  Complaints  had  been  made  in  recent 
years  that  the  grants  of  various  bishops  were 
somewhat  nebulous.  Probably  Pudsey's  charter, 
still  preserved  at  that  time  in  the  city  archives, 
had  been  vaguely  cited  and  misunderstood,  as 
has  been  its  fate  in  still  more  recent  days.'- 
The  bishop  now  granted  a  mayor  to  be  elected 
annually  with  twelve  aldermen  appointed  during 
their  good  behaviour,  and  without  the  obnoxious 
provision  of  submission  to  the  bishop's  pleasure. 
There  was  to  be  a  common  council  of  twenty- 
four  annually  elected  out  of  the  twelve  chief 
crafts  or  gilds  which  by  this  time  had  received 
incorporation.  Thus  in  the  order  of  the  charter 
two  were  elected  by  the  mercers,  grocers,  haber- 
dashers,   ironmongers   and    salterers ;     two    by 

"  e.g.  Cal.  Border  Papers,u,  323  ;  S.  P.  Dom.  Eliz. 
cclix,  no.  3. 

68  S.  P.  Dom.  Eliz.  Add.  xxxii,  no.  83. 

6'  Cal.  Border  Papers,  i,  931. 

'"//rcA.  Jel.  xiii,  215.  Cf.  Rius  0/  Dur.  (Surt. 
See),  28. 

«i  r.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  38. 

*^  S.  P.  Dom.'Jas.  I,  no.  72. 

3  33 


the  drapers  and  tailors  ;  two  by  the  skinners  and 
glovers ;  two  by  the  tanners ;  two  by  the 
weavers  ;  two  by  the  dyers  and  fullers  ;  two  by 
the  cordwainers  ;  two  by  the  saddlers  ;  two  by 
the  butchers  ;  two  by  the  smiths  ;  two  by  the 
carpenters  and  joiners  ;  two  by  the  free-masons 
and  rough-hewers.  Thus  the  common  council 
consisted  of  thirty-six  persons,  a  number 
which  was  maintained.*^  Much  is  made  of  the 
authority  given  to  make  laws  and  ordinances 
for  the  city,  but  it  is  provided  that  these  are  not 
to  be  repugnant  to  any  statutes  of  the  realm. 
Fuller  grant  of  fees  is  made  than  under  the 
earlier  charter,  and  hberties  and  customs  held 
by  charter  or  prescriptive  right  were  confirmed. 
The  very  amplitude  of  the  privileges  confirmed 
led  to  dispute  in  a  future  that  was  not  very 
distant.  It  was  not  difficult  to  press  a  good  many 
claims  under  cover  of  'custom  and  prescriptive 
right.'  For  the  present,  however,  there  was  no 
friction,  and  the  improved  administration  of  the 
city  was  soon  seen  when  another  visitation  of  the 
plague  came,  but  with  inconsiderable  damage, 
owing  to  the  excellent  measures  taken  by  the 
corporation  to  prevent  the  spread  of  infection.** 

With  the  accession  of  the  house  of  Stuart 
greater  prosperity  came  to  Durham.  The  Tudors 
had  never  been  its  friends,  and  never  visited  the 
city  with  the  exception  of  the  memorable  stay 
of  Princess  Margaret.*^  In  1603  her  great- 
grandson  James  VI  of  Scotland  and  I  of  England 
passed  through  on  his  way  to  the  south,  and 
from  this  point,  for  nearly  half  a  century,  several 
royal  visits  were  paid,  which  had  the  effect  of 
directing  some  attention  to  the  place,  and  were 
certainly  appreciated  by  the  inhabitants.  An 
interesting  account  of  the  king's  progress  sur- 
vives. He  entered  by  Framwellgate  Bridge  and 
was  met  in  the  market-place  by  the  corporation 
in  all  the  glory  of  their  new  livery,  with  the 
Mayor  of  Durham,  James  Farrales,  at  their  head. 
Reference  was  made  to  '  so  great  a  sorrow  as 
had  lately  possessed  them  all,'  and  this  is  as  likely 
to  refer  to  the  still  recent  visitation  of  the  plague 
as  to  the  late  queen's  death.  The  cavalcade 
then  passed  up  Saddlergate  and  into  the  castle, 
where  the  bishop  received  his  Majesty  attended 
by  a  hundred  gentlemen  in  tawny  liveries.  An 
act  of  clemency  marked  the  occasion,  the  king 
signing  a  royal  warrant  for  the  release  of  certain 
prisoners  in  the  gaol. 

Events  of  considerable  civic  interest  took 
place  in   Durham  during  the   next   few  years. 

*'  For  further  details  of  this  Charter  see  below, 
p.  56.  It  is  set  out  in  full  in  Hutchinson,  op.  cit. 
ii,  29  etc.  or  23  etc. 

**  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iv,  160.  See  their  regulation  in 
Mickleton  MS.  xci,  fin. 

**  See  above,  p.  27,  and  V.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  28;  NichoU's 
Progresses  oj  Queen  Elizabeth,  iii,  App. 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


In  1606  Matthew  Pattison,'*  the  son  of  a  burgess, 
and  either  son  or  brother  of  John  Pattison, 
mercer,  mayor  in  i6o8,  presented  a  seal  of  fine 
design  to  the  corporation.  The  seal  is  an  excellent 
piece  of  mediaeval  art  representing  a  bishop 
vested,  mitred  and  holding  his  staff  in  his 
left  hand,  raising  his  right  hand  in  attitude  of 
blessing.  He  stands  in  a  niche  under  a  trefoil 
arch  with  canopy  rising  to  three  spires  between 
which  are  the  sun  and  moon.  On  either  side  of 
the  shafts  of  the  niche  is  a  shield  of  England 
ensigned  with  a  mitre,  the  rim  of  which  is  not 


The  Seal  of  the  City  of  Durham 

heightened  with  the  coronet  of  the  Palatinate. 
Below  the  figure  of  the  bishop  are  the  arms  of 
the  city.    The  legend  is  in  Lombardic  capitals : 

s'  COMVNE  CIVITAt'  DVNELMIE.       The  gift  of  the 

seal  probably  coincided  with  a  royal  confir- 
mation of  Matthew's  charter  in  February 
1606.  There  is  no  evidence  to  show  how  or 
why  this  confirmation  was  made  by  the  king. 
In  the  light  of  subsequent 
events,  it  is  possible  that 
some  representation  was 
made  by  the  city  to  the 
king,  and  that  he  was  not 
unwilling  to  do  the  citizens 
a  favour  notwithstanding 
the  fact  that  the  action 
was  in  derogation  of  the 
bishop's    authority.       The 


CiTV    OF     Durham. 

Sable     a     cross     argent 
voided  gules. 


seal  is  stiU  in  use  as  the 
official  seal  of  the  cor- 
poration. The  arms  of  the 
city  of  Durham  given  at 
the  visitation  of  1615"  and  used  for  some  time 
later  are  as  here  shown.  In  the  eighteenth 
century  it  became  usual  to  adopt  the  arms 
of  the  see :   azure,  a  cross   of   St.  Edward  or, 

"  Perhaps  the  engraver  of  an  excellent  map  of 
Durham  in  British  Museum  (1595).  It  is  of  great  im- 
portance, being  older  than  Speed's  well-known  map. 

*'  The  reference  is  Heralds'  College  C.32,  fol.  4b. 


between  three  lioncels  argent.  This  adopted 
episcopal  coat  has  been  assumed  by  the  city  in 
lieu  of  its  own  achievement,  and  has  been 
widely  usurped  by  the  county  as  well."* 

In  the  summer  following  the  intrusive  Letters 
Patent   of  James   I   referred  to  above,   Bishop 
Matthew  was  transferred  to  York.  For  the  second 
time  a  Dean  of  Durham  was  appointed  bishop. 
The  new  prelate,  William  James,  seems  to  have 
been  very  much  the  college  don.    He  was  pro- 
bably   a    better     Ecclesiastical     Commissioner 
than  dean  or  bishop.    His  tenure  of  office  in  the 
deanery  left  little  trace,  but  as  bishop  he  came 
into  collision  with  the  city  at  a  point  where  the 
new  corporation  were  exceedingly  sensitive.    In 
the  mediaeval  constitution  of  the  city  the  chief 
officer  was  the  bishop's  baihff.  Until  Pilkington's 
charter  this  official,  with  the  name  of  the  bailiff 
of  the  borough  and  city  of  Durham,  had  been 
responsible  to  the  bishop  for  collecting  a  variety 
of  dues,  such  as  land-male,  rents,  tolls,  profits, 
fines   and   amerciaments   of   courts,   fairs,   and 
markets.    In  effect  he  was,  until  the  charter  of 
incorporation,  the  chief  magistrate  of  the  city. 
More  particularly  there  had  been  time  out  of 
mind  an  ancient  borough  court  which  the  bailiff 
and  his  underling,  the  steward  of  the  borough, 
held  in   the   Tolbooth.      This   building   stood 
at  the  side  of  the  market-place,  and  consisted  of 
shops  and  stalls  on  the  ground  floor,  surmounted 
by  an  upper  story  containing  a  court-room  of 
some  size,  which  was  used  for  the  borough  court 
and  for  other  civic  purposes.    The  building  had 
been  rebuilt  by  Bishop  Tunstall,  and  bore  his 
arms  emblazoned  upon  it.*° 

Over  the  holding  of  the  fortnightly  court 
and  other  privileges  fierce  strife  arose  between 
Bishop  James  and  the  corporation.  On  the 
natural  interpretation  of  the  charter  of  1602 
the  mayor  was  the  proper  president  of  the 
court  under  the  new  constitution.  This,  at  all 
events,  was  his  own  contention,  and  friction 
had  been  of  long  standing  on  the  subject,'" 
but  had  only  become  acute  at  the  time  when 
Bishop  James  was  appointed.  The  bishop  main- 
tained that  the  mayor  was  usurping  authority 
over  the  court,  and  accordingly  took  upon  himself 
to  revert  to  the  old  arrangement  of  holding  the 
court  under  the  presidency  of  a  bailiff  to  be 
appointed.     He  nominated  Edward  Hutton  as 

**  The  ofEcial  Durham  heraldry  is  somewhat  com- 
plicated. The  best  treatment  of  it  is  in  the  Herald 
and  Genealogist  for  1872,  where  vnll  be  found  an 
excellent  paper  by  Mr.  W.  H.  Dyer  Longstafle  on 
'  The  Old  Official  Heraldry  of  Durham.'  There  is 
also  a  more  recent  paper  by  Dr.  J.  T.  Fowler  in  the 
Durham  University  Journal  ioT  1885,  p.  108. 

""  Hist.  Dunelm.  Script.  Ires  (Surt.  Soc),  155. 

'"  So  we  gather  from  the  Exchequer  Deposition, 
which  is  the  chief  source  of  information  as  to  the 
history  of  the  strife. 


34 


Plan  ok  tiii;  City  or  Durham  c.  i6ii 
{]W  J.  Speed) 


CITY  OF   DURHAM 


bailiff,  and  John  Richardson  as  steward.  When 
these  gentlemen  took  their  seats  in  the  court 
room  on  Mayor's  Day  1609,  and  proceeded  to 
open  the  court  in  the  bishop's  name,  they  were 
opposed  by  a  concerted  arrangement  between  the 
six  mayors  who  had  served  under  Matthew's 
charter.  One  of  them  tried  to  pull  the  bailiff 
out  of  his  chair.  Another  coming  to  his  aid 
succeeded  in  hustling  the  unfortunate  man 
out  of  the  Tolbooth,  whilst  confederates  seized 
the  bishop's  court  books  and  threw  them  into 
the  street.  Below  in  the  market-place  invective 
was  heard  against  bailiff  and  steward,  many  of 
the  inhabitants  congregating  about  them  and 
calling  aloud  to  commit  them  to  the  stocks  or 
even  to  duck  them  in  the  pant  hard  by.  At 
last  with  much  ado  the  two  officers  effected  their 
escape  from  the  crowd,  carrying  the  tale  of  their 
outrageous  treatment  to  the  bishop.  It  was  not 
possible  to  brook  an  insult  such  as  this,  and 
Bishop  James  hoping,  it  may  be,  to  make  an 
example  of  the  rebellious  corporation  began  a 
suit  in  the  Court  of  Exchequer  instead  of 
dealing  with  the  matter,  as  he  might  have  done, 
in  the  ordinary  assize.  The  suit  was  heard  in 
Easter  Term  1610.  The  depositions  of  the 
various  witnesses  in  response  to  the  lengthy 
interrogatories  form  one  of  the  most  useful 
sources  of  information  that  we  possess  in  regard 
to  the  corporation  history.  Opportunity  was 
taken  not  only  to  discover  the  main  question  at 
issue  but  to  elucidate  other  matters,  such  as  the 
customs  of  the  city  in  respect  of  fees,  commons, 
fairs,  and  so  forth.  The  hearing  was  adjourned 
from  term  to  term,  being  completed  in  June 
1610,  when  the  Exchequer  decree  was  issued. 

The  bishop  recited  all  the  rights  for  which 
he  contended,  laying  claim  to  all  the  local  courts, 
fees,  commons,  and  their  privileges.  He  asserted 
that  the  mayor  merely  pretended  that  he  was 
principal  of  the  courts  to  the  manifest  disherison 
of  the  bishop  ;  that  the  defendants  being  of  the 
greatest  wealth  in  the  city  had  conspired  to 
deprive  the  bishop  of  his  rightful  possessions 
in  the  city ;  that  they  had  tried  to  usurp 
privileges,  and,  in  order  to  give  colour  to  their 
action,  had  procured  and  obtained  a  new 
grant  of  incorporation  and  in  virtue  of  this 
strove  to  challenge  and  take  away  the  privileges 
mentioned  ;  that  before  and  since  the  assault 
they  entered  the  tolbooth  and  claimed  certain 
rights — e.g.,  the  clerkship  of  the  market,  assize 
of  bread  and  ale,  etc.  ;  that  they  started  new 
tolls,  erected  a  mayor's  court,  nominated  their 
own  steward  ;  that  they  set  forth  in  speeches 
their  claim  ;  that  they  used  the  common  lands 
as  their  freehold  ;  that  they  held  court  leet  for 
cases  determinable  only  in  the  sheriff's  turn. 
The  defendants  in  their  responsive  plea  urged 
their  charters.  They  asserted  that  the  city 
was  a   body  corporate  by  prescription.     They 


produced  what  is  evidently  Pudsey's  charter  in 
order  to  prove  their  mediaeval  corporate  status.'* 
They  claimed  gilds,  tolbooth, '^  clerk  of  market, 
courts  leet,  borough  court  as  belonging  to  the 
corporation.  If  they  conceded  that  the  bishop 
was  in  the  last  resort  the  owner  of  the  common 
lands  they  had  the  right  of  pasture  thereon. 
They  claimed  all  burgages,  messuages,  and 
tenements  in  the  city  connected  with  the  cor- 
poration as  theirs.  Then  with  some  historical 
retrospect  they  mentioned  controversy  before 
Privy  Council  upon  such  matters  as  were  now 
in  dispute.  After  Pilkington's  incorporation 
there  was  no  difficulty,  they  said,  until  recently. 
Finally  they  laid  stress  on  the  fact  that  they 
enjoyed  their  liberties  until  Edward  Hutton 
and  John  Richardson  by  the  bishop's  appoint- 
ment disturbed  them.  The  bishop  in  reply 
to  this  reaffirmed  his  points.  He  funher  said 
that  the  town  was  governed  by  the  bishop's 
bailiff  until  about  10  Elizabeth,  when  Richard 
Raw,  then  bailiff,  assigned  the  office  to  some  of 
the  burgesses,  reserving  his  fee  of  20  nobles. 
Then  the  town  got  a  grant  from  Pilkington  of 
alderman  and  assistants  with  courts,  fees,  etc. 
After  Raw  came  William  Mann,  as  bishop's 
bailiff,  who  assigned  as  Raw  did.  Under 
Bishop  Hutton  the  townsmen  renewed  their 
grant  of  alderman  with  the  grant  of  a  new  fair, 
but  these  two  grants  were  not  confirmed.  The 
clerkship  was  an  ancient  office  granted  under 
patent.  The  bishop  strongly  maintained  his 
rights  over  the  commons.  Once  more  the 
defendants  replied  denying  the  bishop's  seisin 
of  streets,  wastes,  soil,  and  burgages  :  these  had 
always  been  corporation  property.  The  tol- 
booth was  not  the  bishop's,  and  any  building 
thereon  had  been  merely  of  devotion  and 
Christian  charity  for  the  relief  of  a  poor  cor- 
poration. Raw  and  Mann  made  no  assignment 
of  fees  as  alleged.  Burgage  fines  were  not  paid 
to  the  bishop,  nor  did  the  gilds  originate  with 
him.  Eventually  the  final  hearing  came  on  in 
London.  Serjeant  Hutton,  Mr.  Prideaux,  and 
Mr.  Topham  were  counsel  for  the  bishop,  and 
for  the  mayor  and  other  defendants  Serjeant 
Nicholls,  Mr.  Davenport,  and  Mr.  Brown.  It 
appeared  that  the  bishop  was  seised  of  city  and 
borough,  of  the  courts,  fees  and  so  forth,  and 
that  the  appointment  of  baihff  rested  with  him, 
whilst  all  the  matters  claimed  by  the  city  were 
his.  Accordingly  it  was  ordered  that  the 
bishop  should  hold  the  tolbooth,  shops  and 
houses,  fees,  markets,  fairs,  and  the  old  rights 
of  stallage,  pickage,  and  scavalhire,  appointing 
his  bailiff  to  receive  the  same.  In  fact,  all 
the  points  in  dispute  were  conceded  to  the 
bishop,  and  it  was  decreed  that  the  defendants 


'*  See  below,  pp.  54-5. 
72  See  above,  pp.  22,  34. 


35 


A   HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


should  erect  no  new  fairs,  hold  no  courts,  and 
receive  no  fees." 

The  decision  was  a  triumph  to  the  bishop, 
and  a  bitter  disappointment  to  the  city.  Neither 
side  was  wholly  in  the  right,  but  in  view  of  the 
unequivocal  phrasing  of  Bishop  Matthew's 
charter  granting  courts  and  fees  to  the  cor- 
poration it  is  difficult  to  see  how  the  Court  of 
Exchequer  could  fairly  reach  the  conclusion  at 
which  they  ultimately  arrived.  It  was  not 
disputed  that  the  corporation  had  in  point  of 
fact  exercised  many  of  the  privileges  which  were 
in  question,  and  it  could  not  be  gainsaid  that 
the  charter  of  1602,  confirmed  by  the  king 
himself,  gave  good  title  to  these  rights  as  the 
city  contended.'*  It  does  not  appear  that  the 
bishops  had  consistently  appointed  bailiffs 
since  1565  nor  that  the  mayor's  bailiff  had  been 
prohibited  from  holding  courts  and  taidng  fees. 
It  would  seem  probable  on  a  review  of  the 
whole  evidence  that  the  city  had  gained  am- 
biguous concessions  from  a  weak  bishop,  and 
had  improved  upon  these  despite  sundry  ques- 
tions and  objections  raised  from  time  to  time 
in  Elizabeth's  reign.'*  Then  came  the  charter 
of  1602  and  the  Letters  Patent  of  1606'*  which 
the  corporation  doubtless  hailed  as  bestowing 
upon  them  all  that  they  had  usurped.  At  last 
Bishop  James  called  in  question  the  whole 
tenure  of  their  independent  privileges,  with  the 
result  sketched  above.  But  the  townsmen  did 
not  forget  their  discomfiture,  and  the  bishop 
probably  regretted  his  triumph  in  the  long 
embitterment  which  followed.  Next  year  his 
hands  were  full  with  the  case  of  Lady  Arabella 
Stuart,  for  whom  he  was  bidden  to  prepare 
rooms  in  Durham  Castle.  It  is  not  wonderful 
that  Bishop  James  broke  down  under  the  strain 
of  his  cares,  and  was  obliged  to  seek  for  a  change 
at  Bath,"  where  he  nursed  his  feelings  as  well 
as  he  could.  As  we  shall  see,  the  feud  with  the 
town  can  be  traced  for  some  time,  and  this  is 
seen  in  the  next  episode  of  Durham  history  to 
which  we  now  pass. 

In  the  spring  of  1617  King  James  paid  a 
memorable  visit  to  Scotland.  His  passage 
through  the  bishopric  was  a  local  event  of 
considerable  interest.  Much  preparation  was 
made  for  it.  In  the  city  a  memorial  of  the 
occasion  was  erected  which  was  long  a  prominent 
feature  of  the  market  place.  Reference  has 
been   made   above  to  the   transference  of  the 

'3  The  P.R.O.  reference  is  Mickleton  MS.  i,  368, 
or  25-7. 

'*  See  Hutchinson,  op.  cit.  ii,  34,  35,  36. 

'*  This  is  behind  the  preamble  of  1 602  (Hutchinson, 
op.  cit.  30).  He  says  to  Salisbury  (S.  P.  Dom.  Jas.  I, 
L.  no.  72)  that  the  citizens  '  in  their  pride  usurp 
things  never  granted,  and  chaOenge  things  not 
grantable.'  '«  Hutchinson,  op.  cit.  37  or  28. 

"  Cal.  S.  P.  Dom.  1603-11,  p.  573. 


Gillygate  sanctuary  cross  to  the  site  of  the 
pre-Reformation  lolbooth.  It  would  seem  prob- 
able that  the  marble  cross  then  set  up  was 
already  much  weathered  when  it  was  placed 
within  the  market  area.  Thomas  Emerson, 
a  retainer  of  the  Nevill  family  who  now  in  his 
old  age  lived  in  London,  presented  the  city 
with  a  new  market  cross  covered  with  lead  and 
supported  by  twelve  pillars  of  stone  on  which 
he  carved  the  arms  of  his  ancient  masters  '  for 
the  ornament  of  the  city  and  the  commodity  of 
the  people  frequenting  the  market  of  Durham.' 
This  cross  was  ultimately  removed  in  1780  and 
its  place  was  then  taken  by  the  Piazza  of  nine 
arches  which  stood  until,  within  living  memory, 
the  P  Hs  of  local  phrase"*  was  taken  down. 

The  king  reached  Auckland  as  the  bishop's 
guest  on  Maundy  Thursday.  Perhaps  on  his 
own  initiative,  but  more  probably  at  the  sug- 
gestion of  some  one  in  position,  James  sent  a 
messenger  to  the  mayor  to  announce  his  inten- 
tion of  visiting  the  city  in  state  on  Easter  Eve. 
Preparations  were  made  for  his  reception,  and 
with  such  elaborate  care  that  previous  arrange- 
ment is  at  once  suggested.  The  mayor,  George 
Walton,  on  horseback,  met  the  king's  retinue 
on  Elvet  Bridge,  where  the  aldermen  and  council 
stood  round  him  as  he  made  a  speech  to  the 
monarch.  This  speech  records  that  the  king 
'  finds  this  city  enabled  with  divers  liberties 
and  privileges.'  It  goes  on  in  a  strain  which  is 
clearly  intended  to  reflect  upon  the  bishop's 
attitude  :  '  all  sovereignty  and  power  spiritual 
and  temporal  being  in  yourself,  your  Majesty 
was  pleased  to  give  unto  us  the  same  again 
and  also  of  gracious  bounty  to  confirm  them 
under  your  great  seal  of  England.'  The  refer- 
ence is,  of  course,  to  the  intrusive  confirmation 
of  Matthew's  charter  in  1606.  A  presentation 
of  a  silver  bowl  was  next  made  to  the  king. 
The  procession  was  then  formed,  the  mayor 
riding  over  the  bridge  in  front  of  the  king; 
another  halt  was  made  in  the  market  place, 
apparently  where  a  stand  had  been  erected 
from  which  an  apprentice  recited  certain  verses 
which,"  poor  as  they  are,  could  scarcely,  perhaps, 

"*  The  Tees-side  endeavour  to  say  Piazza. 

'*  The  verses  have  the  value  of  a  political  ballad, 
since  they  give  a  view  of  the  real  feelings  of  the 
tradesmen  of  the  city  at  that  time  in  a  way  which 
the  general  history  can  so  rarely  convey  : 

Durham's  old  city  thus  salutes  our  king  ! 
Which  entertainment  she  doth  humbly  bring  ; 
And  can  not  smile  upon  His  Majesty 
With  show  of  greatness,  but  humility 
Makes  her  express  herself  in  modern  guise. 
Dejected  to  this  north,  bare  to  your  eyes 
For  the  great  prelate  which  of  late  adored 
Her  dignities,  and  for  which  we  implored 
Your  highness'  aid  to  have  continuance, 
And  so  confirmed  by  your  great  dread  severance. 


36 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


have  been  prepared  since  the  two  days'  notice 
of  the  visit  which  the  king  had  given.  They 
show  clearly  how  the  corporation  were  seizing 
the  opportunity  in  order  to  steal  from  the  king, 
if  it  might  be,  some  concession  or  privilege,  at 
the  least,  though  no  doubt  they  ventured  to 
hope  for  the  restitution  of  the  liberties  they 
had  so  recently  lost.™ 

The  king  made  no  recorded  response  to  the 
effusion  of  the  corporation,  but  continued  his 
progress  to  the  cathedral  and  spent  the  next 
few  days  mainly  at  the  castle,  which  he  ulti- 
mately left  on  24  April.  At  the  castle  some- 
thing took  place  which  had  a  tragic  ending. 
For  some  neglect,  perhaps,  or  for  some  other 
reason  the  king  took  the  bishop  aside  and 
soundly  rated  him  ;  whereon  the  unfortunate 
prelate  took  it  so  much  to  heart  that  he  fell 
ill  and  died  in  less  than  three  weeks.  It  may 
be  that  King  James  hectored  the  bishop  on 
behalf  of  the  corporation  whom  his  majesty 
had  already  tried  to  serve  by  his  ill-considered 
confirmation  of  the  1602  charter.  Whether 
this  is  so,  or  whether  some  other  neglect  were 

But  what  our  royal  James  did  grant  herein, 

William  our  Bishop  hath  oppugnant  been. 

Small  quest  to  sway  down  smallness,  where  man's  might 

Hath  greater  force  than  equity  or  right. 

But  these  are  only  in  your  breast  included, 

Your  subjects  know  them  not,  but  are  secluded 

From  your  most  gracious  grant.     Therefore,  we  pray 

That  the  fair  sunshine  of  your  most  brightest  day 

Would  smile  upon  this  city  with  clear  beams, 

To  exhale  the  tempest  of  ensuing  streams. 

Suffer  not,  great  prince,  our  ancient  state 

By  one  forced  Will  to  be  depopulate. 

'Tis  one  seeks  our  undoing,  but  to  you 

Ten  thousand  hearts  shall  pray,  and  knees  shall  bow  ; 

And  this  dull  cell  of  earth  wherein  we  live 

Unto  your  name  immortal  praise  shall  give. 

Confirm  our  grant,  good  king,  Durham's  old  city 

Would  be  more  powerful  so't  had  James's  pity. 

The  '  great  prelate  '  is  Bishop  Matthew  who  gave 
the  charter  of  1602.  '  WiUiam  our  Bishop  '  is,  of 
course.  Bishop  James.  '  Secluded  from  your  grant ' 
refers  to  the  recent  Exchequer  decree.  '  Ancient 
state  ' :  they  still  hark  back  to  one  of  their  main 
contentions,  viz.,  the  ancient  grant  by  Tunstall 
and  long  before  by  Pudsey  of  what  was  in  dispute. 
'  Ten  thousand  '  is,  of  course,  no  allusion  to  the 
population  of  Durham  since  that  had  not  reached 
10,000  two  centuries  later.  '  Dull  cell  of  earth ' 
must  convey  their  sense  of  the  lack  of  trade  expansion, 
vnth  possibly  some  allusion  to  the  ungenial  climate 
of  Durham. 

"  There  is  e\'idence  that  the  corporation  preferred 
a  petition  to  the  king  when  he  was  at  Durham,  and 
this  was  referred,  apparently,  by  the  king  to  Sir 
Thomas  Lake  and  others.  S.  P.  Dom.  Jas.  I,  iciii, 
no.  121.  See  further  as  to  this  and  the  statement 
prepared  on  the  bishop's  behalf  to  rebut  the  mayor's 
claims  under  Jurisdictions,  p.  58. 


charged  against  the  bishop,*"  it  is  certain  that 
his  funeral  took  place  at  night,  obviously  to 
avoid  any  hostile  demonstration.  When  two 
months  later  a  more  popular  appointment  was 
made  in  the  person  of  Bishop  Neile,  the  delayed 
obsequies  were  more  fitly  celebrated,  but  mean- 
while, the  night  after  the  interment,  riots 
occurred  in  the  city  with  threats  of  damage  to 
the  bishop's  property,  intended  as  a  civic 
protest  against  the  action  of  the  late  prelate." 

It  was  no  doubt  the  triumph  of  the  bishop 
in  the  Exchequer  suit  which  quickened  the 
local  desire  for  Parliamentary  representation. 
The  matter  was  first  mooted  at  this  time  at  a 
meeting  of  quarter  sessions  in  161 5  when  the 
gentlemen  assembled  considered  the  proposal. 
In  1620  there  was  drawn  up  '  the  humble 
petition  of  the  knights,  gentlemen,  and  free- 
holders of  the  County  Palatine  of  Durham 
together  with  the  Mayor  and  Citizens  of  the 
City  of  Durham.'  On  this  was  framed  a  bill 
giving  two  members  to  the  county,  two  to  the 
city,  and  two  to  Barnard  Castle.*-  The  bill 
was  passed  by  the  Commons  in  1621  and  was 
thrown  out  by  the  Lords.  The  agitation  began 
again  in  1626  and  in  1629.*^  Cromwell  was 
the  first  to  grant  representation  to  city  and 
county.  Cosin  withstood  its  continuance  after 
the  Restoration,  nor  was  it  again  allowed 
until  1675.  The  surrendered  liberties  of  1610 
were  not  forgotten  meanwhile.  Whilst  the 
king  was  in  Durham  in  1617  John  Richardson, 
who  had  been  so  roughly  handled  in  the  tol- 
booth  fracas,  drew  up  under  seventeen  heads 
'  by  way  of  breviate '  a  description  of  '  the 
form  and  state  of  the  government  of  the  city 
of  Durham  used  since  the  time  of  Edward  III.'  ** 
The  case  is  stated  very  much  from  the  bishop's 
point  of  view,  and  the  corporation  are  attacked 
for  '  their  discontented  humour  and  clamour.' 
Later  in  the  same  year  the  mayor  wrote  up  to 
London  wishing  to  know  when  '  the  vindication 
of  the  city  liberties  can  be  heard.'**  It  does 
not  appear  that  any  such  appeal  was  really 
tried,  but  instead  Bishop  Neile  effected  a  com- 
promise. In  1627  he  demised  to  Thomas 
Mann,   Thomas   Cook,   Thomas   Tunstall   and 

*'  The  Durham  story  is  that  the  king  found  the 
Castle  beer  too  new  !  Mickleton  gives  different 
accounts  :  in  one  place  '  Some  neglect  or  some  other 
reason  '  ;  in  another,  a  neglect  due  to  some  of  the 
bishop's  officials.     (Mickleton  MS.  i,  fol.  395*.) 

**  S.  P.  Dom.  Jas.  I,  xcii,  no.  33. 

*^  It  was  also  proposed  to  unite  the  divisions  of 
Bedlington,  Norhamshire,  and  Islandshire  with  North- 
umberland (S.  P.  Dom.  Chas.  I,  x,  no.  64). 

**  The  subsidies  and  forced  loans  quickened  the 
desire.     Cal.  S.  P.  Dom.  1627,  p.  121. 

**  To  be  found  in  Mickleton  MS.  i  A,  fol.  105.  See 
also  under  Jurisdictions,  p.  58. 

"  S.  P.  Dom.  Jas.  I,  iciii,  no.  121. 


37 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


William  Walton,  the  borough  of  Durham  and 
Framwellgate,  including  the  tolbooth  and  its 
appendages,  with  fees,  courts,  markets,  fairs, 
etc.  The  grant  was  for  twenty-one  years  and 
the  yearly  payment  ;^20.  Accordingly  these 
three  citizens,  of  whom  Mann  became  mayor 
in  1630,  farmed  the  city  until  the  grip  of  the 
Scots  was  laid  upon  Durham  in  the  troublous 
days  that  followed. ** 

In  the  recent  dispute  a  variety  of  small 
rights  and  dues  connected  with  the  fairs  and 
markets  had  come  into  question.  The  new 
farmers  of  the  city  had  considerable  difficulty 
with  one  of  these  which  figures  largely  in  the 
controversy.  Scavage,  otherwise  Schevage, 
Schewage,  or  Skewage,  but  often  locally  spoken 
of  as  Scavell,  was  a  very  ancient  toU  taken 
from  merchants  and  others  for  wares  exposed 
for  sale  within  the  liberty.  In  Durham  the 
toU  was  of  ancient  right  and  had  been  exer- 
cised, it  is  probable,  for  hundreds  of  years.*' 
The  local  custom  was  to  exact  it  in  the  name  of 
the  bailiff  or  other  officer  at  the  ringing  of  what 
was  called  the  corn  bell.  The  seller  of  corn, 
or  other  grain,  of  oatmeal,  and  of  salt,  had  to 
pay  a  measure  from  every  bushel  of  twelve 
gallons.  The  measure  was  a  reputed  pint. 
In  point  of  fact,  however,  the  pint  had  come  to 
be  rather  more,  and  was  frequently  heaped  up 
by  the  officer.  It  was  said  that  at  Darlington 
and  Auckland  the  measure  was  smaller,  and 
this  was  urged  as  a  grievance.  Sometimes  the 
due  was  farmed  out  for  a  fee  paid.  The  farmers 
under  the  lease  of  1627  worked  the  due  them- 
selves at  a  considerable  profit,  using  the  larger 
measure  and  heaping  up  the  grain.  Persons 
who  lived  at  a  distance  had  been  put  to  con- 
siderable inconvenience  by  the  delay  occasioned 
in  taking  the  tax,  so  that  the  afternoon  of  fair 
or  market  day  was  often  reached  before  they 
were  able  to  open  sale,  and  sometimes  they 
were  constrained  to  pass  the  night  in  Durham, 
riding  home  on  Sunday.  Against  these  griev- 
ances one  Margaret  Forster  made  petition  to 
the  bishop,  and  a  Durham  chancery  suit  was 
the  result.  It  was  ordered  that  the  old  arrange- 
ment be  continued,  but  with  certain  modifica- 
tions. Henceforth  the  scavage  measure  was  to 
be  a  uniform  pint,  and  '  shall  not  be  upheaped 
but  by  hand-stroke,  and  even  stricken  by  the 
taker.'  The  corn-bell  was  henceforth  to  be 
rung  at  noon,  and,  if  it  was  not  rung,  the  sellers 
should  be  at  liberty  to  begin  the  sale.  The  whole 
question  had  been  further  complicated  by  the 
claim  of  certain  people,  e.g.,  the  tenants  of 
Newton  Hall,  to  be  quit  of  the  due,  and  also  by 

**  Given  in  Mickleton  MS.  i,  fol.  410J. 

*'  A  statute  of  Parliament  under  Henry  VII  had 
forbidden  scavage,  but  the  Act  did  not,  apparently, 
affect  Durham. 


the  uncertainty  as  to  whether  corn  sold  privately 
on  other  than  fair  and  market  days  should  be 
liable  to  toll.  Freemen  of  the  city  naturally 
claimed  to  be  toll  free,  but  the  farmers  had 
been  exacting  the  due  even  from  them,  though 
of  ancient  right,  goods  and  cattle  belonging  to 
freemen  had  paid  no  due.*'' 

Some  evidence  of  the  interest  taken  by  the 
Corporation  in  their  position  and  prestige  is  to 
be  seen  in  a  compilation  of  1626  in  which  George 
Walton,  mayor  for  that  year,  drew  up  an  inven- 
tory '  of  such  things  as  doth  belong  to  the  said 
city,'  for  which  the  mayor  was  answerable. 
Several  of  the  items  had  been  dispersed,  but 
were  collected  by  Walton  and  handed  over  to 
his  successor.  These  possessions  consisted 
partly  of  old  grants,  including  the  charter  of 
Pudsey,  partly  of  newer  grants  like  Matthew's 
charter,  and  partly  of  recent  rentals,  decrees, 
and  commissions.  More  interesting  than  these 
were  the  Corporation  plate,  consisting  of  a 
silver-gilt  bowl,  a  drinking  cup,  the  seal  referred 
to  above,*"'  a  mace.  All  these  articles  have  been 
lost,  and  the  book,*'"  later  known  as  the  Cor- 
poration book,  disappeared  within  living  memory. 
The  existing  Corporation  plate,  other  than  the 
seal,  is  of  later  date.*'''  The  evidence  also  refers 
to  one  or  two  benefactions  of  then  recent  date. 

The  Arminian  movement  was  now  beginning 
to  attract  attention,  and  for  some  years  to  come 
the  '  innovations '  in  progress  drew  on  Durham 
the  eyes  of  England.  All  this  has  been  recorded 
in  a  previous  volume.**  The  dispute  figures 
largely  in  State  documents  of  the  time.**  The 
outstanding  event  of  the  story  from  the  point 
of  view  of  the  city  was  the  visit  of  the  King 
in  1633.  Again  great  preparations  were  made, 
and  the  roads  were  repaired  for  the  regal  pro- 
gress. Another  visit  was  made  in  1639*"  in 
which  the  city  took  special  interest,  holding  a 
meeting  '  to  set  down  a  convenient  and  fit 
taxation  and  sessment  to  be  raised  and  levied 
out  of  the  several  trades  and  occupations  within 

*'*  The  account  given  above  is  made  up  from  the 
various  depositions  and  orders.  See  for  the  final 
order  Hutchinson,  op.  cit.  ii,  40-2  or  31  ;  and  for  the 
depositions  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  7,  no.  35,  43. 

*"•  See  above,  p.  34. 

*'°  A  summary  is  given  in  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iv,  159. 
A  copy  of  the  lost  book  exists  in  the  Rawlinson  MSS. 
at  the  Bodleian  Library.  *'"  See  below,  p.  4I. 

«*  V.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  43. 

**  For  a  general  account  see  S.  P.  Dom.  Chas.  I, 
clirrii,  no.  61,  and  for  the  bishop's  defence  ibid, 
clxxivi,  no.  107-8. 

^  An  interesting  diary  survives  with  some  account 
of  Durham  in  the  turmoil  of  the  King's  stay,  B.M. 
Add.  MS.  28566.  Edited  by  Mr.  J.  C.  Hodgson  in 
North  Country  Diaries:  Surtees  Society,  no.  118.  A 
description  of  the  city  in  1617  has  already  been 
mentioned  (above,  p.  36). 


38 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


the  said  city  and  suburbs.'  Unfortunately  the 
question  of  proportion  led  to  some  bickering, 
and  a  suit  in  the  Durham  chancery.'*  The 
occasion  of  this  visit  was  the  King's  northern 
progress  in  connection  with  the  first  Bishops' 
War.  The  cloud  which  then  hung  over  the 
north  disappeared  for  the  time  being,  but  only 
to  gather  again  next  year. 

One  or  two  local  changes  prior  to  the  great 
dividing  line  of  1640  may  be  mentioned  in 
passing.  In  1614  an  important  partition  of 
the  commons  of  Crossgate  and  Elvet  was 
effected.  A  commission  of  six  was  first  ap- 
pointed to  arbitrate  and  an  award  was  made 
embodying  their  decision.'"  In  1630  Kepier  was 
granted  away  from  the  Heaths  to  the  Coles, 
who  in  1674  ^°^'^  ^^  ^°  ^^^  Musgraves.  In  1631 
the  Abbey  bells  were  recast.  In  1632  a  house 
of  correction  was  built  on  the  south  side  of 
Elvet  Bridge,'^  an  inscription  on  the  door  giving 
that  date.  This  place  of  imprisonment  was 
used  as  a  lock-up  until  1821,  when  the  new  gaol 
at  the  end  of  Elvet  was  built.**  In  1633  when 
King  Charles  came  to  Durham  '  a  way  was  made 
for  him  to  come  in  at  Elvet  Head,'  thus  passing 
from  the  Shinclifle  Bridge  round  Nab  End 
and  along  the  Hollow  Drift.'^  In  1637  the 
old  church  of  St.  Mary-le-Bow  was  disused  and 
lay  waste  until  its  rebuilding  fifty  years  later. 
The  tower  fell  in,  bringing  with  it  a  large  part 
of  the  western  portion  of  the  church.**  In  the 
same  year  a  suit  was  instituted  in  the  Durham 
Chancery  against  Cuthbert  Billingham,  a  des- 
cendant of  the  original  15th-century  Billingham, 
who  had  given  the  water  conduit  which  supplied 
the  market  place.  The  water  had  been  recently 
diverted  and  the  result  of  the  suit  was  to  restore 
to  the  citizens  the  interrupted  supply.  A  little 
later  than  this  the  Bishop's  Mill  was  rebuilt 
below  Crook  Hall  with  a  straight  dam  across  the 
river  some  200  yards  below  its  present  position." 

The  second  Bishops'  War  in  1640  made 
Durham  a  military  camp  held  sometimes  by 
Scots  and  sometimes  by  English  troops.  This 
began  in  the  summer  when  soldiers  were 
billeted  in  the  city  on  their  way  to  repel  the 
Scottish  army.  After  Newburn  fight  they  came 
running  back,  and  their  rapid  passage  was  the 
signal  for  a  general  flight  of  the  church  party 
from  Durham,  leaving  castle  and  cathedral  to 
the  Scots,  who  soon  followed  up  their  victory. 
There  was  undoubtedly  some  sympathy  in  the 

»i  Mickleton  MS.  i,  fol.  387. 

'■-  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iv,  66-7. 

'3  Register  of  St.  Mar>'-Ie-Bow. 

^  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iv,  56. 

«5  Ibid.  39. 

»*  The  great  thorn  which  was  a  feature  of  the 
churchyard  for  at  least  two  centuries  perhaps  perished 
at  this  time  (Ibid.). 

"  This  evidence  is  given  in  a  later  suit. 


place  with  the  covenanting  party,  though  this 
probably  vanished  as  the  Scots  held  city  and 
palatinate  in  their  grasp,  and  the  unfortunate 
inhabitants  were  forced  to  pay  an  indemnity 
of  large  amount."  The  Scots  were  inclined  to 
be  somewhat  reckless,  and  Durham  tradition 
has  preserved  instances  of  iconoclasm  perpe- 
trated by  them  in  the  cathedral  and  elsewhere." 
They  destroyed  the  cathedral  organ  which  had 
been  set  up  in  1621,  and  the  old  font,  doing 
other  damage  elsewhere  in  the  city.'*"  The  day 
of  their  departure  in  August  1641  was  gratefully 
remembered,  but  they  went  only  to  return  in 
1644,  and  to  stay  much  longer.  The  Civil 
War  had  broken  out  in  the  meanwhile,  and  the 
Scots  again  occupied  Durham  on  their  way 
to  Marston  Moor,*  after  which  the  Royalist 
cause  went  down  in  the  north.  This  second 
invasion  was  further  aggravated  by  an  outbreak 
of  plague  in  1644,  the  worst  visitation  since 
1598.2 

The  disturbed  state  of  Durham  during  the 
Commonwealth  and  Protectorate  is  seen  in  the 
irregular  way  in  which  the  local  records  are 
kept  from  this  time  until  the  Restoration.' 
For  this  reason  it  is  not  possible  to  follow  the 
history  of  the  city  with  any  great  detail.  Dur- 
ham saw  Charles  again  in  1647,  when  he  passed 
through  in  custody  of  the  Scottish  commis- 
sioners. At  this  time  the  church  lands  (and 
these  included  most  of  the  city)  had  been  con- 
fiscated and  placed  in  the  hands  of  trustees  for 
disposal.*  There  is  practically  no  light  as  to 
what  happened  in  detail  in  Durham.  Probably 
dean  and  chapter  property  and  episcopal  lands 
and  houses  were  leased  out  :  their  sale  in  such 
uncertain  times  is  scarcely  likely  to  have  been 
carried  out  widely.  One  or  two  sales  we  can 
trace.  The  castle  was  bought  in  1650  by  Sir 
Thomas  Andrews,  draper,  and  Lord  Mayor  of 
London  (1649).  He  died  before  the  Restora- 
tion,^ and  the  disposition  of  his  property  in 
Durham  is  not  known.  In  165 1  the  trustees 
sold  to  the  mayor,  aldermen  and  commonalty  of 
Durham  '  all  that  the  borough  of  Durham,  with 
the  rights,  members,  and  appurtenances  thereof, 
also  the  office  of  baileywick,  all  markets,  fairs, 
court  of  pie-powder,  toUs,  courts.'  *  In  fact, 
everything  which  the  bishop  had  claimed  in 
the  dispute  of  1610  was  sold  outright  under 
this  instrument  to  the  persons  specified.    Then 

'8  See  F.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  48-9  and  the  notes. 
*'  Rius  of  Durham  (Surt.  Soc),  163,  269. 
loo  Ibid. 

*  Perfect  Diurnal,  Burney  Newspapers,  no.  18. 

*  As  the  Parish  Registers  seem  to  prove. 

'  Mem.  of  St.  Giles's,  Dur.  (Surt.  Soc),  69  n. 
«See  V.C.H.  Dur.'n,  51. 

*  Between  I  Nov.  1659  and  May  1660. 

*  The  deed  is  in  Mickleton  MSS.  xxxvii,  fol.  137. 
See  below  under  Jurisdictions,  p.  57. 


39 


A   HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


the  arrangement  of  1627  was  abrogated  before 
the  lease  of  that  year  expired.'  Apparently  the 
corporation  had  gone  on  with  some  modification 
introduced,  it  is  probable,  by  themselves.  Then 
we  hear  of  a  recorder  and  town  clerk  in  1649.* 
Petition  was  made  in  1650  for  reconstitution  of 
the  local  courts  of  justice,'  for  the  establishment 
of  a  college  at  Durham,'"  and  for  the  continuance 
of  dean  and  chapter  payments  to  the  school.** 
In  July  Cromwell  passed  through  the  city  on 
his  way  to  the  battle  of  Dunbar.  After  the 
battle  came  the  memorable  imprisonment  of 
the  Scots  in  the  cathedral  which  did  so  much 
damage  to  the  building  in  the  dull  autumn  days. 
For  the  great  number  of  sick  and  dying  among 
them,  the  castle  was  used  as  a  hospital.  The 
survivors  only  left  Durham  in  1652. 

It  is,  apparently,  the  case  that  the  civic 
sympathies  were  largely  with  the  Parliament 
throughout  this  disturbed  period.  This  would 
be  the  natural  result  of  the  corporation's  long 
struggle  for  independence  which  had  now  been 
crowned  with  belated  success,  thanks  to  the 
overthrow  of  bishop,  dean  and  chapter  in 
Durham.  In  1650,  when  the  recent  act  for  en- 
forcing the  engagement  was  put  into  operation, 
there  were  great  rejoicings  at  Durham,  the 
citizens  expressing  their  resolution  to  stand  by 
the  Parliament,  and  presenting  Lt.  Col.  Hobson*- 
with  the  freedom  of  the  city.  Another 
letter  of  near  date  to  this  speaks  of  the  strong 
Parliamentarian  feeling  in  the  county.  But 
there  were  exceptions  to  it,  even  in  the  corpora- 
tion, for  next  year  a  report  was  circulated  that 
the  Mayor  of  Durham,  one  John  Hall,  had 
slighted  the  celebration  of  the  thanksgiving 
day  after  the  battle  of  Worcester.*'  In  1653, 
with  the  establishment  of  the  protectorate 
under  Cromwell,  a  petition  was  sent  up  once 
more"  for  representation  in  Parliament.  Ac- 
cordingly, in  1654,  the  city  was,  for  the  first 
time,  represented  by  a  member,  one  Anthony 
Smith,  a  mercer,  who  was  again  returned  in 
1656,  after  which  there  was  no  member  for 
city  or  county  until  1675.  The  exclusion  of 
the  county  and  city  from  the  Parliament  of 
1659  called  forth  a  petition  for  representation.*^ 


The  Restoration  was  acceptable  in  the  county,** 
but  not  very  largely  in  the  city.  The  cries  of 
protest,  which  must  have  greeted  the  re-entry 
of  the  church  landlords  upon  the  lands  and 
houses  alienated  since  1646,  were  doubtless 
vigorous,  but  soon  died  away  in  the  effervescing 
loyalty  to  the  throne  which  now  became  the 
order  of  the  day.  Cathedral  and  castle  had 
suffered  from  the  Scottish  prisoners,  and  on 
every  hand  signs  and  sounds  of  repair  and  re- 
building were  observable.  It  is  noted  by  Cosin, 
the  great  Restoration  bishop,  that  '  the  violence 
of  the  times  and  neglect  of  men '  *'  had  deso- 
lated the  city.  The  bishop's  carefully  preserved 
accounts  show  what  was  done  in  and  round 
the  castle,*'  whilst  various  references  indicate  the 
widespread  restoration  of  the  college  and  the 
furniture  of  the  cathedral.*'  The  parish  churches 
had  suffered,  and  were,  to  some  extent,  refitted, 
as  the  parish  books  testify.  A  work  of  import- 
ance was  the  new  conduit  to  convey  water  from 
Elvet  Moor  across  the  river  to  the  college  and 
precincts,  where  it  was  carried  again  across 
Palace  Green  to  the  Castle.-"  It  was  probably 
at  this  time  that  the  old  castle  well,  sunk  by  the 
Normans,  was  finally  abandoned,  to  be  reopened 
only  in  1903.  In  1664  the  County  House, 
otherwise  the  Assize  Court,  built  in  1588,  was 
pulled  down,  it  may  be  surmised  owing  to  recent 
injury,  and  was  rebuilt  by  the  bishop.  The 
gilds  were  asked  to  contribute,  but  in  general 
refused  to  aid  the  prelate.^*  Civic  life,  as 
regulated  under  the  Commonwealth,  was  at 
first  uninterrupted,  but  in  1662  commissioners 
were  appointed  for  regulating  corporations  in 
the  palatinate,22  and  it  is  presumed  that  they 
carried  out  the  restoration  of  the  corporation  to 
its  former  condition.  The  Assize  system  was 
brought  back,  and  the  judges  entertained  as  of 
yore. 2' 

But  the  years  were  not  restful.  Fanaticism 
had  sprouted  during  the  anxious  times.^-"  and 
soon  developed  into  disaffection.  The  city 
became  the  centre  of  the  plot  which  is  known  as 
the  Derwent  Dale  plot.  It  was  reported  that 
a  large  number  of  fighting  men  were  ready  in 
Durham.^^     Indeed,    Durham    was    no    longer 


'  See  above,  p.  37. 

*  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iv,  l6o. 

*  For  the  point  see  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iv,  9. 

10  Fowler,  Hist.  Univ.  Dur.,  V.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  52. 

1*  B.  M.  Burney  Newspapers  35,  8  May. 

*2  Hobson  was  Deputy  Governor  of  Newcastle. 
The  statement  comes  from  B.  M.  Burney  Newspapers 
35,  2  April. 

*3  Founder  of  a  Durham  family.  See  the  pedigree 
in  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iv,  154;  Burney  Newspapers  39, 
28  Oct.  1637. 

**  See  above,  p.  37. 

*■"•  Burney  Newspapers  53,  31  March  1659. 


"  V.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  53. 

"  Hutchinson,  op.  cit.  ii,  35-)  or  275. 

"  Mickleton  MSS.  xx,  passim,  printed  in  Cosin's 
Corresp.  (Surt.  Soc),  ii,  356-83. 

*•  The  correspondence  of  Sancroft  and  Davenport 
gives  details  (Tanner  MSS.  in  Bodl.  Lib.).  For  the 
state  of  the  cathedral  cf.  Cosin's  Corresp.  (Surt.  Soc), 
p.  xvi,  summary  of  work  done  in  Drake,  Siege  oj  Ponte- 
fract  Castle  (Surt.  Soc),  260. 

2"  Particulars  in  Mickleton  MSS.  xx,  56. 

2*  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iv,  21,  24. 

"  S.  P.  Dom.  Chas.  II,  bri,  no.  157. 

*'  Ibid,  xliii,  no.  131.         ^4  ibij.  Ixxviii,  no.  6,  71. 

*5  S.  P.  Dom.  Chas.  II.^xcv,  no.  140. 


40 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


safe.'*  The  excellent  precautions  taken  for 
repressing  the  plague  were  largely  effective, 
though  it  was  reported  that  one  house  at  least 
was  infected  in  1665.-'  An  interesting  feature 
of  the  post-Restoration  period  is  the  increasing 
connexion  of  the  members  of  the  chapter  with 
ecclesiastical  and  political  notabilities  outside 
Durham.  Improving  communication  with  the 
south  and  the  better  type  of  prebendaries  now 
appointed,  began  to  give  the  place  a  more 
prominent  position  in  the  regard  of  the  outer 
world.  Barwick,  Bancroft,  Brevint,  Basire,  all 
prebendaries  of  Durham,  and  other  important 
men  were  good  correspondents  and  well  known 
in  the  university  and  other  circles.  CosLn 
himself  was  a  strong  connecting  link  between 
the  south  and  north.  Within  the  city  itself  he 
was  no  great  favourite.  Men  remembered 
ancient  controversies.  He  kept  a  strong  hand 
on  his  rights.  Though  he  was  a  good  friend  to 
the  neighbourhood  in  building  almshouses, 
founding  and  endowing  his  library,  and  so 
bringing  better  trade  to  the  city,  he  allowed 
no  concession  of  the  independence  which  the  cor- 
poration lost  at  the  Restoration.  He  strenuously 
resisted  the  petition  of  city  and  county  for 
Parliaraentary  representation.^'  The  question 
came  up  again  and  again,  and  through  the 
bishop's  pertinacity  was  constantly  postponed 
during  his  episcopate. 

Bishop  Crewe  resided  largely  at  Durham.  He 
seems  to  have  made  much  of  the  place,  and  to 
have  entertained  widely  during  his  long  episco- 
pate of  nearly  half  a  century.  The  more  the 
castle  is  inspected  the  more  numerous  are  the 
traces  of  his  residence,  e.g.,  the  extension  to  the 
chapel,  the  rooms  placed  within  the  Norman 
Gallery,  the  fine  spout-heads  bearing  Crewe's 
arms,  the  addition  of  the  house  now  used  as  the 
master's  lodge.-'  Various  pictures  at  present 
hanging  within  the  castle  give  a  rough  idea  of 
Durham  in  his  day,  e.g.,  his  gondola  on  the 
river,  his  coach  with  six  black  horses,  the  gardens 
sloping  to  the  Wear  below  Silver  Street,  the 
treeless  banks,  FramweUgate  bridge  with  turrets 
and  centre  chapel.  Crewe  gave  way  almost  at 
the  outset  on  the  question  of  Parliamentary 
representation,  so  that  Durham  was  duly  repre- 
sented from  that  time  forth,  the  freemen  of  the 
city  being  the  electors.  On  the  first  occasion 
there  were  838  electors,  a  number  which  in- 
creased in  1761  to  ijOSO.*"     It  was  probably  at 

2«  S.  P.  Dom.  Chas.  II,  c,  no.  85. 

*'  Ibid,  cxxvii,  no.  33. 

**  Proceedings  at  Quarter  Sessions  1666  in  Allan 
MSS.  (Doc.  of  D.  and  C.  of  Dur.),  \ii,  fol.  34,  and  a 
collection  of  documents  in  Hunter  MSS.  (ibid.),  24. 

^'  The  records  are  meagre,  but  the  evidence  of 
stone  and  brick  supplements  it. 

'o  A  list  of  the  burgesses  returned  is  given  in 
Hutchinson,  op.  cit.  ii,  60  or  45. 

3 


his  instigation  in  1681'^  that  the  city  took  its 
share  in  the  addresses  which  were  pouring  in 
on  the  King.*2  It  was  the  year  of  Absalom  and 
Achitophel  and  a  wave  of  Toryism  deluged  the 
country.  The  year  1684  saw  Judge  Jeffreys 
going  the  Northern  Circuit.  London  had  sur- 
rendered its  charter  to  the  King,  and  pressure 
was  being  brought  to  bear  upon  corporations  all 
round  the  land  to  induce  them  to  submit  them- 
selves to  the  King's  right  of  veto."  Of  this 
particular  Assize,  North  said  that  Jeffreys  '  made 
all  the  charters  like  the  walls  of  Jericho  fall 
dowm  before  him.'  Durham  was  among  the 
number,  surrendering  Bishop  Matthew's  charter 
to  the  bishop  at  the  end  of  August. 

In  March  1685  Crewe,  being  then  in  London, 
delivered  a  new  charter  to  the  city.  It  so  closely 
followed  the  old  charter  of  1602  that  it  is  not 
easy  to  see  at  first  sight  what  object  was  gained 
by  the  trouble  and  expense  of  drawing  up  a 
document  which  gives  no  new  privileges  and 
reserves  no  rights  granted  by  Bishop  Matthew. 
Probably  the  bishop  had  intended  little  more 
than  formal  compHance  with  the  fashion  set  by 
King  Charles  in  securing  the  surrender  of  the 
charter,  and  was  glad  to  bestow  it  afresh  on  the 
first  available  opportunity.**  Yet  there  is  one 
important  clause  in  the  new  document  which 
prescribes  that  the  Mayor  and  aldermen  and 
councillors  are  '  to  be  conformable  to  the  Church 
of  England.'  Whether  this  was  to  be  pressed, 
however,  or  not  does  not  much  matter,  since 
the  new  charter  soon  passed  into  oblivion  and 
was  not  quoted  at  any  subsequent  confirmation. 
At  all  events  Crewe  was  on  good  terms  with  the 
corporation,  and  it  is  to  his  gift  that  most  of 
the  corporation  plate  is  due,  a  silver  tankard, 
six  silver  candlesticks,  a  silver  loving  cup  and 
cover,  and  a  silver  whistling  pot  with  cover 
attached.  The  dates  of  the  hall-marks  vary 
from  1672-3  to  1694-5.  The  hall-marks  on  the 
candlesticks  are  illegible.*^ 

A  few  miscellaneous  matters  connected  with 
the  later  years  of  the  17th  century  may  be 
mentioned  here.  Crewe  entertained  royalty  at 
Durham  in  1677  when  Monmouth,  not  yet  a 
rebel,  came  to  the  castle,  and  in  1679  when 
the  Duke  and  Duchess  of  York  were  received 
with  all  possible  honour.  In  1685  the  re- 
building of  St.  Mary's  in  the  North  Bailey 
was  completed.  It  was  largely  the  work  of 
George  Davenport,  formerly  Cosin's  chaplain 
and  rector  of  Houghton  le  Spring.  The  old 
bells  were  sold  off,  but  a  new  tower  was 
added    in    1702.      An    interesting    account    of 

"^  Lodge,  Political  Hist,  of  Eng.  209-10. 
^-  Addresses  in  Mickleton  MSS.  xlvi,  fol.  245. 
•"  Examen,  626,  quoted  by  Lodge,  op.  cit.  229. 
**  James   II  succeeded  6  February   1685   and  the 
charter  is  dated  7  March. 

•*  Jewitt  and  Hope,  Corporation  Plate,  i,  185. 

41  6 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


post-stage  communication  with  Durham  at  this 
time  has  been  preserved  by  Surtees.'*  Regular 
stage  coaches  did  not  yet  run,  though  there  is 
a  notice  of  a  much  earlier  attempt  to  arrange 
some  kind  of  service.^' 

A  note  of  1696  referring  to  the  new  coinage 
speaks  of  the  difficulty  of  obtaining  '  current 
money '  in  Durham,  a  difficulty  which  is  re- 
ferred to  in  local  correspondence  on  more 
than  one  occasion.  The  recall  of  tokens  in  1672 
had  been  presumably  compensated  by  the  issue 
of  halfpence  and  farthings,  but  the  *  current 
money '  of  the  quotation  means  crowns,  half- 
crowns,  and  shillings.'*  In  1691  Durham  had 
its  own  baronet  in  the  person  of  John  Duch,  one 
of  the  Aldermen  in  Crewe's  charter  of  1685 
and  Mayor  in  1680,  whose  romantic  career  has 
always  been  a  matter  of  interest  to  the  citizens.^' 
He,  at  all  events,  was  able  to  amass  a  considerable 
fortune  in  the  city,  and  it  seems  probable  that 
trade  was  improving  as  time  passed.  A  bene- 
faction by  George  Baker  which  became  operative 
in  1699  was  devoted  to  establishing  a  woollen 
manufactory  and  did  good  service  for  a  long 
period  of  years.''"  Wood's  charity  was  an  im- 
portant help  for  prisoners." 

Crewe's  chief  connection  with  the  city  of 
Durham  probably  took  place  after  the  Revolu- 
tion. He  was  not  trusted  by  William  and  Mary, 
and  when  in  1691  he  became  Baron  Crewe,  on 
his  brother's  death,  it  was  natural  for  him  to 
live  much  in  the  retirement  of  Stene,  Auckland, 
or  Durham.  His  second  marriage  in  1700  to 
Dorothy  Forster  of  Bamburgh  probably 
tended  to  keep  him  in  the  north.  The  trium- 
phal entry  of  the  bishop  and  his  bride  into 
Durham'-  provoked  great  interest,  and  for  the 
next  year  or  two  there  is  evidence  of  his  enter- 
taining the  city  gilds  at  the  castle.''^  There 
is,  however,  no  proof  of  any  Jacobite  sympathy 
in  Durham  at  the  time  with  a  solitary  exception.''* 
Mr.  Smith  of  Barn  Hall  was  titular  Bishop  of 
Durham  in  connection  with  the  non-juring 
cause ;''^  the  late  dean  was  a  non-juror;''*  Mr. 
Cock,  vicar  of  St.  Oswald's,  founder  of  the 
library  there,'"  and  benefactor  to  the  parish, 
was  also  deprived  as  a  non-juror.  Otherwise  the 
local  non-jurors  are  far  to  seek.  The  rising  of 
1715  awoke  no  response  in  Durham.     No  local 

**  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iv,  160. 

*'  Burney  Newspapers  52,  I  Apr.  1658. 

^  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iv,  161.  At  least  sixteen  local 
sets  of  tokens  are  known. 

»»  Ibid.  53,  129.  *•  Ibid.  30.  '»»  Ibid. 

*2  Bee's  Diary,  Six  North  Country  Diaries  (Surt. 
See),  60. 

*'  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iv,  21,  22. 

**  Six  North  Country  Diaries  (Surt.  Soc),  200. 

«  Ibid. 

4«  r.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  60. 

*'  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 


contingent  was  raised.'"  When  the  body  of 
Lord  Derwentwater  was  brought  from  London 
to  Northumberland  it  rested  at  White  Smocks,*' 
an  inn  on  the  direct  road  from  Darlington  to 
Newcastle.  Local  tradition  preserved  the 
memory  of  the  fact,  which  as  late  as  191 2  was 
recounted  by  a  Durham  resident  aged  ninety- 
three,  who  had  it  from  his  grandfather  as  a 
matter  of  personal  remembrance. 

The  outstanding  event  of  the  i8th  century 
is  the  industrial  revolution,  but  that  did  not 
make  itself  felt  until  the  reign  of  George  IH. 
The  city  of  Durham  did  not,  apparently, 
increase  much  if  at  all  in  population  until  the 
revolution  began  to  manifest  itself.  If  in  1635 
the  inhabitants  numbered  about  2,000,^"  such 
hints  as  we  get  through  the  earlier  part  of  the 
1 8th  century  cannot  be  adduced  in  proof  of  any 
rapid  increase.  A  visitor  in  1780  describes 
Durham  as  '  not  populous,'  whereas '  Sunderland 
is  a  very  populous  place.'  *'  Yet  from  the  point 
of  view  of  wealth  there  had  probably  been  dis- 
tinct progress.  Means  had  improved  after  the 
Restoration  and  money  derived  from  the  Church 
was  spent  in  the  place.  The  Restoration 
prebendaries  were  inclined  to  lavish  hospitality 
and  at  the  end  of  1662  a  Chapter  Act  was 
drawn  up  to  forbid  any  extreme  '  either  of 
parsimony  or  profuseness.'**  Dean  GrenviUe 
records  abundant  hospitality  in  1687.^'  Such 
a  complaint  as  that  which  described  the 
city  in  1617  as  a  '  cell  of  earth  '  ^  is  not  heard 
seventy  years  later.  The  residence  of  well-to-do 
and  often  aristocratic  prebendaries  with  their 
families  brought  considerable  gain  to  the 
tradesmen.  A  local  suit  of  Queen  Anne's 
reign  goes  to  show  that  fancy  trades  were  de- 
veloping. The  old  gild  of  drapers  and 
tailors,  which  had  the  monopoly  of  the  interests 
they  represented,  roused  themselves  in  1705  'to 
put  off  the  manty-makers.'  Accordingly  next 
year  they  sued  four  defendants  otherwise 
unknown  for  that  they  being  '  foreigners '  did 
infringe  the  liberties  of  the  citizens,  threatening 
not  only  to  continue  but  to  introduce  others 
into  the  city,  thus  drawing  away  the  greatest 
part  of  the  trade.  The  defendants  incidentally 
stated  that  '  mantoes  is  a  forreigne  invencion 
and  brought  from  beyond  sea  and  not  used  in 
England  till  about  the  year  1670.'  One 
deponent  had  lived  with  the  Clerk  of  the 
Spicery    to    Charles    II    and    remembered    the 

'•*  Richardson,  Jcct.  of  the  Rebellions. 

*'  Now  Western  Lodge. 

60  See  below,  p.  46. 

^1  Cf.  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iv,  165,  -with  Hunter  MSS. 
xxii. 

52  See  V.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  67. 

*'  (Surt.  Soc),  Granville,  Remains,  139. 

5*  From  the  verses  of  the  apprentice  to  James  I, 
above,  p.  37. 


42 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


Duchess  of  '  Mazarene  '  who  came  from  beyond 
sea  that  year  and  brought '  the  garb  of  mantoes ' " 
with  her.  Another  said  that  the  tailors,  or  the 
major  part  of  them,  did  not  understand  '  the 
art  of  mantoe-making '  so  well  as  women.  She 
had  some  spoiled  by  a  man  tailor  in  Durham 
and  believed  that  the  women  tailors '  are  greatest 
artists  at  women's  work  than  men  tailors.'  The 
suit  is  valuable^  as  showing  the  kind  of  thing 
that  was  bound  to  take  place  when  local  require- 
ments outran  narrow  local  means  of  supply. 
It  also  shows,  perhaps,  that  the  Durham  ladies 
were  anxious  to  encourage  local  industries  in 
order  to  serve  their  own  convenience. 

About  the  same  time  a  scheme  was  mooted 
which,  if  carried  out,  would  have  had  large 
influence  upon  Durham  trade  and  life.  As 
early  as  1705  the  great  Wear  scheme  was  first 
propounded.  In  that  year  an  entry  in  the 
books  of  the  important  company  of  '  Mercers, 
Grocers,  Haberdashers,  Ironmongers,  and 
Salters,'  founded  or  re-founded  by  Pilkington 
in  1561,  records  that  a  sum  was  paid  'for 
completing  the  petition  and  bill  for  making  the 
Wear  navigable.' "  The  undertaking  floated  like 
a  vision  before  the  imagination  of  the  citizens 
for  the  best  part  of  a  century.  It  reappeared  in 
1717,  in  1754,^'  ^'^^  '^  1796.  when  it  was 
finally  abandoned.  The  petition  alluded  to  does 
not  seem  to  be  traceable,  but  there  is  fuller 
light  for  the  later  stages  of  the  proposal.  An 
Act  of  171 7  appointed  a  commission  for  twenty- 
one  years  to  carry  out  a  scheme  for  making  the 
Wear  navigable  up  to  Durham.  It  was  stated 
that  shoals  and  sand  would  have  to  be  removed 
between  Chester-le-Street  and  Durham  with 
locks,  dams,  sluices  and  cuts.  It  was  urged 
that  navigation  to  the  city  would  benefit  trade 
and  the  poor,  encouraging  the  woollen  manu- 
factory, providing  carriage  of  lead,  coals,  lime, 
stone,  timber,  deals,  butter,  tallow,  etc.,  to  and 
from  Durham,  Westmorland,  Cumberland, 
Yorkshire,  and  other  counties  to  and  from 
Sunderland,  London,  and  other  parts,  British  and 
foreign,  tending  to  the  employment  and  increase 
of  watermen  and  seamen,  and  preserving  the 
highways.  The  corporation  took  up  the  scheme 
with    something    like    enthusiasm,^*    and    were 


ready  to  place  the  accommodation  of  boats  of 
twenty  tons  burden  or  more.  When  the  ques- 
tion came  up  finally  in  i796,«o  it  was  merged 
with  the  much  more  extensive  project  of  pro- 
viding water  conveyance  between  the  German 
Ocean  and  the  Irish  Sea,  which  was  to  link  up 
connections  at  various  points  with  the  different 
northern  cities.  Plans  and  estimates  were 
prepared.  A  canal  was  to  be  cut  from  the 
Tyne  to  Chester-le-Street,  whence  the  idea  of 
1754  was  to  be  carried  out.  The  vision  charmed 
the  more  enterprising  business  men  of  the  north, 
but  it  put  no  money  into  the  pockets  of  any. 
Steam  traction,  which  was  at  this  time  coming 
within  the  range  of  possibility,  was  destined 
ultimately  to  take  the  place  of  this  elaborate 
design  of  water  communication. 

There  was  some  zeal  for  education  in  Durham 
during  the  i8th  century.  Durham  School, 
rebuilt  in  1661,  on  the  Palace  Green,  soon 
became,  instead  of  a  local  grammar  school,  a 
north-country  public  school  of  repute  and  wide 
influence.  We  can  trace  from  the  Restoration 
onwards  not  only  the  familiar  city  names  such  as 
Salvin,  Wilkinson,  Hutchinson,  Blakiston,  Faw- 
cett,  Greenwell,  Tempest,  but  representatives 
of  the  historic  families  of  Northumberland  and 
Durham,  e.g.,  Hilton,  Vavasour,  Burdon,  Grey, 
Shafto,  Blackett,  Forster,  Heron,  Lambton, 
Bowes,  Calverley,  Cole.  One  of  the  chief  dis- 
tinctions of  the  school  is  the  succession  of  local 
historians  and  antiquaries  who  drew  their  inspira- 
tion from  the  venerable  association  of  the  old 
school  on  the  Green.  Most  famous  of  these  is 
James  Mickleton  (1638-93),  without  whom  no 
history  of  mediaeval  or  17th-century  Durham 
would  be  possible.*!  Local  history  owes  very  much 
to  Elias  Smith,  a  notable  head  master  (1640-66) 
who  did  his  best  to  preserve  the  cathedral  library 
through  the  Protectorate  troubles,  and  to 
Thomas  Rudd, headmaster  (1691-9  and  1 709-1 1), 
who  indexed  the  Cathedral  manuscripts.  Later 
than  these  comes  Thomas  Randall  (head  master 
1 761-8),  who  made  a  large  collection  of  manu- 
script material  for  local  history. 

There  existed  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
Palace  Green  a  smaller  school  of  ancient  founda- 
tion '  for  the  bringing  up  of  young  children,  and 


*^  Mentioned,  too,  in  Hudibras.    See  Knu  Engl.  Die. 

^  The  suit  is  summarized  in  Arch.  Ael.  ii,  166. 
A  peculiarity  of  the  Drapers'  Company  is  that  it 
admits  all  sons  of  a  freeman  to  the  privilege.  Thus 
the  gild  has  always  been  powerful  by  reason  of 
number."!. 

"  Quoted  in  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iv,  23. 

'*  A  summary  of  the  draft  Act  of  1754  is  given  in 
Arch.  Ad.  ii,  118. 

'^  The  Gild  took  their  share  in  forwarding  the 
enterprise  (Surtees,  op.  cit.  iv,  25).  The  Corporation 
at  this  time  were  lengthening  their  cords  and  strength- 
ening their  stakes.    The  enlarged  and  improved  town 


haU  was  completed  in  1754.  Private  enterprise  was 
also  stimulated,  for  in  the  same  year  James  Appleby,  a 
local  chemist,  broached  to  the  Admiralty  liis  scheme 
of  making  salt  water  fresh.  {Table  Book,  Gent.  Mag. 
xxiv,  44.) 

60  M.  A.  Richardson's  Table  Book,  1796,  1797. 

*i  Mickleton  WTOte  '  De  SchoUs  Dunelm,'  an  ac- 
count which  still  exists  in  the  Mickleton  MS.  xxxvi  in 
the  University  Library.  It  was  copied  and  augmented 
by  RandaU  (Randall's  MS.  [Doc.  of  D.  and  C.  of 
Dur.]).  On  this  and  further  research  was  based  the 
description  in  V.C.H.  Dur.  i,  381.  See  too  Earle  and 
Body,  Preface  to  Dur.  School  Reg.  (1912). 


43 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


to  be  instructed  in  the  catechism,  and  farther 
made  fit  to  go  to  the  Grammar  School  and  like- 
wise to  be  taught  their  plain  song  and  to  be 
entered  in  their  prick  song.'  The  relation  of 
this  school  to  the  more  important  institution  was 
the  subject  of  some  controversy  in  the  days  of 
Cosin  (1670-72)  and  Crewe*-  (1674-1721).  It 
was  supplemented  in  the  1 8th  century  by  the  Blue 
Coat  School,  which  was  first  founded  in  1718  by 
civic  enterprise.*'  The  Corporation  had  admin- 
istered, had  often  maladministered,  the  various 
charitable  funds,  of  which  some  mention  has 
been  made  above.  In  the  opening  years  of  the 
century  and  under  the  will  of  the  non-juring 
Vicar  of  St.  Oswald's,  John  Cock,  some  kind  of 
elementary  instruction  was  given  in  the  parish. 
The  scheme  took  effect  in  1717.  Possibly  the 
Corporation  were  provoked  to  jealousy  by  this 
suburban  scheme.  At  all  events  they  lent  two 
rooms  in  the  New  Place  near  St.  Nicholas' 
Church  rent  free,  and  here  rudimentary  educa- 
tion was  furnished  under  their  direction  to  a 
foundation  of  six  boys,  though  it  may  perhaps  be 
presumed  that  paying  pupils  were  also  admitted 
to  swell  the  meagre  roll  of  scholars.  The  estab- 
lishment grew  in  course  of  time  and  excited  much 
interest  in  city  and  county.  The  minute-book 
begins  in  1705  and  bears  testimony  to  this 
interest,  in  the  steady  growth  of  the  list  of  sub- 
scribers, and  the  augmentation  of  the  foundation. 
Six  girls  were  added  in  1 736  and  in  1 75 3  a  bequest 
from  Mrs.  Ann  Carr  made  provisionfor  seven  more 
boys.  By  the  end  of  the  century  thirty  boys  and 
thirty  girls  were  being  educated,  and  soon  out- 
grew the  original  premises. 

Private  schools  existed  in  Durham  in  addition 
to  the  public  institutions  named.  The  Grammar 
School  had  a  formidable  rival  for  some  time  in 
the  establishment  of  a  Mr.  Rosse  at  the  end  of 
the  17th  century.**  In  1732  a  Quaker  called 
Glenn  provided  instruction  for  '  a  great  many 
scholars  both  of  his  own  persuasion  and  others.' 
He  was  reputed  to  teach  Latin  and  to  '  pretend 
to  Greek.'**  The  first  mention  of  a  ladies' 
boarding  school  noted  so  far  is  in  1757,  when  a 
diarist's  niece  '  came  to  the  boarding-school  at 
Durham.'**  This  establishment  would  per- 
haps be  in  the  North  or  South  Bailey,  where 
living  memory  can  trace  a  long  succession  of 
girls'  schools.*'  There  was  also  a  famous  ladies' 
school  by  '  The  Chains '  in  Gilesgate. 

62  See  V.C.H.  Dur.  i,  382. 

**  The  best  account  is  in  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iv,  26. 
C.  M.  Carlton's  Hist,  of  Dur.  Char,  gives  a  mass  of 
useful  information. 

"  F.C.H.  Dur.  i,  382. 

•^  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iv,  165. 

•*  North  Country  Diaries  (Surt.  Soc),  207. 

•'  Visitation  returns  at  Auckland  Castle  prove 
three  or  four  dames'  schools  to  have  existed  in  Cross- 
gate  only. 


Attention  has  already  been  drawn  to  the  ex- 
clusiveness  and  rigid  protection  of  the  City  trade- 
gUds.  One  instance  has  been  given  of  an  inva- 
sion of  these  privileges.**  It  is  by  no  means  the 
only  case  that  might  be  cited.  In  1699,  for 
instance,  when  much  building  was  in  progress, 
the  masons'  company,  with  its  wide  inclusion 
of  *  Free-masons,  Rough  masons.  Wallers, 
Slaters,  Paviours,  Plasterers  and  Bricklayers,'  in 
fact  the  whole  building  trade,  strove  to  oust  all 
competition  of  country  masons  in  the  college.  The 
carpenters  and  joiners  subscribed  to  the  expenses 
of  the  suit.  It  was  urged  that  '  foreigners '  had 
in  many  cases  worked  in  the  coUege,  castle,  and 
elsewhere  without  interruption  and  a  plea  was 
put  in  that  the  places  in  question  were  not 
legally  within  the  city  as  incorporated,  so  that 
the  '  foreigners '  were  not  liable.  Various  other 
suits*'  may  be  cited  of  similar  general  import,  aU 
going  to  prove  that  the  strictest  protection  was 
exercised,  whilst  on  the  other  hand  there  was  a 
constant  tendency  to  override  trade  privileges. 
Accordingly  in  1728  a  meeting  of  the  Corpora- 
tion was  held,  at  which  the  principle  of  rigid 
adhesion  to  the  exclusion  of  outsiders  was  con- 
firmed. All  infringement  of  the  rule  was  hence- 
forth to  be  punished  by  heavy  fines.  Further, 
because  of  some  irregularity  in  admitting  free- 
men which  had  grown  up  it  was  ruled  that  all 
admissions  were  henceforth  to  be  under  careful 
surveillance.  There  were  to  be  no  amateur  free- 
men :  all  were  to  be  approved  by  mayor  and 
aldermen,  whilst  apprentices  were  to  serve  their 
time  and  to  be  actually  taught  the  trade  or 
mystery. 

The  policy  thus  pursued  had  a  result  which 
was  perhaps  not  contemplated  by  the  members 
of  the  Corporation,  who  were  naturally  con- 
cerned only  or  mainly  about  trade  interests. 
Ever  since  the  Restoration  it  had  been  the 
fashion  to  admit  to  gild  freedom  many  of  the 
leading  men  in  city  and  county,  though  quite 
unconnected  with  the  special  craft.'"  In  this 
way  Percy,  Lambton,  Tempest,  and  other  im- 
portant names,  appear  on  the  lists  of  admission. 
The  decree  of  1728  seems  to  have  restricted  the 
honour  to  those  who  were  able  to  take  up  their 
freedom  by  patrimony,  save  in  exceptional  cases 
as  when  the  bishop  was  admitted.  Now,  since 
the  admission  of  the  City  to  representation  in 
Parliament,  the  gild  had  been  the  electors,  but 
the  new  rule  tended  to  restrict  the  increase  of 
the  electorate.  In  days  of  growing  political  ex- 
citement the  privilege  of  a  vote  had  an  increasing 

88  Above,  p.  42. 

•'  Other  suits  of  similar  scope  are  on  behalf  of  the 
Mercers'  Company  in  1 71 8  (Dur.  Rec.  cl.  7,  no.  75)  ; 
Goldsmiths  1720  (ibid.  no.  77) ;  Saddlers  1728  (ibid, 
no.  79).  Cloth  workers,  rather  later,  but  undated 
(ibid.  no.  95). 

'"  See  the  names  in  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iv,  20-5. 


44 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


value,  and  was  no  doubt  coveted  in  proportion. 
In  1757  Robert  Green,  a  citizen  of  Durham, 
made  an  attempt  to  override  the  principle  of 
the  rule  made  in  1728,  claiming  to  be  free  of  the 
Masons'  Gild,  although  he  had  not  complied 
with  the  strict  formalities  prescribed.'^  The 
case  was  taken  to  the  King's  Bench,  and  it  was 
ruled  that  Green  had  not  made  good  his  claim  in 
view  of  the  explicit  provision  of  the  ordinance 
referred  to.  His  was  evidently  a  test  case  and 
the  decision  was  not  popular. 

When  the  famous  election  of  1761'^  took 
place.  Tempest  and  Lambton,  who  had  repre- 
sented the  city  since  1747,  were  returned, 
Ralph  Gowland,  of  Durham,  being  an  unsuccess- 
ful candidate.  Lambton  died  suddenly,  and  a 
new  election  followed  before  the  year  ran  out. 
With  this  election  pending,  advantage  was 
taken  of  the  recent  decision  to  '  let  in  a  shoal 
of  freemen.'  The  bylaw  of  1728  was  deUberately 
rescinded  by  the  Corporation,  and  freemen 
were  admitted  peU-meU.  No  less  than  215  of 
these  mushroom  burgesses  were  entered  on 
the  roll."  Two  candidates  were  put  forward 
for  the  vacancy  in  the  representation  of  the 
city,  General  Lambton  and  Ralph  Gowland. 
The  new  freemen  carried  the  election  in  favour 
of  the  local  candidate,  and  Gowland  was  re- 
turned by  a  majority  of  twenty-three.  An 
election  petition  soon  followed,  when  Gowland 
was  unseated,  his  adversary  being  welcomed 
into  the  city  in  procession  amid  great  en- 
thusiasm, which  was  not  shared,  it  may  be 
presumed,  by  the  Corporation,  whose  action 
had  been  so  signally  rejected. 

A  stigma  now  attached  to  the  Corporation, 
which  it  was  not  easy  to  efface.  Whilst  it  is 
not  easy  to  follow  the  exact  steps  taken,  it  seems 
clear  that  dissensions  arose  among  the  aldermen 
and  councillors.  Some  of  the  aldermen  were 
non-resident,  and  this  in  violation  of  the  charter. 
Matters  came  to  a  crisis  in  1766  on  Mayor's 
day,  when  attention  was  drawn  to  the  abuse  of 
the  provision  of  the  charter.  A  suit  in  the 
King's  Bench  followed,  which  deprived  the 
mayor  of  his  position.  A  local  writ  of  quo 
warranto  unseated  four  of  the  aldermen,  and 
a  fifth  resigned.  Under  the  terms  of  the  charter, 
the  number  of  seven  aldermen  present  and 
voting  was  prescribed  as  necessary  for  a  valid 
election.  With  only  four  aldermen  no  such 
election  was  possible,  and  the  Corporation 
virtually  ceased  to  exist.  There  appears 
to  be  no   record   of   what    was    done   in    this 

'^  The  documents  are  quoted  in  Hutchinson,  op. 
cit.  ii,  43-8  or  34. 

'2  Hunt,  Political  Hist,  of  Eng.  19. 

"  The  names  are  given  in  Allan  MSS.  (Doc.  of 
D.  and  C.  of  Dur.)  vii,  fol.  70,  and  comprise  gentle- 
men, officers,  clergy  and  others  unconnected  with 
the  city. 


wholly  irregular,  if  not  invalid,  and  shape- 
less civic  constitution.  Mayors  were  cenainly 
elected  until  1770,  but  from  that  point  until 
1780  no  further  municipal  election  took  place. 
There  was  no  formal  surrender  of  the  charter  ; 
it  was  defunct.  The  gilds  made  petition  to 
Bishop  Trevor  for  a  new  charter  in  the  impasse 
which  had  been  reached.  He  soon  after  died, 
but  his  successor.  Bishop  Egerton,  in  1773 
consulted  the  Attorney-General  of  Durham. 
His  opinion  was  that  '  the  powers  and 
authorities  vested  in  the  Corporation  are 
suspended,'  and  that  '  it  is  impossible  for  the 
Corporation  to  preserve  or  continue  itself,' 
a  position  of  affairs  much  to  be  deprecated. 
He  advised  the  Bishop  to  exert  his  jura  regalia 
and  to  issue  a  new  charter.  After  some  delay 
this  course  was  adopted. 

Accordingly,    in     1780,    the    last    episcopal 
charter  was  issued.     The  document  makes  no 
reference  whatever  to  Crewe's  abortive  charter. 
It  was  drawn  up  on  the  model  of  Matthew's 
grant  of  1602.     It  begins  with  a  recital  of  the 
main  provisions  of  that  instrument,  and  then 
calls  attention  to  the  present  deadlock  in  which 
the  '  corporation  of  the  said  city  of  Durham  and 
FramweUgate  is  incapable  of  doing  any  corporate 
act,  and  is  dissolved,  or  in  great  danger  of  being 
dissolved.'    It  recalls  the  terms  of  the  petition 
for  a  new  charter  of  incorporation  unattended 
by  the  inconveniences  to  which  the  old  con- 
stitution  was   exposed.      The   2   October   was 
selected  for  the  ceremony  of  bestowing  the  new 
charter.    The  members  of  the  corporation  were 
introduced  to  the  bishop  in  what  was  called 
the  breakfast  room  at   Durham  Castle.     This 
room  had  been  recently  improved  by  Egerton, 
and   formed   the   lower   one   of  two   chambers 
in  a  space  cut  off  from  the  hall  at  its  northern 
end  by  Bishop  Neile  about  1620.     The   docu- 
ment   was   received   by  Mayor   Bainbridge   on 
bended  knee,  the  aldermen  put  on  their  gowns, 
and  the  oaths  were  taken.    Outside  in  the  hall 
the  freemen  were  regaled  whilst  the  corporation 
lunched   with  the   bishop.      In  the   courtyard 
the  townsfolk  were  entertained  with  a  fountain 
that  ran  with  liquor.     After  this  a  procession 
was    formed,    consisting    of    corporation,    city 
officers,    constables,    trades    gilds    with    their 
banners,  who  took  their  way  to  the  town  hall, 
where  speeches  were  made  to  the  crowd  assem- 
bled in  the  market-place.'*  The  city  was  governed 
byEgerton's  charter  until  the  Municipal  Reform 
Act  of  1835.'^    A  memorial  of  the  turning  point 

'*  The  chief  documents  are  given  in  Hutchinson, 
op.  cit.  ii,  43-74. 

'5  The  charter  virtually  included  those  surrounding 
parishes  of  Durham  which  had  been  suburban, 
or  at  all  events  had  been  loosely  connected  with  the 
city.  It  enumerated  the  parishes  of  St.  Mary-le-bow 
and   St.   Mary   the  less,   the  castle   and   precincts. 


45 


A  HISTORY  OF   DURHAM 


in  Durham  history  was  erected  in  the  shape 
of  a  Piazza,  which  took  the  place  of  the  old 
market-cross  of  1617. 

The  year  of  Egerton's  charter  is  the  main 
dividing  line  in  the  history  of  Durham  in  the 
l8th  century,  as  the  events  of  1640  and  1660 
are  landmarks  in  the  previous  hundred  years. 
Taking  our  stand  at  this  point,  we  may  look 
back  for  a  moment  to  notice  other  events  and 
characteristics  not  hitherto  mentioned.  The  city 
was  not  populous.  There  are  no  sufficient  data 
for  very  precise  statistics.  A  traveller  passing 
through  in  1780  lays  stress  on  the  fact  that 
'  this  place  is  very  large,  but  not  populous.' " 
In  1732  there  were  440  householders  in  the  most 
densely  populated  parish,  that  of  St.  Nicholas. 
In  the  parish  of  St.  Giles  there  were  120  house- 
holders in  1753."  No  other  estimate  of  the 
period  seems  to  be  available.  A  hundred  years 
before  this  there  had  been  514  householders 
in  Elvet,  the  Baileys,  Crossgate,  Framwellgate, 
Gillygate,  and  St.  Nicholas.  That  may  be  held, 
perhaps,  to  represent  a  total  population  of  from 
two  to  three  thousand  in  1635.  The  numbers 
for  St.  Nicholas  are  177  at  that  date,  as  against 
440  in  1732  ;  for  St.  Giles  73,  as  against  120 
in  1753.  At  this  rate  it  may  be  surmised  that 
towards  the  middle  of  the  i8th  century  the 
proportional  increase  since  1635  would  bring 
the  sum  total  up  to  some  point  between  four 
and  five  thousand.'* 

Communication  with  this  small  city  was  pro- 
bably not  very  good.  We  have  seen  the  attempt 
to  link  it  up  with  the  outside  world  by 
waterways,  and  the  condition  of  the  high 
roads  alleged  as  one  reason  for  carrying  out 
the  scheme.  Regular  communication  with 
Durham  by  stage  coach,  instead  of  by  the 
ordinary  means  of  posting,  was  first  planned  in 
1658.'*    In  October  1712  a  great  step  forward 

the  cathedral  and  college,  the  chapehy  of  St.  Margaret, 
the  borough  of  Framwellgate,  the  parishes  of  St. 
Oswald  and  St.  Giles  as  constituents  of  the  City  of 
Durham  and  Framwellgate.  (Hutchinson,  op.  cit.  66.) 
It  may  also  be  noted  that  recorder,  town  clerk, 
Serjeants  at  mace,  and  constables  were  all  specifically 
mentioned  in  Egerton's  charter.  There  had  been 
recorders  and  town  clerks  at  intervals,  if  not  con- 
tinuously, since  1603  (see  Hutchinson,  op.  cit.  70-1), 
but  not  by  virtue  of  any  clause  contained  in  previous 
charters,  though  Serjeants  had  been  specified  therein. 
Another  incidental  point  in  Egerton's  grant  is  the 
transfer  of  Mayor's  day  to  the  anniversary  of  its 
bestowal,  viz.,  the  Monday  next  after  the  Feast  of 
St.  Michael  the  Archangel. 

'8  See  V.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  67. 

"  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iv,  165  ;   see  above,  p.  42. 

'*  The  calculation  is,  of  course,  rather  guesswork. 
The  muster  in  1615  gave  560  men  between  sixteen 
and  sixty  for  all  the  parts  enumerated  above,  save 
the  College  and  South  Bailey. 

"  Burney  Newspapers  52,  April  i. 


was  taken   when   in   the   Newcastle  Courant  it 
was  announced  :    '  Edinburgh,   Berwick,   New- 
castle, Durham  and  London  stage-coach  begins 
on    Monday  the  13th  October  1712.'***     It  was 
added  that  the  proposed  stage-coach  '  performs 
the   whole   journey   in   thirteen   days   without 
any  stoppage   (if  God   permit),   having  eighty 
able  horses  to  perform  the  whole  stage.'**  The 
fare  from  Edinburgh  to  London  was  ^^4  los.^^ 
No  local  record  has  been  traced  to  give  an  ac- 
count of  the  fortunes  of  the  coach.     Probably 
it  did  well,  but  there  was  not  sufficient  demand 
yet  for  more  local  inter-communication.      In 
1748    a    coach  from    Sunderland    to   Durham, 
and  from  Durham  to  Newcastle,  was  put  on 
the  road,  but  the  roads  were  bad,  and  the  scheme 
did  not  pay.   A  post-chaise  took  the  place  of  the 
coach,  but  this  fared  no  better,  and  was  given 
up.*^    As  late  as  1772  a  posting  journey  from 
London  to  Durham  occupied  a  week.**   Travel- 
ling was  not  yet  safe.     Coaches  were  robbed 
now  and  again,**  and    Faas  or  Faws,  as  they 
were  called,  that  is  gipsies  and  perhaps  high- 
waymen, were  still  known  to  lurk  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  the  highway.**     External  events 
were  duly  celebrated  at  Durham  and  anniver- 
saries were  kept  punctiliously.     In  the  midst 
of  the  unrest  caused  by  the  Jacobite  Rebellion 
of    1745    Gunpowder    Plot    was    remembered, 
and    volleys    were  fired  in    the    market-place.*' 
The    king's    birthday    was    observed,    and    on 
occasion  even  a  hogshead  of  wine  was  broached 
for  the  people.     The  birth  of  Prince  George 
in  1762,  afterwards  George  IV,  was  the  occasion 
of   a   great    demonstration,    and   the   city   was 
brilliantly  illuminated.**    In  1770,  when  Wilkes 
was  set   free,   the   church   bells   were  rung  at 
intervals  through  the  day.** 

Visits  to  Durham  naturally  increased  in 
number.  We  have  various  accounts  of  short 
visits  paid,  as  recorded  in  private  correspondence 
such  as  the  journey  of  Lord  Harley  in  1725.  He 
describes  the  place  and  a  meeting  with  Rudd  the 
Librarian  and  Master  of  Durham  School,  who 
was  then  occupied  upon  his  index.®"  Twenty 
years  later  Lady  Oxford  passed  through  Dur- 
ham, and  put  up  at  the  Red  Lion  "  in  the  North 
Bailey,  'an  exceeding  good  and  clean  inn.' 
Incidentally  she  says    that    the    cathedral    '  is 

**•  Burney  Newspapers  52,  April  I. 

*i  Ibid. 

*2  Table  Book  quoting  the  Courant,  sub  anno. 

*'  Ibid,  quoting  Ettrick's  Diary. 

**  Cosin's  Corresp.  (Surt.  Soc),  342. 

*«  Table  Book,  1762.  *«  Ibid,  passim. 

*'  Richardson's  Ace.  of  the  Rebellions,  17. 

**  Table  Book,  1753  and  1762. 

*'  Ibid,  sub  anno. 

'o  MSS.  of  Duke  of  Portland  (Hist.  MSS.  Com.),  vii, 


74- 


M  Now  Hatfield  HaU. 


46 


E^lS^nr^iBr^ 


-  "5  -  ^  ^  - 


J 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


now  cleaning  and  repairing.'  ^^  More  elaborate 
printed  accounts  appear  in  books  published  at 
intervals.  The  North  of  England  and  Scotland  in 
1704  describes  the  city  and  speaks  of  the  badly- 
weathered  stone  of  the  cathedral."  In  1720 
Magna  Britannia  gives  valuable  information 
about  the  then  fairly  recent  rebuilding  of  the 
prebendal  houses.**  In  1724  H.  Mell's  New 
Description  of  England  and  Wales  speaks  of  the 
good  trade  and  the  many  gentry  residing  in 
Durham.'*  Pennant's  description  of  Durham 
in  his  Tour  to  Scotland,  1769,  has  often  been 
quoted.  Grose's  Antiquities  with  one  or  two 
pictures  executed  in  1775  gives  some  historical 
details."®  The  Beauties  of  England,  IJJJ,  has 
some  account  of  the  place."'  Sullivan's  Obser- 
vations during  a  tour  through  parts  of  England, 
Scotland,  and  IV ales,  in  a  series  of  Letters  1780  has 
a  gossiping  reference  to  the  city  "*  in  which  he 
says  that  '  some  of  the  inhabitants  .  .  .  com- 
plain of  being  priestridden.'  Allusion  is  made  by 
SuUivan  to  the  banks  of  the  river  :  '  the  good 
people  have  not  been  inattentive  to  their 
improvement . '  "*  Dr.  Spence,  Prebendary  of  Dur- 
ham (1754-68),  has  the  credit  of  laying  out  or 
improving  the  banks.*""  Grimm's  drawings 
taken  about  1790  illustrate  many  interesting  bits 
in  Durham  buildings  and  Durham  life.* 

No  time  of  invasion  or  straitness  afflicted  the 
city  in  the  i8th  century  like  the  Scottish  occupa- 
tion of  former  days.  Life  was  more  secure. 
Yet  more  than  one  trial  befel  the  populace  in 
the  lower  parts  of  the  district.  In  1722,  for 
instance,  there  was  a  severe  flood  long  remem- 
bered as  '  Slater's  Flood.'  There  were  also 
floods  nearly  as  bad  in  1752  and  1753,  but  these 
three  visitations  paled  before  the  calamity  of 
1 771,  which  swept  away  or  greatly  damaged 
most  of  the  bridges  in  the  county,  and  at  Dur- 
ham broke  down  three  arches  from  Elvet  Bridge, 
carried  avs'ay  the  Dean  and  Chapter  Bridge 
(100  yds.  above  the  present  Prebend's  Bridge), 
the  Abbey  Mill  on  the  left  bank,  and  buildings 
on  Framwellgate  Bridge.^  In  the  winter  of 
1739-40  a  severe  frost  continued  for  many 
weeks.     The  ice  on  the  Wear  was  strong  enough 

S2  Portland  MSS.  (Hist.  MSS.  Com.),  vu,  182. 

•3  Op.  cit.  z6. 

M  Cox  and  Hall,  Mag.  Brit,  i,  638. 

»»  Mell's  New  Description,  307. 

'*  Grose's  Antiquities. 

"  Brayley  and  Britton,  Beauties  of  Engl,  ii,  165-6. 

'*  Op.  cit.  Letter  22. 

*"  There  arc  no  trees  shown  on  the  cathedral  side 
of  the  river  about  1700  in  a  picture  at  the  Castle. 
Grose's  Antiquities  shows  none  there  in  1 775. 

100  ^  celebrated  classical  scholar  and  Professor  of 
Modern  History  at  Oxford. 
1  Add.  MSS.  15537-48. 

*  A  tract  by  W.  M.  Egglestone  called  the  Weardale 
Nick-Stick  preserves  a  list  of  local  floods,  t^c. 


to  bear  skaters  from  Durham  to  Chester-le- 
Street,  and  a  fair  was  held  on  the  frozen  river.* 
The  harvest  of  the  following  summer  failed,  and 
food  was  scarce,  entailing  much  suffering  on  the 
poor.  Grain  merchants  in  the  neighbourhood 
took  advantage  of  their  extremity  to  make  a 
'  corner  '  in  wheat  in  Durham  and  in  New- 
castle.* At  the  latter  place  local  riots  broke 
out  which  occasioned  a  good  deal  of  trouble. 
Durham  again  took  no  part  in  the  famous  '45,* 
but  the  billeting  of  soldiers  in  and  near  the 
city  was  once  more  resorted  to.  Local  volun- 
teers were  raised,  and  the  Militia  were  called 
out.  The  Duke  of  Cumberland  hurrying  up 
to  meet  the  Pretender  passed  through  Durham, 
and  the  opportunity  was  taken  by  mayor  and 
corporation  to  escort  the  prince  through  the 
town.*  In  1749  the  great  cattle-plague 
occasioned  a  vast  loss  of  beasts  despite  the 
prompt  measures  taken  in  the  county  generally 
to  check  the  distemper.  Riots  had  attended  the 
first  attempts  to  put  into  force  the  Militia  Act 
of  1757  when  Pitt  made  his  re-entry  upon  office 
conditional  on  the  raising  of  a  territorial  force  to 
repel  invasion.'  This  movement,  however, 
chiefly  affected  counties  south  of  the  Tees,  but 
when  in  1761  local  ballots  were  being  taken, 
resistance  developed,  and  a  meeting  held  in 
Durham  pledged  the  resisters  to  oppose  any 
enlistment  for  service  outside  the  county.* 
Durham  had  no  concern  with  the  spread  of  the 
rebellion  which  presently  took  place  in  North- 
umberland. In  1765  the  first  recorded  coal- 
strike  took  place,  and  lasted  for  several  weeks  ; 
but  although  it  must  have  affected  Durham  city 
it  left  no  permanent  impression.® 

The  city  buildings  bore  the  impress  of  the 
years  now  in  review.  In  1715  the  old  workhouse 
or  factory  on  the  south  of  Elvet  Bridge  con- 
nected with  the  house  of  correction  at  the 
northern  end  **  was  repaired  and  made  over 
to  the  woollen  manufactory  already  mentioned. 
In  1729  the  Neptune  which  still  adorns  the 
present  Pant  was  first  set  up  in  the  centre  of  the 
market  place  beside  the  conduit.**  Rather 
later  than  this  a  good  deal  of  building  was  in 
progress  at  the  castle  when  Bishop  Butler  set 
Sanderson    Miller    to    work    on    the    northern 

'  Table  Book,  sub  anno. 

*  Ibid.  See  I'.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  64.  Cadogan's  life 
of  Romaine  refers  to  the  riots  in  the  county  (op.  cit.  2). 

^  In  fact  one  Swallow,  a  Durham  jeweller,  got 
into  difficulty  for  even  toasting  the  Pretender. 

*  Details  as  for  1715  in  An  .4ccount  of  the  Rebellions 
with  an  account  of  the  local  disposition  of  troops. 

'  Summary  in  Table  Book,  sub  anno. 
8  Ibid.  »  Ibid. 

*"  See  the  order  in  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iv,  56. 
**  Ibid.    The   tradition  is    that  it  signalized  the 
proposed  union   between   Durham   and   the   sea,   as 
recorded  above,  p.  43. 


47 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


terrace  where  the  walls  were  dangerously  out 
of  the  perpendicular.**  In  1752  extensive 
alterations  were  made  in  the  Town  Hall  when 
Mr.  George  Bowes  restored  or  adapted  what  is 
now  the  mayor's  parlour.*^  A  year  or  two  later 
the  members  for  the  city,  Henry  Lambton  and 
John  Tempest,  refaced,  if  they  did  not  entirely 
rebuild,  the  front  of  the  Town  Hall.  In  1760 
the  tower  on  the  city  side  of  Framwellgate 
Bridge,  so  long  one  of  its  main  defences,  was 
pulled  down  in  order  to  give  more  easy  access 
to  Silver  Street.  In  1774  one  of  the  flanking 
towers  to  the  Great  North  Gate  of  the  castle, 
probably  that  towards  the  keep,  fell  in  ruins. 
Possibly  the  tower  had  been  loosened  by  recent 
excavation,  of  which  some  record  exists. 

The  social  life  of  Durham  in  the  i8th  century 
is  pleasantly  illustrated  not  only  by  occasional 
letters  from  bishops,  deans  and  prebendaries, 
which  have  survived,  but  by  diaries.  Jacob 
Bee,  a  skinner  and  glover  of  Crossgate,  who  died 
in  171 1,  has  left  notes  of  local  occurrences  from 
1 68 1  to  1707,  taking  up  the  story  from  the  point 
at  which  Davenport's  correspondence  fails  us. 
He  is  followed  from  1748  to  1778"  by  the 
really  valuable  local  journal  of  Thomas  Gyll, 
Solicitor-General  of  Durham,  and  in  1769 
Recorder  of  the  city.  These  documents,  par- 
ticularly the  latter,  give  a  very  fair  idea  of  the 
atmosphere  of  Durham  life.  The  best  idea, 
however,  may  be  gained  from  the  pages  of 
Sylvestra,  a  novel  published  in  1881,  and  written 
by  Mrs.  Raine  Ellis.  The  authoress,  who  was 
daughter  of  the  well-known  antiquary.  Dr. 
James  Raine,  edited  the  Diary  of  Fanny 
D'Arblay,  and  by  means  of  the  general  knowledge 
of  the  times  acquired  by  this  minute  work,  in 
addition  to  help  gained  from  private  memoranda 
and  correspondence,  has  written  what  is  surely 
a  life-like  portraiture  of  ecclesiastical  Hfe  in 
Durham  in  the  reign  of  George  III.  A  few 
of  the  details  gleaned  from  the  diaries  may  be 
mentioned.  In  1733  the  first  races  were  run 
on  the  Smiddyhaughs,  now  the  University 
cricket  ground.  This  annual  institution  con- 
tinued until  1887  with  little  interruption.  A 
letter   from   James   Gisborne,   a   Durham   pre- 

12  Interesting  correspondence  between  the  bishop 
and  Mr.  Miller  is  referred  to  in  An  Eighteenth-Century 
Correspondence  (ed.  Miss  Dickins  and  Miss  Stanton), 
279.  The  friendship  between  Miller  and  Egerton 
suggests  that  the  period  of  Miller's  influence  at 
Durham  may  have  been  prolonged.  The  particulars 
of  the  decay  in  the  castle  are  in  Add.  MSS.  9815. 

18  Inscription  within  the  room.  Also  recorded  in 
Table  Book. 

**  The  interval  is  partly  filled  by  the  north-country 
allusion  of  John  Thomlinson,  curate  of  Rothbury. 
All  three  diaries  are  printed  and  excellently  annotated 
by  Mr.  J.  Crawford  Hodgson  in  Three  North-Country 
Diaries  (Surt.  Soc). 


bendary  and  rector  of  Staveley,  describes  in  an 
amusing  way  his  stolen  sight  of  the  races  in 
1750,  and  shows  how  the  race-week  was  at  that 
time  an  important  social  event. ^^  In  1735  a 
Durham  paper  was  started  under  the  title  of  the 
Durham  Courant,  but  it  had  an  ephemeral  exist- 
ence." No  copy  of  it  is  known  to  have  sur- 
vived. Conjecture  attributes  it  to  the  first 
Durham  bookseller  of  those  days  whose  name 
has  come  down  to  us,  one  Patrick  Sanderson." 
Dr.  Hunter  the  antiquary  was  a  friend  of  Sander- 
son. In  1749  died  in  the  Bailey  Mme.  Poison  or 
Poisson,  a  Huguenot  refugee,  whose  card- 
parties  were  a  feature  of  life  in  the  Bailey.  In 
1760  '  died  old  Mrs.  Proud  of  the  coffee-house.' 
The  longevity  of  many  Durham  persons  was 
notorious,  and  cathedral  appointments  often 
survived  in  person  or  in  connexion  for  a  great 
number  of  years."  Thus,  Sir  John  Dolben, 
the  last  dignitary  of  Crewe's  nomination,  sur- 
vived until  1756,  closing  the  brief  list  of  the 
prebendaries  who  were  Jacobites  at  heart.  He 
had  been  installed  in  1718.  In  1771  a  small 
theatre  was  opened  in  Saddler  Street.  It  gave 
its  name  to  the  adjoining  vennel  or  passage 
which  was  nicknamed  Drury  Lane  and  is  still 
so  called.  A  document  of  about  this  time,  or 
a  little  earlier,  hints  at  another  side  to  Durham 
life  in  the  thieves  ready  to  make  their  way  into 
the  Baileys  when  bolts  and  bars  were  not  used. 
Hard  by,  too,  were  the  unfortunate  prisoners  in 
the  great  gaol  vnthin  the  north  gate  of  the  castle, 
who  were  visited  by  Howard  in  1774.  His 
account  of  the  prison  is  gloomy  reading,  and 
Neild  thirty  years  later  regards  the  gaol  as 
one  of  the  very  worst .*' 

Eighteenth-century  descriptions  of  Durham 
have  been  mentioned  :  it  remains  to  chronicle 
the  first  local  guide-books  to  the  city.  The 
earliest  yet  noticed  is  the  compilation  of  the 
antiquary  Dr.  Christopher  Hunter,  published 
in  1733,  when  recent  additions  *"  to  the  cathedral 

1"  Printed  in  Derbyshire  Arch.,  and  Nat.  Hist.  Journ. 
v  (1883). 

1*  Table  Booh,  sub  anno. 

1'  Mrs.  Waghorn's  name  appears  in  Durham 
Cathedral  1733  ;  John  Richardson,  bookseller,  bought 
Dr.  Hunter's  Ubrary  in  1749  ;  Sanderson  published 
an  augmented  edition  of  Durham  Cathedral  in  1767. 
See  further,  p.  84. 

1*  In  Mickleton  MS.  xci  ad  fin,  "  case  of  the  copy- 
holders." 

1'  Many  details  are  given  in  Gent.  Mag.  (Ser.  i), 
Ixxv,  987-90  ;  a  summary  in  Engl.  Episcopal  Palaces 
(Province  of  York),  191-4  ;  below,  p.  51. 

2*  The  best  summary  of  the  alteration  attempted 
from  time  to  time  is  given  by  Ormsby  in  his  preface  to 
Services  at  the  Reopening  of  Durham  Cathedral,  1876. 
Dr.  J.  T.  Fowler  gives  a  sketch  of  the  history  of  the 
book  and  its  edition  in  the  introducdon  to  his  text 
with  excellent  notes,  1902  {Rites  of  Dur.  [Surt. 
Soc.]). 


48 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


and,  perhaps,  improved  travelling  may  have 
combined  to  direct  fresh  attention  to  the  build- 
ing. He  took  the  edition  of  the  Rites  of  Durham 
pubHshed  in  1672  by  John  Davies,  of  Kidwelly, 
inserting  some  rather  useful  notes  of  his  own 
in  the  body  of  the  work  and  adding  an  appendix 
containing  notes  of  recent  personages  buried  in 
the  church.  A  reprint  was  issued  in  1743  and 
published  by  John  Richardson.  After  this 
comes  a  larger  edition  of  the  foregoing  under  the 
title  The  Antiquities  of  the  Abbey,  or  Cathedral 
Church  of  Durham.  It  is  a  reprint  of  Hunter's 
work,  notes,  appendix  and  all,  with  a  particular 
description  of  the  Bishopric  or  County  Palatine 
of  Durham  and  a  list  containing  the  names  of 
the  various  officers  of  the  Church  up  to  the  year 
1767,  which  is  the  date  of  the  book,  a  list  of 
eminent  Durham  men  and  other  matters.  The 
description  of  the  county  is  based  upon  the 
Magna  Britannia  of  Cox.  The  editor  of  this 
rather  inaccurate  volume  was  a  local  bookseller 
called  Pat.  Sanderson  at  the  sign  of  Mr.  Pope's 
Head  in  Saddler  Street.-"^  There  is  no  reason 
to  think  that  Dr.  Hunter,  who  left  Durham  in 
1757,'-  had  amthing  to  do  with  this  performance. 
Apparently  no  attempt  was  made  to  improve 
upon  Sanderson's  book  for  many  years.  True, 
a  puff  of  the  Butterby  waters-^  and  of  the 
advantages  of  Durham  as  a  health  resort  had 
been  published  by  Dr.  Wilson  under  the  name 
Spadacrene  Dunelmensis,  but  this  was  not  a 
book  for  visitors.-''  At  length  Robert  Henry 
Allan,  son  of  the  more  famous  George  Allan,  of 
Darlington,  having  come  to  reside  in  Durham, 
renewed  the  line  of  local  antiquaries  interrupted 
by  Dr.  Hunter's  death  in  1783  and  brought  out 
his  Historical  and  Descriptive  View  of  the  City 
of  Durham  and  its  Environs.-^  The  date  is 
1824  and  the  book  is  the  direct  parent  of  all 
subsequent  guides  to  the  city.-^ 

We  may  now  return  from  this  review  to  the 
year  1780,  and  the  new  civic  era  then  inaugurated 
and  so  pass  to  the  modern  period.  The  history 
of  the  years  that  intervene  between  Egerton's 
Charter  and  the  Municipal  Corporations  Act  of 
1835  is  not  marked  by  any  very  startling  events 
of    local    occurrence.     Moreover,   the    internal 

*^  For  these  notes  see  Dr.  Fowler,  Rites  of  Dur. 
(Surt.  Soc),  Introd.  pp.  xiv-xx. 

22  Gyle's  Diary,  sub  anno. 

2'  It  is  quoted  in  Sanderson's  Appendix. 

"Much  later,  in  1807,  Dr.  Clanny,  afterwards  in- 
ventor of  a  safety  lamp,  published  J  History  and 
Analysis  of  the  Mineral  JVaters  of  Butterby  near 
Durham. 

*5  No  doubt  G.  A.  Cooke's  County  of  Durham,  a 
convenient  little  book  with  map  and  itinerary,  pub- 
lished without  date  about  1825,  was  the  chief  through 
guide  for  travellers. 

*'  It  is  reviewed  in  Gent.  Mag.  (New  Ser.),  xvii  (2), 
429. 


record  of  what  did  take  place  is  surprisingly 
meagre.  No  very  active  antiquary  was  at 
work  to  collect  materials.  Cade,  who  lived  in 
Durham  from  about  1775  to  1785,  was  engrossed 
in  speculation  as  to  the  Roman  period.  Hutch- 
inson, who  published  the  first  volume  of  the 
History  and  Antiquities  of  the  County  Palatine  of 
Durham  in  1785,  produced  a  second  volume 
in  1787,  with  a  section  of  320  pages  relating  to 
the  city  and  its  environs,  bringing  it  down  to  the 
issue  of  the  charter  in  1780.  His  subsequent 
researches  until  his  death  in  18 14  had  to  do  with 
localities  and  events  outside  the  city.  Mr. 
R.  H.  AUan  and  Dr.  Raine  the  elder,  when  they 
came  on  the  scene  about  1820,  were  interested 
in  the  more  ancient  Durham,  making  no  col- 
lection for  their  own  days.  Mr.  Robert  Surtees, 
in  his  monumental  History  of  Durham,  is  sur- 
prisingly meagre  in  his  record  of  events  within 
his  own  lifetime.  The  local  newspapers  do  not 
begin  until  1814  and  1820,  from  which  points 
they  are,  of  course,  invaluable.  The  Newcastle 
papers  which  cover  the  obscure  years  have  no 
very  full  tale  to  tell  of  Durham  events.  Our 
transient  glimpses  reveal  a  certain  amount  of 
activity.  A  woollen  factory  was  started  about 
1780  behind  St.  Nicholas'  Church,  apparently 
by  the  Corporation,  and  with  funds  of  which 
they  are  the  trustees.-'  The  premises  comprised 
workrooms  and  a  dye-house.  What  amount  of 
employment  was  given  it  does  not  seem  possible 
to  determine.  The  lessee  was  Mr.  John  Star- 
forth,  under  whose  administration  the  work  went 
forward  until  1809,  when  it  was  given  up  and 
the  premises  were  sold  outright  to  Mr.  Gilbert 
Henderson.  Under  this  gentleman  the  carpet 
industry  was  introduced  in  1814,  giving  some 
repute  for  their  manufacture  to  the  city,  and 
providing  increasing  employment.-*  It  has 
been  already  noticed  that  a  wooUen  manufactory 
had  been  established  by  Elvet  Bridge  in  1715,^ 
and  it  is  probable  that  it  continued  separately. 
In  1796  on  the  south  of  St.  Oswald's  Church, 
Messrs.  George  and  Henry  Salvin  removed  their 
machinery  from  Castle  Eden  and  set  up  a  cotton 
manufactory  and  built  houses  for  their  work- 
people. This  was  the  most  considerable  acces- 
sion to  local  industry  that  had  yet  been  made, 
but  it  had  a  most  unfortunate  ending  in  1804, 
when  the  whole  enterprise  was  ruined  by  fire.^" 
This  disaster  and  the  coincident  decline  of  the 
woollen  manufactory  proved    a  heavy  blow  to 

2'  The  rather  obscure  financial  arrangements  with 
the  Corporation  are  described  by  Carlton  in  his 
Dur.  Char.  9-1 1,  24. 

28  In  1872,  the  date  of  Carlton's  book,  700  persons 
were  employed  in  the  carpet  industry. 

2'  Cf.  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iv,  56. 

**>  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iv,  85,  and  with  more  description 
in  Table  Book  from  the  Newcastle  papers  sub   anno. 


49 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


local  trade.  The  cotton  factory  had  been  set  up, 
no  doubt  with  considerable  anticipation,  in  the 
very  year  that  the  great  canal  and  river  scheme 
was  revived  and  expanded.  The  city,  too,  was 
improving,  for  the  Act  of  1790,^^  however 
imperfectly  administered,  must  have  proved  a 
new  era  in  the  lighting,  paving,  and  general 
amenity  of  the  place.  In  1791  a  new  theatre 
was  opened,  taking  the  place,  it  is  believed,  of 
that  mentioned  above.  In  the  same  year  the 
old  Claypath  gate  was  removed.  Two  years 
later  the  Durham  infirmary,  which  had  been 
established  in  1785,  was  ready  to  receive  patients. 
The  occasion  called  forth  a  great  display  of 
interest  with  a  service  at  the  Cathedral,  a  civic 
procession,  a  public  dinner,  a  special  performance 
of  Cato  at  the  theatre.'^ 

The   French   war    soon    absorbed    attention, 

and  its   echoes  were   heard  even  in   Durham. 

In    1795^'  a   French  privateer  had  landed  its 

crew  on  the  Northumbrian  coast,  raiding  the 

seat  of  Lord  Delaval,  and  recalling  to  men's 

minds  the  incursions  of  Danes  in  far  distant 

times.     In  the  summer,  encampments  of  local 

levies  were  established  at  the  chief  convenient 

spots  for  troops  to  occupy  along  the  coast  line 

or  near  to  it.     In   1797   when    banks    all   over 

the  country  were  feeling  the  strain  caused  by 

small  tradesmen  who  were  eagerly  turning  their 

capital  into  ready  money,  the  Durham  banks 

passed  through  a  most  anxious  time.**    A  run 

on   them   began,  but,  as   was   done   elsewhere, 

local  men  of  means   came  forward  to  inspire 

confidence.^     A   declaration  was    signed   by   a 

large  number  of  gentlemen  from  the  counties  of 

Durham  and  Northumberland  indicating  their 

willingness  to  take  banknotes  from  all  the  banks 

in  Durham,  Newcastle,  and  Sunderland.     Paper 

money,  save  for  sums  under  £1,  came  in  this 

way  to  be  the  means  of  exchange  for  some  years. 

In  1798,  when  the  fear  of  invasion  paralysed  the 

land,  armed  associations  were  formed  in  various 

places.     In  Durham  500  men  offered  themselves, 

and  of  these  300  were  chosen  and  embodied 

under  Col.  Fenwick.^    Their  colours,  presented 

by  Lady  Millbank,  were  given  some  years  later 

to  the  University  of  Durham,"  and  still  hang 

in  the  Castle  Hall.     A  body  of  cavalry  was  also 

raised,  and  the  two  corps  remained  under  arms 

until  the  treaty  of  Amiens  in  1802  brought  a 

temporary   peace.     The    bad    harvest    of    1799 

aggravated  the  miserable  condition  of  the  poor 

in  the  city.     A  time  of  great  poverty  followed,  so 

'^  See  above,  p.  5. 

32  Table  Book,  sub  anno. 

33  Ibid. 

3*  Ibid,  iub  anno. 

35  For  the  general  position  cf.  Hunt,  Political  Hist. 
387. 
^  Table  Book,  1798. 
3'  Minutes  of  Senate. 


that  in  1800  a  public  soup  kitchen  was  opened 
to  relieve  the  distress.3'* 

The  war  began  again  after  the  few  months' 
luU  in  1803.  The  local  volunteers  were  called 
out  again  in  November,38  and  were  not  dis- 
banded for  ten  years.  The  anxious  months 
dragged  on,  and  in  February  1804  tension 
became  acute.  In  Durham  arrangements  were 
all  complete  for  the  volunteers  to  assemble 
within  two  hours  of  summons  on  Palace  Green. 
A  series  of  beacons  was  arranged,  Gateshead 
signalling  to  Pittington  Hill,  and  Pittington 
to  Durham. 38  Otherwise,  too,  it  was  a 
gloomy  year  in  the  city,  the  cotton  factory  hav- 
ing been  burnt  down  in  January,  throwing  many 
out  of  employment.  Gradually,  however,  the 
immediate  fear  of  invasion  began  to  abate, 
though  the  clouds  did  not  disperse  for  a  long 
time. 

Meanwhile,  some  attention  had  been  directed 
to  Durham  in  no  very  enviable  way.  John 
Carter,  the  celebrated  architectural  draughts- 
man employed  by  the  Society  of  Antiquaries, 
had  visited  Durham  in  1795.  The  dean 
and  chapter,  who  had  been  carrying  out  the 
extensive  repairs  begun  in  1776,  called  in  the 
aid  of  Wyatt  in  1798.  His  extraordinary  pro- 
posals, of  which  the  draft  may  still  be  seen  in 
the  Dean  and  Chapter  Library,  were  fortunately 
never  fully  carried  out.  He  left  his  mark, 
however,  on  the  building,  introducing  what 
Carter  scornfuUy  called  '  his  alterations  and 
modern  conveniences.' 

Men's  minds  were  at  the  time  full  of  the 
French  war,  but  even  so  the  publicity  of  the 
Gentleman' s  Magazine  gave  the  work  done  at 
Durham  wide  notoriety.''"  Public  opinion, 
however,  in  days  of  slow  communication,  was 
not  formed  quickly  enough  to  prevent  the 
destruction  of  the  revestry  with  its  mediaeval 
furniture.  It  was  puUed  down  in  the  very  year 
that  Carter's  letters  appeared. 
The    same    magazine    which    published    the 

3'"  The  bishop  made  a  public  appeal  {Gent.  Mag. 
Ixix,  1079). 

3«  A  sermon  preached  before  the  delivery  of  the 
colours  to  the  Durham  Volunteer  Infantry,  1803,  by 
Archdeacon  Bouyer  was  published.  This  delivery 
seems  to  mean  re-delivery.  Col.  Fenwick  resigned 
his  command,  which  was  taken  by  Mr.  Shipperdson. 

3'  The  interesting  arrangements  are  described  in 
Arch.  Ael.  v,  163. 

**  Carter  exhibited  his  drawings  to  the  Society  of 
Antiquaries  in  and  from  1797,  taking  a  view  a  week  at 
their  meetings.  His  book  on  Durham  was  published 
in  1801.  Wyatt's  work  being  at  that  time  well  in 
progress,  Carter,  in  his  interesting  series  of  letters 
on  the  Cathedral  given  in  the  Gent.  Mag.  for  1802, 
explained  to  the  world  what  Wyatt  was  doing  (op. 
cit.  Ixxi,  1091  ;  Ixxii,  30,  133,  135  (Wyatt's  plan), 
228,  399,  494).  In  Ibid.  Ixxii,  327,  '  A.L.  '  describes 
from  eye-witness  the  work  of  Wyatt  up  to  1800. 


50 


CITY  OF   DURHAM 


doings  of  Wyatt  gave  further  notoriety  to 
Durham,  as  stated  above,  owing  to  the  con- 
dition of  the  gaol,  parts  of  which  Neild  described 
as  '  amongst  the  very  worst  in  the  idngdom.'  "^ 
There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  local  conscience 
was  touched.  It  was  proposed  to  remove  the 
prisoners  from  Langley's  gaol  to  a  new  site. 
The  scheme  went  farther,  for  it  was  decided 
to  built  new  courts  as  well  as  a  new  prison. 
The  County  House  or  Assize  Courts,  an  in- 
convenient building  restored  by  Cosin,^  was 
to  be  transferred  to  Old  Elvet,  where,  in  1809, 
with  full  masonic  ritual,  and  in  the  presence 
of  the  bishop  and  others,  the  foundation  stone 
was  laid.^'  The  building  was  opened  in  181 1, 
but  the  gaol  was  not  finally  ready  until  1819.** 
The  year  1809  was  also  memorable  for  the 
jubilee  of  George  III,  when  large  munificence 
was  shown  to  the  poor.''*  On  this  occasion 
it  was  estimated  that  1,000  poor  families  were 
helped,  the  number,  if  correct,  indicating  the 
strain  and  poverty  of  the  times.''*  And,  indeed, 
the  shadow  of  trouble  was  never  very  far  distant. 
Colliery  riots  broke  out  in  the  autumn  of  the 
jubilee  year.  The  old  gaol  and  the  house  of 
correction  at  Durham  overflowed  with  prisoners, 
until  some  were  drafted  off  to  be  guarded  by 
the  volunteers  in  the  Castle  stables."" 

The  end  of  the  war,  as  it  was  thought  to  be, 
in  1814,  was  hailed  with  delight.  A  great 
illumination  marked  the  celebration  of  the 
Allies'  entry  into  Paris,  and  Buonaparte  was 
burned  in  effigy  in  the  market-place.''*  A  few 
months  later  the  first  number  of  the  Durham 
County  Advertiser  was  published  in  Durham. 
It  had  been  originally  the  Newcastle  Advertiser, 
but  was  nowtransferred  to  Durham.  The  printer 
and  publisher  was  Mr.  Francis  Humble."**  The 
acute  suffering  that  followed  the  peace  of  181 5 
does  not  seem  to  have  been  so  much  felt  in 
Durham  as  in  some  other  parts.  With  the 
accession  of  George  IV  began  those  discussions 
and  debates  which  a  few  years  later  bore  fruit 
in  the  ecclesiastical  and  civil  changes  of  the 
thirties,  changes  which  brought  in  an  entirely 
new  Durham.  They  came,  however,  from 
without,  and  were  forced  upon  the  city  to  a 
great   extent,   and   there   is   little   evidence   of 

*1  See  above,  p.  48. 

*2  See  above,  p.  40. 

*3  Table  Book,  sub  anno.  "  Ibid. 

**  Dur.  Advertiser. 

*^  Table  Book,  sub  anno. 

*'  Ibid.  Oct.  1809.  Colliery  troubles  did  not 
affect  Durham  directly,  but  indirectly,  in  lowered 
markets  and  fairs,  the  effect  was  considerable.  The 
last  great  time  of  colliery  strikes  had  been  in  1793. 

^8  Table  Book,  Apr.  18 14. 

**  Mumble's  office  was  just  outside  the  gaol-gate 
in  Saddler  Street,  and  is  now  represented  by  the 
Advertiser  office  vnth  its  enlarged  premises. 


active  and  sympathetic  agitation  within  for 
such  a  complete  reshaping  of  the  municipality, 
and  of  the  cathedral  establishment,  as  the  reign 
of  William  IV  brought  in.^°  The  population 
was  increasing.  The  war,  perhaps,  and  certainly 
the  failure  of  local  manufacturers  reduced  the 
numbers  by  nearly  800  between  1801  and  i8ii,but 
from  the  latter  year  they  rose  again  rapidly  until  in 
1821  they  were  over  9,800,  an  average  increase 
of  300  a  year  since  the  census  of  181 1.  The 
augmentation  must  have  been  in  the  poorer 
districts,  as  there  is  no  evidence  of  wide  building 
operations  on  the  peninsula.** 

The  coming  changes  were  heralded  almost 
significantly  by  a  series  of  local  alterations. 
Then  in  1820  the  great  North  Gate  of  the 
Castle,  which  spanned  the  top  of  Saddler  Street, 
was  removed,  the  apartments  used  for  the  gaol 
being  no  longer  necessary.*^  In  the  same  year, 
the  old  county  house  of  Bishop  Cosin's  time*' 
was  pulled  down,  all  assize  business  being  now 
transferred  to  the  new  centre  in  Old  Elvet. 
Bishop  Barrington  erected  on  the  site  a  diocesan 
registry  office  partly  at  his  own  expense,  and 
partly  by  subscription."  In  1823  gas-works 
were  erected  below  Framvvellgate  bridge,  the 
lighting  of  the  streets  constituting  a  new  epoch 
in  the  historyof  the  city**  when  it  was  introduced 
in  the  following  year.  In  1825  a  local  event 
of  even  greater  importance  took  place  in  the 
opening  of  the  Stockton  and  Darlington  railway, 
the  county,  if  not  the  city,  leading  the  way 
in  the  new  enterprise.  Nineteen  years,  how- 
ever, passed  before  Durham  itself  was  linked 
with  the  outer  world  by  a  railway  of  its  own.** 
In  1827  a  further  revolution  was  inaugurated 
when  the  London  General  Steam  Navigation 
Company  began  regular  steam  communication 
between  the  Tyne  and  the  Thames.*'  It  was, 
perhaps,  characteristic  of  the  new  spirit  that 
was  now  spreading  when  the  dean  and  chapter 
in  1827  gave  permission  to  Mr.  James  Raine 
to  open  the  grave  of  St.  Cuthbert  in  order  to 
dissipate  the  myth  as  to  the  body  of  St.  Cuthbert. 
Scott's  Marmion  had  aroused  interest  in  1808, 
and  this  was  further  spread  by  the  opening  of 
St.  Cuthbert's  church  in  Old  Elvet  at  the  end 
of  May  1827.  Raine's  conclusions  as  published 
by  him  in  1828  were  vigorously  opposed  by 
Dr.    Lingard    and    Archbishop    E)Te,    and    the 

*"  For  the  spirit  in  the  country  at  large,  of.  Van 
Milvert,  Sermons  and  Charges,  525. 

**  Statistics  in  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iv,  13,  and  in  detail 
V.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  273. 

*2  See  above,  p.  2. 

*'  See  above,  p.  40. 

**  The  building  bears  his  arms.  Public  subscrip- 
tions were  asked,  but  it  is  not  clear  how  this  was  done. 

**  See  above,  p.  5. 

**  See  above,  p.  4. 

*'  Table  Book,  sub  anno. 


51 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


controversy  was  reopened  in  1900.^  The  shrine 
of  Bede  was  examined  in  1830,  and  the  present 
inscription  on  the  slab  was  added  in  1831.^' 
One  or  two  other  contemporary  alterations 
may  be  mentioned.  In  1828  the  approach  to 
Framwellgate  bridge  was  improved,  and  the 
old  battlements  were  taken  down.*"  In  1829 
the  cathedral  churchyard  was  levelled,  the  earth 
being  removed  to  the  western  end,  and  helping 
to  form  the  rise  in  the  ground  which  is  so 
observable.*'  In  the  autumn  a  public  meeting 
in  Durham  proposed  the  construction  of  a  new 
road  from  Framwellgate  bridge  towards  Dry- 
burn.  The  immediate  occasion  was  the  rumour 
of  a  plan  to  run  a  road  from  Farewell  Hall  on 
the  Darlington  Road  to  Neville's  Cross,  which 
would  divert  traffic  on  the  Great  North  Road 
from  the  city.  It  was  urged  that  the  menace 
to  trade  and  property  was  considerable.*-  Event- 
ually King  Street  *^  was  formed,  and  was  opened 
in  1 83 1,  so  called  in  the  coronation  year  from 
King  William  IV.  It  did  not,  however,  obviate 
the  making  of  the  road  from  Farewell  Hall. 

These  last  matters  were  coincident  with  the 
Reform  agitation.  Durham  itself  did  not  rise 
to  any  great  enthusiasm.  At  the  outset,  the 
cholera  scare  checked  it,  and  although  the  city 
did  not  suffer,  the  very  severe  visitation  at 
Newcastle  and  in  Sunderland**  brought  fear 
to  the  inhabitants.  The  fast  day  in  1832  was 
observed  in  the  city  with  great  sincerity.*^  The 
protest  meeting,  which  was  held  in  Old  Elvet, 
after  the  Lords'  rejection  of  the  Reform  Bill 
a  few  months  earher,  was  a  highly  decorous 
affair,  though  attended  by  more  than  8,000 
persons.**  So  was  a  second  meeting  held 
after  the  resignation  of  the  Ministry  in 
May  1832,*'  and  a  third  in  June.**  Mean- 
while, the  dean  and  chapter  by  an  Act  of 
chapter  in  1831  had  approved  the  foundation  of  a 
university,  and  the  bill  received  the  royal  assent 
in  July  1832,  whilst  the  charter  bears  date 
1837.  It  will  still  be  debated  by  some  whether 
the  new  foundation  endowed  by  dean  and  chap- 
ter and  bishop  was  a  sop  to  Cerberus,  or  the 
long  deferred  realization  of  a  plan  which  was 
as  old  as  the  days  of  Henry  VIII.**  From  the 
point  of  view  of  the  city  at  large,  it  was  hailed 
with  great  satisfaction,  and  it  must  be  admitted 

**  V.C.H.  Dur.  i,  250.  See  Dr.  Fowler's  account 
in  Arch.  lix.  Canon  Brown's  articles  in  the  Ushaw 
Magazine  on  '  Where  is  St.  Cuthbert's  Body  ?  ' 
give  the  sceptical  view. 

*9  Arch.  Ael.  iv,  26. 

*"  Table  Book,  sub  anno. 

"  Sykes,  Local  Rec.  ii,  385. 

*^  Table  Book,  sub  anno. 

*'  Now  North  Road. 

**  Sykes,  Local  Rec.  ii,  322-33.  *^  Ibid.  347. 

6*  Ibid.  333.  «7  Ibid.  358.  «8  Ibid.  366. 

«»  F.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  72. 


that  the  scale  of  expense  for  many  years  must 
have  brought  considerable  profit  to  local  trade.™ 
Builders,  furnishers,  purveyors,  tailors,  and 
others  all  received  benefit  from  the  new  in- 
stitution." The  rapid  increase  of  railway 
communication  after  a  very  few  years  rather 
damped  the  hopes  of  the  promoters  of  the 
scheme,  who  expected  the  new  university  to 
rival  the  older  foundations  of  Oxford  and 
Cambridge,  not  only  in  learning,  but  in  numbers. 
These  years  which  saw  the  birth  of  the 
university,  and  the  altered  scheme  of  cathedral 
establishment,  also  witnessed  the  inauguration 
of  the  modern  civic  constitution  under  the 
Municipal  Reform  Act.  From  this  point  we 
started  for  this  general  chronological  review 
of  Durham  history,  and  with  it  we  now  conclude 
our  survey.  We  have  seen  the  boundary 
commission  of  1832  and  its  provisions.  In 
1833  ^  fresh  commission  was  appointed,  in 
that  epoch  of  commissions,  to  carry  out  an 
exhaustive  inquiry  into  local  conditions.  Two 
years  were  occupied  in  this  thorough  investiga- 
tion of  the  various  municipalities.  The  report 
made  curious  disclosures.  The  dependence  of 
the  city  upon  the  bishop  was  now  regarded 
as  an  anachronism,  and,  unless  Durham  were 
to  be  excepted  from  the  unifying  procedure 
recommended  by  the  commission,  the  annexation 
of  the  palatine  jurisdiction  to  the  crown  was 
bound  to  follow  the  provisions  of  the  Municipal 
Corporations  Act.  The  most  important  clauses 
in  modifying  the  old  constitution  are  the  follow- 
ing. The  corporation  was  no  longer  styled 
'  Mayor,  Aldermen,  and  Commonalty  of  the 
City  of  Durham  and  Framwellgate,'  but 
'  Mayor,  Aldermen,  and  Burgesses  of  the  City 
of  Durham.'  '^  The  Aldermen  were  now  to  be 
six,  the  Councillors  eighteen,  and  there  were  to 
be  three  wards.  The  time-honoured  Mayor's 
day  was  changed  to  9  November.  Constables 
superseded  the  old  arrangement  of  1790  and 
1822.  A  police-office  was  erected.  A  com- 
mission of  peace  for  the  borough  was  formed. 
A  clerk  of  the  peace  was  appointed.  The 
Reform  Act  had  given  the  franchise  to  many 
who  were  not  freemen  of  the  city.  The  latter 
were  confirmed  in  their  electoral  privileges, 
and  in  such  property  right  as  they  had  prior 
to  the  passing  of  the  Act.  All  gift  or  purchase 
of  the  freedom  of  the  city  gilds  was  abolished. 

'"  The  report  of  the  Commission  of  1863  gives 
some  details  as  to  the  general  scale  of  living. 

'1  The  old  and  ruined  keep,  uninhabited  since 
the  days  of  Bishop  Fox  (1501),  was  rebuilt  1839-41, 
and  fitted  with  rooms  for  undergraduates.  Verdant 
Green,  written  by  a  Durham  graduate  with  the 
sobriquet  Cuthbert  Bede  (note  the  Durham  names), 
but  really  Edward  Bradley,  was  originally  a  picture  of 
Durham  life,  but  was  adapted  by  the  author  to  Oxford. 

'2  Stat.  5  &  6  Will.  IV,  cap.  76. 


52 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


All  the  old  exclusive  trade-rights  of  the  gilds 
were  swept  away,  and  by  this  one  blow  a  most 
characteristic  piece  of  Durham  history  ceased 
to  exist." 

In  fact  the  Municipal  Corporation  Act 
metamorphosed  the  city  in  its  civic  aspect. 
Next  year,  the  annexation  of  the  palatine  juris- 
diction to  the  crown  '■•  terminated  the  temporal 
powers  of  the  bishop,  though  the  Act  made 
it  clear  that  the  sovereign  did  not  abolish,  but 
assumed  for  himself  those  powers.'*  Accordingly 
the  king  is  to-day  Comes  Palatinus  and  the  city 
of  Durham,  as  capital  of  the  palatinate,  stands 
in  unique  relation  to  the  monarch.'*  All  this 
legislation  was  rounded  off  by  the  various 
acts  considered  elsewhere "  which  so  greatly 
altered  the  old  ecclesiastical  status  in  Durham. 

Under  the  Municipal 
JURISDICTIONS  Corporations  Act  1835 
Durham  was  made  up 
of  a  series  of  jurisdictions  built  round  the 
central  castle  area  over  which  the  constable  held 
sway.  To  the  north  of  the  castle  lay  the 
Bishop's  borough,  with  its  suburb  of  Framwell- 
gate  across  the  Wear.  East  of  the  Bishop's 
borough  lay  the  borough  of  Gilesgate — formerly 
subject  to  Kepier  Hospital — whilst  within  that 
borough  lay  St.  Mary  Magdalen,  a  separate 
jurisdiction  subject  to  the  convent.  Elvct  (both 
borough  and  barony)  and  the  old  borough  of 
Crossgate  on  the  other  side  of  the  Wear,  which 
were  subject  to  the  convent,  complete  the  juris- 
dictions. 

Taking  first  the  CASTLE  AREA,  it  may  be 
remarked  that  the  term  '  the  castle '  is  now 
restricted  to  the  buildings  at  the  northern  end 
of  the  cathedral  plateau  occupied  by  University 
College,  but  in  the  Middle  Ages  the  whole  of  this 
plateau  was  called  '  the  castle.'  Though  the 
North  and  South  Baileys  might  be  included  as 
part  of  '  the  city '  they  stoutly  resisted  any 
attempt  to  treat  them  as  part  of  the  borough. 
There  is  no  trace  of  any  such  attempt  before 
the  Dissolution,  but  when,  in  the  17th  century, 
the  mayor  and  corporation  of  the  borough  were 
gradually  extending  their  influence  through  the 
medium  of  the  gilds,  the  bishop  found  it 
necessary  to  make  an  order  restraining  the 
mayor  from  coming  with  his  halberts  above  the 
Gaol  Gates,  otherwise  called  the  North  Gate 
of  the  castle.     Above  these  gates  he  asserted 


"  After  the  suit  mentioned  above  (p.  42),  the 
history  of  the  gilds  is  hard  to  follow  on  the  trade  side. 
Probably  the  old  regulations  fell  into  desuetude. 

'*  See  Lapsley,  op.  cit.  204 ;   V.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  73. 

"  The  Act  {36^7  WiU.  IV,  cap.   19. 

"  This  King  George  V  recognized  in  191 3  by  his 
grant  of  a  sword  to  the  city. 

"  F.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  73-4. 


they  had  no  '  magisterial '  or  other  jurisdiction 
and  the  inhabitants  of  this  privileged  area  were 
subject  to  the  constable  of  the  castle  and  to  his 
court.* 

The  North  and  South  Baileys  form  a  street 
with  houses  on  the  western  side  abutting  on 
the  road  on  the  one  side  and  on  the  castle  wall 
on  the  other.  Originally  these  houses  were  part 
of  the  estate  of  the  bishop's  principal  military 
tenants — the  barons  of  the  bishopric — who 
were  responsible  for  the  defence  of  the  castle. 
It  was,  however,  the  estates  outside  the  city  of 
Durham  which  carried  the  burden  of  castle- 
ward,  not  the  houses  in  the  Bailey.  Thus, 
when,  in  the  13th  and  14th  centuries,  these 
houses  were  sold,  the  vendors  reserved  accom- 
modation for  themselves  and  their  horses  when 
they  had  to  do  their  turn  of  duty  in  the  castle. 

In  an  inquisition  on  the  death  of  Jordan  de 
Dalden  in  1348  it  is  stated  that  his  houses  in 
the  Bailey  were  held  of  the  bishop  by  barony 
like  the  other  houses  in  the  Bailey.^  A  typical 
reservation  of  accommodation — a  chamber  and 
stabling  for  four  horses — will  be  found  in 
Reginald  Bassett's  conveyance  of  his  house  in 
the  Bailey  to  the  convent  at  the  beginning  of  the 
13th  century.^  Many  of  the  families  mentioned 
in  the  1166  return  of  knights' fees  can  be  traced 
as  owners  of  houses  in  the  Bailey,  namely, 
Dalden,*  Fishburn,*  Fitz  Meldred,*  Amunde- 
ville,'  Hilton,*  Foletebe,*  EscoUand,"  Basset," 
Lumley,i2  Eppleden,"  Brumtoft,"  Mon- 
boucher,"  Dragon,**  Ralph  Fitz  Roger,"  Kel- 
lawe,**  BruninghilP'  and  Conyers.^o 

The  Palace  Green  between  the  castle  and  the 
cathedral  was  the  centre  of  the  Palatinate 
administration.     As  we  have  already  seen,-*  the 

*  There  are  two  cases  on  the  subject,  one  in  1674 
(Durh.  Reg.  Com.  P.R.O.  bdle.  52,  Durh.  Reg.  Orders, 
Vol.  M  (3),  f.  289)  dealing  with  the  question  of  suit  to 
the  borough  mill,  and  the  other  about  1699  {Arch. 
Adiana,  ii,  N.S.,  208)  deals  with  a  question  of  building 
by  '  foreigners.' 

2  Randall  MS.  i,  45. 

*  Feod.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surtees  Soc),  196. 
«  Randall  MS.  i,  45. 

s  Durh.  Treas.  Cart,  ii,  f.  264. 

*  Feod.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surtees  Soc),  196. 

'  Ibid.   197.  8  Ibid.  »  Ibid.  195. 

10  Ibid.  196.  1*  Ibid. 

*»  Durh.  Treas.  Cart,  ii,  f.  266. 

IS  Ibid. 

1*  Surtees,  Hist.  Durh.  iv,  162. 

15  Ibid. 

*«  Durh.  Treas.  i,  16  spec.  45.  "  Ibid.  57. 

18  Ibid.  62.  This  deed  indicates  that  at  the  end 
of  the  13th  century  during  time  of  war  the  period 
of  service  was  40  days. 

19  Durh.  Treas.  Cart,  ii,  267. 

20  Inq.  p.m.  Simon  Lane,  5  Hatfield;  Randall 
MS.  i,  50. 

21  See  above,  p.  24. 


Si 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


courts,**  the  Exchequer,  the  Gaol  and  the  Mint 
were  all  situated  there,  and  later,  in  the  17th 
century,  when  the  county  began  to  return 
members  to  Parliament,  the  elections  took  place 
on  the  Palace  Green.** 

The  government  of  this  area  appears  to  have 
been  vested  in  the  constable  of  the  castle.  In 
an  order  of  5  September  1674  ^^  '^  stated  that 
'  the  North  and  South  Baileys  are  within  the 
Guard  and  Precinct  of  the  castle  of  Durham 
and  the  inhabitants  thereof  have  done  suit  at 
the  court  held  within  the  said  castle  by  castle- 
guard  tenure  and  never  appeared  at  the  city 
courts  or  did  any  service  there.'  ** 

At  the  beginning  of  the  19th  century  the 
first  great  change  was  made  when  the  courts 
and  the  gaol  were  transferred  to  Elvet,  whither 
the  whole  of  the  county  administration  offices 
have  gradually  been  transferred.  The  Palace 
Green  is  now  the  centre  of  activity  of  the 
Durham  section  of  the  University  of  Durham. 

The  BOROUGH  OF  DURHAM"^  before  the 
Municipal  Corporations  Act  1835,  included  the 
parish  of  St.  Nicholas  and  part  of  Framwellgate, 
viz.,  '  both  sides  of  the  street  from  the  Clock 
Mill  at  the  foot  of  Crossgate  to  the  cross  at  the 
head  of  that   street  (Framwellgate)  leading  to 

**  When  the  first  regular  court  house  was  built 
is  unknown.  It  is  evident  from  the  '  Attestationes 
Testium  '  in  connection  with  the  '  Convenit '  that 
no  regular  court  house  existed  at  the  beginning  of  the 
13th  century.     Feod.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc),  252. 

«  Mickleton  MS.  f.  94d,  106,  I22d. 

**  Durh.  Rec.  Entry  Bks. Decrees  andOrders,  bdle.4, 
no.  3,  f.  289. 

^^  The  materials  for  the  history  of  the  borough  of 
Durham  are  unfortunately  somewhat  meagre.  With 
the  exception  of  the  charters  and  some  recent 
minute  hooks,  the  whole  of  the  corporation  papers 
have  disappeared.  It  seems  that  during  the  19th 
century  a  corporation  official  who  had  custody  of  the 
missing  documents  had  a  dispute  with  the  corporation 
as  to  certain  fees  and  claimed  that  he  had  a  hen  on 
the  documents  in  question.  The  dispute  was  not 
settled,  and  every  effort  to  trace  the  missing  papers, 
which  apparently  remained  in  the  hands  of  the  official, 
has  been  unsuccessful.  The  Dean  and  Chapter 
Treasury  contains  a  considerable  number  of  13th 
and  14th  century  deeds  relating  to  houses  in  the 
borough  belonging  to  the  convent ;  also  a  paper  book 
of  the  time  of  Bishop  Booth  containing  {inter  alia) 
copies  of  leases  of  the  borough,  the  mill  and  the 
furnace.  The  main  source  of  Information,  however, 
is  the  Exchequer  Depositions  (Durh.  East.  8  Jas.  I, 
no.  41),  taken  in  connection  with  a  dispute  between 
Bishop  James  and  the  corporation  at  the  beginning  of 
the  17th  century  (see  above,  p.  35).  Occasional  re- 
ferences are  to  be  found  in  the  Mickleton  MS. 
in  Bishop  Cosin's  Library,  Durham,  and  we  have  to 
thank  Dr.  H.  H.  E.  Craster  for  a  reference  to  Carte 
MS.  129  (ff.  250-284),  where  a  number  of  documents 
relating  to  the  government  of  the  borough  In  the  17th 
century  are  copied. 


Newcastle  by  the  bounder  of  the  burgages  and 
garths  thereunto  adjoining,'**  i.e.,  Framwellgate 
from  its  junction  with  Milburngate  to  the  cross 
which  formerly  stood  at  the  point  where  Side- 
gate  diverges  from  the  old  road  to  Newcastle. 
On  the  right  bank  of  the  river  the  boundaries  are 
clear,  namely,  the  castle  on  the  south,  Gilesgate 
on  the  east  and  the  river  on  the  other  sides. 

In  the  case  of  Framwellgate  the  exact  area 
within  the  jurisdiction  is  uncertain.  It  would 
appear  that  Sidegate  was  without  the  borough, 
but  whether  Castle  Chare,  formerly  an  important 
exit  from  the  town  to  Witton  Gilbert  and 
Lanchester,  was  within  or  without  the  borough 
seems  doubtful.  Generally  speaking,  the 
borough  may  be  described  as  the  Market 
Place*'  and  the  streets  leading  out  of  it. 

It  is  not  known  when  the  borough  came  into 
existence,  but  as  early  as  11 30  it  was  sufficiently 
wealthy  to  pay  a  fine  of  loa;.**  The  fact  that 
the  pasture  area  for  the  borough  burgages  lay 
across  the  river  at  Framwellgate  seems  to  indi- 
cate that  it  was  established  subsequent  to  11 12 
when  Bishop  Flambard  founded  Kepier  Hos- 
pital, and  endowed  it  with  Gilesgate  Moor, 
which  otherwise  would  have  been  the  natural 
position  for  the  borough  pastures.** 

The  conjecture  that  the  borough  was  founded 
by  Bishop  Flambard  is  strengthened  by  the 
facts  that  he  cleared  the  population  from  Palace 
Green,  and  had  to  find  accommodation  for  it 
elsewhere,  and  he  built  Framwellgate  Bridge, 
which  gives  ready  access  to  the  borough  pastures. 

The  first  charter  to  the  burgesses  of  Durham 
was  that  granted  by  Bishop  Pudsey  in  or  before 
the  year  1179.     The  text  is  as  follows*": — 

Hugo  dei  gratia  Dunelm'  Episcopus  Omnibus 
homlnibus  totius  episcopatus  sui  clerlcls  et  lalcls 
Francis  et  Anglls  Salutem,  Sciatis  nos  concesslsse  et 
presentl  carta  confirmasse  Burgenslbus  nostrls  de 
Dunelmo  quod  slnt  Uberi  et  quiet!  a  consuetudine 
quae  dlcltur  Intol  et  uttol  et  de  merchetls  et  herietls 

*'  Exch.  Depos.  ut  supra. 

*'  The  Market  Place  Is  bounded  by  St.  Nicholas 
Church  on  its  northern  side  and  may  originally  have 
been  the  churchyard  which  gradually  became  more 
and  more  devoted  to  trade.  It  was  in  the  Market 
Place  that  the  Tolbooth,  the  centre  of  the  borough 
administration,  stood. 

*8  Hunter,  Mag.  Rot.  Scacc.  (Rec.  Com.),  130. 

**  It  is  not  possible  now  to  ascertain  where  the 
arable  area  attached  to  the  burgages  lay ;  a  certain 
amount  of  land  would  be  available  between  Claypath 
and  the  river,  and  in  addition  there  was  land  at  the 
south  end  of  Framwellgate  Moor,  but  most  of  this 
was  held  In  connection  with  extra-burghal  holdings. 

^  The  charter,  with  the  bishop's  seal  attached, 
is  in  the  custody  of  the  corporation.  There  is  a 
copy  in  the  Durh.  Treas.  Reg.  ii,  pt.  2,  f.  3. 
We  have  to  express  our  thanks  to  the  late  Mr.  F. 
Marshall,  the  town  clerk,  for  permission  to  copy  the 
charter. 


54 


CITY  OF   DURHAM 


et  ut  habeant  omnes  liberas  consuetudines  sicut 
burgenses  de  Novo  Castello  melius  et  honorabilius 
habent.  Testibus,  Radulpho  Haget  viecomite, 
Gilleberto  Hansard,  Henrico  de  Puteaco,  Johanne 
de  Amunde ville,  Rogero  de  Coisncres,  Jordano 
EscoUant,  Thoma  filio  Willelmi,  Gaufrido  filio 
Ricardi,  Alexandre  de  Helton,  Willelmo  de  Laton, 
Osberto  de  Hetton,  Gaufiido  de  Torp,  Ranulpho  de 
Fisseburn,  Ricardo  de  Parco,  Michaeli  filio  Briennii, 
Ricardo  de  Puntcardum,  Radulpho  Bassett,  Rogero, 
Philippo  filio  Hamonis,  Rogero  de  Epplindina, 
Patrico  de  Ufferton  et  multis  aliis. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  the  deed  does  not 
create  the  borough  but  merely  grants  certain 
mercantile  and  other  pecuniary  privileges  and 
contains  no  reference  to  any  right  of  self-govern- 
ment. It  might  be  thought  that  the  grantees 
were  the  members  of  a  gild  merchant,  but  of 
the  existence  of  such  a  body  there  is  no  evi- 
dence.^i  Of  the  privileges  granted,  the  freedom 
from  toll  was  probably  the  most  important. 
According  to  a  note  of  somewhat  later  date  the 
tolls  exacted  in  the  palatinate  were — '  at  Chester- 
le-Street  from  those  coming  from  the  south  and 
at  Sunderland  from  the  north  ;  at  Wolsingham, 
Rainton,  Houghton  and  Sedgefield  from  those 
travelling  north  and  at  Norton  from  those 
travelling  south,  and  at  Grindon  Moor  from  all 
directions.'  The  note  finishes  '  apud  Dunelm 
veniunt  quieti  et  ibi  dabunt  tolnetum  et  capient 
signa.'^^ 

Unlike  the  charter  to  Wearmouth,  also 
granted  by  Pudsey,  the  customs  of  Newcastle 
are  not  set  out.^^  The  adaptation  of  the  New- 
castle clauses  in  the  Wearmouth  charter  to 
meet  the  conditions  of  the  Palatinate  should  be 
noted  as  likely  to  apply  also  to  Durham — especi- 
ally the  '  appeal '  clause  which  permits  the 
burgess  to  defend  himself  '  per  legem  civilem, 
scilicet,  per  xxxvi  homines.'^  The  Wear- 
mouth charter  is  also  of  interest  as  indicating 
the  rights  of  the  burgesses  of  Durham  to  take 
both  timber  and  firewood  under  conditions  not 
specified  in  that  charter.  The  Gateshead 
charter,  also  granted  by  Pudsey,*'  contains 
elaborate  provisions  limiting  the  right  to  wood 
required  for  use  and  not  for  sale. 

In  an  eyre  held  at  Durham  in  1242  the  bur- 
gesses claimed  the  exclusive  right  of  buying  and 
selling    between    the    Rivers   Tyne   and   Tees, 

'^  The  reference  in  the  Chester  deeds  to  the  gild 
merchant  at  Durham,  Hist.  MS.  Com.  Sth  Rep.,  355, 
is  an  error  for  Dublin  :  See  Round,  Feudal  Eng.  465. 

*2  Durh.  Treas.  Reg.  ii,  f.  184  d.  The  entry 
was  made  in  the  14th  century. 

"  The  Wearmouth  charter  is  printed  in  Boldon  Bk. 
(Surtees  Soc),  xli.  The  Newcastle  charter  is  in 
Stubbs'  Select  Charters,  1 10.  They  can  best  be 
studied  for  the  purposes  of  comparison  in  Ballard, 
Brit.  Boro.  Ch.   1042-1216. 

**  See  Boro.  Customs  (Selden  Soc),  II,  xx\'ii. 

«  Boldon  Bk.  (Surtees  Soc),  ili. 


though  they  admit  a  doubt  as  to  Sadberge, 
then  but  recently  added  to  the  Palatinate. 
That  they  were  confident  in  their  claim  is  shown 
by  their  seizing  the  sheep  of  one  of  Robert  Fitz 
Meldred's  men,  which  had  been  sold  outside 
the  liberties  of  the  borough  without  the  licence 
of  the  burgesses.  As  at  this  period  Robert 
Fitz  Meldred  was  one  of  the  most  powerful  men 
in  the  Palatinate,  the  burgesses  must  have  been 
either  very  sure  of  their  ground,  or  have  acted 
with  a  singular  lack  of  discretion.  The  roll  also 
records  the  claim  of  the  burgesses  to  seize  by 
way  of  distress  the  horses  of  the  squires  of 
knights,  and  complaints  appear  of  the  action  of 
the  burgesses  in  searching  for  dyed  wool  in  the 
country  districts.^* 

It  is  somewhat  difficult  to  find  any  passage 
in  the  Newcastle  customs  sufficiently  wide  to 
cover  the  Durham  claim  to  a  monopoly  of 
trading.*''  Such  a  right  was  generally  of  pre- 
Conquest  origin,*^  and  it  is  of  interest  to  note 
that  the  monopoly  clause  was  omitted  from  the 
Wearmouth  charter.  The  power  of  distress 
seems  to  be  within  the  scope  of  the  Newcastle 
clause,**  and  the  search  for  dyed  wool  indicates 
that  the  burgesses  of  Durham  claimed  a  mono- 
poly of  the  wool  trade.**' 

The  first  reference  to  a  lease  of  the  borough 
appears  in  Boldon  Book,*^  but,  beyond  the 
somewhat  heavy  rent  of  60  marks,  no  other 
information  is  given,  except  that  the  mill  was 
not  included  in  the  lease.  From  1183  to 
Bek's  roll  in  1308-9  no  information  has  sur\'ived, 
but  in  the  latter  year  James  the  apothecary  or 
the  spicer  is  stated  to  be  the  lessor  of  the 
borough  and  the  mill.^  The  rent  was  ^^66 
I3J'.  4//.,  which  did  not  include  the  furnaces. 
Unfortunately  the  names  of  the  bailiSs  for  the 
year  in  question  have  not  survived,  but  Spicer 
was  bailiff  in  1304  and  1306.** 

There  is  in  1352-3  a  reference  to  a  lease  for 
three  years  of  the  borough  to  Sir  Thomas  Gray, 
the  bishop's  steward,  and  John  of  Alverton,  but 
it  was  not  until  1387  that  we  obtain  definite 

*«  Durh.  Assize  R.  (Surtees  Soc),  cases  284-291. 
There  is  a  separate  verdict  from  each  of  the  four 
Durham  boroughs. 

3'  Ballard,  Boro.  CA.  211. 

**  Ibid.  Irs'i ;  see  aUo  Chadwick,  Studies  in  Anglo- 
Saxon  Inst. 

*'  Ballard,  op.  cit.  160. 

*o  Ballard,  op.  cit.  211. 

«  I'.C.H.  Dur.  i,  306,  327. 

*2  Boldon   Bk.   (Surtees   Soc),   xiiii. 

**  The  rubric  in  the  roU  under  which  the  rent 
appears  is  '  Reccptio  de  baUivis  burgorum,'  but 
Spicer  is  described  as  '  firmarius.'  It  should  be 
mentioned  that  he  was  a  bishopric  ofiicial  and  died 
rich — dabbling  in  municipal  finance  in  the  early  part 
of  the  14th  century  was  apparently  not  wholly 
unprofitable.     Kellati's  Reg.  (Rolls  Ser.),  ii,  1 10. 


55 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


information  as  to  the  terms  of  the  lease."  In 
1387  the  bishop  (Fordham)  leased  to  John 
Le%vyn,  Walter  Coken,  Roger  Aspour  and  Henry 
Shirburn  the  borough  of  Durham  with  all 
manner  of  rents  and  services,  courts  and  customs 
belonging  to  the  borough  together  with  the 
common  furnace  and  the  mill,  and  all  profits 
from  the  markets,  '  skamelynghires '  and  toUs 
as  well  from  residents  as  from  strangers.  The 
lease  also  included  the  right  of  licensing  inn- 
keepers, a  toll  of  "jd.  from  each  tenant  of  the 
Prior  of  Durham  who  sold  goods  in  the  great 
fair  of  St.  Cuthbert  in  September,  and  all  fines 
for  breaches  of  the  peace  within  the  borough. 
The  bishop  reserved  to  himself  all  escheats  and 
forfeitures,  and  also  the  right  to  have  his  corn 
ground  on  certain  terms.  The  lease  was  for 
six  years  and  the  annual  rent  was  ^^83  13J.  4^/. 
with  a  provision  for  allowance  in  case  of  the 
breakdown  of  the  mill  or  common  furnace,  and 
for  reduction  in  case  of  war  or  pestilence. 
This  appears  to  have  been  the  form  of  lease 
which  was  from  time  to  time  renewed  to  a 
group  of  prominent  burgesses  who  doubtless 
acted  for  the  general  body  of  their  brethren, 
though  of  this  there  is  no  proof.**  In  1435  there 
was  a  lease  to  Hugh  Boner,  Robert  Werdale, 
WiUiam  Conyers  and  William  Smith  for  six 
years,  the  rent  being  84  marks.**  Boner,  it  wUl 
be  noticed,  was  one  of  the  bailiffs  in  1421.*' 

Bishop  Pilkington's  charter*^  granted,  on 
30  January  1565,  that  all  the  inhabitants  in 
Durham  and  Framwellgate  '  sint  et  erunt  re, 
facto  et  nomine  una  societas  et  unum  corpus 
de  se  imperpetuum  et  habeant  successionem 
perpetuam.'  The  governing  body  consisted  of 
an  alderman,  twelve  assistants  and  twelve  in- 
habitants— the  first  alderman  and  assistants 
being  appointed  by  the  bishop,  the  former  for 
his  year  of  office,  the  latter  for  life  if  the  bishop 
pleased.  Yearly  on  3  October  the  twelve 
assistants  were  to  elect  twelve  inhabitants,  and 
on  the  following  day  the  joint  body  of  twenty- 
four  were  to  elect  an  alderman  for  the  ensuing 

MDurh.  Halmote  Bks.  P.R.O.  A.ygd.  Both 
lessees  were  bailiffs  in  1353.  It  seems  doubtful  if 
Grey  was  a  burgess. 

**  Durh.  Cursitor  R.  cl.  3,  no.  32,  m.  8  d.  Three 
of  the  lessees,  John  Lew-yn,  Walter  Coken  and  Roger 
Aspour,  appear  in  the  list  of  bailiffs  at  this  period. 

*'  Durh.  Cursitor  R.  cl.  3,  no.  37,  m.  12  d. 

*' The  other  15th-century  leases  are  as  follows: 
27  Sept.  1466,  lease  of  borough,  mill  and  furnace  for 
one  year,  rent  90  marks  ;  11  Jan.  1470,  lease  of  tolls 
and  '  Scamylhire  Burgi '  for  one  year,  rent  60/.  ; 
9  Oct.  1473,  lease  of  borough  for  one  year,  rent 
£11  6s.  8d.  ;  10  Jan.  147S,  a  similar  lease.  All  the 
lessees  were  tradesmen  and  the  leases  appear  in  Liber 
Recog.  et  dimis.  temp.  Laur.  epis'.  (Durh.  Treas.), 
ff.  iii,  174,  291,  and  29. 

*'  The  charter  is  printed  in  Hutchinson,  Htjt. 
Durham,  ii,  21. 


year.  In  case  of  failure  to  elect,  the  bishop  was 
to  appoint.  The  corporation  had  power  to 
plead  as  the  alderman  and  burgesses,  to  hold 
property  up  to  100  marks  in  value  and  to  have  a 
common  seal,  to  make  bye-laws  and  to  receive 
the  fines  for  their  infringement.  The  weekly 
markets  and  the  three  fairs  with  the  profits 
incidental  to  them  and  to  the  piepowder  court 
were  granted  to  the  alderman  and  burgesses  and 
their  successors.  The  city  constables  were 
directed  to  obey  the  lawful  orders  of  the  alder- 
man for  the  time  being,  and  the  charter  ends 
with  a  command  that  neither  the  alderman  nor 
the  twelve  assistants  (the  twelve  inhabitants  are 
not  mentioned)  were  to  wear  the  livery  of  any 
nobleman.  It  will  be  noticed  that  no  mention 
is  made  of  the  power  to  hold  courts  (other  than 
the  piepowder  court  incidental  to  the  fairs). 

Bishop  Matthew  was  the  next  to  grant  a 
charter.  In  1602  he  incorporated  the  burgesses, 
men  and  inhabitants — '  sint  et  erunt  unum 
corpus  politicum  et  incorporatum  in  re  facto  et 
nomine  per  nomen  majoris  aldermanorum  et 
communitatis ' — with  power  to  plead,  hold 
property  up  to  loo  marks  and  have  a  common 
seal.  The  aldermen,  twelve  in  number,  had 
to  be  both  burgesses  and  inhabitants ;  they 
were  to  hold  office  for  life.  On  3  October 
in  every  year  they  and  the  mayor  were  to  elect 
the  twenty-four — two  from  each  of  the  twelve 
gilds  mentioned  in  the  charter.  The  members 
of  the  twenty-four  had  to  be  inhabitants,  but 
no  burgess  qualification  is  mentioned  as  in  the 
case  of  aldermen.  The  twenty-four,  with  the 
mayor  and  the  aldermen,  were  to  form  the 
common  council  of  the  city,  and  on  4  October 
of  every  year  they  were  to  elect  one  of  the 
aldermen  as  mayor  for  the  ensuing  year.  In 
like  manner  they  had  power  to  fill  vacancies  in 
the  bench  of  aldermen  and  in  the  number  of 
the  twenty-four.  They  had  power  also  to 
appoint  the  city  Serjeants  and  other  corpora- 
tion officers.  In  the  case  of  elections  of  mayors 
and  aldermen  the  quorum  must  include  seven 
aldermen  in  the  former  case  and  the  mayor  and 
six  aldermen  in  the  latter.  Similar  provisions 
to  those  in  Pilkington's  charter,  but  in  a  some- 
what fuller  form,  are  contained  as  to  bye-laws, 
markets  and  fairs,  with  the  addition  that  the 
mayor  is  to  act  as  clerk  of  the  market.  The 
charter  then  proceeds  to  grant  to  the  mayor, 
aldermen  and  community  a  court  to  be  held 
fortnightly  on  Tuesday  before  a  steward  to  be 
by  them  appointed.  This  court  had  power  to 
deal  with  both  real  and  personal  actions  without 
limit  as  to  amount,  provided  they  arose  within 
the  city  limits.  To  enable  this  jurisdiction  to 
be  exercised  effectively,  an  extensive  power  of 
attachment  was  given.  The  profits  of  this  court 
were  to  belong  to  the  corporation,  whose  juris- 
dictional powers  were  further  increased   by  a 


56 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


grant  of  the  view  of  frankpledge  and  the  assizes 
of  bread  and  ale.^* 

No  16th-century  lease  of  the  borough  has 
survived,  but  on  13  October  1627  the  bishop 
leased  it  to  Thomas  Man,  Thomas  Cook, 
Thomas  Tunstall  and  William  VVaUton,  of  whom 
both  Cook  and  Man  figure  in  the  list  of  mayors. 
The  lease  includes  the  Tolbooth  with  all  shops, 
houses  and  buildings  under  the  same,  borough 
rents,  landmales,  rents,  free  rents,  duties, 
customs  and  services  of  the  burgesses,  free- 
holders and  inhabitants,  benefit  of  admitting 
freemen,  markets  kept  weekly  on  Saturday,  fairs 
kept  yearly  from  time  to  time,  the  profits, 
commodities,  perquisites,  pickages,  stallages, 
scavilhires,  scavilcorn  or  scavage  corn,  tolls, 
customs,  duties  and  usages  of  the  said  markets 
and  fairs,  borough  court,  court  leet,  court 
baron  held  before  the  steward  of  the  borough 
together  with  suit  and  service  of  burgesses, 
freeholders  and  inhabitants  at  the  said  head  and 
other  courts  and  all  profits  of  court.  The  term 
of  the  lease  was  20  years  and  the  rent  [zo  :  in 
addition  the  lessees  were  responsible  for  the 
repair  of  the  Tolbooth.^" 

During  the  Commonwealth  the  borough,  as 
part  of  the  bishop's  possessions,  was  sold  on 
18  April  1651  for  ;^200  to  the  mayor,  aldermen 
and  commonalty  of  the  city  of  Durham.  The 
parcels  include  all  the  propel  ty,  rights  and 
privileges  set  out  in  the  1627  lease  together 
with  the  house  or  building  called  the  Tolbooth, 
the  office  of  Bailiwick,  the  court  of  piepowder, 
passages,  pontage,  and  the  office  of  clerk  of  the 
market.  As  the  clauses  relating  to  the  borough 
court  are  the  only  accurate  source  of  information 
on  the  subject,  they  are  set  out  in  full.  They 
are  as  follows : — '  the  courts  usually  held  within 
city  as  well  as  courts  leet,  view  of  frankpledge, 
courts  baron  and  borough  courts,  with  their  and 
every  of  their  appurtenances,  also  the  charter 
court  and  court  of  pleas  heretofore  usually 
holden  or  to  be  holden  within  the  said  city  or 
borough  every  Tuesday  from  fifteen  days  to 
fifteen  days  before  the  steward  there.  Together 
with  suit  and  services  from  time  to  time  of  all 
and  every  the  burgesses,  freeholders,  freemen 
and  inhabitants  of  the  said  city  of  Durham  and 
of  the  borough  of  Durham  and  FramweUgate 
aforesaid  to  the  said  courts  respectively  belong- 
ing, with  full  power  and  authority  to  nominate 
and  appoint  all  officers  and  ministers  incident 
and  belonging  to  the  charter  court,  for  executing 
the  precepts  of  the  said  court,  and  for  the 
hearing  and  determining  of  all  and  all  manner 
of  actions,  suits,  plaints  and  demands,  real  and 

*'  The  charter  is  printed  in  Hutchinson,  op.  cit. 
ii,  29;  see  above,  p.  33,  as  to  circumstances  attending 
the  granting  of  these  charters. 

M  Mickleton  MS.  i,  4iod. 


personal,  as  well  as  of  debts  amounting  to  any 
sum  or  sums  of  money,  as  of  accounts,  trespasses, 
detentions,  deceipts,  actions  upon  the  case, 
matters  and  contracts,  whatsoever  and  all  other 
causes  and  pleas,  personal,  real,  and  mixed 
happening  or  arising  within  the  said  city  or 
borough  of  Durham  and  FramweUgate,  or  within 
the  limits,  bounds  and  precincts,  to  be  levied 
and  offered  in  the  said  charter  court,  and  the 
parties,  defendants  in  the  said  suits,  actions, 
plaints,  and  demands,  to  bring  into  the  said 
court  by  summons,  attachment  or  distress,  if 
they  be  sufficient,  and  if  they  be  found  not 
sufficient,  that  then  by  the  attachment  of  the 
bodies  of  such  parties.' 

With  the  Restoration  the  old  state  of  affairs 
was  restored  and  the  leases  of  the  profits  of 
the  borough  continued  to  be  granted.^^  In 
1835  the  Municipal  Corporations  Commissioners 
reported  that  the  toUs  were  leased  to  trustees 
in  trust  for  the  mayor  and  his  successors.  The 
rent  was  [lo  and  the  lease  was  renewed  without 
fine  although  the  corporation  then  let  the  tolls 
for  £213.^2 

Bishop  Crewe's  charter  granted  in  1685  is,  as 
we  have  seen,  almost  exactly  similar  in  terms  to 
Bishop  Matthew's,  and,  as  already  stated,  the 
charter  soon  ceased  to  be  operative.** 

The  circumstances  in  which  the  grant  of  a 
new  charter  by  Bishop  Egerton  in  1780  was 
rendered  necessary  have  already  been  stated.** 
In  general  terms  the  charter  confirms  the  rights 
given  by  Bishop  Matthew's  charter;  the  points 
in  which  it  differs  from  the  latter  charter  are 
that  the  mayor  isto  hold  office untU  his  successor 
is  appointed,  that  no  quorum  of  aldermen  is 
necessary  at  an  election,  and  that  mayor,  alder- 
men and  common  councillors  need  no  longer  be 
resident  within  the  somewhat  narrow  borough 
limits,  but  may  be  drawn  from  an  area  which 
corresponds  with  that  of  the  present  city.  The 
power  to  appoint  a  recorder  and  town  clerk  is 
also  given.**  This  charter  remained  in  force 
until  the  Municipal  Corporations  Act. 

We  know  little  of  the  early  government  of  the 
borough.  It  had  its  court  held  at  the  Tolbooth 
in  the  Market  Place,  and  the  burgesses  were 
apparently  the  burgage  holders  within  the 
borough.  William  Folker,  in  the  middle  of  the 
14th  century,  held  five  burgages  in  Durham,  of 
which  four  were  held  of  the  bishop  by  fealty 
and  three  suits  a  year  at  the  bishop's  court  at 
the  Tolbooth,  and  doing  all  other  services  as 

*i  This  appears  from  the  constant  litigation  as  to 
tolls  in  the  i8th  century. 

^'^  Municip.   Corp.   Rep.   1835,  p.   1515. 

*'  See  above,  p.  41. 

**  Hutchinson,  op.  cit.  ii,  50.  This  charter  is  in 
English. 

**  For  lists  of  recorders  and  town  clerks,  see 
Hutchinson,  op.  cit.  ii,  70,  71. 


57 


8 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


other  burgesses.  The  other  burgage  was  held 
of  the  Prior  of  Durham  by  fealty  and  the  pay- 
ment of  half  a  pound  of  pepper  yearly.  There 
was  usually  also  a  small  sum  payable  to  the 
bishop  at  the  Tolbooth  for  landmale.^*  In  the 
earlier  deeds  there  is  a  distinction  between  an 
ordinary  tenement  and  a  burgage,  but  this  dis- 
tinction later  becomes  lost." 

From  the  series  of  deeds  in  the  Treasury  at 
Durham  which  are  dated  '  in  curia  burgi '  or 
'  in  plena  curia  burgi,'  the  first  witnesses  are 
usually  the  bailiffs  of  the  borough  whose  names 
are  followed  by  those  of  about  half  a  dozen 
other  persons  who,  we  may  imagine,  were  bur- 
gesses attending  the  court.  These  other  per- 
sons in  turn  appear  later  as  bailiffs  and  the 
former  bailiffs  fall  into  the  position  of  ordinary 
witnesses.  There  appear  to  have  been  three 
bailiffs,  and  it  is  tempting  to  think  that  a  new 
bailiff  was  appointed  each  year  to  serve  a  term 
of  three  years,  but  the  evidence  is  too  fragmen- 
tary to  confirm  this  view.  Whether  the  bailiffs 
were  elected  by  the  burgesses  or  appointed  by 
the  bishop  is  not  known.  In  15 16-17  John  Gowcr 
was  appointed  by  the  bishop  as  the  sole  bailiff, 
and  after  this  date  there  was  only  one  bailiff, 
a  salaried  officer  of  the  bishop  holding  office 
for  a  considerable  period.  The  bishop  con- 
tinued to  appoint  the  bailiffs  after  the  charters 
of  1565  and  1602,  as  a  result  of  which  the  scene 
in  the  Tolbooth  of  1609,  already  referred  to, 
occurred.^* 

In  161 7  John  Richardson,  steward  of  the 
borough  court,  drew  up  an  important  though 
strongly  biassed  statement  as  to  the  government 
of  the  borough.^*  He  said  that  the  city  by 
prescription  and  for  three  hundred  years  had 
been  governed  by  a  bailiff  appointed  by  letters 
patent  from  the  bishops  at  a  yearly  fee,  who  had 
rendered  his  accounts  yearly  at  the  Exchequer 
of  Durham.  This  statement,  however,  cannot  be 
substantiated  by  documentary  evidence,  for  no 
patent  appointing  a  bailiff  can  be  traced  earlier 
than  that  granted  to  John  Govver  in  1516-17.*" 
That  the  bailiff,  he  goes  on  to  say,  had  for  a  like 
time  a  steward  who  kept  the  courts  for  the  city 
and  borough,  received  the  profits  and  accounted 
for  them. 

It  would  appear  that  the  earliest  reference  to 
a  steward  of  the  borough  court  is  to  WiUiam 


6*  In  1835  the  mayor's  wife  received  this  sum. 
Municip.  Corp.  Rep.  p.  1514  ;  Durh.  Acct.  R.  (Surtees 
Soc),  704. 

"  D.  and  C.  Rec.  Repert.  Magn. 

^8  See  above,  p.  35. 

s»  Micldeton  MS.  lA,  10,  105.  This  statement 
by  Richardson  was  no  doubt  drawn  up  to  rebut  the 
claims  by  the  mayor  on  the  occasion  of  the  visit  of 
James  I  to  Durham  in  1617  (see  above,  p.  37). 

««  P.R.O.  Durh.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  70,  m.  18. 


Fynimer  appointed  in  1447.'^  Thomas  Roos 
was  appointed  in  1457  with  a  fee  of  26s.  8d. 
payable  by  the  bailiffs  or  farmers  of  the  borough 
out  of  the  profits  of  the  mill.*-  In  1559  John 
Taylfar  had  a  grant  of  the  reversion  of  the  office 
of  steward  or  clerk  of  the  courts  of  the  boroughs 
of  Durham,  Gateshead,  Bishop  Auckland  and 
Darlington  on  the  death  of  Christopher  Brown.*' 
On  the  strength  of  Bishop  Matthew's  charter, 
the  mayor,  aldermen  and  commonalty  appointed 
William  Smyth  of  Gray's  Inn,  their  steward  to 
hold  the  borough  courts.** 

The  bishops,  Richardson  continues,  for  a 
like  time  had  ordained  '  Corporations  and  Socie- 
ties of  Arts  and  Mysteries,'  and  made  certain 
constitutions  as  to  freedoms  and  fellowships 
by  fines,  compositions  and  penalties  which  the 
bailiff  by  his  Serjeants  and  officers  and  by  the 
wardens  and  governors  of  the  several  trades 
had  received  for  the  use  of  the  bishops.  The 
government  by  a  bailiff  so  continued,  according 
to  Richardson,  until  8  Elizabeth  (1565),  when 
Laurence  Haley,  then  bailiff  and  servant  to 
Bishop  Pilkington,  by  agreement  between  him 
and  some  of  the  citizens,  petitioned  the  bishop 
to  have  an  alderman  ordained  for  the  govern- 
ment of  the  city.  The  bailiff  at  the  same  time 
assigned  his  grant  of  the  bailiwick  to  these  citi- 
zens, and  the  bishop  made  them  a  grant  of  an 
alderman  and  assistants.  The  alderman,  who 
retained  also  the  office  of  bailiwick,  held  the 
borough  court  before  the  bishop's  steward  and 
took  all  profits  of  courts,  landmales,  rents,  fines 
of  tradesmen,  free  tolls  of  fairs  and  markets  in 
the  bishop's  name,  and  accounted  for  them  to 
the  bishop,  paying  the  steward's  fee  and  taking 
the  yearly  allowance  to  the  bailiff.  This  form 
of  government  continued  until  about  42  Eliza- 
beth (1600),  when  a  certain  'religious  gentleman 
possessed  of  great  personal  estate,'  who  can  be 
identified  with  Henry  Smith,  the  founder  of 
Smith's  Charity,*^  conveyed  his  property  '  to 
good  uses  to  the  City  of  Durham.'  The  then 
alderman  and  '  others  of  that  Society,'  being 
his  executors,  misemployed  the  estate  and  com- 
pounded with  the  then  bishop  for  a  grant  of  a 
mayoralty.  The  bishop  incorporated  them  by 
the  name  of  a  mayor  and  alderman.  Their 
charter  was  confirmed  by  an  inspeximus  of  the 
King  which  they  '  ignorantly  conceive '  to  be  an 
immediate  grant  from  the  Crown.  Eventually 
the  bishop's  successor  made  an  inquiry  as  to 
the  misemployment  of  the  funds  and  procured 
a  commission  under  the  Statute  of  Charitable 

*i  P.R.O.  Durh.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  43,  m.  18. 
62  Ibid.  no.  45,  m.  8. 
*'  Ibid.  no.  77,  m.  16. 

*■«  Micldeton  MS.  lA,  p.  103.     For  later  stewards, 
sec  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iv,  pt.  ii. 
**  Ibid.  p.  26. 


58 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


Uses.  It  was  found  by  the  commission  that 
only  j^9  remained  out  of  £1^00,  of  which  sum 
the  mayor  and  aldermen  were  required  to  ac- 
count for  ;^400.  The  bishop  was  further  offended 
'  with  that  crying  sin  of  robbing  the  poor,  and 
perceiving  their  pride  in  government  to  be  in- 
tollerable,'  and  being  also  informed  that  the  grant 
of  the  mayoralty  contained  many  things  preju- 
dicial to  the  jurisdiction  of  the  courts  incident 
to  the  county  Palatine,  desired  a  conference 
with  the  corporation.  This  they  refused,  and 
a  suit  in  the  Court  of  Exchequer  ensued,  which 
resulted  in  a  decree  in  favour  of  the  bishop. 
Since  that  decree  (161 1)  the  bishop  had  by  his 
bailiff  governed  the  city  and  retained  possession 
of  all  the  revenues  and  rights.  Although  fre- 
quently petitioned,  the  bishop  had  refused  to 
renew  the  grant  of  the  mayoralty. 

With  regard  to  the  early  courts  of  the  borough, 
we  learn  from  the  dispute  of  1609  that  the 
ordinary  borough  courts  were  held  at  the 
Tolbooth  once  a  fortnight  on  Tuesday,  and  that 
the  head  borough  court,  the  '  plena  curia  burgi ' 
of  the  14th-century  deeds,  was  held  twice 
yearly  at  Easter  and  Michaelmas.  At  the  latter 
court,  which  corresponded  to  the  '  curia 
capitalis '  of  the  convent  boroughs  held  three 
times  a  year,  the  grassmen  and  trade  searchers 
were  sworn,  the  bishop's  burgesses  did  suit, 
and  the  titles  of  heirs  and  purchasers  of  burgages 
were  presented  and  recorded,  before  such  heirs 
and  purchasers  were  admitted  as  burgesses. 
There  seems  to  have  been  conflicting  evidence  as 
to  whether  the  burgesses  owed  suit  at  the 
sheriff's  tourn  held  twice  yearly  at  the  Moot- 
haU  on  Palace  Green,  the  explanation  apparently 
being  that  the  suit  claimed  to  be  due  was  for 
the  rights  of  common  on  Framwellgate  Moor, 
which  was  parcel  of  the  various  burgages  and 
not  in  respect  of  holdings  in  the  borough. 

With  the  increasing  control  over  the  borough 
by  the  gilds  the  time  of  the  court  was  largely 
taken  up  with  their  affairs  and  the  enforcement 
of  their  regulations.  The  Tolbooth  had  now 
become  the  Guildhall,^*  although  there  is  evi- 
dence that  as  early  as  1434  it  bore  that  name.*' 
To  enforce  the  orders  of  the  court  there  were 
stocks,  a  pillory  and  a  '  duck  pool.' 

Owing  to  the  disappearance  of  the  borough 
records  it  is  difficult  to  trace  the  subsequent 
history  of  the  courts.  Some  of  their  local 
government    duties    were    transferred    to    the 


•'  That  the  gilds  met  in  the  Tolbooth  in  the  17th 
century,  see  Mickleton  MS.  xxiii,  Il9d;  xxxii,  Il8d. 

*'  Durh.  Trcas.  Almoners'  Rental.  After  the 
Reformation  the  Earl  of  Westmorland  built  a  house 
called  the  New  Place  on  the  site  of  the  present 
Town  Hall.  The  Mayor's  Chamber,  which  adjoins 
the  Town  Hall,  occupies  the  site  of  the  old  Gild 
Hall. 


vestry,**  until  the  passing  of  the  Paving  Acts 
brought  the  special  Commissioners  into  exist- 
ence. In  1835  ^^^  Municipal  Corporation 
Commissioners  reported  that  the  Durham 
Corporation  exercised  no  jurisdiction  either 
criminal  or  civil,  but  that  a  manor  court  of 
very  limited  jurisdiction  was  held  within  the 
city.*' 

The  OLD  BOROUGH  or  CROSSGJTE 
included  that  part  of  Durham  lying  on  the  north 
or  left  bank  of  the  Wear  south  of  Framwellgate. 
It  was  divided  from  the  latter  district  by  the 
Milburn,  a  small  stream  rising  in  Flass  Bog 
and  now  covered  over  most  of  its  length  by  the 
modern  North  Road.  From  Elvet  Barony  it 
was  divided  by  the  small  stream  running  parallel 
to  Potters  Bank. 

The  Old  Borough  comprised  South  Street, 
Crossgate  and  Allergate  (formerly  Alvertongate), 
a  considerable  area  of  arable  ground  known  as 
Bellasys,"*  whilst  the  pasture  area  extended  over 
Crossgate  Moor  and  over  the  adjoining  Elvet 
Moor,  until  the  latter  moor  was  divided  off 
from  the  former. 

The  evidence  for  a  settlement  in  Elvet  before 
995  has  been  mentioned  already ;  the  origin'* 
of  the  Crossgate  settlement  may  be  found  in  the 
junction  of  the  roads  from  the  west  and  south, 
which  meet  where  the  church  of  St.  Margaret 
now  stands,  just  above  the  ford  over  the  Wear, 
whereby  travellers  from  the  west  proceeded  on 
their  way  to  Wearmouth  and  the  Raintons.  The 
first  reference  to  the  borough  here  is  in  1141, 
when,  during  the  Cumin  incident,  it  is  mentioned 
as  follows  :  '  partem  quoque  burgi  quae  ad 
monachorum  jus  pertinebat  igni  tradiderunt.''^ 
As  the  borough  of  Elvet  is  of  later  foundation, 
this  must  refer  to  the  Old  Borough.  It  is  sug- 
gested that  the  Old  Borough  is  the  original 
trading  centre  at  Durham,  and  that  the  Bishop's 
Borough  was  only  founded  after  the  division  of 
the  estates  between  the  bishop  and  the  convent ; 
a  division  which  gave  the  Old  Borough  to  the 
convent  and  left  the  bishop  without  any  area 


**  Longstaffe  MS.  ix.  In  1646  Easter  vestries  of 
St.  Nicholas,  two  pant-wardens,  four  collectors,  two 
bridgemasters,  two  grassmen  and  two  drivers  were 
elected.  **  Municif.  Corp.  Rep.  p.  1515. 

'*  In  the  Sacrist  Rental  for  1500  (Durh.  Treas.) 
there  is  a  detailed  hst  of  the  arable  holdings  in 
Bellasys  belonging  to  the  various  burgages. 

"^  The  history  of  Crossgate  in  Durh.  Treas. 
Cart,  iv,  f.  90,  see  Feod.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt. 
Soc),  192,  is  untrustworthy  ;  it  is  part  of  a  case 
relating  to  Bearpark  Moor  prepared  with  the  object 
of  showing  that  the  Old  Borough  had  no  existence  in 
the  time  of  Richard  I,  and  that  the  tenants  therefore 
had  no  rights  on  Bearpark  Moor,  the  coronation  of 
Richard  being  the  period  of  limitation  of  actions. 
Pollock  and  Maitland,  Hist,  oj  Engl.  Law,  ii,  81. 

'*  Simeon  0/  Durh.  (Rolls  Scr.),  i,  159. 


59 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


specially  appropriated  as  a  trading  centre. 
Whilst  the  lands  were  held  in  common,  there 
would  be  no  necessity  for  more  than  one  borough, 
and  that  borough  would  appear  to  have  been 
the  Old  Borough  and  not  the  Bishop's  Borough, 
which,  until  the  Framwcllgatc  Bridge  was  built, 
was  much  more  difficult  of  access  from  the 
surrounding  country  than  the  Old  Borough. 

Though  the  founding  of  the  Bishop's  Borough 
would  doubtless  draw  some  trade  away,  it  was 
the  building  of  Elvet  Bridge  and  the  creation  of 
the  borough  of  Elvet  by  Bishop  Pudsey  which 
seriously  affected  the  Old  Borough.  Until 
Elvet  Bridge  was  built,  all  traffic  from  the  south 
passed  through  the  Old  Borough  along  South 
Street,  but  when  a  readier  access  to  the  Bishop's 
Borough  and  the  Castle  was  provided  through 
Elvet,  the  importance  of  the  Old  Borough  was 
seriously  diminished,  as  its  only  thoroughfare 
became  the  road  leading  to  the  west  of  the  county 
by  Brancepeth  and  Willington.  Of  the  trade 
carried  on  in  this  borough  we  know  but  little. 
The  Marescalcia  Roll  of  the  convent  for  1392'* 
mentions  a  weaver,  a  tailor,  a  seller  of  wool, 
several  shoemakers,  bakers  and  brewers.  The 
fulling  mill  at  the  west  end  of  the  dam  just 
below  the  cathedral  would  help  to  attract  trade, 
whilst  at  the  Clock  Mill'*  on  the  Milburn, 
which  formed  the  northern  boundary  of  the 
borough,"^  the  local  corn  would  be  ground. 
The  quarry  at  the  southern  end  of  South  Street  '* 
and  the  convent  stew-ponds  and  orchard "  to 
the  west  of  South  Street  should  also  be  men- 
tioned. Lastly,  Potters  Bank  recalls  an  industry 
long  extinct.'^ 

The  burgesses  of  the  Old  Borough,  unlike  their 
brethren  of  Elvet,  do  not  appear  to  have  obtained 
any  charter  from  the  convent :  their  rights  being 
based  on  ancient  usage,  no  such  grant  was 
probably  necessary.  They  do  not  appear  to 
have  ever  obtained  the  right  to  elect  their  bailiff 
or  to  have  leased  the  profits  of  the  borough. 

'8  Durh.  Ace.  R.  (Surtees  Soc),  ii,  349. 

'*  The  Clock  Mill  appears  to  have  been  the  least 
important  of  the  city  mills. 

'^  The  Milburn  now  runs  in  a  culvert  under  the 
'  North  Road  '  for  the  greater  part  of  its  length. 

'*  In  Durh.  Treas.  Almoner's  Rental  for  1424  the 
quarry  is  stated  to  be  next  '  Farthlngcroft,'  the  small 
field  just  south  of  the  '  White  Gates.'  The  quarry 
belonged  to  the  Sacrist ;  a  large  amount  of  stone  has 
been  worked  from  it  in  the  Middle  Ages  ;  there  is  no 
trace  in  the  accounts  of  any  working  in  recent  times. 

"  The  new  part  of  St.  Margaret's  Churchyard 
was  formerly  the  orchard  (Durh.  Treas.  Almoner's 
Rental,  1424).  Until  quite  recently  traces  of  tlie 
stew-ponds  were  visible  behind  (west  of)  St.  Mar- 
garet's Rectory. 

"  No  reference  to  actual  working  has  been  found 
before  the  17th  century  in  the  Chapter  Records,  but 
the  surname  Potter  was  not  uncommon  in  the  Middle 
Ages  :  see  Durh.  Acc.R.i^MTleei  Soc),  Index,  sub  nom. 


As  in  the  case  of  Elvet,  the  convent  appears  to 
have  retained  direct  control  over  the  borough, 
to  have  appointed  the  bailiffs'*  and  to  have 
received  the  profits.  The  centre  of  jurisdiction 
was  the  Tolbooth,  situate  at  the  north  end  of 
Crossgate,^  where  the  courts  were  held,  and  to 
maintain  his  jurisdiction  the  Prior  had  a  prison 
in  South  Street.*'- 

The  survival  of  the  draft  entries  for  the  Cross- 
gate  Court  Book  ^^  at  the  beginning  of  the 
i6th  century  enables  a  fuller  account  of  the 
working  of  this  court  to  be  given  than  of  any  of 
the  other  borough  courts.  First  it  must  be 
noted  that  Crossgate  as  well  as  Elvet  was  with- 
drawn from  the  ordinary  manorial  jurisdiction 
of  the  Prior  and  convent,  whose  Halmote  Books 
contain  no  entries  relating  to  either  Crossgate 
or  Elvet.  The  court  sat  every  week  if  necessary 
for  the  dispatch,  of  business,*'  and  thrice  a  year 
- — in  January,  April  and  October — the  '  curia 
capitalis '  was  held,  at  which  a  jury  was  sworn 
to  make  presentments.  In  addition  to  debt 
collecting,  the  work  of  the  court  was  most 
varied  ;  many  are  the  injunctions  against  pigs 
being  allowed  to  run  loose  in  the  street;  card 
playing  and  other  illicit  games,  and  drinking 
after  9  p.m.  were  forbidden  ;  bad  language  was 
discouraged  and  bad  characters  required  to 
remove  themselves.  Ale  tasters  were  appointed 
and  fines  inflicted  on  ale  sellers  for  not  calling 
them  in,  and  bad  meat  was  condemned.  De- 
spite much  fining,  the  condition  of  the  streets 
left  much  to  be  desired  owing  to  the  presence 
of  refuse  and  manure.®*  The  use  of  the  borough 
well  in  the  Banks  for  washing  clothes  was 
forbidden,  and  the  tenants  of  South  Street 
ordered  to  repair  the  vennel  leading  to  it. 
Tailors  not  of  the  Gild  were  reported  as  work- 
ing, whilst  a  Scot  was  ordered  to  remove  himself.** 

'*  The  fact  that  there  was  only  one  bailiff  and  that 
he  held  office  for  a  considerable  period  is  in  marked 
contrast  to  the  Bishop's  Borough  and  indicates  that 
the  method  of  selection  was  different. 

*"  Durh.  Treas.  Sacrist's  Rental,  1500. 

*i  Durh.  Treas.  Almoner's  Rental,  1424.  It  was 
evidently  near  tlie  southern  end  of  the  street. 

*2  Durh.  Treas.  The  entries  cover  the  period  from 
1498-1524.  The  'curia  capitalis'  is  stated  to  be 
held  before  the  sacrist,  of  whose  estate  the  lordship 
of  Crossgate  formed  part.  There  are  some  older 
rolls  (Doc.  iv,  no.  229)  relating  to  the  latter  part  of 
the  14th  century,  the  entries  in  which  relate  almost 
entirely  to  actions  for  debt. 

*'  In  1 501  the  court  sat  on  23  days. 

**  The  existence  of  pasture  rights  on  the  adjoining 
moor  was  not  an  unmixed  blessing  so  far  as  the 
pubUc  health  was  concerned.  The  cows  were  kept 
in  the  houses,  and  the  consequent  accumulation 
of  manure  must  have  rendered  the  houses  unhealthy. 
See  below,  p.  62,  as  to  the  Elvet  regulations. 

*^  '  William  Maser  is  forbidden  for  the  future  to 
show  hospitality  to  any  vagabonds  or  Scots  for  more 


60 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


The  presentation  of  a  criminal  at  the  Sheriff's 
tourn  when  the  offence  was  committed  within 
the  jurisdiction  of  the  borough  court  is  duly 
noted.  Over  two  hundred  years  later,  in  1757,^ 
we  find  the  same  kind  of  offences  being  presented, 
and  the  state  of  the  streets,  judging  from  the 
numerous  presentments  for  manure,  had  not 
improved.  In  1835  Crossgate  became  part  of 
the  area  subject  to  the  corporation. 

The  BARONT  AND  BOROUGH  OF 
ELVET  is  that  portion  of  Durham  which 
lies  in  the  loop  of  the  River  Wear  south-east 
of  the  market  place.*'  It  consists  of  Old  and 
New  Elvet  and  the  two  continuations  of  the 
latter,  namely,  Church  Street,  leading  to  the 
south  road  to  Darlington,  and  Hallgarth  Street, 
whereby  Yarm  and  Stockton  are  reached.**  In 
addition  to  the  urban  area,  Elvet  formerly 
included  a  considerable  area  of  arable  land  and 
a  somewhat  small  moor,  over  which  latter  area 
the  inhabitants  had  grazing  rights.  Until  the 
Municipal  Corporations  Act  of  1835,  Elvet  was 
divided  into  the  Borough  and  the  Barony. 
The  former  comprised  the  low-lying  area  north 
of  Raton  Row  (now  Court  Lane)  and  its  con- 
tinuation eastward  along  the  north  side  of  the 
railway  line ;  ^  everything  south  of  the  Raton 
Row  belonged  to  the  barony. 

Though  Old  Elvet  is  now  a  cul-de-sac,  in  the 
15th  century  it  formed  one  of  the  main  routes 
south  by  Shincliffe,  and  was  then  known  as 
New  Elvet,  whilst  New  Elvet,  then  known  as 
Old  Elvet,'"  ceased  to  be  the  principal  route  to 

than  one  day  and  night  and  not  more  than  three 
Scots.'  This  entry  indicates  the  feeling  of  the  burgesses 
to  their  northern  neighbours. 

**  Rolls  for  1757  and  1764  exist  in  the  Durham 
Treasury. 

*'  The  Dean  and  Chapter  Treasury  at  Durham 
contains  a  number  of  documents  relating  to  Elvet. 
In  addition  there  are  rentals  and  some  court  rolls. 
References  to  it  will  also  be  found  in  the  Hostellar's 
accounts,  as  Elvet  was  under  that  official's  special 
jurisdiction.  These  all  relate  to  the  period  before  the 
Dissolution ;  for  later  periods  the  material  is  scanty. 

**  In  the  Middle  Ages  the  terms  Church  Street 
and  Hallgarth  Street  were  not  used ;  houses  in  those 
areas  are  sometimes  differentiated  as  being  in  Elvet 
Superior.     Durh.  Treas.  4,  16,  spec.  1 31. 

**  The  boundaries  of  the  Borough  of  Elvet  are  in 
Prior  Bertram's  Charter,  u 88-1 208.  Feod.  Prior. 
Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc),  p.  199. 

*•  \  careful  comparison  of  the  boundaries  given  in 
the  deeds  in  Durh.  Treas.  4,  16  spec,  and  I,  17  spec, 
makes  it  clear  that  Old  and  New  Elvet  have  changed 
names.  Ibid.  I,  17  spec.  54,  gives  the  Wear  as  the 
northern  boundary  and  the  King's  Highway  as  the 
southern  boundary  in  '  New  '  Elvet.  Ibid.  3,  17  spec. 
46,  gives  the  '  manerium  de  Elvethall '  as  the  boundary 
of  two  tenements  in  '  Old  '  Elvet.  But  the  clearest 
evidence  is  the  15th-century  sketch  (Durh.  Treas. 
Misc. Charters,  7100;  see  below,  p.  63, n.  l).  When  the 


Shincliffe  until  the  river  washed  away  '  New 
Way,'  where  it  passed  under  Maiden  Castle 
Wood.  Raton  Row  was  formerly  a  much  more 
important  thoroughfare,  as  it  led  to  the  Scaltok 
MiUs. 

Except  for  references  in  the  forged  foundation 
charters  of  the  convent,*"^  nothing  certain  is 
known  about  Elvet  until  the  grant  of  the 
Borough  Charter  by  Prior  Bertram  (i  188-1208). 
Probably  the  original  settlement  would  be  on 
the  high  ground  somewhere  near  the  site*-  of 
the  Manor  House,  which  stood  in  Hallgarth 
Street  just  off  the  road  from  Shincliffe  Bridge 
to  the  Old  Borough.  When  in  995  the  Castle 
plateau  was  occupied,  the  Elvet  area  would 
develop  as  the  best  access  from  the  south  to  the 
Castle  area.'*  However  this  may  be,  at  the  end 
of  the  12th  century  the  history  of  Elvet  was 
marked  by  two  important  events,  namely,  the 
building  of  Elvet  Bridge  by  Bishop  Pudsey  and 
the  foundation  of  the  Borough  of  Elvet.  It  is 
probable  that  these  two  events  were  connected. 
Why  the  convent,  which  already  had  a  borough 
in  Crossgate,  should  found  another  in  Elvet,  is 
not  quite  apparent,  unless  the  difficulty  of  com- 
munication between  the  convent  and  Crossgate 
is  borne  in  mind.  In  addition,  the  level  nature 
of  the  Elvet  area  rendered  it  more  suitable  for 
commercial  purposes  than  Crossgate's  uneven 
surface.  That  the  new  borough  of  Elvet  soon 
became  more  populous  and  prosperous  than  the 
old  borough  of  Crossgate  seems  clear.** 


change  was  made  is  doubtful ;  the  old  nomenclature 
was  in  force  when  the  Repertorium  Magnum  (Durh. 
Treas.)  was  drawn  up  in  1456,  but  a  hundred  years 
later  leases  in  the  Dean  and  Chapter  registers  made 
it  clear  that  the  change  had  taken  place.  .At  iirst  the 
terms  '  Old  '  and  '  New  '  Elvet  did  not  apply  to 
streets,  but  to  areas,  Old  Elvet  meaning  the  barony 
district  and  New  Elvet  the  borough.  (See  entries  in 
Repertorium  Magnum,  Durham  Treasury.) 

'1  On  the  forged  foundation  charters,  see  Feod. 
Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surtees  Soc),  p.  xxxiv  et  seq.  It 
must  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  forgeries  were  made 
early  in  the  12th  century  and  may  therefore  be 
accepted  as  evidence  of  the  state  of  affairs  then,  and 
the  passage  in  the  charter  in  the  Liber  J'itae  (Surtees 
Soc),  p.  75,  'Aeluet  ut  ibi  XL'*  mercatorum  domos 
monachi  ad  usum  proprium  habeant,  qui  prorsus  ab 
omni  episcopi  servitio  sint  Uberi  nisi  forte  merceries 
ci\'itates  sit  reparanda  ad  quam  non  magis  quam 
de  tot  civitates  mcrcatoribus  opus  ab  eis  exigitur' 
as  indicating  the  intention  of  adding  a  mercantile 
community  to  the  agricultural  population  of  Elvet. 

*2  Farm  buildings  and  some  ancient  tithe  barns 
still  mark  the  spot. 

'*  By  Water  Lane  and  King's  Gate. 

'*  As  e\-idence  of  this  the  Marescalcia  Rolls  of 
the  convent  may  be  cited.  When  in  1392  the 
weights  and  measures  of  the  Old  Borough  of  Elvet 
were  tested  22  tradesmen  appeared  from  Crossgate 
and  62  from  Elvet — 20  from  the  barony  and  42  from 


61 


A   HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


Prior  Bertram's  charter**  does  not  expressly 
create  the  borough,  but  the  phrase  '  novo  burgo 
nostro  '  implies  that  it  had  been  recently  created. 
After  defining  the  area  of  the  borough  the  charter 
gave  the  burgesses  exemption  from  customs, 
exactions  and  aids  (courts  and  pleas  excepted) 
and  the  right  of  devising  their  lands.  In  return 
a  yearly  rent  of  an  amount  not  then  fixed  was 
to  be  paid,  and  the  burgesses  were  to  grind  their 
corn  at  the  convent  mill — the  multure  being 
fixed  at  I'sth.  In  addition  the  burgesses  were 
to  have  a  market  and  a  fair  if  the  bishop  granted 
the  necessary  licence.  At  a  somewhat  later 
period  a  further  grant  ^  was  made,  whereby  the 
burgesses  had  not  to  plead  outside  the  borough 
and  were  to  have  pasture  for  their  beasts  with 
the  men  of  Elvet  (j.^.,  the  barony)  outside  the 
enclosed  land  of  the  hostellar  of  the  convent. 

The  qualification  of  a  burgess  appears  to  have 
been  the  ownership  of  a  burgage  in  respect  of 
which  a  rent  called  landmale  was  payable  to  the 
hostellar  of  the  convent,*'  in  whom  the  lordship 

the  borough.  Durham  Account  Rolls  (Surtees  See), 
ii,  pp.  346,  350.  Again  in  the  Convenit  and  the 
Attestationes  relating  to  the  dispute  between  the 
bishop  and  the  prior  at  the  beginning  of  the  13th 
century  all  the  references  are  to  Elvet  except  one  in 
the  Convenit.  The  greater  importance  of  the 
Scaltok  (Elvet)  mill  as  compared  with  the  Clock 
(Crossgate)  mill  may  also  be  cited. 

**  This  charter  is  printed  in  the  Feod.  Prior. 
Dunelm.  (Surtees  Soc),  p.  199.  Bertram  was  Prior 
II88-1208,  but  Bishop  Pudsey's  charter  (ibid.  198) 
indicates  that  Bertram's  charter  was  made  before  the 
bishop's  death  in  1 198.  Pudsey's  charter  bears  out 
the  statement  in  Coldingham,  Scriptores  Ires  (Surtees 
Soc),  12,  that  Pudsey  made  the  borough  of  Elvet 
and  afterwards  resigned  it  to  the  convent  to  whom  it 
belonged  as  of  right.  Unfortunately  the  order  of 
Pudsey's  various  actions  in  regard  to  the  borough  of 
Durham,  the  building  of  Elvet  Bridge  and  the  borough 
of  Elvet,  is  not  known.  The  effect  on  both  the 
borough  of  Durham  and  Elvet  of  the  building  of  the 
New  (Elvet)  Bridge  must  have  been  great.  Until 
it  was  built  the  main  traffic  between  north  and  south 
would  pass  through  the  Old  Borough  and  Crossgate, 
but  immediately  Elvet  Bridge  was  built  this  traffic 
would  be  diverted  from  South  Street  to  Elvet  and 
the  bishop's  borough,  to  their  great  advantage. 

**  Feod.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc),  199.  It 
would  almost  appear  that  the  grant  as  to  pleas  was 
ultra  vires,  but  the  extract  from  the  following  deed 
(Durh.  Treas.  2,  17,  spec.  27)  shows  that  the  grant 
was  acted  on  '  quod  quidem  burgagium  ego  Gilbertus 
Araunam  in  curia  Burgi  prenominati  (Elvet)  die 
Jovis  proxima  ante  festum  sancti  Martini  (a.d.  1294) 
per  quoddam  breve  de  recto  de  Rogero  de  Fferye 
coram  Dominis  Johanne  Seleby  tunc  hostelario 
Prioratus  Dunelmensis  et  Johanne  Skyreloe  tunc  loci 
ejusdem  senescallo  ad  hoc  assignatis.' 

*'  Durh.  Treas.  Reg.  ii,  f.  21  d.  Inq.  p.m.  2 
Fordham,  Joh.  de  Elvet.  The  amount  of  landmale 
was  generally  very  small — l\d.,  though  in  one  case 
10  burgages  paid  \s.  lid. 


of  both  the  borough  and  the  barony  was  vested. 
In  addition  the  burgesses  owed  suit  to  the  then 
principal  courts  of  the  borough. 

Of  the  government  of  the  borough  of  Elvet 
but  little  can  be  said,  as  none  of  the  court  rolls 
have  survived,  and  from  the  middle  of  the 
14th  century  but  little  distinction  seems  to 
have  been  made  between  the  borough  and  the 
barony.  Before  the  year  1315  the  profits  of  the 
borough  were  leased,**  but  after  that  date  the 
convent  did  not  farm  them.  Elvet  was  not, 
however,  treated  like  the  ordinary  manors  of  the 
convent,  which  were  subject  to  the  jurisdiction 
of  the  steward,  who  visited  them  three  times 
yearly  when  the  prior's  halmote  courts  were 
held.**  The  Elvet  tenants  never  appear  to  have 
owed  suit  to  these  courts,  but  to  have  appeared 
at  a  special  court  held  for  Elvet.  This  court 
was  held  once  a  fortnight  on  Wednesdays  at  the 
prior's  manor  house  in  Hallgarth  Street  for  the 
dispatch  of  ordinary  judicial  business,  but  three 
times  a  year,  namely,  at  Easter,  Michaelmas  and 
Epiphany,  a  special  court  (curia  capitalis)  was 
held,  at  which  all  suitors  had  to  be  present. *"* 

The  River  Wear,  one  ol 
RIFER,  BRIDGES  the  most  important  physi- 
JND  MILLS  cal  features  that  influenced 

the  development  of  Dur- 
ham, did  not  always  follow  its  present  course. 
Formerly  after  flowing  from   Shinclifle  Bridge 


**  This  appears  from  a  note  in  a  list  of  tenants  fined 
'  in  curiis  de  Elvet  hall  et  Novi  Burgi '  for  allowing 
their  animals  to  trespass  in  the  demesne  lands  (Durh. 
Treas.  Loc  ii,  no.  14).  The  note  goes  on  to  state 
that  several  rolls  '  consumpti  sunt  partem  per  pluviam 
partem  per  ratones  et  mures.'  This  may  account  for 
the  non-existence  of  any  court  rolls  of  the  borough, 
whilst  a  separate  court  was  held  for  that  area  as 
distinct  from  the  barony.  If  any  court  rolls  for  the 
borough  had  existed  when  the  '  Repertorium  Magnum' 
was  drawn  up  (1456),  they  would  have  been  entered 
under  Loc.  iv — the  entry  there  only  refers  to  the 
barony. 

**  See  Durh.  Halmote  Courts  (Surtees  Soc),  Intro- 
duction. 

100  'Yhe  few  Elvet  rolls  which  have  survived  will 
be  found  in  Durh.  Treas.  Loc.  iv;  with  the  excep- 
tion of  a  roll  (in  a  very  bad  condition)  for  1360 
(no.  116),  the  other  rolls,  nos.  99,  loi,  102,  119,  124, 
128,  129,  131  and  132,  all  relate  to  the  period  1398- 
1402.  The  general  heading  is  '  Curia  Baronie  de 
Elvett,'  but  from  a  reference  in  the  roll  for  1398 
(no.  96)  to  fines  for  aDowing  pigs  to  trespass  in 
Smythalgh,  which  is  within  the  borough,  it  would 
appear  that  the  court  had  jurisdiction  over  the 
borough  as  well  as  the  barony.  Further  evidence 
that  the  differentiation  between  the  borough  and  the 
barony  ceased  to  exist  in  the  15th  century  is  the  use 
of  the  term  burgage  in  reference  to  a  house  in  the 
barony  (Hostellar's  Acct.  1446/7,  Durh.  Acct.  R. 
i,  145).  In  the  14th  century  the  term  burgage  was 
not  used  in  reference  to  property  in  the  barony. 


62 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


north-westward  to  Maiden  Castle  Wood,  instead 
of  taking  a  turn  to  the  north-east,  as  it  now  does, 
it  skirted  the  northern  slope  of  Maiden  Castle 
and  took  a  U-shaped  curve  back  to  its  present 
course.  At  the  end  of  the  curve  lay  Scaltok 
Mill  *  belonging  to  the  convent,  to  which  the 
inhabitants  of  the  borough  and  barony  of  Elvet 
owed  suit.^  The  alteration  in  the  course  of  the 
river  possibly  made  this  mill  useless,  as  the  leases 
of  it  cease  after  about  1559.'  The  progress  of 
the  river  northward  of  the  curve  is  barred  by 
the  Gilesgate  ridge  ;  it  therefore  flows  westward 
for  half  a  mile  and  then,  instead  of  following  the 
route  of  the  preglacial  river,  through  the  sand- 


the  river  here  there  is  a  modern  iron  bridge 
erected  in  1889,  which  replaced  a  wooden  bridge 
built  in  the  middle  of  the  19th  century. 
Further  southward  was  the  old  ford  connecting 
the  borough  with  Elvet,  which  was  replaced  by 
Elvet  Bridge.  The  approach  to  the  ford  on  its 
borough  side  is  by  Paradise  Lane,  but  on  the 
opposite  side  it  has  recently  been  blocked  by  the 
sewerage  works. 

Elvet  Bridge  was  built  by  Bishop  Pudsey* 
(1153-95),  and  with  the  exception  of  the  two 
centre  arches,  which  have  been  rebuilt,  the  old 
bridge  is  intact.  It  was  guarded  by  a  gate  and 
towers  and  had  a  chapel  at  each  end  ;    that  on 


Elvet  Bridge,  Durham 


filled  hollow  connecting  the  castle  plateau  with 
Gilesgate,  it  cut  its  way  southward  through  the 
rocky  ridge  on  which  the  higher  part  of  Elvet 
and  Crossgate  stand.*     Just  before  the  turn  in 

"■  For  the  identification  of  the  site  of  this  mill  see 
a  15th-century  plan  in  Treasury  at  Durham  (Misc. 
Charters  7100). 

*  Feod.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc),  199. 

3  Durh.  Treas.  Loc.  xxix,  nos.  13  and  48.  The 
heading  of  Scaltok  Mill  appears  in  the  D.  and  C. 
Receivers'  Bks.  down  to  19th  century,  although  all 
trace  of  the  site  had  been  lost.  References  to  the 
weir  for  this  mill  occur  on  the  Durham  Account  Rolls ; 
its  foundations  may  possibly  account  for  the  tradition 
that  a  Roman  road  crossed  the  river  near  Old  Durham. 

*  See  '  On  the  Wear  and  Team  Wash-out,'  by 
Nicholas  Wood  and  E.  F.  Boyd,  Trans.  N.  Eng. 
Inst.  Mining  and  Mechan.  Engineers,  vol.  xiii,  1863-4. 


the  east  side  still  remains.'  At  about  300  yards 
south  of  Elvet  Bridge  stood  Bow  Bridge  in  the 
15th  century,'  which  has  now  completely  dis- 
appeared. The  approach  to  it  on  the  Bailey 
side  was  by  Bow  Lane,  and  on  the  Elvet  side  by 

6  Scriptores  Tres  (Surt.  Soc),  12. 

*  It  is  now  a  blacksmith's  forge.  Surtees,  Hist,  of 
Durham,  iv,  p.  56.  For  the  repair  of  Framwellgate 
and  Elvet  Bridges  the  rents  of  certain  lands  called 
'  Brigland '  were  devoted.  This  trust  was  always 
neglected,  and  in  1 371  Bishop  Hatfield  caused  enquiry 
to  be  made  (Durh.  Pal.  Rec.  (P.R.O.),  div.  3,  no.  31, 
m.  3  d.).  In  161 5  the  matter  was  referred  to  Quarter 
Sessions  (Mickleton  MS.  viii,  l),  and  in  a  return  to  a 
Commission  of  Charitable  Uses  in  1684  the  lands  were 
said  to  be  worth  ^^8  a  year  and  to  be  situated  in 
Gilesgate  (Surtees,  Hist,  of  Durb.  iv,  pt.  ii,  p.  56). 

">  Durh.  Treas.  Repert.  Magn.  f.  113. 


63 


A   HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


Water  Lane.  Below  the  site  of  Bow  Bridge  the 
river,  after  a  semicircular  turn,  takes  a  north- 
ward direction,  just  past  the  turn  here  is  the 
Prebends'  Bridge  built  in  1777  from  designs  by 
Richard  Nicholson.  This  bridge  is  a  fine  stone 
structure  of  three  semicircular  arches  with 
voussoirs  springing  from  piers  with  triangul- 
ar starlings  surmounted  by  semi-hexagonal 
projections,  upon  which  the  recesses  of  the 
footways  are  carried.  The  spandrels  are  filled 
by  plain  recessed  panels,  and  the  whole  is 
crowned  by  a  shallow  cornice  and  plain  parapet, 
the  latter  having  panels  of  balustrading  over  the 
centres  of  the  side  arches.  There  was  in  early 
times  a  ferry  boat  here  maintained  by  the  con- 
vent, which  gave  access  to  their  mill,  fishponds 
and  orchards  at  Crossgate.*  This  ferry  was 
replaced  by  a  footbridge  in  1574,  which  was 
swept  away  by  the  great  flood  of  1771,  and  a 
temporary  bridge  was  erected  that  remained 
until  the  present  bridge  was  built. 

Passing  the  Prebends'  Bridge,  we  reach  the  first 
of  the  weirs,  which  seems  to  have  been  maintained 
at  the  common  charge  of  the  bishop  and  convent.* 
At  the  western  end  of  the  weir  were  the  sites  of 
a  corn  mill  and  a  fulling  mill,  both  belonging  to 
the  convent,^"  and  at  the  eastern  end  were  two 
corn  miUs  belonging  to  the  bishop  and  Icnown  as 
the  Jesus  Mill  and  Lead  Mill.  These  latter 
mills  provided  for  the  castle  area  and  were 
bought  by  the  prior  from  the  bishop  in  the 
15th  century.^i  In  1792  one  of  these  mills  on 
the  eastern  side  was  leased  for  carding  of  wool 
and  cleaning  of  cloth.  A  further  lease  dated 
1813  contains  covenants  to  raise  the  water  in 
the  river  12  in.  by  planks  and  not  to  grind  corn 
at  the  mill  at  the  western  end  of  the  weir 
between  midnight  and  6  a.m.  from  i  May  to 
II  November.  These  mills  appear  to  have 
fallen  into  disuse  shortly  after  this  date. 

A  quarter  of  a  mile  below  the  weir  the  river 
is  crossed  by  Framwellgate  Bridge,  or  the  Old 
Bridge,  as  it  was  called  in  mediaeval  times  to 
distinguish  it  from  the  later  Elvet  Bridge. 
This  bridge  was  originally  built  by  Flambard  in 
1 120,  but  it  was  swept  away  by  a  flood  in  1400. 
For  a  time  a  crossing  was  maintained  by  a  ferry 
boat,  but  the  present  bridge  was  built  in  the 
15th  century  by  Bishop  Langley  (1406-37)  and 
was  widened  in  the  early  part  of  the  19th  century. 
It  consists  of  two  arches,  each  of  90  ft.  span, 
and  was  formerly  fortified  by  towers  and  gates 
at  each  end.  In  13 16  a  fight  took  place  between 
Richard  Fitz  Marmaduke,  the  bishop's  steward, 
and  Robert  Neville,  '  the  peacock  of  the  north,' 

^  Scriptores  Ires  (Surt.  Soc.)  114. 

»  Mins.  Accts.  7  Edw.  Ill,  bdle.  1144,  no.  18. 

1"  The  site  of  the  corn  mill  is  not  quite  clear,  but 
it  is  said  to  be  near  the  fulling  mill  (Durh.  Acct.  R. 
620). 

^1  Scriptores  Ires  (Sun.  Soc.),  p.  159. 


'  for  dispute  who  might  rule  the  most.'  Fitz 
Marmaduke  was  defeated  and  killed. '^  Below 
this  bridge  is  another  weir,  at  the  cast  end  of 
which  was  the  Bishop's  Mill,  where  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  borough  owed  suit.  This  mill  is 
mentioned  in  the  .ffoWow  5ooi,"  and  was  usually 
leased  separately  from  the  borough,  but  some- 
times with  it.'*  In  1543  it  had  fallen  out  of 
repair  by  the  violence  of  the  stream,  when 
Bishop  Tunstall  granted  a  lease  of  the  River 
Wear  from  the  Milburn  to  Lowicke  Haugh  to 
Robert  Rawc,  bailiff  of  Durham,  and  Ralph 
Surtees,  merchant,  for  70  years  in  order  to  build 
another  mill.  A  mill  was  accordingly  built,  but 
certain  inhabitants  withdrew  their  suit  and 
erected  a  horse  mill  on  the  site  of  a  burgage 
held  from  the  dean  and  chapter.  In  an  action 
that  followed  the  bishop's  lessee  obtained  judg- 
ment and  damages. 1* 

At  the  western  end  of  the  weir  the  Milburn, 
which  now  runs  in  a  culvert  under  the  North 
Road,  flows  into  the  Wear.  Formerly  its  waters 
were  used  to  drive  the  Clock  Mill  at  the  foot  of 
Milburn  Gate.  At  it  the  inhabitants  of  the  old 
borough  of  Crossgate  had  to  grind  their  corn. 
This  mill  was  granted  by  Bishop  Flambard  to 
Kepier  Hospital,"  and  afterwards  passed  to  the 
almoner  of  the  convent,"  and  only  ceased  to  be 
used  as  a  mill  within  living  memory.  Three- 
quarters  of  a  mile  below  this  second  weir  there 
used  to  be  another  weir  for  supplying  power  to 
the  mill  attached  to  Kepier  Hospital. 

The  bishop  appears  to  have  had  the  fishery 
of  the  river,  and  in  1 31 2  granted  to  the  prior 
and  convent  a  free  fishery  between  Elvet  Bridge 
and  Framwellgate  Bridge,**  and  from  time  to 
time  leased  the  waste  ground  between  the  castle 
walls  and  the  river.** 

The  castle  of  Durham  stands 
THE  CASTLE  on  the  neck  of  a  peninsula 
which  was  unapproachable  by 
the  engines  of  siege  of  ancient  times,  and  from 
the  very  fact  of  its  impregnable  strength  played 
a  comparatively  small  part  in  military  history. 
It  was  founded  purely  as  a  fortress,  but  before 
long  became  the  chief  residence  or  palace  of 
that  long  Hne  of  Prince  Bishops  whose  history 
has  been  told  elsewhere.  Selected  first  as  a 
refuge  for  the  venerated  body  of  St.  Cuthbert, 
the  peninsula  must  have  received  some  artificial 

^^  Geiia  Carnarvon  (RoUs  Ser.),  pt.  ii,  p.  33; 
Surtees  Soc.  vol.  xxi,  p.  2. 

13  F.C.H.  Durh.  i,  327. 

1*  Durh.  Treas.  Liber  Recog.  et  Dimiss.  Laur. 
pp.  Ill,  170,  171,  189,  291. 

15  Durh.  Rec.  (P.R.O.),  cl.  3,  no.  78,  m.  17  d. ;  no. 
92,  m.  II. 

i«  Mem.  of  St.  Giles  (Sun.  Soc),  194. 

1'  Durh.  Treas.  Loc.  37,  no.  47. 

18  Kellaw'j  Reg.  (Rolls  Ser.),  iv,  1 1 88. 

1*  Durh.  Rec.  (P.R.O.),  cl.  3,  no.  68,  m.  25. 


64 


Ill™  Century 

Q 1153-1217 

T  Bishop  BcrK  1284 -1311 
3 Bishop  Hatfieid  13+5-81 
JBisiKM-  Fox  l49-*-l5()l 
1  Bishop  TUnstali.  13  JO -59 

ra  17™  Century 

iSUJ^CEKTjlRJJN^IomRN 


Scale  of  ftrr 


I'LAN    OF    DURHAM    CASTLE 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


addition  to  its  natural  defences  at  an  early 
date,  and  by  the  beginning  of  the  nth  century 
was  strong  enough  to  stand  a  siege  by  Malcolm 
of  Scotland.*  It  is  unlikely  that  the  protective 
walls  of  Durham  at  this  time  were  more  than 
earthen  banks  crowned  with  palisades,  nor  is  it 
probable  that  any  part  of  the  keep  mound  had 
been  thrown  up  before  the  Conquest.  The 
castle  is  recorded  to  have  been  built  by  Earl 
Waltheof  about  1072,  though  some  masonry  in 
the  Norman  chapel  is  possibly  of  an  earlier 
date.  Waltheof's  work  was  continued  after 
his  death  in  1075^  by  Bishop  Walcher,  his  suc- 
cessor in  the  Earldom  of  Northumbria.  The 
keep  mound,  then  covering  a  much  smaller  area 
than  at  present,  was  probably  raised  at  this 
period,  but  would  not  for  some  years  be 
sufficiently  stable  to  be  crowned  with  a  masonry 
tower.  Bishop  William  de  St.  Calais,  who  planned 
the  present  church,  probably  strengthened  the 
castle,  which,  after  a  brief  siege,  he  was  com- 
pelled to  surrender  to  William  Rufus  in  1088.^ 
But  his  successor,  Ranulph  Flambard,  was,  there 
can  be  little  doubt,  the  designer  of  the  Norman 
fortifications,  as  they  can  be  traced  to-day  and 
as  Laurence  described  them  in  the  12th  century, 
although  they  have  been  usually  credited  to  his 
successor  Hugh  Pudsey.  Flambard  cleared  away 
the  houses  from  the  ground,  now  the  Palace  or 
'  Place  '  Green,  between  the  castle  and  the 
church,*  and  built  a  wall  from  the  east  end  of 
the  church  to  the  keep.*  The  whole  of  the 
plateau  of  the  peninsula  was  thus  appropriated 
by  the  castle,  the  church  and  monastery.  What- 
ever were  the  individual  shares  of  the  early 
bishops  in  fortifying  their  stronghold,  it  is  pretty 
clear  that  by  the  middle  of  the  12th  century  the 
fortifications  had  developed  upon  the  lines  then 
laid  down. 

Laurence,  the  monk  of  Durham,  who  wrote 
about  1 144-9,  gives  a  vivid  description  of 
the  castle  with  its  great  natural  strength, 
fortified  by  a  wall  broad  and  high  with  lofty 
battlements  and  threatening  towers  rising  from 
the  rock.*  He  describes  the  gate  at  the  south- 
east, crovraed  with  a  tower,  commanding  a 
steep,  narrow  path  down  to  the  ford  over  the 
river,  and  the  similar  gate  at  the  south-west 
with  an  easier  ascent  but  protected  by  the  river. 
The  third  gate  at  the  north-east,  being  the  chief 
entrance  into  the  city,  was  more  strongly  built 
and  possessed  outworks  and  a  barbican.  From 
this  gate  the  wall  ran  westwards  up  the  mound 
to  the  keep  and  thence  westwards  again  to  the 


Simeon  of  Durham,  Op.  Hist.  (Rolls  Ser.),  i,  215. 
Ibid,  ii,  199. 

Anglo-Sax.  Chron.  (Rolls  Ser.),  i,  358  ;  ii,  193. 
Simeon  of  Durham,  op.  cit.  (Rolls  Ser.),  i,  140. 
Ibid,  i,  140  ;  ii,  260. 

Laurence  of  Durham,  Dialogi  (Suit.  Sec),  p.  11, 
U.  369-450. 


edge  of  the  cliff,  the  contours  of  which  it  followed 
towards  the  south  and  then  turned  eastwards 
to  the  keep  again.  Within  this  triangular  area 
were  'two  great  adjoining  palaces  with  porticos,' 
portions  of  which  we  may  still  see  incorporated 
in  the  existing  ranges ;  here  also  was  the  chapel, 
'  supported  on  six  columns,  not  too  spacious 
but  sufficiently  handsome,'  and  in  the  central 
court  was  a  deep  well,  which  was  rediscovered 
in  1904.  On  the  south  of  the  castle  area  was 
the  strong  and  lofty  gate,  from  which  a  draw- 
bridge led  across  the  broad  moat  to  a  field,  on 
the  east  side  of  which  a  wall  ran  down  from  the 
keep  to  the  cathedral.  Unfortunately  it  is  very 
difficult  to  make  out  much  about  the  keep  itself 
from  Laurence's  description.  He  seems  to 
describe  a  circular  shell  of  masonry,  of  which  the 
stonework  was  carried  down  the  face  of  the 
mound  some  5  ft.  or  6  ft.,  so  that  the  surface 
inside  was  '  three  cubits  '  higher  than  the  base 
of  the  wall  outside.'  Inside  this  was  apparently 
a  tower  probably  of  wood,  possibly  the  original 
keep,  rising  above  the  shell,  with  the  battle- 
mented  parapet  of  which  it  was  connected  by 
a  bridge. 

Bishop  Pudsey  (1153-95)  completed  Elvet 
Bridge*  and  is  stated  to  have  rebuilt  the  wall 
running  southwards  from  the  north  gate.^  To 
him  are  also  ascribed  the  *  Constable's  Hall '  or 
'  Norman  Gallery,'  forming  the  northern  range 
of  buildings,  and  what  is  now  the  kitchen  on 
the  south-west  of  the  castle.  During  the 
vacancy  of  the  see  in  John's  reign,  from  1209 
to  1216,  some  repairs  were  undertaken  which 
probably  included  the  building  of  the  irregular 
tower  at  the  north-west  angle  of  Pudsey's 
gallery.  During  the  remainder  of  the  13th 
century  little  seems  to  have  been  done,  until  the 
accession  of  Bishop  Anthony  Bek  in  1284.  Bek 
built  the  Great  Hall  on  the  site  which  it  now 
occupies,  though  httle  of  his  work  remains  visible 
except  the  entrance  doorway  and  three  small 
windows  formerly  lighting  the  undercroft.  Two 
years  after  Bek's  death,  in  1312,  Brus  raided 
and  burnt  the  suburbs  of  Durham,*"  then  un- 
protected. In  1315,  in  consequence  of  this 
raid,  the  inhabitants  of  Durham  obtained,  by 
petition,  the  right  to  levy  murage,**  and  the 
walls  round  the  present  market  place  and  the 
Elvet  Bridge  gateway  were  built  at  this  time, 
and  the  gate  on  Framwellgate  probably  streng- 

'  Ibid.  There  appears  to  be  nothing  to  support 
Boyle's  rendering  of  '  tribus  cubitis  '  as  '  with  three 
terraces  '  and  a  great  deal  to  make  it  an  improbable 
reading.  At  first  no  doubt  the  wooden  keep  was 
defended  by  a  palisade  which  was  replaced  by  the 
stone  wall  here  referred  to. 

8  Hilt.  Dunelm.  Script.  Jres  (Surt.  Soc),  12. 

»  Ibid. 

*"  See  above,  p.  20. 
**  Reg.  Palat.  Duiulm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  ii,  1071. 


65 


A   HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


thened.  Complaints  were  made  by  the  King 
to  Bishop  Beaumont  (1318-33)  for  neglecting 
the  defences,  and  thereupon  the  bishop  repaired 
the  walls  and  rebuilt  portions  of  the  east  wall 
of  the  castle  enclosure  where  Flambard's  founda- 
tions had  failed. 1* 

Great  alterations  were  made  by  Bishop  Hat- 
field (1345-81),  the  chief  of  which  was  the 
enlarging  of  the  keep  mound  and  the  rebuilding 
of  the  keep  ^^  itself  in  the  form  which  it  approxi- 
mately retained  until  its  demolition  in  1840. 
The  former  plan,  an  irregular  octagon,  has  been 
followed  in  the  present  building.  Hatfield 
enlarged  Bek's  great  hall,"  adding  a  carved 
roof,  minstrels'  galleries  and  two  '  thrones.'  He 
also  added  a  new  high-pitched  open  timber  roof 
to  Pudsey's  Constable's  Hall,  at  the  same  time 
inserting  the  west  window  which  has  lately 
been  renovated.^* 

For  a  century  after  the  death  of  the  magnifi- 
cent Hatfield,  little  work  of  importance  was 
carried  out.  Bishops  Skirlaw  and  Langley  re- 
paired the  gates,  the  latter  bishop  practically 
rebuilding  the  north  gate  and  gaol,  and  both 
bishops  strengthened  the  work  of  their  pre- 
decessors with  buttresses,  where  necessary,  but 
it  was  not  until  the  accession  of  Bishop  Fox  in 
1494  that  any  notable  alterations  were  made  in 
the  buildings  of  the  castle.  Fox  reversed  Hat- 
field's pohcy  and  reduced  the  hall  to  about  the 
size  that  it  had  been  when  built  by  Bek;**  the 
southern  end  which  he  cut  off,  he  divided  into 
several  rooms,  and  the  Norman  building  at  its 
south-west  angle  he  converted  into  the  kitchen, 
which  is  still  one  of  the  most  striking  features  of 
the  castle.  The  great  fireplaces  in  this  kitchen 
are  of  interest  not  only  for  their  noble  propor- 
tions but  also  as  being  the  only  early  brickwork 
in  the  castle.  The  castle  had  by  this  time  lost 
much  of  its  military  importance  and  had  become 
a  palace  rather  than  a  fortress,  but  Bishop 
Tunstall  (1530-59)  seems  to  have  refaced  part 
of  the  outer  walls  and  the  inner  side  of  the 
castle  gate.  His  most  important  work,  however, 
was  the  building  of  the  stair-turret,  gallery  and 
chapel  on  the  north  side  of  the  courtyard,  against 
Pudsey's  gallery."  These  alterations  must  have 
added  not  only  to  the  effect  but  also  to  the 
convenience  of  the  castle  as  a  residence. 

During  the  second  half  of  the  i6th  century 

'2  Hutchinson,  Hist,  and  Antiq.  of  Dur.  i,  344. 
Probably  the  wall  running  from  the  church  to  the 
keep. 

"  Hist.  Dunelm.  Script.  Tres  (Surt.  Sec),  138. 

"  Ibid.  150.  15  Ibid. 

18  Ibid.  150.  His  badge  of  the  pelican  may  still 
be  seen  near  the  inner  jambs  of  the  doors  under  the 
hood  mould,  and  a  large  carved  example  formerly 
adorned  the  wall  built  by  him  between  the  hall  and  the 
buttery. 

1'  Ibid.  155. 


Durham  Castle  would  seem  to  have  been  rather 
neglected,  but  Bishop  Neile  (1617-27)  made 
many  repairs,  rendering  it  more  habitable,  at 
the  same  time  shortening  the  hall  by  cutting 
off  the  north  end.^*  His  improvements  were 
much  praised  by  Charles  I  when  he  was  enter- 
tained at  Durham  by  Bishop  Morton  (1632-59). i» 
The  occupation  of  the  castle  by  the  Scottish 
forces  during  the  Civil  War  naturally  resulted 
in  great  injury  to  the  fabric,  and  when  at  the 
Restoration  the  bishopric  was  revived  and 
bestowed  upon  Bishop  Cosin  (1660-72),  he 
found  it  in  a  bad  condition.  During  the  twelve 
years  of  his  episcopate  he  executed  a  series  of 
repairs  in  practically  every  part  of  the  castle 
and  made  a  few  alterations,  of  which  the  most 
important  were  the  destruction  of  the  barbican 
and  partial  filling  of  the  moat  ^  and  two  additions 
to  the  hall.  In  front  of  the  original  door  to  the 
hall  he  built  the  elaborate  porch  and  four  great 
buttresses,  which  still  form  a  prominent  feature 
of  the  courtyard  and  at  the  north  end  he  con- 
verted the  portion  of  the  hall  which  Bishop 
Neile  had  cut  off  into  a  council  chamber  and 
built  the  great  stair.  From  a  letter,'^  dated  at 
London  in  1662,  to  his  secretary  ordering  the 
erection  of  this  stair  to  be  deferred  until  he 
could  come  down  and  see  to  it  himself,  it  is 
clear  that  he  gave  not  only  his  money  but  also 
his  personal  attention  to  the  work  which  was 
then  done.  It  is  to  him  or  probably  to  his 
successor  Bishop  Crewe  (1674-1721)  that  we 
must  attribute  the  extension  eastward  of  Tun- 
stall's  chapel.  Cosin  was  the  last  bishop  to 
make  any  extensive  alterations,  other  than 
destructive,  but  Bishop  Crewe  probably  formed 
the  Senate  Room  over  the  old  Norman  chapel. 
Bishops  Butler  (1750-2),  Trevor  (1752-71), 
Egerton  (1771-87),  and  Barrington  (1791-1826) 
all  did  repairs  in  the  way  of  strengthening  over- 
hanging walls  and  refacing  the  masonry,  and 
Bishop  Thurlow  in  1789  pulled  down  the  upper 
stories  of  the  keep  for  fear  they  would  fall. 
Otherwise  the  history  of  the  fabric  during  the 
i8th  and  early  19th  centuries  was  uneventful. 
Upon  the  establishment  of  the  University 
within  its  walls,  the  castle  was  overhauled  and 
to  some  extent  modernized,  the  most  drastic 
change  being  the  pulling  down  of  the  remainder 
of  the  old  keep,  which  had  become  very  ruinous, 
and  the  erection  upon  the  same  foundations  of 
the  new  keep. 

The  castle  court  is  entered  from  the  Green 
by  the  main  gateway,  in  front  of  which  is  the 
site  of  the  barbican  and  moat.  Laurence,  the 
monk    of    Durham,  writing    between    1 144-9, 

1*  Wood,  Athenae  Oxon.  i,  665. 
1'  Hutchinson,  op.  cit.  i,  600,  605. 
""  The   contract   for  this  work,   dated   1665,   still 
exists.    Bp.  Cosin's  Corres.  (Surt.  Soc),  ii,  379. 
"  Ibid.  90. 


66 


fnjvn/iVQ    31/}   oj    fiav    jpvg- 


67 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


describes  the  gateway  as  strong,  and  mentions 
the  drawbridge  and  barbican.^^  From  what 
remains  of  the  original  work,  which  appears  to 
be  of  Bishop  Flambard's  time  (1099-1128),  and 
from  excavations  made  in  1898,  it  would  seem 
that  the  Norman  gateway  consisted  of  a  square 
tower  with  shallow  projecting  wings.  All  that 
definitely  survives,  however,  of  the  Norman 
period  are  the  circular  turret  stair  up  to  the 
first  floor  and  a  string-course  of  sunk  star 
ornament  under  the  lean-to  roof  on  the  west 
side  of  the  gateway,  which  is  in  excellent  pre- 
servation.    No  doubt  also  a  considerable  amount 


which  apparently  formed  the  springers  to  an 
arch  of  the  bridge  approach. 

Of  the  east  barbican  wall  a  short  portion  is 
known  to  exist  under  the  west  wall  of  Bishop 
Barrington's  easterly  projecting  wing,  but  it 
appears  to  have  been  destroyed  south  of  the 
termination  of  the  wing  ;  the  fact  that  he  built 
his  west  wall  upon  the  old  foundation,  and  his 
south  and  east  walls  upon  the  made  ground  of 
the  moat,  accounts  for  the  unequal  settlement  of 
the  east  wing  and  the  distortion  of  the  south 
window. 

Considerable  repairs  and  additions  were  made 


Durham  Castle  :  The  Courtyard  looking  South 


of  original  masonry  exists  in  the  interior  of  the 
walls.  The  barbican  was  about  90  ft.  in  length 
and  defended  by  an  outer  tower  or  turret  and 
a  giXeP  The  excavations  disclosed  the  foun- 
dations of  the  west  wall  of  the  barbican,  which 
averages  about  7  ft.  4  in.  in  thickness.  A  cross 
wall  3  ft.  3  in.  thick  found  at  the  same  time,  at 
a  distance  of  12  ft.  from  the  wing  of  the  present 
building,  indicates  the  position  of  the  draw- 
bridge immediately  in  front  of  the  gate.  On  the 
south   side   of   this   wall   three    stones   remain 

*2  Laurence  of  Durham,  op.  cit.  (Surt.  Soc),  lib.  i, 

U-433-40-  ,  ,  .        ,   ^ 

23  In  a  tracing  of  the  castle  m  the  possession  of  the 
University,  supposed  to  date  about  1775,  the  newel 
staircase  is  shown  entered  from  the  courtyard  on 
the  west  side ;  the  east  side  of  the  gateway  is  shown  to 
have  a  projection  into  the  courtyard  the  full  width  of 
the  original  work  (p.  67). 


to  this  gateway  by  Bishop  Tunstall^  (iS30~S9)> 
He  seems  to  have  widened  the  passage  through 
the  gateway  by  recessing  the  jambs  3  in.  on 
each  side  beyond  the  line  of  the  soffit  of  the  inner 
order  to  support  which  he  provided  small 
moulded  abaci  as  brackets.  A  close  examination 
further  suggests  that  for  the  same  purpose  he 
rebuilt  the  arch  and  endeavoured  to  spread  it  out. 
It  may  be  noticed  with  regard  to  this  point  that 
the  joints  of  the  voussoirs  of  the  innermost 
order  on  each  side  of  the  keystone  are  open 
respectively  2  in.  and  f  in.,  the  former  being 
filled  in  with  small  cobble  stones ;  and  the  bed 
joints  generally  of  this  and  the  two  middle 
orders  appear  tight  at  the  top  and  widen  at  the 
soffit,  while  the  outer  order  which  was  added 

^*  Hilt.   Dunelm.   Script.    7res   (Surt.    Soc),    155; 
F.  G  [odwin].  Cat.  of  Bishops  of  Engl.  (1601),  533. 


68 


Durham  Casti.l:    The  Courtyard  from   the  South-west 


Durham  Castle:    The  Courtyard  from  the  South-eajt 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


by  Bishop  Barrington  is  the  only  order  with 
parallel  joints.  Into  this  widened  doorway 
Tunstall  apparently  fixed  the  fine  iron-bound 
gates  filled  in  with  oak.^'  These  gates  are 
hung  in  two  halves  with  a  wicket  in  the  left- 
hand  half ;  their  original  massive  bolts  are 
worthy  of  inspection. 

In  1665  Bishop  Cosin  destroyed  the  barbican, 
which  is  said  to  have  been  in  a  ruinous  condition, 
and  partially  filled  in  the  moat.  The  requoining 
at  this  time  of  the  north-east  corner  of  the 
present  library  building,  where  the  masonry  was 
disturbed  by  the  removal  of  the  tower  at  the 
outer  end  of  the  barbican,  can  yet  be  seen.-* 
Much  of  the  stone  work  of  the  barbican  was 
reused  in  the  walls  he  erected.  A  curious 
picture  in  the  castle  attributed  to  the  time  of 
Bishop  Crewe  (1674-1721)  shows  a  clock  in  the 
south  face  of  the  gateway  2'  and  the  tower  sur- 
mounted by  a  campanile. 

The  restoration  by  Wyatt  undertaken  during 
Bishop  Barrington's  episcopate  (1791-1826) 
reduced  the  gateway  to  its  present  unsatis- 
factory appearance.  He  built  the  two  projecting 
wings  and  refaced  the  whole  of  the  exterior.^* 
As  it  now  stands  the  gateway  consists  of  a  nearly 
square  tower  with  clasping  angle  buttresses 
capped  by  turrets  rising  above  the  embattled 
parapets  of  the  main  tower  at  each  corner. 
The  buttresses  are  ornamented  with  shallow 
sunk  imitation  loops  and  quatrefoils,  plain 
rounded  necking  and  string-courses  upon  which 
are  formed  the  turrets  slightly  overhanging  the 
lower  walls.  The  ground  and  the  first  floors  of 
the  gate  house  are  lighted  with  sharp-pointed 
arched  windows  deeply  recessed  by  a  hollow 
chamfer  mould  with  roll  at  the  outer  edge,  and 
hood  moulds.  The  upper  story  has  a  circular 
window  in  which  was  formerly  the  clock  face 
already  referred  to,  and  above  is  a  square  hood 
mould.  The  entrance  arch  is  semicircular  and 
of  four  orders  ornamented  with  shallow  sunk 
cheverons,  the  innermost  being  varied  with  a 
star  mould.  The  three  inner  orders  are  the 
only  remains  of  original  Norman  work  to  be 
seen.  The  outermost  order  springing  from  a 
shallow  hollow  chamfered  jamb,  and  the  two 
middle  orders,  carried  on  shafts  with  imitation 

"  Hist.  Dunelm.  Script.  Tres  (Surt.  Soc),  155  ; 
F.  G[od\vin],  Cat.  of  Bishops  of  Engl.  (1601),  533. 

28  See  contract  dated  6  May  1665,  printed  in 
Bp.  Cosines  Corresp.  (Surt.  Soc),  ii,  379. 

*'  This  may  be  the  clock  in  the  possession  of 
Mr.  C.  W.  Dixon  Johnson  of  Aykley  Heads. 

2*  A  plan  of  the  castle  dating  about  1775  shows  the 
gate  before  Bishop  Barrington  made  his  alterations  ; 
on  the  west  side  there  is  a  projection  at  the  back  into 
the  courtyard,  indicating  possibly  that  the  gateway 
was  originally  double  and  that  the  circular  staircase, 
at  the  time  of  the  plan,  was  entered  from  the  court- 
yard (p.  67). 


Norman  capitals,  are  by  Wyatt.  The  innermost 
order  springs  from  square  jambs  with  small 
chamfered  edges,  and  possesses  curious  small 
moulded  abaci  and  bases  returned  on  themselves 
within  the  face  of  the  stone.  On  the  south 
front,  above  and  on  either  side  of  the  gateway, 
are  two  shields,  the  dexter  bearing  the  arms  of 
the  see,  the  sinister  the  arms  of  Bishop  Barrington 
(three  cheverons  with  a  label  for  difference). 

The  ribs  of  vaulting  have  a  broad  flat  soffit, 
shallow  moulded  with  roll  on  angle,  meeting  in 
a  central  boss.  The  boss  is  ornamented  with  a 
wreath  of  foliage,  in  the  centre  of  which  is  the 
badge  of  a  lion  or  clawed  beast.  It  is  deeply 
undercut  and  is  effective  in  appearance.  The 
four  ribs  spring  from  corbels,  much  defaced, 
which  in  turn  have  had  plain  corbels  inserted 
under  them  for  support.^' 

The  foundations  of  earlier  buildings  have 
from  time  to  time  come  to  light  in  the  courtyard, 
but  until  some  systematic  attempt  is  made  to 
trace  them  it  would  be  misleading  to  attempt 
any  description  of  the  fragments  of  walls  found. 
One  piece  of  wall,  however,  exposed  in  the  north- 
east corner  of  the  yard  revealed  a  small  window- 
opening  very  similar  to  those  in  the  undercroft 
of  Bishop  Bek's  hall,  but  without  the  wide 
splay  in  the  jambs.  An  undercroft  or  basement 
was  also  discovered  under  the  north-east  corner 
of  the  courtyard,  immediately  adjoining  the 
chapel.  It  is  now  entered  by  a  manhole  in  the 
courtyard.  Its  length  is  20  ft.  and  its  width 
8  ft.,  the  length  being  divided  into  four  bays 
by  semicircular  arches  of  one  square  order, 
springing  from  the  side  wall  on  the  west,  and 
from  massive  square  pilasters  on  the  east  side. 
It  has  a  depth  from  crown  of  arch  to  the  paved 
floor  of  18  ft.  5  in.  The  piers  have  a  set-off 
at  about  half  their  height  covered  with  a  stone 
slope,  and  the  north  pier  has  a  rectangular  open- 
ing in  the  face,  which  runs  a  considerable  dis- 
tance under  the  courtyard,  and  apparently  dips 
slightly  to  the  east.  The  sides  of  this  opening, 
top  and  bottom,  are  rendered  in  mortar,  and  the 
top  angles  are  rounded  off.  Whether  it  has 
been  an  overflow  drain,  or  whether  a  timber 
has  been  built  into  it  and  decayed,  is  impossible 
to  say,  but  no  sign  of  timber  graining  was 
noticed  on  the  mortar  lining.  The  walls  generally 
are  built  of  roughly  coursed  rubble,  the  arches 
and  quoins  are  of  ashlar  dressed  with  the  axe ;  the 
jointing  is  large,  especially  the  upright  joints. 
The  wall  on  the  south  side  of  the  courtyard, 
stretching  from  the  gateway  to  the  garden 
stairs,  is  in  its  lower  part  of  early  origin  and  is 
a  continuation  of  the  old  moat  wall  under  the 

*'  The  vaulting  and  the  arch  have  probably  been 

removed  and  refiied  at  a  higher  level,  possibly  by 
Bishop  Tunstall,  who  did  much  work  at  the  gateway. 
The  original  level  of  the  approach  from  the  Green  is 
some  3  ft.  below  the  present  roadway  at  this  point. 


69 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


garden  stair  building.  The  upper  part  is  later, 
probably  of  the  time  of  Bishop  Cosin.^  The 
position  of  two  windows  can  be  seen  in  the  wall, 
and  also  the  jamb  of  a  third,  but  the  rest  of 
the  windows  are  cut  off  by  Bishop  Barrington's 
extension  of  the  gateway.  These  windows 
probably  gave  light  to  the  rooms  that  existed 
on  the  courtyard  side  of  this  wall,  and  traces  of 
the  foundation  of  the  north  wall  of  a  building 
are  still  in  existence  underground.  Whether 
Bishop  Barrington  pulled  down  this  building 
cannot  be  said,  but  he  appears  to  have  destroyed 
and  blocked  up  the  three  windows  in  order  to 
run  a  flue  in  the  thickness  of  the  wall  from  the 
gatehouse  cellar  kitchen  to  the  garden  staircase. 

The  well,  the  position  of  which  had  long  been 
forgotten,  was  found  considerably  to  the  north- 
west of  the  present  centre  of  the  court,  at  a 
depth  of  6  ft.  It  was  surrounded  by  the  square 
stone  pavement  of  the  wellhouse  sloping  gradually 
from  the  well  in  the  centre.  The  well  averages 
4  ft.  in  diameter,  and  was  excavated  to  a  depth 
of  106  ft.  ;  the  ashlar  steaning  is  in  fairly  good 
condition  and  goes  down  to  a  depth  of  62  ft.  It 
is  seated  on  the  rock,  which  has  fallen  in 
places.  At  a  depth  of  90  ft.  the  well  was  found 
to  be  puddled  with  two  layers  of  clay  finished 
on  top  with  rough  flags.  The  main  supply  of 
water  appears  to  enter  from  the  rock  at  a  depth 
of  70  ft.  The  supply  is  stiU  fair,  but  the  well 
will  not  hold  the  water,  hence  the  partial  filling 
in  and  puddling,  which  appears  to  have  been 
unsuccessful.  Bishop  Tunstall  provided  the 
castle  with  an  independent  water  supply,  which 
he  brought  by  a  lead  pipe  from  the  '  pant ' 
in  the  college.  This  in  turn  drew  its  supply 
from  the  spring  on  the  south  road  in  the  field 
adjoining  Little  Wood,  which  to-day  gives  an 
abundant  supply  of  perfectly  clear  water. 
Portions  of  the  lead  pipe  have  been  recovered.^^ 
When  excavating  on  the  Palace  Green  an  old 
wood  pipe  with  spigot  end  formed  out  of  a 
tree  trunk  was  found  pointing  directly  to  the 
castle  entrance.  It  was  unfortunately  too 
decayed  to  be  lifted  from  its  position,  and  fell 
to  pieces  on  being  touched. 

Portions  of  several  cobble  and  flag  paved 
paths  have  been  uncovered ;  one  leads  directly 
to  the  Norman  entrance  door  of  Bishop  Pudsey's 
Gallery.  It  is  interesting  to  note  from  the 
section  of  the  accumulated  top  soil  that  the 
courtyard  has  at  one  time  been  paved,  at  another 
used  as  a  vegetable  garden,  and  at  another 
time  covered  with  ashes. 

^^  In  the  picture  hanging  in  Senate  Room  Lobby, 
considered  to  be  of  Bishop  Crewe's  date,  these  square- 
headed  mullion  windows  are  shown  greatly  resembling 
the  windows  in  the  adjoining  building. 

'1  It  was  ij  in.  inside  diameter,  J  in.  thick  and  cast 
in  short  lengths  of  about  3  ft.,  joined  together  with 
a  spigot  and  socket  joint,  and  burnt. 


At  the  south-west  corner  of  the  courtyard 
is  the  Garden  Stair,  a  small  block  of  buildings 
which  adjoins  the  moat  and  is  used  for  students' 
rooms.  It  has  a  gable  to  the  courtyard  which 
is  recessed  behind  an  embattled  parapet  forming 
a  pleasing  feature.  It  was  originally  built 
apparently  in  the  Norman  period,  but  altered 
by  Bishop  Bek  in  the  latter  part  of  the  13th 
century.  The  door  entering  this  building  from 
the  kitchen  passage  and  a  considerable  part  of 
the  building  above  the  courtyard  level  appear 
to  be  the  work  of  Bishop  Fox  (1494-1501),  while 
the  facing  of  the  lower  portion  of  the  north-east 
angle  is  of  the  time  of  Bishop  Tunstall  (1530-59). 
Bishop  Cosin  (1660-72)  also  made  various 
alterations,  and  it  was  he  probably  who  erected 
the  high-pitched  roof,  with  its  gable,  already 
referred  to,  in  the  place  of  a  flat  roof,  and  in- 
serted the  upper  window.  The  upper  part  of 
the  east  wall  bears  his  arms  and  was  possibly 
rebuilt  or  refaced  by  him. 

The  interior  has  been  much  altered  and  origi- 
nally must  have  possessed  a  basement,  now 
filled  in.  The  only  item  of  interest  remaining 
from  a  fire  which  occurred  in  the  19th  century 
is  the  oak  staircase  of  late  i8th  century 
date.  It  has  plain  square  newels  finished 
at  the  top  with  flat  capitals  surmounted  by 
a  ball,  and  at  the  bottom  with  similar  capitals 
and  pear-shaped  pendants.  The  hand-rail  is 
shaped  and  the  balusters  flat  and  cut.  A  curious 
feature  is  the  rectangular  slit  or  small  squint 
on  the  south  of  the  entrance  doorway  into  the 
courtyard.  The  lower  portion  of  the  south 
wall  forms  the  old  moat  wall,  which  is  of  Norman 
date,  and  is  characterised  by  a  boldly  projecting 
plinth  course,  now  much  decayed.  The  lower 
part  on  the  west  side  to  the  south  of  the  kitchen 
is  probably  the  remains  of  the  south-west  turret 
tower  of  the  early  Norman  fortification^  where 
they  adjoined  the  west  wall  crossing  the  moat, 
and  has  at  some  time  been  used  as  a  latrine  pit. 
The  south  windows  look  out  upon  the  inner 
moat,  now  transformed  into  a  garden,  formerly 
called  the  Bishop's  Garden,  but  now  named  the 
Don's  Garden.  The  wall  on  the  west  side  of 
the  garden  is  built  upon  the  foundations  of  the 
Norman  outer  defensive  wall.  The  small  wing 
over  the  kitchen  entrance  is  of  Bishop  Tunstall's 
date,  the  windows  and  other  detail  corresponding 
with  those  of  his  gallery. 

On  the  west  and  adjoining  the  garden  stairs 
is  the  kitchen,  which  is  entered  through  the  door 
of  the  buttery  hatch.  It  was  originally  built 
by  Bishop  Pudsey  (1153-95),  possibly  to  house 
the  guard  or  garrison.  There  are  indicationi 
that  it  formerly  contained  several  floors.  The 
extra  thickness  of  the  south  wall,  now  covered 
by  Bishop  Fox's  fireplaces,  suggests  that  this 
wall  may  have  possessed  defensive  features, 
and  its  position  at  the  junction  of  the  castle 


70 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


and  the  defensive  wall  crossing  the  moat  renders 
it  extremely  likely  that  such  was  the  case.  When 
the  plaster  was  disturbed  on  the  west  wall,  the 
jamb  and  arch  of  a  Norman  window  were  dis- 
closed. On  the  outside  also  of  the  same  wall 
on  a  level  with  this  window,  but  further  to  the 
south,  the  jamb  of  a  second  window  with  a 
column  is  visible,  though  the  rest  of  it  is 
obscured  by  a  later  buttress.  The  outside 
features  of  the  building  were  a  boldly  projecting 
base  from  which  sprang  broad,  flat  pilaster 
buttresses  at  each  angle,  and  probably  a  corbelled 
parapet,  the  present  parapet  wall,  with  over- 
sailing  string  and  drip  stones,  being  of  late  date. 
This   building  was  converted  by  Bishop  Fox'^ 


upper  part  of  a  right-angled  triangle.  Both 
rise  nearly  to  the  base  of  the  parapet,  with 
wedge-shaped  apex  stones.  The  flues  possessed 
the  usual  arrangement  of  smoke  jacks,  some  of 
the  spits  and  pulleys  in  connection  with  which 
are  now  hanging  on  the  wall.  Above  the  central 
stone  pier  is  an  angular  brick  shaft  supported  on 
a  stone  corbel  carved  with  the  grotesque  figure 
of  an  imp,  and  capped  at  the  level  of  the  roof 
strut  with  a  stone  moulded  capital ;  from  this 
springs  a  transverse  roof  strut. 

The  roof  is  open,  of  low  pitch,  with  large 
main  beams  and  wall  plates,  both  chamfered,  and 
a  lower  chamfered  waU  plate,  chamfered  upright 
wall  plates  with  swelled  and  splayed  feet,  resting 


Durham  Castle  :  The  Buttery 


(1494-1501)  into  a  kitchen.  He  inserted  the 
large  arch  in  the  north  wall  and  filled  it  with 
the  buttery  hatch.  He  also  constructed  the 
magnificent  fireplaces  and  chimney  breast 
adjoining,  completely  hiding  the  south  wall. 
These  fireplaces  consist  of  two  three-centred 
hollow  chamfered  ashlar  arches  of  16  ft.  and 
12  ft.  span,  springing  from  a  central  and  two  side 
stone  piers,  supporting  a  brick  frontal  wall,'' 
with  embattled  parapet  of  moulded  brick.  From 
the  back  of  this  wall  springs  the  battering 
wall  of  the  large  flues.  Over  each  stone  arch  is 
a  brick  relieving  arch,  one  and  a  half  bricks  in 
depth.  The  eastern  arch  is  sharply  pointed  with 
small  curvature,  but  the  western  has  no  curva- 
ture, the  rims  being  perfectly  straight,  like  the 


'-  Hist.  Dtinelm.  Script.  Tres  (Surt.  Soc),  150. 

*'  This  wall  was  stripped  of  plaster  about  1907, 
previous  to  vvliich  it  was  thought  the  frontal  wall  and 
parapet  were  of  stone.  This  brickwork  is  practically 
the  only  early  brickwork  in  the  castle. 


on  stone  octagonal  splayed  corbels,  with  cham- 
fered and  cut  struts  and  under  bearers  to  each 
main  timber.  The  roof  is  of  chestnut  and  is 
probably  of  Bishop  Fox's  construction. 

In  the  east  wall  is  a  third  hollow  chamfered 
arch,  with  rounded  stop  on  jambs.  In  this  it 
differs  from  the  other  fireplaces ;  it  is  also 
higher  and  of  considerably  greater  curvature, 
with  a  double  stone  rim  (at  present  filled  with  a 
range  and  large  oven).  The  recess  to  which  this 
arch  admitted  is  of  some  depth,  as  its  outside 
wall  projects  beyond  the  old  Norman  wall 
2  ft.  6  in.  or  3  ft.,  the  projecting  portion  being 
roofed  by  a  series  of  stone  slopes.  In  this  wall 
are  the  remains  of  a  hood  mould  and  a  square- 
headed  window;  these  and  a  considerable  amount 
of  the  stonework  of  the  outside  wall  resemble 
that  of  Bishop  Tunstall's  time.  Its  original  pur- 
pose is  unknown,  but  it  may  have  been  occupied 
by  sinks. 

The  west  window  inserted  by  Bishop  Fox 
(1494-1501)   is  of  three  cinquefoil  lights  in   a 


71 


A  HISTORY  OF   DURHAM 


square  head.  The  east  window  is  also  of  three 
lights,  with  inner  arch  similar  to  the  west,  and 
possibly  of  Bishop  Fox's  time,  but  the  lights  are 
sharply  pointed  without  cusping  and  appear  to  be 
later  insertions. 

Adjoining  the  kitchen  on  the  north  is  the 
buttery,  one  of  the  most  picturesque  parts  of 
the  castle.  Some  remains  of  a  previous  building 
on  this  site  exist  in  the  hall  staircase,  where  a 
portion  of  a  I3thcentury  corbelled  parapet  may 
be  seen  incorporated  in  Bishop  Hatfield's  exten- 
sion of  the  great  hall.  The  present  buttery,  with 
the  scullery,  and  the  brew  house  below,  was  built 
by  Bishop  Fox  about  1499.*^  It  is  entered  by 
the  west  door  of  the  great  hall  under  the  gallery 
and  was  formerly  divided  by  a  wall  pierced  by  a 
small  door,  now  removed.^  The  square-headed 
mullioned  window  on  the  north  side,  with  three 
centred  cusped  heads,  is  apparently  an  enlarge- 
ment of  a  window  existing  in  1775,  and  a  similar 
window  on  the  west  side  of  the  annexe  is  not 
earlier  than  the  time  of  Bishop  Cosin.  The  glass 
of  both  windows  was  inserted  in  1905.  High  up 
in  the  north  wall  of  the  annexe  is  another  square- 
headed  mullioned  window  with  four  lights  dating 
from  the  15th  century,  now  blocked.  The 
interior  partition  walls  of  the  main  building  are 
of  half-timber  construction  with  plain  per- 
pendicular oak  timbers,  darkened  by  age  and 
filled  in  with  brickwork  plastered  over.  The 
south  side  is  occupied  by  the  '  Buttery  Hatch,' 
which  opens  into  the  kitchen,  and  is  formed  of 
three  compartments,  the  western  of  which  is 
the  doorway.  It  is  massively  constructed  of 
oak,  and  each  opening  possesses  shallow  pointed 
heads  rounded  at  the  springing ;  the  spandrils 
are  richly  carved,  those  in  the  extreme  east  and 
west  having  the  crest  of  Bishop  Fox  together 
with  the  date  1499  and  the  inscription  '  Est  Deo 
gracia.' 

The  butler's  and  other  stores,  lighted  with 
lead  glazing,  open  out  of  the  buttery  to  the  east 
and  west.  The  plan  of  about  1775  already  men- 
tioned shows  that  the  buildings  on  the  west 
side  of  the  buttery  have  been  considerably 
altered  ;  the  present  store  room  and  scullery 
evidently  then  formed  a  bakehouse,  as  is  apparent 
by  the  two  small  ovens  in  the  west  wall,  over 
the  large  ovens  in  the  basement.  These  small 
ovens  have  entirely  disappeared  and  commu- 
nication has  been  formed  from  the  kitchen  to  the 
west  chamber  or  scullery,  which  was  then,  it 
would  seem,  divided  into  two  compartments. 
At  the  north  end  of  the  west  side  of  the  buttery 

^  See  date  on  buttery  hatch. 

^^  The  floor,  the  beams  of  which  were  greatly 
decayed,  was  renewed  in  1900,  with  oak  beams  and 
maple  flooring,  the  best  of  the  old  oak  being  used  in 
the  repair  of  the  decayed  or  missing  half-timber  work 
of  the  walls,  and  the  renewal  of  the  shelving,  which  at 
that  time  was  of  deal. 


is  a  narrow  passage  which  leads  by  a  circular 
newel  stair  of  Bishop  Fox's  time  to  the  base- 
ment.^* On  the  west  side  of  the  basement  is 
a  range  of  two  ovens,  one  12  ft.  in  diameter, 
the  other  8  ft.,  formed  with  stone  sides  (12  in. 
high),  the  floor  and  shallow  arched  roofs  being 
of  tiles  with  stone  keystones.  In  the  south- 
west corner  of  this  apartment  are  the  remains 
of  a  furnace  for  heating  water,  the  recess  being 
lighted  by  a  small  square-headed  window  in  the 
south  wall.  From  the  remains  it  is  evident 
that  the  front  consisted  of  a  range  of  three  cen- 
tred, chamfered  arches  of  stone,  with  a  boldly 
splayed  sill  course  under  each  at  the  level  of  the 
oven  floors,  the  oven  doors  being  recessed  and 
the  flues  opening  out  at  the  back  of  the  front 
arch.  Above  the  ovens,  but  contained  in  the 
height  of  the  apartment,  is  a  brick  arched  space 
evidently  intended  as  a  cooling  chamber,  below 
the  apartment  now  used  as  a  scullery. 

The  west  wall  of  this  building  has  been  sup- 
ported on  the  outside  by  stone  buttresses  of 
striking  massiveness,  of  undetermined  date.  The 
turret  stair  here,  before  mentioned,  also  forms 
a  picturesque  feature.  It  is  of  live  stages  sepa- 
rated by  moulded  string-courses,  and  is  sur- 
mounted by  an  embattled  parapet.  The  turret 
rises  considerably  above  the  rest  of  Bishop 
Fox's  work,  providing  access  from  the  basement 
to  roof. 

The  old  chest  of  unknown  date  standing 
in  the  buttery  is  worthy  of  attention.  Legend 
says  that  during  the  troublous  times  of  the 
Reformation  the  body  of  St.  Cuthbert  was 
hidden  in  it.  It  has  also  been  suggested  that 
it  was  from  this  chest  that  a  robbery  of  treasure 
in  the  year  1369  took  place,  and  it  is  evident 
that  it  has  been  forcibly  opened  at  some  time. 

The  rooms  to  the  north,  now  occupied  by  the 
housekeeper  and  silver  pantry,  appear  to  be 
comparatively  modern,  and  the  plan  of  about 
1775  shows  here  only  a  small  apartment  about 
13  ft.  square.  This  has  disappeared  and  a  large 
building  of  two  stories  has  been  erected,  the 
upper  now  occupied  by  the  housekeeper's  room 
and  the  butler's  pantry,  and  the  basement  used 
as  a  heating  chamber  and  bedrooms.  The  roof 
of  the  southern  part  of  this  building  has  un- 
doubtedly been  raised  and  covers  up  the  17th- 
century  mullioned  window,  before  mentioned, 
in  the  north  wall  of  the  buttery.  It  has  been 
generally  supposed  that  this  was  the  building 
erected  by  Bishop  Fox,  for  the  steward's  apart- 
ments, but  it  bears  no  resemblance  whatever 
to  his  work."  If  his  building  stood  in  this 
position   it   has   disappeared,  and   possibly  the 

^  This  chamber  was  in  later  years  used  as  a  brewery ; 
on  the  removal  of  the  old  boiler  about  1897  the  range 
of  ovens  and  furnace  was  discovered. 

8'  Hutchinson,  op.  cit.  ii,  368. 


72 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


small  chamber  shown  on  the  plan  of  about  1775 
may  have  been  his  work.  It  appears  more 
likely  that  he  formed  his  steward's  chambers  in 
the  apartments  cut  off  from  the  Great  Hall,  and 
the  1775  plan  shows  two  large  chambers  in  this 
position  divided  by  a  smaller  compartment 
which  may  well  have  been  devoted  to  stores. 
The  windows  of  this  building  are  all  of  two 
lights  and  square-headed  with  a  splay  running 
round  the  head,  jambs,  and  mullions,  but  a  mid- 
i8th  century  picture^*  shows  four  centred, 
arched  and  hooded  heads  to  the  upper  windows. 

The  Great  Hall,  known  also  as  Bek's  Hall, 
Hatfield's  Hall,  and  the  White  Hall,  occupies  the 
greater  part  of  the  west  side  of  the  courtyard 
and  is  one  of  the  finest  examples  of  a  castle  hall 
both  for  size  and  simple  grandeur  now  existing 
in  this  country.  There  was  a  previous  building 
on  the  site,  but  of  what  nature  is  unknown. 
Early  Norman  work  exists  at  the  north  end  of 
the  undercroft,  and  the  lower  portion  of  the 
north-west  angle  and  part  of  the  north  wall  also 
date  from  this  period.  Although  now  covered 
by  the  buttresses  and  other  work  attributed  to 
Bishop  Tunstall,  the  platform  upon  which  the 
north-west  corner  of  the  hall  and  the  north  wall 
are  built  is  undoubtedly  of  early  date  and 
probably  formed  the  base  of  a  tower  flanking 
the  original  north  and  west  curtain  walls.  The 
hall  was  originally  built  by  Bishop  Anthony 
Bek  (1284-13 1 2)  and  was  approximately  the 
same  size  as  the  existing  hall,  being  loi  ft.  in 
length  by  35  ft.  in  width. ^^  Alterations  and 
repairs  have  left  little  of  Bek's  work  visible.  On 
the  east  side  of  the  hall  the  lower  part  of  the 
wall  up  to  the  offset  below  the  window  sills  and 
a  small  portion  of  the  stone  work  above  are 
original.  Of  the  same  time  also  are  the  three 
little  windows  which  formerly  lighted  the 
undercroft,  with  semicircular  heads  worked  out 
of  one  stone  and  widely  splayed  inner  jambs. 
The  entrance  doorway  now  much  decayed  and 
partly  coated  with  plaster  is  also  of  Bek's  time. 
It  has  a  pointed  arch  of  two  richly  moulded 
orders  and  moulded  jambs  with  detached  shafts 
and  boldly  moulded  capitals.  Bishop  Cosin's 
octagonal  buttresses  may  possibly  incase  the 
original  square  buttresses  of  Bishop  Bek, 
though  they  are  not  in  alignment  with  the  but- 
tresses of  this  date  on  the  west  side. 

Little  of  Bek's  work  can  be  identified  on  the 
west  side  of  the  hall  beyond  the  range  of  square 
buttresses  and  the  southernmost  window  with 
a  pointed  head,  the  tracery  of  which  has  been 
renewed  and  does  not  fit  on  to  his  work.    Recent 

**  By  W.  Coster  Brown  and  dating  to  about  1760 
to  1770,  in  the  possession  of  Miss  Charlton,  South 
Street. 

'^  There  appears  to  be  no  documentary  evidence  of 
Bek's  work  on  the  castle ;  cf.  Boyle,  Guide  to  the 
County  of  Durham,  152. 


repairs  to  the  interior  of  this  wall  have  disclosed 
the  original  jambs  of  a  window  at  the  north 
end,  of  Bishop  Hatfield's  time,  which  was 
destroyed  doubtless  by  Bishop  Neile  when  he 
constructed  the  Black  Chamber.  A  picture 
hanging  on  the  Great  Staircase  indicates  four 
square-headed  muUioned  windows  in  the  west 
wall  of  the  hall,  two  at  the  top  and  two  at  the 
bottom,  suggesting  that  at  one  time  there 
existed  an  upper  chamber.  On  the  outside,  at 
the  north  end,  there  are  three  small  pointed 
windows  such  as  would  be  used  for  latrines,  at 
such  a  height  as  would  suggest  the  division  of 
the  north  end  of  the  hall  into  several  floors, 
long  before  the  lime  of  Bishop  Neile. 

About  1350  Bishop  Hatfield  lengthened  the 
hall*"  southward  30  ft.  6 in.  and  in  doing  so  cut 
away  half  the  western  staircase.  This  extension 
may  be  identified  from  the  courtyard  by  the 
string-course  under  the  parapet,  which  is  not 
quite  at  the  same  level  as  the  older  string.  Hat- 
field's wall  also  is  sHghtly  out  of  alignment  with 
the  earlier  wall  to  the  north,  but  this  is  hardly 
distinguishable.  In  the  south  wall  he  inserted 
a  double  window,  divided  by  a  large  square 
muUion  carrying  two  pointed  arches,  each  filled 
in  with  two  lights,  the  tracery  of  which  can  still 
be  seen,  though  the  window  is  partly  built 
up.  Each  window  contains  a  central  mullion 
with  filleted  roll  nosing  and  deep  hollow  splay 
on  either  side,  and  has  been  finished  at  the  top 
with  some  kind  of  splayed  abacus  to  receive 
tracery.  The  head  of  each  light  is  finished  with 
an  ogee  arch  cusped,  and  a  large  central  quatre- 
foil  with  ogee  cusping.  Seen  from  the  interior, 
the  first  window  from  the  south  in  the  west  wall 
has  the  original  jambs,  head  and  inner  arch,  also 
the  inner  sill  of  Bishop  Bek's  work.  The  second 
window  is  of  Bishop  Hatfield's  work,  except  the 
tracery,  which  has  been  inserted  and  is  of  the 
same  date  as  that  in  Bek's  window.  The 
jambs  have  detached  and  banded  shafts  finished 
with  moulded  capitals ;  the  window,  however, 
has  been  cut  short  for  the  insertion  of  a  pointed 
doorway  into  the  pantry,  and  has  been  further  so 
iU-treated  that  it  is  impossible  to  say  of  what 
mouldings  the  outer  arch  originally  consisted. 
Late  repairs  have  disclosed  the  original  lower 
transom  of  this  window  still  in  position.  The 
two  other  west  windows  are  modern,  but  are 
supposed  to  be  copies  of  Hatfield's  work;  cer- 
tainly the  square  abacus  on  the  outer  jambs  and 
the  banded  columns  on  the  inner  jambs  have 
been  repeated,  but  every  other  feature  is  new. 
The  two  larger  pointed  windows  on  the  east 
side  are  also  stated  to  be  restorations  of  Hat- 
field's work;  they  are  of  three  lights  with  a 
transom,  the  tracery  being  composed  of  two 
trefoils  and  a  quatrefoil.    Each  window  has  two 

*»  Hut.  Dunelm.  Script.  Ires  (Surt.  Soc),  138. 

73  10 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


splayed  stone  seats,  one  on  either  side,  formed 
by  running  down  the  inner  jambs  some  2  ft. 
6  in.  below  the  outer  sill ;  this  also  occurs  in 
the  north-west  windows.  Since  the  removal  of 
Cosin's  panelling  these  windows  have  been 
altered  and  the  sills  lowered. 

The  north  window  was  inserted  in  1847.  It 
is  said  to  occupy  the  position  of  a  large  window 
by  Bishop  Hatfield  which  was  possibly  unused 
from  the  time  of  Bishop  Cosin  or  Bishop  Neile, 
when  rooms  were  inserted  at  the  north  end  of 
the  hall.  The  window  is  pointed  and  has  four 
lights  with  geometrical  tracery.  The  appear- 
ance is  heavy,  but  the  glass  inserted  in  1882 
is  by  Kempe  and  is  good.  It  displays,  on  a 
groundwork  of  foliage,  the  arms  of  many 
associated  with  the  castle  and  the  foundation  of 
the  University.*^ 

Hatfield  is  said  to  have  renewed  the  roof 
with  richly  ornamented  roof  timbers,  no  trace 
of  which  remains.*^  There  exists  a  contract 
by  which  the  carpenter  undertook  to  save  the 
old  timber  for  re-use,  indicating  perhaps  that 
a  very  considerable  portion  of  Bishop  Bek's  hall 
was  rebuilt.'"  He  also  erected  a  '  throne  '  or 
*  princely  seat  '  at  each  end  of  the  hall. 

Bishop  Fox  constructed  the  present  south  cross 
wall**  and  inserted  two  doorways  at  either  end  of 
the  wall,  which  from  a  plan  of  about  1775 
apparently  entered  two  separate  apartments. 
These  doorways  have  square  splayed  inner 
orders  with  four  centred  segmental  arches  in 
square  heads  and  sunk  eyelets  in  the  spandrels ; 
the  jambs  are  stopped  at  the  bottom.  The  two 
doorways  are  now  connected  with  a  cavetto  hood 
mould  running  along  the  wall  above  the  heads 
and  returned  down  the  outer  end  of  each  door 
head.  Two  carvings  of  a  '  Pelican  in  piety,'  the 
bishop's    badge,    are   inserted    near    the   inner 

**  At  the  bottom  of  the  window  are  four  figures 
holding  banners  bearing  arms  representing  (from  east 
to  west)  Bishop  Hatfield,  St.  George,  St.  Cuthbert, 
Bishop  Fox.  Immediately  above,  the  shields  of 
Tunstall,  Cosin,  Crewe,  and  Butler.  Above  these 
in  the  two  centre  lights  are  the  arms  of  six  visitors, 
viz  : — Bishops  Van  Mildert,  Maltby,  Langley,  Villiers, 
Baring  and  Lightfoot.  In  the  upper  portion  of  the 
east  light  are  shields  referring  to  three  Masters, 
namely,  the  arms  of  Plummer  and  Booth  and  the 
initials  of  Waite,  and  in  the  west  light  the  arms  of 
the  three  Wardens  Thorpe,  Waddington  and  Lake. 
The  east  and  west  tracery  hghts  display  the  arms  of  the 
Bishoprics  of  York  and  Durham  respectively,  and, 
surmounting  all,  the  arms  of  the  University. 

*2  A  picture  by  Hastings  hanging  in  the  hall  shows 
the  principals  ornamented  with  bold  cusping,  and  the 
spandrils  filled  with  similar  decoration  ;  this  was 
probably  destroyed  by  Barrington,  who  replaced  the 
old  struts  with  larger  ones  and  inserted  the  corbels 
under  wall  pieces 

*3  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  30,  m.  5  d. 

**  Hijt.  Dunelm.  Script.  Tres  (Surt.  Soc),  150. 


jambs  of  the  doors  under  the  hood  mould.  The 
two  semicircular  corbelled  musicians'  or  trum- 
peters' galleries  on  the  east  and  west  walls  at 
the  south  end  were  originally  approached  from 
adjacent  newel  staircases,  portions  of  which  still 
remain.  These  galleries  are  usually  ascribed  to 
Bishop  Fox,*°  but  whether  they  are  his  work  is 
doubtful ;  they  seem  to  be  more  in  keeping 
with  Bishop  Hatfield's  time  and  arc  probably 
a  part  of  his  greater  scheme.  The  portion 
of  the  hall  cut  off  at  the  south  end  he 
divided  into  various  apartments,  constructing 
a  timber-framed  house  within  the  existing  walls. 
These  apartments  on  the  ground  floor  are  now 
used  as  the  servants'  hall  and  a  bed  and  sitting- 
room.  Fox's  alterations  caused  the  removal  of 
the  '  throne '  *'  from  the  lower  end  of  the  hall 
and  the  building  up  of  the  south  window.  The 
large  open  arched  recessed  fireplace  in  the  west 
wall,  between  two  of  Bek's  exterior  buttresses, 
was  probably  inserted  at  this  time. 

Bishop  Neile  (1617-28)  is  stated  to  have 
further  reduced  the  length  of  the  hall"  by  the 
construction  of  a  set  of  rooms  at  the  north  end 
of  the  hall  which  are  supposed  to  have  been 
entered  from  a  turret  stair  erected  by  Tunstall 
at  the  west  end  of  his  gallery.** 

Bishop  Cosin  (1660-72)  did  a  considerable 
amount  of  work  on  the  hall.  He  is  said  to  have 
formed  an  audience  chamber  at  the  north  end, 
possibly  inside  Neile's  partition  wall.*"  He  also 
cut  away  a  portion  of  the  east  wall  of  the  hall 
when  erecting  his  great  staircase,  and  built  a 
timber  partition  to  avoid  too  great  a  projection 
into  the  courtyard.  Cosin  also  erected  a  '  screen 
of  wainscot '  at  the  south  end  of  the  hall  and 
panelled  the  walls.  Nothing  of  this  work  is  left 
except  possibly  the  double  doors  under  the 
present  gallery.^"  Bishop  Cosin  also  built  the 
porch  covering  Bishop  Bek's  doorway,  and  the 

*5  Chambre,  Hist.  Dunelm.  Script.  Tres  (Surt. 
Soc),  p.  150.  The  position  of  the  galleries,  however, 
points  to  their  being  part  of  Bishop  Hatfield's  scheme 
for  the  larger  hall,  and  the  wall  openings  may  quite  well 
be  of  his  time. 

*'  Ibid.  The  timber-framed  house  probably  means 
the  buttery. 

*'  Wood,  Athenae  O.xon.  i,  665. 

**  Doubts  have  been  cast  on  the  existence  of  this 
staircase. 

*"  Hutchinson,  op.  cit.  ii,  369  note.  A  picture  in 
the  castle  shows  a  chimney  on  the  roof  of  the  hall  near 
the  north  end,  indicating  that  the  division  wall  was 
not  merely  a  timber  partition.  These  rooms  were 
removed,  and  the  wall  thus  extended  to  its  original 
length,  shortly  after  the  castle  passed  into  the  hands 
of  the  University  in  1847. 

^o  Cosin's  panelling  and  screen  are  shown  in  a 
picture  by  Hastings  hanging  in  the  Great  Hall.  It  is 
not  known  when  the  panelling  and  screen  were 
removed.  During  the  early  part  of  the  University's 
occupation  the  walls  appear  to  have  been  bare. 


74 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


flanking  buttresses  on  either  side,*'  and  later,  in 
1664,  he  built  the  northernmost  buttress,  and  the 
angle  buttress  at  the  south-east  angle.  These 
buttresses  add  immensely  to  the  impressiveness 
of  the  exterior.  They  form  a  three-quarter 
octagon  on  plan,  of  bold  projection,  with  two 
splayed  diminishing  courses  in  their  height, 
finished  at  the  top  above  the  parapet  of  the  hall 
by  cornices  and  octagonal  ogee  cupolas  with 
poppy  heads  and  balls. 

The  porch  at  the  main  entrance  to  the  hall  is 
of  an  impressive  and  bold  design,  but,  being  built 
of  very  soft  stone  from  the  Broken  Walls  Quarry, 
has  become  much  decayed.  It  is  raised  some 
3  ft.  above  the  courtyard  on  the  top  of  an 
octagonal  flight  of  steps.  The  doorway  has  a 
semicircular  arch  with  richly  moulded  keystone, 
foliated  spandrels  and  square  jambs  having 
moulded  capitals,  and  is  flanked  by  pairs  of 
detached  Ionic  columns  standing  on  pedestals. 
The  columns,  which  are  much  decayed,  support  a 
moulded  architrave,  plain  frieze  and  bold  cornice, 
wdth  segmental  pediment.  On  this  stands,  on  a 
small  pedestal  with  moulded  surbase,  a  winged 
figure  in  bishop's  robes  wearing  a  coronet  and 
supporting  in  front  a  shield  bearing  the  arms  of 
the  Bishopric  impaled  with  those  of  Bishop 
Cosin.  On  either  side  of  the  pediment  are  two 
other  pedestals,  the  southernmost  bearing  a 
bishop's  mitre,  and  the  northern  one  an  earl's 
helmet,  surmounted  by  the  crest  of  a  bird  stand- 
ing on  a  wreath. 

Inside  the  porch,  on  the  south  side,  is  a  door- 
way giving  access  to  the  lobby  of  the  '  Hall 
Stairs.'  It  is  a  comparatively  modern  insertion 
and  is  not  shown  on  a  plan  of  the  castle  dating 
about  1775  (p.  67). 

Above  the  porch  on  the  main  wall  is  a  group  of 
four  coats  of  arms,  arranged  in  a  square  of  four 
separate  panels,  each  surrounded  by  a  simple 
mould.  They  bear  the  arms  of  Bishops  Cosin, 
Hatfield,  Archdeacon  Westle  and  Dr.  Robert 
Grey.  The  buttresses  immediately  adjoining 
the  porch  are  of  stone  from  the  Broken  Walls 
Quarr)',  and  the  extreme  north  and  south 
buttresses  are  apparently  the  same,  but  a  change 
was  made  after  starting  the  Great  Stair. 

Between  the  porch  and  the  south  buttress, 
a  two-storied  projecting  window  has  been  in- 
serted to  the  rooms  formed  by  Bishop  Fox  at 
the  south  end  of  the  hall.  It  is  corbelled  out 
from  the  first  floor  and  bears  the  arms  of  Bishops 
Van  Mildert  and  V'iUiers  in  sunk  and  grouped 
panels. 

The  flagstone  paving  of  the  hall  is  also  Cosin's 
work  and  has  been  little  affected  by  passing  feet 
and  time.  It  was  laid  down  in  1663  and  was  to 
consist  of  '  faire  courses  of  diamond  flags  con- 

*i  The  contract  for  this  is  dated  I  April  1663. 
Bishop  Cosin's  Corresp.  (Surt.  Soc),  ii,  360. 


raining  full  three  yeards  in  the  whole  breadth.' 
In  the  centre  between  the  courses  mentioned  is  a 
square  panel  with  a  '  fret '  borne  by  Cosin  on  his 
coat  of  arms,  worked  out  in  flagstones.*^  The 
'  halfe  pace  '  mentioned  in  the  contract  for  the 
work  *^  is  not  the  present  step  in  the  hall  floor — 
most  of  the  present  wood  flooring  would  be 
contained  in  the  audience  chamber — but  a  space 
of  II  ft.  or  12  ft.  in  width  between  the  termina- 
tion of  Cosin's  flag  flooring  and  the  line  of  the 
audience  chamber  cross  wall.  This  space  appears 
to  have  been  occupied  by  a  wooden  dais.  The 
present  panelling,  designed  by  the  late  Mr.  C. 
Hodgson  Fowler,  was  inserted  by  the  University 
about  1887,  when  the  gallery  was  erected  on  the 
site  of  the  passage  formed  by  the  old  wainscot 
screen.  Recent  repairs  brought  to  light  a  series 
of  holes  in  the  east  wall  towards  the  south  end; 
they  are  regular  in  position  and  appear  to  have 
been  occupied  by  the  ends  of  wooden  beams. 
Their  position  suggests  that  at  some  time  this 
end  of  the  hall  was  occupied  by  a  structure  four 
stories  in  height. 

In  the  basement  at  the  south-west  angle 
there  remains  a  portion  of  a  stair  hand  rail, 
sunk  and  worked  out  of  the  face  of  the  wall, 
probably  of  the  15th  century  date. 

Pudsey'  s  manner  of  facing  his  walls  with  square- 
shaped  stones  appears  to  have  been  followed  by 
Bek,  who  intermingled  them  with  larger  stones, 
and  Cosin's  facing  gives  a  not  dissimilar  impres- 
sion; he  made  frequent  use  of  a  square  stone  but 
of  larger  size  and  in  patches  amid  courses  of 
larger  stones ;  his  jointing  was  regular  in  size. 
Hatfield  consistently  made  use  of  a  larger  stone 
in  courses  of  irregular  depth;  his  jointing  is 
also  irregular  in  size.  Bek's  jointing  is  also 
uneven,  and  the  perpendicular  joints  are  fre- 
quently wide.  Fox's  inside  ashlar  work,  how- 
ever, is  very  finely  dressed,  and  his  jointing  close. 
Compared  with  his  additions  to  the  exterior  of 
the  Great  HaU,  Bishop  Cosin's  design  for  the 
outside  of  the  Great  Staircase  is  flat  and  unin- 
teresting. The  building  presents  a  square,  with 
the  salient  angle  splayed  off,  fitted  into  the  angle 
between  Bishop  Pudsey's  and  Bishop  Hatfield's 
halls.  On  the  wall  of  the  splayed  angle  are 
two  coats  of  the  arms  of  Bishop  Cosin,  in 
plain  panels  with  simple  moulded  frames.  The 
lower  shield  impales  the  see,  supported  by  two 
cherubs'  heads  with  wings  crossed  and  drooping, 
supporting  two  swags  attached  to  the  shield, 
surmounted  by  a  lion's  head  and  scroll,  above 
which  rests  a  coronet  and  mitre.  The  upper 
shield  is  simple,  the  see  without  lions,  impaled 
by  Cosin  and  surmounted  by  a  coronet  and 
mitre. 

"  The  contract  for  this  is  dated  i  April  1663. 
Bishop  Cosin's  Corresp.  (Surt.  Soc.),  ii,  364. 


"  Ibid. 


75 


A  HISTORY  OF   DURHAM 


There  are  three  windows  to  each  flight  of 
stairs,  with  checked  and  splayed  jambs,  and 
square  splayed  heads,  mullions  and  transoms ; 
each  is  of  two  lights,  the  upper  having  three 
centred  arched  heads  with  small  eyelets  in  the 
spandrels,  and  the  whole  surmounted  by  a  hood 
mould. 

A  string-course  divides  the  building  at  the 
level  of  the  parapet  of  the  Tunstall  gallery,  and 
there  is  a  second  string  immediately  under  the 
embattled  parapet,  which  has  been  renewed. 
The  whole  was  originally  crowned  by  a  wooden 
turret  or  lantern  light,  with  columns  at  the  sides, 
and  finished  with  a  lead  cupola,  but  this  was  re- 
moved apparently  in  the  i8th  century. 

Bishop  Cosin  started  this  building  with  stone 
from  the  Broken  Walls  Quarry,  but  above  the 
lower  windows  a  great  deal  of  the  Browney 
stone  seems  to  have  been  used.  The  walling 
here  is  somewhat  different  from  the  rest  of  his 
work,  there  being  a  more  general  use  of  longer 
stones,  more  varied  depth  of  courses  and  finer 
jointing. 

On  the  south  wall  is  a  lead  downspout  head, 
bearing  the  date  mdclxii,  with  two  pendants 
on  the  underside  ornamented  with  a  Tudor  rose; 
a  third  centre  pendant,  forming  a  sink  and  con- 
tracting to  form  the  connection  with  the  down- 
spout, bears  a  casting  of  a  lion's  head  winged. 
On  the  east  wall  is  another  almost  similar  lead 
head,  bearing  a  shield  with  the  arms  of  the  see 
and  dated  1661. 

Although  the  outside  elevation  of  the  Great 
Staircase,  which  Cosin  built  in  i66z,^  may  not 
be  pleasing,  it  must  be  admitted  that  the 
interior  is  very  imposing.  He  exercised  great 
care,  thought  and  supervision  on  the  work,  and 
though  he  spent  '  largely '  he  spent  '  wisely,' 
and  as  a  result  he  added  to  the  castle  an  object 
of  enduring  admiration. 

The  staircase  tower  is  57  ft.  in  height  from 
floor  to  ceiling.  Five  separate  landings  or  floors, 
which  extend  the  entire  width  of  the  north  side 
of  the  building,  are  each  connected  by  three 
flights  of  stairs.  On  plan,  the  average  measure- 
ments of  the  staircase  are  28  ft.  9  in.  from  north 
to  south,  and  22  ft.  8  in.  from  east  to  west. 
The  flights  have  a  width  of  about  6  ft.  between 
balustrade  and  walls  and  the  well  is  9  ft.  square. 

The  balustrade  surrounding  the  well  is  formed 
with  a  shaped  and  moulded  handrail,  surmount- 
ing a  heavy  moulded  top  rail  with  frieze  of 
carved  acanthus  leaf,  studded  and  banded  on 
the  well  side,  but  on  the  stair  side  the  boxing 
has  three  facias  divided  by  carved  fillets ;  the 
lower  rail  or  string  has  a  deeply  moulded  plain 
panel  boxing.  Between  these  two  strings  richly 
pierced    and    carved    panels  are  inserted,   sur- 

*■•  The  contract  for  this  is  dated  l  April  1663. 
Bishop  Cosin's  Corresp.  (Surt.  Soc),  ii,  90,  358. 


rounded  and  held  in  position  by  moulded  and 
carved  fillets.  The  panels  of  the  lower  flight  are 
finer  and  more  elaborately  carved  than  the  rest, 
the  one  on^the  gallery *landing''consisting"of  an 
acanthus  scroU  with  bordered  shield  in  the  centre, 
with  a  flower  on  either  side  from  the  centre  of 
which  hang  swags  of  fruit.  The  other  panels  are 
less  elaborate  and  of  shallower  carving,  but 
thoroughly  effective  in  purpose  from  the  distant 
view  usually  obtained  of  them.  Each  panel 
occupies  a  length  of  one  side  of  the  well. 

At  each  angle  is  a  square  newel  post  with  sunk 
panel  on  two  sides,  the  panels  being  decorated 
with  studded  leaves  in  low  relief.  Each  newel 
was  originally  finished  on  the  top  with  flat  caps 
having  a  moulded  edge  surmounted  by  a  boldly 
shaped  vase  ornament  richly  carved  and  termin- 
ating with  a  ball.  At  the  foot,  each  newel 
was  finished  by  a  deeply  undercut  and  fret 
pendant.  Few  of  either  upper  or  lower  ter- 
minals now  remain.  When  the  roof  was  exposed 
some  time  ago^^  the  main  beams  were  found  to 
be  broken  and  much  decayed,  the  fractures  being 
occasioned  by  the  great  weight  of  the  lantern 
light  which  was  removed  subsequent  to  the  time 
of  Bishop  Crewe.'*  The  top  landing  was  at  an 
unknown  date  formed  into  a  room  now  called  the 
'  Crows'  Nest,'  by  the  erection  of  a  partition  upon 
the  main  trimmer  immediately  at  the  back  of  the 
panelled  balustrade.  On  the  failure  of  the  roof, 
however,  the  partition  transferred  the  pressure 
from  the  roof  timbers  to  the  trimmer,  causing 
it  to  become  distorted.  To  counteract  this,  the 
carved  capitals  and  pendants  of  the  newels  were 
removed,  and  turned  diminishing  oak  columns 
were  wedged  in  between  the  top  of  one  newel  and 
the  bottom  of  the  one  immediately  above,  in 
order  to  transfer  the  weight  to  the  ground.  The 
effect,  however,  was  to  force  the  newels 
out  of  the  perpendicular,  and  to  destroy  and  in 
some  cases  entirely  draw  out  the  oak-pinned 
tenons,  especially  in  the  upper  flights.  The  roof 
has  now  been  renewed,  the  staircase  carefully 
strengthened  and  the  broken  trimmer  of  the  top 
landing  slung  to  the  roof  joists.    Relieved  of  the 

'5  In  a  report  upon  the  castle  roofs,  dated  15  Sept. 
1794,  it  is  stated  that  the  '  Roof  over  the  grand 
staircase,  the  timbers  in  General  is  in  a  very  decayed 
state  and  much  sunk,  hkewise  the  lead  upon  the  Roof 
and  Gutters  much  wore  and  thin  in  many  parts,  a 
new  roof  appears  to  be  necessary  at  some  future  time, 
as  no  danger  at  present  appears  from  its  present 
state.' 

*'  Shown  on  several  of  the  old  views  on  the  staircase, 
on  one  of  which  the  turret  appears  to  be  square 
composed  of  several  columns  supporting  an  ogee- 
shaped  cupola  terminating  with  some  form  of  orna- 
ment. In  a  view  from  the  south,  hanging  in  the 
Senate  Room  lobby,  this  is  confirmed,  but  the  cupola 
takes  the  form  of  a  single  curve  terminating  with  ball 
finial. 


76 


Durham  Castle  :    The  Black  Staircase 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


superincumbent  weight,  some  of  the  main  trim- 
mers show  a  tendency  to  resume  a  level  bearing. 

The  newels,  handrails,  capitals,  pendants  and 
the  recently  renewed  stair  treads  are  of  oak,  but 
the  carved  panels  and  boxings  of  the  strings,  etc., 
are  of  a  soft  wood,  believed  to  be  willow. 

The  north-west  tower  is  supposed  to  date  from 
the  reign  of  King  John  and  was  probably  built 
between  1208  and  1217  when  the  castle  was  in 
the  king's  hands."  AH  that  survives  of  the 
former  building  on  the  same  site  are  a  door  rebate 
and  some  small  portions  of  ashlar  walling  of 
Pudsey's  date  on  either  side  of  the  lower  chamber. 
The  bed  joints  of  this  walling  fall  towards  the 
north  at  approximately  the  same  angle  as  the 
jointing  at  the  west  front  of  Pudsey's  existing 
building.  The  massive  construction  of  the 
lower  part  of  the  tower  points  to  the  conclusion 
that  it  was  built  primarily  as  a  buttress  and 
prop  to  the  west  end  of  Pudsey's  building,  which 
it  is  evident  was  in  a  state  of  collapse  in  the  early 
part  of  the  13th  century.  It  may  have  been 
intended  for  a  latrine  tower,  but  probably  the 
lower  chamber  was  a  cell  or  prison.  It  contained 
two  chambers,  the  lower  16  ft.  by  5  ft.  9  in. 
with  a  height  of  15  ft.  2  in.  to  the  springing  of  the 
arches.  Both  chambers  are  vaulted,  the  lower 
with  three  segmental  ribs  and  probably  a  fourth, 
averaging  i  ft.  4J  in.  wide  and  about  2  ft.  i  in. 
apart,  the  spaces  between  them  being  covered  by 
flagstones.  One  rib  is  splayed  on  both  sides, 
and  another  on  one  side  only.  On  the  east  they 
spring  simply  from  the  walls ;  and  on  the  west 
side  the  wall  below  has  been  robbed  for  a  width 
of  18  in.  from  the  springing  of  the  arches  down- 
wards except  for  the  portion  where  the  remains 
of  Pudsey's  ashlar  may  be  seen.  In  the  west 
wall  is  a  recess  and  below  a  shaft  about  2  ft.  6  in. 
square  at  top,  and  3  ft.  4!  in.  by  2  ft.  6  in.  at  the 
bottom,  descending  to  a  depth  of  19  ft.  6  in. 
from  the  stone  siU  or  step  at  the  top.  This 
step  covers  almost  half  the  opening  of  the  shaft 
and  appears  to  be  the  head  of  an  old  loop 
turned  upside  down.  The  opening  at  the  bottom 
of  the  shaft  leading  through  the  wall  towards 
the  west  is  3  ft.  high  and  covered  with  large 
headstones  about  lyi  in.  deep,  the  inner  one  of 
which  is  badly  split  at  the  bearing,  and  is  now 
built  up.  Only  a  12  in.  width  of  this  opening 
shows  in  the  shaft,  the  north  wall  of  which  hides 
the  remainder.  It  is  probable  that  this  shaft 
was  at  one  time  the  private  latrine  used  by  the 
bishops,  as  above  the  present  entrance  there  is 
still  a  door  opening  into  the  bishop's  room  at 
the  back  of  the  tapestry,  and  communication 

*'  This  turret  is  assumed  to  have  been  built  during 
the  interregnum  of  9  years  in  the  reign  of  King  John. 
The  Pipe  Rolls  record  payment  for  the  repair  of  the 
castle  and  houses  at  Durham  during  the  13th,  14th 
and  15th  years  of  liis  reign. 


must  have  been  formed  between  the  two 
apartments  by  a  flight  of  steps.  Half-way 
between  the  latrine  shaft  and  the  entrance  door 
is  a  narrow  round-headed  window  with  wide 
internal  splays.  In  the  north  wall  is  a  muUioned 
window  of  late  date  with  wide  internal  embrasures 
which  has  apparently  been  hacked  through  the 
solid  wall  and  is  fitted  with  a  modern  sash  frame. 

To  the  greater  part  of  the  chamber  there  is 
no  formed  floor  except  some  large  stones  filled 
in  with  rubbish,  suggesting  that  it  is  of  greater 
depth.  The  lower  portion  of  the  east  wall 
almost  suggests  that  an  arch  has  crossed  about 
this  level.  On  the  line  of  the  latrine  recess  a 
wall  robbed  on  its  face  crosses  the  building  with 
a  height  of  about  2  ft.  6  in.,  and  on  the  north  side 
of  the  same  recess  a  second  wall  rises  about 
2  ft.  8  in.  above  the  last  one,  and  crosses  at  a 
slightly  different  angle.  On  the  outer  face  of  the 
east  wall  adjoining  the  wall  of  the  main  building 
there  is  a  rough  semicircular  arch  almost  covered 
by  the  ground,  which  possibly  spanned  an 
entrance  to  a  lower  chamber  or  possibly  a 
latrine  pit,  and  formed  a  portion  of  Pudsey's 
original  building. 

The  upper  chamber  is  16  ft.  by  10  ft.  with  a 
height  of  16  ft.  4  in.  and  is  larger  than  the  lower, 
owing  to  the  diminished  thickness  of  the  walls. 
The  south  end  projects  considerably  into  the 
thickness  of  Pudsey's  north  and  west  walls. 
It  forms  a  rectangular  room,  and  is  entered  from 
the  upper  hall  or  Norman  Gallery.  It  is  lighted 
by  a  single  lancet  with  modern  external  jambs 
in  the  west  wall  and  a  double  lancet  which 
appears  to  be  entirely  modern  in  the  east  wall. 
The  vaulting  has  double  splayed  pointed  ribs. 

Above  this  vaulted  chamber  the  roof  is  formed 
with  stone  sets  falling  to  a  channel  in  the  centre, 
which  in  turn  falls  towards  the  north  wall.  For 
the  full  length  on  the  east  side  and  parallel  to 
the  east  wall  there  are  the  remains  of  what 
appears  to  have  been  a  dwarf  wall,  with  a  space 
behind  filled  with  rubbish,  giving  the  appearance 
of  having  been  a  latrine  for  the  use  of  the  men 
guarding  the  walls;  the  garderobe  seat  being 
possibly  covered  by  a  lean-to  roof.  Apparently 
a  wall  existed  on  the  south  side,  as  the  jambs  of  a 
doorway  remain  at  the  south-west  corner.  The 
floor  is  some  2  ft.  below  the  level  of  the  present 
parapet  walk  of  Pudsey's  building,  but  this 
latter  and  the  parapets  all  round  the  building  are 
known  to  have  been  considerably  raised. 

The  present  roof  of  the  tower  is  flat  and 
covered  with  concrete  supported  by  steel  joists 
so  that  the  original  roof  now  forms  the  floor  of  a 
chamber.  The  west  side  has  been  refaced,  but 
on  the  north  and  the  east  sides  the  stonework  is 
in  good  condition  and  remains  practically  un- 
touched. The  parapets  all  round  are  modern. 
The  wall  facing  is  of  ashlar,  and  it  is  evident  that 
a  great  many  of  the  facing  stones  of  Pudsey's 


77 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


destroyed  building  have  been  re-used.  The  bed 
joints  are  fairly  even  and  close,  but  many  of  the 
upright  joints  are  wide.  On  the  east  wall  is  a 
15th-century  shield  much  decayed,  but  ap- 
parently bearing  a  lion  rampant,  impaling  the 
see,  supporting  a  helmet  and  mitre. 

The  north-east  angle  of  Bishop  Pudsey's 
building  possesses  an  irregular-shaped  turret  of 
13th-century  work,  probably  masking  in  the 
lower  part  a  portion  of  Bishop  Walcher's 
(1071-80)  earlier  building.  It  contains  an 
irregular-shaped  chamber  in  the  upper  portion, 
with  two  narrow  windows  facing  east  and  west. 
The  base  of  this  tower  is  built  upon  the  remains 
of  a  massive  vault  of  early  date,  a  portion  of  which 
is  exposed. 

The  greater  part  of  the  north  front  of  the 


connected  by  a  large  circular  internal  staircase, 
still  in  existence.  Bishop  Pudsey  also  incor- 
porated, at  its  south-east  angle,  the  lower  por- 
tion of  the  newel  stair  of  Waltheof's  earlier 
buildings;  there  were  also  newel  stairs  at  the 
south-west  and  north-west  angles  of  the  build- 
ing. The  north-west  staircase  has  entirely 
disappeared,  and  only  the  lower  portion  of  the 
south-west  remains.  A  close  inspection  indi- 
cates that  Pudsey's  range  of  buildings  began 
to  show  signs  of  failure  at  an  early  date,  and  only 
constant  attention,  aided  by  the  thickness  of  the 
walls,  has  enabled  it  to  continue  its  chequered 
existence  up  to  the  present  time. 

The  south  wall  of  the  lower  hall  is  built 
partially  upon  another  wall,  but  not  in  alignment 
with  it.     The  outer   base  of  Bishop  Pudsey's 


Durham  Castle  :  The  Norman  Gallery 


castle  between  the  two  turrets  just  described 
was  occupied  by  the  block  containing  the 
Constable's  Hall  or  armoury  now  known  as  the 
Norman  Gallery.  This  building  was  originally 
erected  by  Bishop  Pudsey  (1153-95)  ^'  ^^d  when 
completed  must  have  presented  an  imposing 
appearance  with  its  double  range  of  circular- 
headed  windows  and  magnificent  doorway.  It 
stands  largely  upon  the  site  of  previous  build- 
ings which  were  probably  destroyed  about  1155 
or  1 166  by  the  fire  referred  to  by  Reginald. 
The  building  forms  a  prolonged  rectangle  on 
plan  and  would  appear  to  have  been  a  large 
example  of  the  '  hall  house,'  but  with  two  halls, 
the  upper  one  known  as  the  Constable's  Hall, 
now  the  Norman  Gallery.    The  two  halls  were 

**  Hist.  Dunelm.  Scrip.  Tres  (Surt.  Soc),  12. 
Although  not  specially  mentioned  among  his  works, 
the  Constable's  Hall  must  be  attributed  to  Pudsey. 


wall  is  carried  on  a  series  of  pointed  arches, 
which  are  interesting  as  proving  the  use  of  the 
pointed  arch  at  this  date.  The  small  piers 
between  the  arches  were  built  without  any 
spread  of  foundation  and  only  18  in.  below  the 
level  of  the  Norman  courtyard.  On  account  of 
threatened  failure,  these  arches  were  built  up, 
and  the  wall  was  later  strengthened  by  small 
buttresses  ;  the  erection  of  Tunstall's  turret  and 
flying  buttresses,  and  also  Cosin's  staircase 
doubtless  arrested  the  movement.  The  central 
portion  of  this  range,  however,  still  crept  out- 
wards, causing  the  replacement  of  the  Tunstall 
Gallery  roof  on  several  occasions  on  account  of 
the  pressure  on  its  outer  walls.  By  the  time  of 
Bishop  Trevor,  about  1754,  the  overhang 
amounted  to  about  18  in.  towards  the  south,  and 
an  endeavour  was  then  made  to  straighten  the 
outer  face  of  the  wall.  The  upper  part  of  the 
shallow  Norman   buttresses,  together  with  the 


78 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


machicolation  and  parapet,  were  removed  and 
stout  beams  were  thrown  under  the  shelter  of 
the  roof  of  Tunstall's  Gallery  from  buttress  to 
buttress.  With  the  extra  7  in.  thus  gained  a 
commencement  was  made  to  build  the  outer 
face  perpendicular  by  robbing  the  old  wall 
deeper  and  deeper  the  higher  the  work  pro- 
ceeded. Immediately  above  the  windows  was 
placed  a  plain  string-course,  and  a  second 
moulded  string  at  the  base  of  the  parapet  wall. 
The  parapet  is  crenellated  and  finished  with 
moulded  and  weathered  coping.  The  date  of 
the  work  was  commemorated  by  the  insertion 
of  the  arms  of  Bishop  Trevor  impaled  with  the 
arms  of  the  see  and  surmounted  by  a  mitre 
arising  out  of  a  coronet.  The  refacing  was  carried 
out  in  Kepier  stone  in  courses  of  irregular  depth, 
finely  dressed  with  close  joints. 

A  further  movement  of  about  13  in.  after- 
wards took  place,  and  in  1902  the  building  was 
tied  across  with  three  rows  of  steel  ties  having 
outer  steel  bands.  What  permanent  effect  this 
may  have  remains  to  be  seen.  The  wall,  when 
opened,  was  found  to  consist  of  an  outer  skin 
of  masonry,  filled  in  with  loose  rubble  and  '  soil 
mortar.' 

The  west  wall,  with  its  boldly  projecting  base, 
has  fared  little  better  than  the  south ;  indeed, 
at  one  lime  it  must  have  threatened  complete 
coUapse.  The  north-west  angle  appears  to  have 
given  way,  and  a  great  rent  ran  from  top  to 
bottom  of  the  building;  the  effect  of  this  can 
be  seen  in  the  great  difference  in  width  and 
distortion  of  the  arches  of  the  west  windows. 
Under  the  floor  of  the  '  still '  room  recent 
excavation  has  revealed  a  portion  of  the  founda- 
tion of  the  west  wall,  of  which  there  remains  a 
short  length  of  about  5  ft.  with  a  square  off-set 
prepared  for  a  wallplate.  The  depth  of  the  wall 
visible  is  about  4  ft.  8  in.  where  it  appears  to 
end,  but  as  the  base  of  the  wall  on  the  outside  is 
at  least  6  ft.  below  this  level,  the  foundations 
of  the  wall  must  be  stepped  back  and  down  from 
the  inner  face.  It  is  a  rough  rubble  wall  with 
clay  joints;  the  single  existing  course  of  faced 
walling  forms  the  side  of  the  set-off ;  this  latter 
is  set  in  lime  and  denotes  the  original  inside  line 
of  Pudsey's  west  wall.  Fissures  exist  at  the 
joint  of  the  west  and  south  walls  and  a  smaller 
one  about  midway.  Here  also  may  be  seen  the 
'  great  gash  '  which  extended,  ever  increasing,  to 
the  very  top  of  the  building,  causing  the  distor- 
tion and  widening  of  the  south  window  in  the 
west  wall  of  the  Norman  Gallery. 

North  of  the  '  gash  '  the  character  of  the 
foundations  changes;  on  plan  the  top  appears 
to  be  almost  semicircular,  and  at  the  first  glance 
the  general  section  gives  the  impression  that  it 
is  a  gathering  over  of  an  angle  formed  by  two 
walls  at  right  angles.  An  inspection,  however, 
shows  that  this  is  not  so,  for  when  the  adhering 


soil    was    removed   it    was   found   to    have    no 
particular    face,    no    courses,    and    no    regular 
overhang  of  the  stones,  and  the  impression  given 
is  that  it  is  the  rough  rubble  backing  of  a  wall 
built  upon  a  sloping  sandy  surface.     At  a  depth 
of  3  ft.  6  in.  it  apparently  stops  and  a  step  back 
of  large  size  is  probably  formed.     Whether  this 
sandy  bank  is  a  portion  of  the  outer  defences 
before  Pudsey's  time,  and  upon  which  Pudsey 
built,  must  be  left  to  conjecture.     It  is  to  be 
noted   that   this    building   never   possessed    an 
undercroft  and  that  it  is  filled  solid  with  a  sandy 
soil  from  the  level  of  the  courtyard  up  to  the 
underside  of  the  joists  of  the  Common  Room 
a  depth  of  some  10  ft. ;  also  that  in  the  Common 
Room  an  excavation  at  the  back  of  the  north 
wall  revealed  the  fact  that  the  foundations  are 
stepped,  rising  from   the  outside  towards  the 
inside  in  a  somewhat  similar  manner.    All  these 
facts  point  to  the  conclusion  that  Pudsey  built 
upon  the  sides  of  a  sloping  bank,  and  to  the 
probability  that  this  bank  formed  a  portion  of 
the  original  earthwork  defending  the  north  face. 
Unfortunately  the  north  wall  had  to  be  largely 
rebuilt  by  Bishops  Butler  and  Trevor  about  1751 
to    1756.     This   was   the   occasion   of  a    bitter 
controversy    between    Mr.  Course  of    London 
and    Mr.    Shirley   of   Durham,    two    surveyors 
employed   to    settle    the    dilapidations    on    the 
succession  of  Bishop  Butler.^'     It  would  appear 
that  about  41  ft.  of  the  north  wall,  presumably  at 
the  west  end,  overhung  some  3  ft.  in  the  worst 
part,  the  whole  being  in  a  dilapidated  condition. 
About  1 741,  in  the  time  of  Bishop  Chandler,  a 
London  surveyor  had  caused  '  chain  bars  '  to  be 
inserted  from  the  north  to  the  south  wall,  and 
timbers  were  added  to  prevent  the  roof  from 
thrusting  out  the  walls.     The  whole  building, 
however,  had  evidently  been  a  cause  of  anxiety 
for  many  years.*"    Mr.  Course  condemned  the 
north  wall,  and  recommended  that  it  be  rebuilt, 
which   Mr.    Shirley  considered  unnecessary,  as 
it  had  not  moved  for  80  years.     The  repairs  were 
apparently  made  by  Mr.  Sanderson  Miller.     At 
any  rate  he  was  employed  in  the  decoration  of 
the  present  Common  Room,  then  the  Bishop's 
dining  room,**  and  is  responsible  for  the  lowering 
of  the   floor,  the  insertion   of   the  large  stone 
chimney  piece,  a  window  in  '  Gothic  taste'  and 
the    plaster    decoration    including    the    extra- 
ordinary gilt  '  buttercups  '  on  the  otherwise  fine 
oak  ceiling.     The  work  then  executed  included 
the  insertion  of  the  two  windows  of  the  Common 

*'  Correspondence  and  reports  of  Mr.  Shirley,  a 
local  surveyor,  and  Mr.  Kenton  Course,  a  London 
surveyor,  as  to  dilapidations  between  the  late  Bishop 
Chandler  and  Bishop  Butler. 

«<>  Ibid. 

"  Correspondence  between  Bishop  Butler  and 
Mr.  Sanderson  Miller,  and  Mr.  Talbot,  dated  1751. 
(Found  and  copied  by  the  Very  Rev.  Henry  Gee,  D.D.) 


79 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


Room    with    four-centred    heads    and    shallow 
cavetto  moulded  and  chamfered  jambs. 

Bishop  Butler  died  in  1752  and  Bishop  Trevor, 
it  would  appear,  carried  on  the  work  with  some 
slight  alteration,  judging  from  the  stonework, 
which  is  somewhat  diilerent  from  the  general 
refacing,  the  bed  joints  not  coinciding.  Bishop 
Trevor  appears  to  have  built  the  chimney 
breast,  upon  which  he  inserted  a  large  shield  of 
the  arms  of  Bishop  Butler.  He  also  built  the 
projecting  portion  towards  the  west  end,  a 
feature  of  which  is  the  door  with  the  window 
over,  between  which  he  placed  his  coat  of  arms, 
the  whole  being  contained  in  a  shallow  recess 


upper  floor  with  a  flag-stone  much  worn ;  this 
shaft  is  cut  away  by  the  insertion  of  one  of  the 
later  windows  below,  and  all  further  trace  is 
lost,  but  it  has  apparently  been  a  well  shaft 
used  later  for  other  purposes.  At  the  back  of 
the  chimney  breast  of  Room  No.  18  there 
exists  a  doorway,  opening  out  into  a  garderobe 
partially  formed  in  the  thickness  of  the  wall 
and  the  shallow  buttress  at  the  back;  the  jambs 
are  corbelled  with  an  almost  semicircular  curve 
at  the  top,  and  the  head  has  a  shallow  arch  in 
one  stone,  a  splay  running  uninterruptedly 
round  all.  The  window  recess  of  the  bedroom 
adjoining  originally  had  another  similar  doorway; 


Durham  Castle  :  The  Courtyard  looking  North 


with  ogee  cusped  head,  having  a  hood  mould 
surmounted  by  a  rude  fleur-de-lis.  He  also 
stuccoed  the  Bishop's  or  Senior  Judge's  Room 
and  inserted  the  carved  mantelpiece  upon  which 
his  arms  again  appear.  Two  copies  of  Norman 
windows  on  the  upper  floor  are  insertions, 
probably  the  work  of  Mr.  Salvin,  the  architect, 
who  did  considerable  work  at  the  castle  in  the 
early  days  of  the  University. 

The  two  flat  arched  stone  heads  with  key- 
stones to  windows  of  the  Octagonal  Room  and 
the  Senate  Room  Lobby  probably  date  from 
the  time  of  Bishop  Neile  (1617-28),  but  the 
formation  of  the  Octagonal  Room  and  the 
decoration  do  not  appear  to  have  been  executed 
until  the  time  of  Bishop  Egerton  (1771-87). 

In  the  thickness  of  the  wall  of  Room  No.  17 
are  the  remains  of  a  circular  ashlar  shaft  about 
2  ft.  in  diameter,  half  covered  at  the  level  of  the 


a  portion  of  the  jambs,  now  cut  away,  remains 
below  the  floor  level. 

What  little  is  left  of  Pudsey's  exterior  walling 
has  a  character  of  its  own,  the  best  part  being 
on  the  west  face,  where  many  of  the  stones  are 
as  sound  as  the  day  they  were  worked.  The 
courses  vary  slightly  in  depth,  and  are  formed 
with  square  stones  finely  dressed  with  wide 
joints,  the  effect  of  which  is  good.  His  stone 
was  obtained  from  the  river  bank. 

On  the  south  wall  are  two  lead  rain-water 
heads  worthy  of  notice.  The  one  in  the  west 
angle  near  the  Great  Stairs  is  rectangular,  with 
an  oval-shaped  outlet  under ;  the  top  is  decorated 
with  an  embattled  and  cusped  cornice,  the 
angles  have  round  looped  columns,  with  ball 
pendants;  in  the  centre  is  the  shield  bearing  a 
lion  rampant  and  on  either  side  the  initials 
N.D.    (Bishop    Nathaniel    Crewe).     Under    are 


80 


Durham  Castle  :    Norman  Doorway  to  Low  ir  Hall 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


two  pendants  with  ball  termination  decorated 
with  the  Tudor  rose.  Further  to  the  west 
is  a  second  head  very  similar  in  design,  but  with 
the  initials  R.D.  (Bishop  Richard  Trevor) ; 
the  outlet  also  has  a  shield  bearing  a  lion 
rampant  impaling  the  see ;  under  it  is  the 
date  1754.  On  the  north  wall  are  two  others 
somewhat  similar  in  design,  both  bearing  the 
initials  I.D.  (Bishop  Joseph  Butler)  with  the 
date  1752,  and  a  shield  displaying  two  bends 
fimbriated,  impaling  the  see. 

The  lower  floor  of  this  block  was  built  by 
Bishop  Pudsey  and  probably  consisted  of  a  large 
central  hall  with  a  '  solar '  (the  Senate  Room 
Lobby)  at  the  east  end,  and  one  or  more  com- 
partments at  the  west  end.  This  arrangement 
would  appear  to  have  been  altered  not  later 
than  1500  (Bishop  Fox)  and  a  range  of  two 
stories  formed ;  the  lower  floor  level  corre- 
sponding with  that  of  the  present  north  lobby 
floor  level  on  the  west,  and  the  pantry  on  the 
east ;  the  upper  floor  level  corresponding  with 
that  of  the  Bishop's  Rooms  on  the  west  and 
Octagonal  Room  on  the  east.  The  existence 
of  a  floor  at  this  level  appears  to  be  confirmed 
by  the  level  of  the  lower  steps  of  a  range  of  four 
15th-century  windows  stiU  existing  behind  the 
stucco  of  the  south  wall  of  the  Common  Room, 
but  whether  there  ever  was  a  lower  story  on 
the  actual  site  of  this  room  is  doubtful.  When 
Bishop  Tunstall  erected  his  Gallery,  it  is  clear 
that  his  roof  interfered  with  the  lower  portion 
of  these  four  windows  and  there  is  evidence  that 
the  sills  have  been  raised,  and  Bishops  Butler 
and  Trevor  would  entirely  obliterate  them  with 
their  subsequent  work. 

The  fine  oak  ceiling  probably  belongs  to  the 
15th  century,  and  the  continuation  of  this 
ceiling  over  the  Bishop's  lavatory  suggests  that 
the  whole  space  between  the  Octagonal  Room 
and  the  Bishop's  Room  on  the  east  and  west, 
respectively,  was  one  large  compartment.  This 
latter  arrangement  probably  existed  until  Bishop 
Butler  formed  the  Common  Room  ;  he  lowered 
the  floor  and  inserted  the  north  windows,  and 
covered  up  the  windows  in  the  south  wall  by 
his  stoothings.  These  four  windows  are  deeply 
recessed  with  chamfered  segmental  rear-arches, 
and  slightly  splayed  jambs  with  openings 
formed  with  single  segmental  cinquefoil  cusped 
heads;  one  of  these  heads  may  still  be  seen  in 
the  Bishop's  lavatory,  masked  on  the  outside 
with  mulhoned  18th-century  windows.  It  may 
be  presumed  that  before  the  insertion  of  Bishop 
Butler's  windows  in  the  north  wall  these  lower 
compartments  depended  for  light  upon  the 
south  \vaU. 

The  lower  hall  possesses  a  magnificent 
Norman  doorway,  in  wonderful  preservation, 
owing  to  the  fact  that  it  was  built  up  for  a 
long  period,  and  was  only  opened  out  by  Bishop 


Barrington  (1791-1826).  It  originally  formed  the 
state  entrance  to  the  Norman  Castle,  and  was 
probably  one  of  the  late  works  of  Bishop  Pudsey 
after  the  rough  work  upon  the  rest  of  the 
building  was  executed.  The  freshness  of  the 
stonework  of  the  arch  and  the  partially  decayed 
condition  of  the  lower  part  of  the  jambs,  now 
restored  in  plaster,  indicate  that  it  was  ap- 
proached by  a  flight  of  steps  open  at  the  sides, 
but  with  a  roof  carried  on  columns,  probably 
somewhat  similar  to  the  stairway  at  Canterbury. 
The  arch  is  semicircular  and  consists  of  three 
large  and  two  small  orders,  with  a  small  modern 
hood  mould  executed  in  plaster.  The  larger 
orders  rest  on  enriched  cushion  capitals  with 
moulded  abaci ;  the  middle  and  outer  orders 
are  carried  by  circular  nook  shafts,  the  smaller 
running  round  the  arch  and  jambs  interrupted 
only  by  the  abaci.  The  orders  are  finished 
at  the  bottom  on  a  chamfered  plinth  resting 
on  a  deeply  splayed  base.  The  inner  order  is 
square,  resting  upon  a  triplet  of  engaged  shafts 
and  capitals  as  before,  and  is  decorated  with 
a  series  of  square  and  rectangular  moulded  and 
sunk  panels,  each  panel  ornamented  with 
beaded  strings ;  the  inner  smaller  order  is 
rounded  and  decorated  with  a  flower  or  rose, 
with  a  ball  beading  on  either  side.  The  middle 
order  is  ornamented  with  richly  moulded  double 
billets,  with  strings  of  small  balls.  Of  the  two 
outer  orders,  the  smaller  is  square  in  form,  and 
has  the  lozenge  with  ball  string  on  the  angle, 
and  the  larger  consists  of  a  series  of  hexagonal 
sunk  moulded  panels,  the  angles  being  fiUed  up 
with  small  square  sunk  and  moulded  panels 
ornamented  with  a  ball. 

The  upper  or  '  Constable's  Hall,'  now  known 
as  the  Norman  Gallery,  from  the  manner  of 
its  decoration  must  have  formed  the  most  im- 
portant compartment  of  this  building.  Possibly 
the  plan  of  the  lower  floor  was  repeated  here, 
but  no  sign  remains  of  any  divisions.  Bishop 
Hatfield  is  credited  with  having  removed  the 
Norman  roof  and  of  having  erected  an  open 
timber  roof ;  he  also  inserted  the  large  window 
high  up  on  the  west  gable.  This  arrangement 
is  suggestive  of  one  large  compartment,  at  any 
rate  at  that  period.  The  present  apartments 
upon  the  north  side  were  formed  by  Bishop 
Crewe,  1674-1722.  The  Norman  Gallery  was 
originally  lighted  by  a  range  of  windows  on  both 
sides,  each  window  occupying  the  centre  and 
largest  arch  of  a  series  of  three  arches  spanning 
deep  recesses.  The  centre  arch  springs  from  stone 
lintels  with  scallop  moulding  which  connects 
the  detached  shafts  with  the  wall.  The  smaller 
arches  on  each  side  are  treated  in  the  same 
manner,  but  on  the  wall  side  spring  from 
engaged  shafts  worked  on  to  the  solid  jambs ; 
all  the  arches  are  decorated  with  the  cheveron 
mould  and  surmounted  by  hood  moulds.    The 


81 


II 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


method  adopted  of  cutting  back  the  walls  on 
the  outside  in  order  to  straighten  them  entailed 
the  destruction  of  the  exteriors  of  the  12th- 
century  windows.  These  were  replaced  by 
the  present  deeply  recessed  windows  with 
four-centred  low  arched  heads  and  with  ogee 
hood  moulds  finished  with  coarsely  designed 
fleurs-de-lis.  The  original  exterior  of  the 
windows,  however,  may  be  seen  from  the  two 
windows  inclosed  by  Bishop  Cosin's  staircase, 
and  are  by  this  means  luckily  preserved.  Each 
consists  of  two  lights  divided  by  a  semi-cylindri- 
cal mullion  or  shaft,  with  cushioned  capital, 
surmounted  by  semicircular  heads  worked  from 
a  single  stone.  The  arrangement  described  is 
fairly  perfect  on  the  south  wall,  and  especially 
so  on  the  west  wall,  where  there  are  two  dis- 
engaged shafts  to  each  supporting  lintel,  but 
there  remain  only  fragmentary  portions  on 
the  north  wall.  The  eastern  window  in  the 
south  wall  has  had  the  large  centre  arch  re- 
moved and  a  four-centred  arched  head  inserted. 
The  roof  was  originally  of  low  pitch,  as  is 
proved  by  the  existence  of  shallow  gutter 
stones  on  the  west  wall.  This  roof  was  sub- 
sequently removed  and  a  high  pitch  open  timber 
roof  substituted,  probably  by  Bishop  Hatfield, 
some  small  portions  of  the  rilss  of  which  remain 
on  the  corbels  originally  carrying  the  principals. 
To  Bishop  Hatfield  may  also  be  attributed  the 
west  window  of  three  lights  with  almost  flam- 
boyant tracery  (recently  renewed)  which  can 
be  seen  in  the  present  roof.  The  east  window 
now  forming  an  entrance  to  the  roof  is  of 
16th-century  date.  The  mullions  have  been 
removed  from  this  window,  and  it  has  now 
been  formed  into  a  door%vay.  Hatfield's  roof 
was  removed,  doubtless,  partially  on  account 
of  the  pressure  upon  the  outer  walls.  According 
to  the  proceedings  in  the  dispute  between 
Mr.  Shirley  and  Mr.  Course,  it  was  stated 
'  that  a  new  roof  was  put  on  80  years  ago,'  viz., 
in  1670,  and  it  is  fair  to  presume  that  it  was 
Hatfield's  roof  which  was  destroyed  at  this 
time.  A  further  report,  unsigned,  but  dated 
15  April,  '94  (1794  ?)  mentions  the  roof  to 
be  in  a  very  bad  state,**  so  that  it  is  probable 

'2  The  date  1770  is  painted  on  one  of  the  main 
timbers.  A  Report  dated  April  1794 — By  his  Lord- 
ship's desire — '  Roof  over  the  Armoury,  is  in  a  very 
indifferent  state  ;  the  principal  timbers  is  much  sunk 
and  given  away  from  thare  oridgonnal  borings,  likwis 
decayed  at  the  ends,  the  main  support  depends  on  the 
upright  timbers  which  stands  upon  corbels  below  the 
floor  as  shewn  on  the  plan,  the  lead  upon  the  roof  and 
gutters,  is  in  a  very  bad  state  being  soldered  in  a 
number  of  part,  renders  it  almost  in  one  piece ; 
consequently  will  require  great  repairs  from  time  to 
time.  The  floor  is  much  sunk  particuler  that  part 
over  the  Judge's  Rooms  the  principal  beams  have  but 
Uttle  baring  on  the  walls  the  other  parts  is  in  a  more 


the  present  roof  dates  back  to  the  time  of  Bishop 

Barrington. 

The  lower  hall  of  Pudsey's  building  having 
been  subdivided,  the  necessity  arose  for  a  corridor 
to  connect  the  various  apartments,  and  no 
doubt  it  was  felt  that  a  chapel  easier  of  access, 
and  more  in  keeping  with  the  modern  ideas  of 
comfort,  was  desirable.  To  supply  this  want. 
Bishop  Tunstall  (1530-59)  erected  the  present 
gallery,  stair  turret  and  chapel,*'  a  group  which 
adds  largely  to  the  appearance  of  the  courtyard. 
The  corridor,  which  is  of  two  stories,  stands 
on  the  south  of  Pudsey's  hall,  and  occupies  a 
portion  of  the  Norman  courtyard.  It  may 
originally  have  been  extended  to  the  Great 
Hall.  At  the  west  end  there  is  said  to  have 
been  a  staircase,  and  the  flight  of  stairs  in  the 
south  wall  of  Bishop  Pudsey's  building  seems 
to  form  a  connecting  link  between  the  newel 
stair  in  the  south-west  turret  and  a  staircase 
now  destroyed  on  the  site  of  the  great  staircase. 
The  staircase  with  the  adjoining  portion  of  the 
gallery  was  probably  destroyed  when  Cosin 
erected  the  Great  Stair. 

The  exterior  of  Tunstall's  Gallery  consists 
of  five  and  a  half  bays  divided  by  buttresses 
of  three  stages.  Immediately  above  the  but- 
tresses runs  a  moulded  string  and  a  modern 
embattled  parapet.  The  upper  corridor  is 
lighted  with  five  square-headed  windows  of 
three  lights  with  hood  moulds,  each  vnndow 
subdivided  by  a  transom  and  finished  at  the 
top  with  three-centred  arched  heads.  The 
buttresses  on  each  side  of  the  fourth  bay  are 
carried  up  considerably  above  the  others  and 
finished  with  a  parapet  as  before ;  the  window 
here  is  of  five  lights  and  of  double  the  height 
of  the  others,  indicating  perhaps  that  the 
Norman  doorway  of  Pudsey's  building  was 
exposed  and  in  use  when  this  window  was 
constructed.  The  lower  part  of  this  bay  is 
occupied  by  a  modern  doorway  made  probably 
when  the  tunnel  entrance  to  the  old  chapel 
was  formed  about  1840.  Each  of  the  other 
bays  of  the  lower  story  is  occupied  by  a  two- 
light  mullioned  window  beside  which  is  a  small 
doorway  with  four-centred  arch  and  hood 
mould,  the  doors  of  which  are  apparently  of 
Bishop  Crewe's  date.  These  doorways  were 
probably  formed  for  the  convenience  of  ingress 
and  egress  of  the  numerous  guests  on  great 
occasions.  Over  the  lower  window  of  the  third 
bay  is  inserted  a  shield  bearing  Bishop  Tunstall's 
arms  (three  combs)  impaling  the  see  with  two 
diminutive  cocks  as  supporters,  surmounted 
by    a    mitre    arising    out    of   a    coronet.     The 

favourable  state  Except  the  small  joists  which  have 
but  Uttle  baring  on  the  walls — owing  to  the  great 
settlement  of  the  floor.' 
«'  Hist.  Dunelm.  Script.  Tres  (Surt.  Soc),  155. 


82 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


shield  is  surrounded  on  the  top  and  sides  by 
a  deep  hood  mould. 

The  stone  used  by  Bishop  Tunstall  is  from 
the  Browney  Quarry  and  his  ashlar  is  worked 
in  unusually  large  rectangular  stones  in  courses 
of  varying  depths ;  the  jointing  is  small.  It 
is  to  be  noted  that  the  bed  joints  of  his  buttresses 
do  not  coincide  with  the  joints  of  his  walling. 
His  ashlar  work  appears  to  have  been  always 
finished  with  a  '  stippled  '  dressing.  Two  semi- 
circular rain-water  heads,  which  may  be  seen 
here,  are  of  the  i8th  century. 

Inside  the  modern  lean-to  roof  are  indications 
of  two  earlier  roofs  which  have  probably  been 
altered  from  time  to  time  to  ease  the  pressure 
of  Bishop  Pudsey's  south  wall  upon  the  gallery 
wall. 

The  interior  of  the  lower  gallery  has  been 
divided  into  three  apartments  by  panelled  and 
carved  doorvvays  and  screens  removed  from 
the  cathedral.  The  walls  of  the  centre  apart- 
ment are  covered  with  odd  pieces  of  Bishop 
Cosin's  and  Bishop  Crewe's  panelling,  swags 
and  other  carvings  from  the  same  source ; 
they  vary  in  effectiveness,  some  being  boldly 
and  spiritedly  done,  while  others  are  shallow 
and  poor.  Some  pieces  of  them  are  believed 
to  have  belonged  to  the  old  organ  screen  removed 
from  the  cathedral  about  1873.  In  the  western 
apartment,  and  at  the  bottom  of  the  Great 
Stair,  portions  of  the  constructural  pointed 
arches  of  Bishop  Pudsey's  south  wall  may  be 
seen. 

The  ceiling  of  the  upper  corridor  is  modern 
and  calls  for  no  remark.  The  gaUery  is  closed  at 
each  end  with  screens,  the  west  one  undoubtedly 
of  Bishop  Cosin's  time,  bearing  his  arms  in  the 
centre  of  a  typical  frieze,  and  a  large  coronet 
and  mitre  in  the  bold  pediment.  The  details 
of  the  doors  are  similar  to  those  of  the  staircase. 
The  screen  at  the  east  end  may  be  of  the  same 
date,  but  is  much  less  elaborate,  and  of  poorer 
workmanship,  but  the  gilded  eagle  referred  to 
in  1664  is  in  position  above  the  door.**  The 
balusters  in  each  look  like  insertions  of  a  later 
date,  probably  by  Bishop  Crewe,  whose  screen 
in  the  chapel  has  similar  half  balusters,  but 
worked  upon  the  solid  frame.  In  the  raised 
portion  of  the  ceiling,  in  front  of  the  doorway 
just  mentioned,  hang  two  plaster  figure  panels, 
with  central  shields  bearing  St.  Cuthbert's 
Cross.  Hanging  in  the  large  window  is  a  fine 
piece  of  coloured  glass  of  the  15th  century. 
It  is  of  Flemish  origin,  depicting  the  judg- 
ment of  Solomon  in  the  centre,  surrounded  by 

"  Contract  dated  4  Jan.  1664.  '  John  Baltist  Van 
Ersell,  limner,  undertakes  to  paint  the  skreines  and 
all  the  wainscot  worke  in  the  Gallerie  of  Durham 
Castle — and  also  gild  a  miter  &  one  eagle  in  the  sayd 
Gallerie.'  {Bp.  Cosin's  Corresp.  [Surt.  Soc],  ii, 
App.  378-9.) 


emblematical  figures.  The  walls  of  the  gallery 
are  hung  with  French  tapestry,  probably  of 
late  16th-century  date. 

The  chapel  stair  turret  or  clock  tower,  which 
was  built  by  Bishop  Tunstall,**  gives  access  to 
his  gallery  and  chapel.  It  projects  boldly  into  the 
courtyard,  the  south  end  being  semi-octagonal 
on  plan.  The  turret  has  a  window  lighting  the 
stairs  and  two  windows  in  a  chamber  over  the 
stairs,  all  of  similar  detail  to  those  in  the  gallerj'. 
On  the  inner  jambs  of  the  chamber  window  occur 
two  stone  shields,  wreathed  on  top,  the  eastern- 
most bearing  Tunstall's  three  combs;  the  other, 
now  defaced,  apparently  bore  his  crest.  His  coat 
of  arms  is  also  displayed  upon  the  outer  face  of 
the  south  wall.  A  little  above  the  entrance  floor 
level,  and  hidden  on  the  outside  by  ivy,  is  a 
squint  with  circular  splayed  opening  about  12  in. 
in  diameter,  with  widely  splayed  internal  jambs ; 
below  the  squint  is  a  projecting  splayed  stone 
seat  the  entire  width  of  the  turret.  The  entrance 
doorway  on  the  west  is  considerably  recessed 
and  has  a  flat  pointed  head  surmounted  by  a 
deep  mould.  The  outer  jambs  were  moulded, 
but  the  moulding  has  been  cut  away  for  the 
insertion  of  an  outer  door  frame.  The  doors 
are  modern.  The  stairs  are  of  stone  with  winders 
at  the  bottom  of  the  flight.  The  doorway  at 
the  top  has  a  flat  pointed  head,  the  jambs  of  the 
outer  side  are  stop-chamfered,  and  the  inner 
jambs  splayed,  moulded  and  stopchamfered. 
The  walls  of  the  upper  chamber  are  carried  over 
the  gallery  by  chamfered  stone  arches.  In  the 
south-west  angle  of  the  chamber  are  the  remains 
of  stone  angle  corbels  connected  with  the  con- 
struction of  the  original  roof.  The  ancient 
staircase  has  square  panelled  oak  newels,  the 
panels  filled  with  a  leaf  ornament,  and  finished 
at  the  top  with  square  capital  and  ballfinial;  the 
handrail  is  shaped  and  moulded,  and  the  baluster 
is  also  shaped. 

There  is  clear  evidence  that  as  originally 
constructed  the  turret  was  only  two  stories  in 
height,  terminating  with  a  string-course  and 
parapet  similar  to  and  at  the  same  height  as 
that  of  the  chapel.  The  stonework  of  the  addition 
is  noticeably  different  from  the  rest,  and  the 
back  of  the  east  wall  is  actually  built  upon  a 
portion  of  the  return  parapet  of  the  chapel. 
The  addition  was  probably  made  in  the 
17th  century  and  was  in  existence  in  Bishop 
Crewe's  time,  as  is  shown  by  a  picture  preserved 
in  the  castle.**  It  was  then  crowned  by  a 
wooden  bell  turret  which  has  now  also  disap- 
peared, although  the  main  cross  timbers  framed 
to  support  the  turret  still  exist.  Doubtless  this 
chamber  was  built  by  Crewe  and  intended  to 

«5  Hist.  Dunelm.  Script.  Tres  (Surt.  Soc),  155. 
**  See  picture  hanging  in  Senate  Room  Lobby,  and 
other  prints. 


83 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


house  the  machinery  of  a  clock.*^  As,  however, 
there  are  only  two  small  square  openings  in 
the  waUs  it  was  clearly  not  intended  to  hold  a 
bell,  and  the  small  campanile  was  evidently 
built  for  this  purpose.  The  clock  has  also  dis- 
appeared, but  a  bell  given  by  Bishop  Crewe 
hangs  on  the  west  side  of  the  chamber,  probably 
placed  there  when  the  campanile  became 
ruinous ;  it  is  rigidly  fixed  and  the  outer  rim 
bears  evident  marks  of  being  struck  continuously 
in  one  spot  by  the  clock  hammer.  It  is  of  fine 
tone,  2  ft.  in  diameter  at  the  rim,  and  of  similar 
height  surmounted  by  a  crown.  Near  the 
shoulder  it  is  encircled  by  two  double  narrow 
bands  between  which  is  the  following  inscrip- 
tion, the  date  being  below  the  bands : 

n:  dnvs:  crewe  epus:  dun  elm  :  posvit  anno 
cons:  34  et  trans:  ab.  oxon:  3  r:  p  :  fe:  1705. 

This  clock,  purchased  many  years  ago  by  a 
general  dealer,  has  been  traced  and  returned  to 
the  Castle  by  the  generosity  of  Mr.  J.  F.  Hodson. 

Bishop  Tunstall's  Chapel'*  is  entered  from  the 
top  of  the  stair  at  the  east  end  of  Tunstall's 
Gallery  through  a  doorway  of  a  similar  character 
to  those  already  described.  It  gives  admittance 
to  the  chapel  by  a  lobby  under  the  organ  loft  at 
the  west  end.  The  walls  have  been  built  upon 
the  foundations  of  a  Norman  building.  A  portion 
of  the  west  wall  is  formed  by  the  wall  of  the 
early  newel  staircase,  which  originally  led  to  the 
chapel.  In  the  wall  a  doorway  existed  giving 
access  from  this  staircase,  and  beside  it  is  a  second 
doorway  connecting  Bishop  Pudsey's  building 
with  whatever  apartment  existed  here  before  the 
chapel.  Both  are  now  visible,  but  blocked.  The 
roof  is  divided  into  seven  bays;  the  part  of  the 
building  covered  by  the  five  western  bays 
with  the  chamber  beneath  was  constructed  by 
Bishop  Tunstall.  The  extension  of  two  bays  at 
the  east  end  has  been  generally  ascribed  to  Bishop 
Cosin,  but  owing  to  the  absence  of  records  and 
the  indefinite  character  of  the  work  it  is  impos- 
sible to  say  definitely  whether  he  or  Bishop  Crewe 
executed  the  work.**  Whoever  it  was,  it  is  certain 

*'  Billings,  in  County  Antiquities,  illustrates  a 
circular  clockface  upon  the  south  front  of  the  turret, 

•*  Hist.  Dunelm.  Script.  Ires  (Surt.  Soc),  155. 

**  The  \'ery  Rev.  Henry  Gee,  Dean  of  Gloucester, 
fornierly  master  of  University  College,  Durham,  is 
strongly  of  opinion  that  Crewe  built  the  extension. 
There  are  many  records  of  Cosin's  work  at  the  castle 
in  existence,  and  his  donations  to  the  chapel  are 
enumerated,  but  no  mention  of  the  extension.  Bishop 
Cosin,  in  a  document  dated  1667,  mentions  the  chapel 
which  '  we  have  recently  restored  in  our  Castle  in 
Durham.'  This  document  also  mentions  the  orna- 
ments provided  for  '  the  minor  Chapel  in  the  Castle 
of  Durham.'  A  possible  guide  may  be  found  on  the 
ceiling  ,  on  this  at  the  termination  of  the  wall  pieces 
and  spandrels  are  a  series  of  shields  bearing  arms  as 


that  Bishop  Tunstall's  east  window  was  re-erected 
in  the  new  east  gable,  as  his  arms  and  badge, 
three  combs  and  a  cock,  are  worked  on  shields 
on  the  north  and  south  jambs,  and  in  addition 
the  dressing  of  his  stonework  is  easily  recognised 
by  the  '  stipphng.'  The  interior  of  the  walls  of 
the  extension  are  built  with  roughly  squared 
stones  in  irregular  courses,  evidently  intended  to 
be  plastered  or  panelled,  in  great  contrast  to  the 
carefully  dressed  work  of  Tunstall. 

The  chapel  is  lighted  on  the  south  by  five 
windows  of  three  lights  in  two  tiers  having  four- 
centred  heads,  with  jambs  slightly  splayed  on  the 
inside  and  moulded  outside.  The  lights  below 
the  transoms  have  four-centred  heads,  the  points 
of  which  are  hardly  determinable,  and  the  lights 
above  are  similar  but  are  distinctly  pointed.  In 
the  two  easternmost  windows  the  centre  upper 
light  is  semicircular.  The  tracery  of  all  these 
windows  has  been  renewed.™  At  the  west  end 
are  two  square-headed  windows,  the  upper 
doubtless  intended  to  light  the  old  gallery  and 
the  lower  the  Ante  Chapel  or  space  below  the 
gallery ;  they  are  of  Tunstall's  date  and  closely 
correspond  in  detail  to  the  windows  of  the 
Tapestry  Gallery.  The  east  window  is  of  similar 
character  to  those  first  described,  but  fiUed  by 
five  lights  divided  by  a  transom,  the  heads  of  all 
the  lights  being  semicircular.  The  glass  is  by 
Kempe  and  was  given  in  1909  in  memory  of  the 
Rev.  H.  A.  White,  once  tutor  of  the  University. 

The  two  windows  on  the  north  side  are  modern 
and  were  inserted  to  light  the  staircase  to  the 
keep.  The  doorway,  apparently  of  Tunstall's 
date,  on  the  north  side,  possibly  led  to  a  sacristy 
which  was  destroyed  when  the  new  approach  to 
the  keep  was  made.  About  the  centre  of  the  south 

follows  :  from  west  to  east  the  shields  for  the  Tun- 
stall bays  show  the  see  and  Cosin's  alternately,  while 
in  the  two  bays  of  the  extension  they  are  Crewe, 
Crewe  impahng  see,  and  Crewe.  The  arrangement 
indicates  that  both  Bishop  Crewe  and  Cosin  did  some- 
thing worthy  of  commemoration  to  the  chapel,  and 
the  dominance  of  Bishop  Crewe's  arms  at  the  east 
end  may  be  intended  to  testify  to  that  prelate  as  the 
builder  of  the  two  eastern  bays.  On  the  other  hand, 
Cosin  depended  greatly  upon  woodwork  for  his  interior 
decoration,  and  the  rough  interior  face  of  the  walls 
of  the  extension  indicates  there  was  an  intention 
to  panel,  and  this  fact  possibly  points  in  favour  of 
Cosin  as  the  builder.  Against  this  may  be  put  the 
fact  that  Crewe  made  the  castle  his  principal  place 
of  residence  and  entertained  very  largely,  and  probably 
required  more  accommodation  in  the  chapel. 

'"  These  windows  differ  from  all  other  of  Bishop 
Tunstall's  windows,  the  heads  being  four-centred  and 
the  hood  mould  and  arch  worked  in  difiFerent  stones, 
whereas  all  his  other  windows  are  square-headed  with 
hood  and  heads  worked  on  the  same  stone.  The  inner 
arch,  however,  is  four-centred  and  has  every  appear- 
ance of  Bishop  Tunstall's  workmanship,  though  may, 
of  course,  have  been  carefully  copied. 


84 


CITY  OF   DURHAM 


wall  is  a  piscina,  seen  by  opening  a  door  in  the 
wall  panelling. 

The  oak  stalls  are  of  the  time  of  Bishop 
Ruthall  (1509-23)  and  were  brought  here  to- 
gether with  the  bench-ends  from  the  dismantled 
upper  chapel  at  Bishop  Auckland  by  Bishop 
Tunstall  in  1547.''  Some  of  the  miserere  seats 
are  curiously  carved;   the  eastern  one  on   the 


Durham  Castle  :  The  Chapel 
Bench-ends 

north  side  was  found  in  the  old  moat,  under 
Mr.  Rushworth's  premises  in  Saddler  Street, 
about  1908  and  was  presented  by  him  to  the 
chapel.  The  four  bench-ends  are  very  fine  and 
are  also  of  the  time  of  Bishop  Ruthall;  one  at  the 
south-east  end  of  the  chapel  bears  his  arms  (a 
cross  between  four  martlets,  on  a  chief  two  roses, 
slipped)  impaled  with  the  see  and  surmounted 
with  a  coronet  and  mitre.  The  shield  is  curious 
because  the  bishop's  arms  are  placed  on  the 
dexter  side  and  the  arms  of  the  see  on  the  sinis- 
ter, a  mistake  caused  perhaps  by  the  carver 
having  the  matrix  of  a  seal  for  his  model.    The 

'1  Raine,  Auckland  Chapel,  p.  67,  citing  Chancellor's 
Rolls  for  1547-8. 


bench-end  to  the  north,  immediately  opposite,  is 
ornamented  to  represent  a  mullioned  window 
and  divided  longitudinally  into  three  parts  with 
embattled  transoms,  each  subdivision  having 
delicately  worked  tracery.  Of  the  two  bench-ends 
at  the  west  end,  that  on  the  north  side  bears 
the  arms  of  the  see  with  a  mitre  rising  from  a 
coronet  in  a  panel  having  an  arched  and  crocketed 
ogee  head ;  the  upper  portion  is  finished  with  a 
second  panel  filled  with  delicate  tracery.  That 
on  the  south  is  very  similar  in  design.  All  the 
bench-ends  have  richly  ornamented  detached 
shafts  in  front,  each  of  different  design,  support- 
ing the  figures  of  grotesque  animals,  and  all  are 
surmounted  by  poppy  heads  carved  out  of  the 
solid,  except  the  poppy  head,  probably  of 
Bishop  Cosin's  time,  on  the  north  of  the  entrance. 

The  wall  panelling,  altar  and  triptych  are  of 
oak.  They  were  designed  by  the  late  Mr.  C. 
Hodgson  Fowler  and  were  inserted  in  1887. 
The  panelling  is  constructed  in  long  rectangular 
compartments  surmounted  by  a  shallow  cornice, 
with  carved  bosses  at  intervals.  Round  the  east 
end  it  is  slightly  higher,  and  is  ornamented  at  the 
top  with  inserted  tracery.  The  carving  of  the 
triptych  is  bolder,  the  Crucifixion  occupying  the 
centre  panel  with  other  figures  in  either  wing. 
The  two  large  gilt  candlesticks  were  presented  by 
the  first  warden  in  1836. 

The  trusses  of  the  seven  bays  into  which  the 
roof  is  divided  have  moulded  tie  beams  with 
solid  spandrel  brackets  framed  to  the  wall 
posts,  which  terminate  in  shields  bearing  coats 
of  arms.  Each  bay  has  moulded  wall  plates 
with  the  moulding  returned  across  the  tie 
beams,  and  is  itself  divided  into  two  com- 
partments by  a  heavy  central  rib  ;  each  com- 
partment is  again  subdivided  into  four  squares 
by  light  moulded  ribs  having  carved  bosses  and 
shields  at  their  intersections.  There  is  little  in 
appearance  to  indicate  that  the  roof  is  not  all  of 
one  date,  but  a  close  examination  shows  that  the 
wall  pieces  between  the  second  and  third  bays 
from  the  east  are  divided  down  the  centre, 
suggesting  that  a  piece  has  been  added  on  the 
sides  to  make  it  of  the  same  width  as  the  others 
to  the  west.  The  ceiling  boards  also  appear  to 
be  narrower  in  the  two  eastern  bays.  The  two 
western  bays  have  been  altered  of  late  years 
and  raised  slightly,  showing  the  purlins  and 
rafters  of  the  roof,  presumably  for  the  sake  of 
the  organ.  The'second  tie  beam  from  the  west 
has  been  decorated  with  carved  cusping  and 
pendants  in  order  to  screen  somewhat  the  break 
in  the  ceiling. 

The  chapel  originally  contained  a  large  gallery, 
now  removed,  projecting  some  14  ft.  to  16  ft. 
from  the  west  wall.  It  was  entered  from  the 
circular  stairs  before  mentioned,  through  a 
four-centred  arched  doorway  now  forming  the 
approach  to  the  organ  loft. 


85 


A  HISTORY  OF   DURHAM 


Beneath  the  organ  loft  facing  east  is  a  fine 
oak  screen  of  Bishop  Cosin's  time.  It  has  two 
half  doors  in  the  centre;  the  lower  parts  of  both 
doors  and  of  the  screen  are  filled  in  with  solid 
panelling,  while  the  upper  part  has  octagonal 
balusters  with  moulded  capitals,  bands  and 
bases,  square  stopped  at  the  bottom.  The  space 
at  the  top  between  the  balusters  is  filled  with 
flowing  cusped  tracery.  On  each  side  of  the 
doorway  are  two  square  projections  forming 
canopies  to  two  stalls.  The  cornice,  which 
returns  round  the  canopies,  is  of  deal  dentilled. 
The  canopies  are  surmounted  with  pediments 
with  shields  bearing  the  arms  of  the  see.  Over 
the  doorway  are  three  moulded  panels  with  the 
inscription  :  nath  dnvs  crewe  |  episc  :  dvnelm  : 
posvit|a°  transl  25°  1698,  surmounted  by  a 
scroll  pediment  bearing  Cosin's  arms.  The  panel- 
ling of  the  upper  part  of  the  screen  forming  the 
front  of  the  organ  gallery  was  brought  from  the 
cathedral  about  1840. 

The  organ  is  the  old  quire  organ  from 
the  cathedral,  and  some  of  the  pipes  are  the 
original  pipes  of  '  Father  '  Smith,  the  celebrated 
builder  who  erected  the  cathedral  organ.  It  was 
repaired  and  erected  in  the  chapel  in  1873.  The 
panelling  on  the  west  wall  under  the  gallery  is  of 
similar  date,  but  the  pediments  are  of  the  time  of 
Bishop  Barrington  (1791-1826),  the  centre  one 
bearing  his  arms. 

On  the  south  wall  of  the  chapel  are  two  very 
fine  lead  rain-water  heads;  the  one  in  the  west 
angle  is  rectangular  in  form  with  large  diminish- 
ing outlet  under.  It  possesses  an  embattled  and 
cusped  cornice,  and  the  face  is  divided  into  three 
parts  by  rounded,  looped  columns  finished  at  the 
top  with  a  form  of  vase  ornament,  and  at  the 
bottom  with  a  ball  pendant.  Centrally  placed  is 
a  shield  bearing  the  arms  of  the  see.  One-third 
of  the  head  has  been  cut  away  to  fit  into  the  angle 
of  the  building.  The  ears  attached  to  the  head 
bear  the  Tudor  rose  surmounted  by  a  mitre. 
The  second  head  has  a  body  of  similar  form,  with 
a  large  almost  circular  outlet  decorated  with  a 
circular  shield  bearing  a  lion  rampant,  impaling  the 
arms  of  the  see.  The  members  of  the  projecting 
moulded  cornice  are  enriched  with  beading  and 
leaf  ornament,  and  the  angles  have  looped 
columns  with  ball  pendants.  Two  pear-shaped 
pendants  with  ball  termination,  one  on  either 
side  of  the  outlet,  carry  the  date  1699,  the  time 
of  Bishop  Crewe.  The  main  face  is  decorated 
with  an  earl's  coronet  and  a  mitre. 

On  the  lower  floor  to  the  north  of  Tunstall's 
chapel  is  the  original  Norman  Chapel  of  the 
castle.  This  forms  a  part  of  the  work  generally 
supposed  to  have  been  commenced  in  1072  '^  by 
Wahheof,  Earl  of  Northumbria,  and  continued 
by  Walcher,  Bishop  of  Durham,  who  succeeded 

'2  Simeon  of  Durham  (Surt.  Soc),  ii,  199. 


him  in  the  earldom,  and  is  the  only  portion  of 
the  castle  of  that  date  now  remaining  complete. 
It  was  for  many  years  disused,  and  even  now  is 
only  a  passage-way  to  the  keep. 

The  original  entrance  to  the  chapel  was  in  the 
west  bay  of  the  south  wall  and  was  approached 
by  a  short  vaulted  passage  from  a  circular  newel 
stair  in  the  still  existing  south-east  turret  of 
Waltheof's  building.  The  lower  part  of  this 
stair  was  diverted  about  1840  into  Bishop 
Tunstall's  lower  gallery,  from  which  a  tunnel 
was  made  to  the  chapel,  which  was  reached  by 
an  archway  formed  in  the  south  bay  of  the  west 
wall.  The  window  in  the  corresponding  bay 
of  the  east  wall  was  destroyed  and  the  present 
staircase  leading  to  the  keep  was  made  through 
the  opening.  In  tunnelling  through  the  ancient 
masonry  under  Pudsey's  building  a  massive  vault 
and  a  stone  staircase  were  revealed." 

The  chapel  is  rectangular  in  plan,  32  ft.  3  in. 
long,  by  23  ft.  9  in.  wide,  its  height  from  the 
floor  to  the  crown  of  the  vault  being  about 
15  ft.  9  in.  It  is  divided  into  a  nave  and  two 
aisles  by  arcades  of  four  bays.  The  vaulting  is 
supported  by  three  round  pillars  on  each  side 
of  the  nave,  with  half-round  responds  on  the 
east  wall,  corbels  on  the  west  wall,  and  rectangu- 
lar pilasters  on  the  north  and  south  walls  and 
in  the  angles.  This  method  of  construction 
renders  the  building  independent  of  the  support 
of  the  north  wall,  and  suggests  perhaps  that  the 
north  wall  belongs  to  an  earlier  building.  This 
suggestion  is  strengthened  by  a  close  examin- 
ation of  the  wall  itself,  which  is  rudely  built 
with  large  and  irregular  joints  containing  stones 
of  extraordinary  form  and  dimensions,  and  coarse 
and  irregular  dressings.  A  comparison  may  be 
made  with  the  lower  portion  of  the  wall  in  the 
east  bay,  where  it  has  been  cut  away  for  the 
insertion  of  an  aumbry,  2  ft.  deep,  2  ft.  6  in. 
wide,  and  3  ft.  high,  around  which  the  walling 
is  carefully  coursed,  more  like  the  east  wall. 
In  further  evidence  of  the  antiquity  of  this 
wall  it  may  be  noticed  that  the  rectangular  piers, 
about  2  ft.  6  in.  square,  are  not  bonded  into  the 
wall,  but  have  a  straight  joint  at  the  back  of  the 
piers  and  of  the  arches  carried  by  them.  This 
joint  at  the  floor  level  is  small,  but  increases  as 
it  ascends,  until  at  the  crown  of  the  arches  it 
is  from  5  in.  to  7  in.  in  width,  and  has  been 

"  The  late  Mr.  W.  Parker,  for  many  years  Clerk  of 
Works  to  the  Chapter,  stated  that  he  remembered 
working  at  the  tunnel  as  a  boy,  and  that  when  the 
chapel  was  entered  it  was  found  half  full  of  masons' 
rubbish,  dust,  and  refuse  of  all  descriptions.  The  chapel 
had  presumably  been  closed  up  for  many  years.  Mr. 
Parker  was  a  joiner  and  states  that  he  helped  to  make 
the  windows  and  doors  existing  in  the  present  south 
wall,  the  openings  in  which  were  at  that  time  closed 
up  with  masonry,  there  being  no  means  of  access  to  the 
chapel. 


86 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


filled  in  and  plastered  over.  Between  the  piers 
of  this  wall  runs  a  low  solid  stone  bench,  finished 
with  a  square  angle  without  projection  of  any 
kind.  The  two  existing  semicircular  headed 
windows  are  modern,  and,  being  in  the  outer 
defensive  wall  to  the  north,  they  have  succeeded 
mere  loops  ;  a  portion  of  the  old  quick  splay 
of  such  a  loop  may  be  noticed  upon  one  of  the 
arches. 

The  east  wall  appears  to  be  part  of  the  chapel 
structure,  the  half-round  responds  being  bonded 
in,  and  the  courses  and  jointing  of  the  stone- 
work fairly  regular  but  wide.  This  wall  originally 
possessed  three  windows,  which  appear  to  have 
looked  out  into  the  inner  moat,  or  the  space 
between  the  east  wall  of  the  chapel  and  chemise 
of  the  keep.  One  of  these  windows,  as  already 
mentioned,  has  been  converted  into  an  ap- 
proach to  the  keep,  but  the  two  remaining 
retain  original  work,  though  much  mutilated. 
They  were  round-headed,  unmoulded  and  ap- 
parently without  ornamentation.  In  the  middle 
window  the  inner  jambs  appear  to  be  original, 
and  their  slight  splays  are  finished  with  plain 
angles.  The  northernmost  has  been  recon- 
structed ;  the  only  original  stones  seem  to  be  the 
inner  quoin  stones,  and  the  outer  jambs  have 
been  cut  away  to  form  a  very  wide  splay.  On 
the  outside  both  windows  have  had  the  arch 
stones  cut  away  at  a  sharp  angle  ;  and  large 
areas  extending  upwards  to  a  considerable 
height  above  the  window  heads  have  been 
formed  in  front  of  them.  The  jambs  and 
arches,  where  mutilated  to  form  this  splay,  have 
been  rendered  in  lime  plastering,  mediaeval  in 
character.  The  centre  area  is  partially  of 
ashlar  work  finely  dressed  ;  the  northern  area  is 
formed  in  rubble,  and  there  remains  in  the 
centre  area  some  portion  of  the  lead  with  which 
the  bottoms  of  the  areas  were  lined.  There 
appears  to  be  no  doubt  that  originally  the  win- 
dows looked  out  into  a  clear  space,  but  owing 
to  the  enlargement  of  the  mound  by  Bishop 
Hatfield,  the  areas  were  rendered  necessary  and 
were  probably  constructed  by  him.  Under  these 
two  windows  are  four  corbel  stones,  two  fairly 
well  preserved  with  6i  in.  projection  and  9  in. 
on  face,  sharply  splayed  on  the  underside. 

The  western  bay  in  the  south  wall  appears 
to  be  as  originally  constructed  up  to  above 
the  archway  of  the  doorway  and  is  recessed 
H  in.  back  from  the  face  of  the  piers,  to  which 
the  lower  portion  seems  to  be  bonded.  This 
bay  contains  the  original  entrance  doorway 
already  referred  to.  The  doorway  is  central 
between  the  two  side  piers  and  has  a  semi- 
circular plain  arched  outer  head  cut  out  of  a 
single  stone  and  inner  square  rebated  jambs. 

The  only  other  feature  in  this  wall  is  the 
string-course  8J  in.  deep,  which  has  a  flat  face 
above  a  splay,  the  top  of  which  is  level  with  the 


upper  part  of  the  abaci  of  the  columns,  and  is 
continuous  for  the  full  length  of  the  wall  be- 
tween the  piers.  The  walling  in  the  spandrel 
of  the  arches  above  is  ancient,  but  it  is  doubtful 
whether  it  is  coeval  with  the  rest  of  the  build- 
ing. The  late  Mr.  Parker  stated  that  the  two 
windows  and  doorway  were  inserted  about 
1840  and  that  he  assisted  in  making  them  ;  they 
appear,  however,  to  be  somewhat  earher,  though 
the  woodwork  may  have  been  renewed  at  that 
time. 

The  greater  part  of  the  west  wall  appears  to 
have  been  almost  entirely  reconstructed,  but 
at  what  period  it  is  impossible  to  say.  It  has 
in  the  northern  bay  a  portion  of  a  similar  string 
to  that  on  the  south  wall  and  half  capitals  under 
the  transverse  arches.  The  old  wall  would 
probably  have  half-round  responds  under  the 
capitals,  as  on  the  east  wall,  but  these  have 
disappeared  and  the  capitals  are  now  supported 
by  corbels,  which  have  every  appearance  of  being 
worked  from  the  upper  part  of  such  responds. 
They  are  rounded  and  pointed  at  the  base,  but 
do  not  form  the  full  half-circle,  projecting  only 
some  4  in.  The  middle  portion  of  the  rebuilt 
wall  has  been  advanced  some  7  in.,  leaving  only 
an  inch  or  two  of  the  soflRt  of  the  transverse 
arch  above,  exposed.  The  lower  portion  of  the 
south  bay  is  occupied  by  the  new  entrance 
arch  to  the  chapel.  Only  the  east  .ind  a 
portion  of  the  west  bay  of  the  south  wall  are 
original. 

The  pavement  of  the  chapel  is  of  considerable 
interest,  there  being  little  doubt  that  the 
greater  part  is  coeval  with  the  building.  It  is 
formed  of  stone  blocks  of  rhomboid  form,  each 
14  in.  long  by  8i  in.  wide,  with  a  single  central 
line  of  square  jointed  flags.  The  jointing  of 
these  blocks  gives  the  appearance  of  herring- 
boning.  About  one-fourth  of  the  area  of  the 
floor  at  the  east  end  has  been  raised  two  steps, 
of  4  in.  and  6  in.  rise,  and  the  pattern  of  the 
floor  of  this  raised  area  has  been  obliterated. 
This  represents  an  alteration,  for  the  steps  almost 
entirely  hide  the  bases  of  the  two  east  columns. 
The  ten  pilasters  on  the  north  and  south  walls 
have  no  bases,  but  rise  straight  and  square  to 
the  abaci.  The  pillars  rise  from  circular 
moulded  bases.  The  pillars  vary  slightly  from 
I  ft.  9  in.  to  2  ft.  in  diameter  and  are  built  of 
courses  of  different  heights,  one  course  being 
generally  formed  of  a  single  stone,  the  next  of 
two  stones  with  a  vertical  joint.  The  bed 
joints  differ  greatly,  some  being  |  in.  wide, 
others  fairly  close,  but  generally  large,  the 
vertical  joints  being  wide;  some  few  are  approxi- 
mately 2  in.  The  capitals  are  carved  rather 
rudely,  and  all  are  of  the  volute  type.  They 
have  bold  round  neckings,  of  which  three  are 
cabled,  and  abaci  moulded  with  a  flat  face  above 
a   quarter   round,   between  double   fillets.      In 

87 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


the  north  arcade  the  capitals  of  the  first  two 
pillars  from  the  east  show  grotesques,  serpents, 
conventional  flowers  and  animals.  The  capital 
of  the  third  pillar  represents  a  stag  hunt.  On 
the  west  face  a  stag  is  held  at  bay  by  two  hounds  ; 
on  the  south-west  angle,  under  the  volute,  is  a 
conventional  representation  of  a  tree,  behind 
which  on  the  south  face  a  man  is  approaching 
and  in  the  act  of  releasing  two  more  hounds. 
On  the  east  face  is  apparently  a  horse  from  which 
the  man  has  just  dismounted  ;  and  on  the  north, 
a  rude  hairy-headed  and  bearded  face.  In  the 
south  arcade  the  capital  of  the  eastern  respond 
has  a  human  head  at  each  angle  in  place  of  the 
volute,  and  immediately  under  the  abacus  is  a 
line  of  sunk  star  ornament,  a  Tau  cross  being 
centrally  placed  under  the  line  of  star  ornament. 
The  capital  of  the  first  pillar  from  the  east  has 
rude  figures  with  exaggerated  heads,  in  place 
of  the  angle  volutes,  with  a  design  of  flowers 
or  plants  between.  The  capital  of  the  second 
pillar  has  three  rude  volutes,  the  fourth  taking 
the  form  of  an  animal's  head  with  two  bodies, 
one  on  either  face.  The  animals,  from  the 
stripes,  are  apparently  intended  for  leopards, 
the  hnes  representing  some  form  of  hairy  beast. 
The  capital  of  the  third  pillar  is  probably  the 
finest  of  all  and  is  covered  with  a  sunk  star 
ornament,  a  volute  at  each  angle  and  a  small 
human  head,  or  'mulberry  '  ornament,  centrally 
on  each  side.  The  capitals  at  the  east  end  of 
the  north  arcade  and  the  two  corbels  of  the  west 
wall  are  much  decayed  and  undecipherable. 

The  vaulting  is  divided  into  twelve  bays  by 
slightly  stilted  semicircular  arches  of  square 
section,  i  ft.  8  in.  wide  on  the  soffit.  The 
springers  are  apparently  worked  with  square 
projections  on  the  same  stones,  which  form  the 
springing  of  the  groins,  and  appear  to  be  gener- 
ally three  or  possibly  four  courses  in  height, 
judging  from  the  abrupt  alteration  in  the  curve 
of  the  groin.  The  cells  are  of  rubble  plastered, 
and  are  distinctly  stilted  for  a  considerable 
distance  above  the  abaci,  immediately  above 
which  they  present  a  face  of  3  in.  The  curve 
of  the  cells  and  transverse  arches  do  not  coin- 
cide, the  latter  presenting  a  face  of  about  i  in. 
at  the  springing,  increasing  to  5  in.  or  7  in.  at 
the  crown. 

The  chapel  has  been  built  with  a  local  stone, 
which  is  strongly  veined  and  marked  with  quite 
brilliant  colouring.  Nothing  can  be  said  of  the 
outside  of  the  chapel,  as  it  is  so  completely  built 
in  all  round  and  above.  That  it  formed  a  por- 
tion of  Waltheof's  building  there  is  little  doubt, 
possibly  a  projecting  wing  within  the  outer 
defensive  wall.  It  is  doubtful  whether  it  was 
originally  more  than  one  story  in  height. 
The  sinking  of  the  exterior  walls,  together  with 
the  distortion  of  the  arches,  points  to  the  fact 
that  the  foundations  were  not  prepared  to  carry 


the  great  additional  weight  added  to  them  in 
later  years.'* 

The  old  approach  to  the  keep  from  Pudsey's 
hall,  including  the  group  of  buildings  above  the 
ancient  chapel,  and  extending  along  the  inner 
side  of  the  great  north  wall,  is  now  called  the 
Junction  on  account  of  the  modern  staircase 
and  corridor  connecting  the  keep  with  the  rest 
of  the  castle.  The  exterior  of  the  north  wall  in 
this  part  has  been  so  much  cut  about  that  no 
original  work  is  visible  except  a  portion  of  the 
round  arch  of  a  Norman  window,  high  up  and 
almost  hidden  by  more  modern  facing.  In  the 
core  of  the  wall,  however,  there  is  doubtless  old 
work,  and  the  lower  part  of  the  wall  contains 
probably  the  oldest  existing  masonry  in  the 
castle. 

The  buttresses  show  that  at  one  time  the 
wall  had  a  serious  bulge  or  overhang  which  has 
been  partly  rectified  from  time  to  time  by  cutting 
back  the  masonry  and  refacing  it.  Windows 
of  all  sorts  and  sizes  have  been  inserted,  making 
it  almost  impossible  to  determine  the  true  line 
of  the  north  face. 

Projecting  from  the  north  wall  between  the 
modern  areas  in  front  of  the  chapel  windows 
is  a  square  turret  of  unknown  date  and  purpose, 
but  possibly  of  Bishop  Fox's  time  (1494-1501). 
This  turret  is  locally  called  the  '  Hanging  Tower,' 
from  which  criminals  are  thought  to  have  been 
executed.  In  support  of  this  tradition  a  hollow 
resembling  a  putlog  hole,  about  7  in.  by  5  in. 
by  3  in.  deep,  is  shown  inside  about  the  middle 
of  the  west  wall,  and  a  similar  hole  may  be  seen 
on  the  opposite  side.  These  holes  are  thought 
to  have  held  a  beam  to  which  the  halter  was 
attached.  There  is,  however,  no  record  of  any 
such  use  of  this  turret  nor  any  execution  at  the 
castle  since  the  turret  was  built.  The  turret 
rises  to  the  parapets  of  the  north  wall,  and  has 
an  average  projection  of  4  ft.  on  the  east  side 
and  4  ft.  5  in.  on  the  west,  with  a  face  measure- 
ment on  the  north  of  5  ft.  9  in.  The  inside 
measurements  are  4  ft.  from  east  to  west  and 
4  ft.  6  in.  from  north  to  south.  In  the  north 
face  there  is  a  square-headed  opening  in  the 
wall,  measuring  2  ft.  6  in.  wide  and  9  ft.  11  in. 
high  from  the  stone  head,  down  to  the  top  of 
a  modern  wall  that  has  been  put  in  to  close  up 
what  appears  from  the  outside  to  be  the  remains 
of  an  old  loop.  There  is  a  floor  6  ft.  below  this 
opening,  but  whether  it  is  old  cannot  be  said. 

The  roof  of  the  chamber  is  formed  with  a 
course  of  wide  splayed  corbel  stones  on  each 
east  and  west  wall  on  a^level  with  the  corbel  of 
the  opening,  but  longer  in  both  splay  and  pro- 
jection.   The  west  wall  has  a  return  7J  in.'deep, 

'*  This  is  shown  by  the  difference  in  level  of  their 
abaci  compared  with  the  level  of  the  abaci  of  the 
independent  columns. 


88 


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□  182  Centura  \.m)  Modern 


Scale  of  Feet 


Durham  Castle  :  Plan   of  Xorman   Chapel 


CITY  OF   DURHAM 


and  3  ft.  6  in.  from  the  inside  of  the  north 
wall,  which  leaves  a  space  of  2  ft.  I  in. 
between  the  return  and  the  present  face  of 
the  great  north  wall,  and  it  is  suggested 
that  here  was  the  original  entrance  to  this 
turret  from  a  passage  in  the  great  north  wall. 
There  is  the  lower  part  of  a  blocked  window  of 
two  lights  in  the  upper  part  of  the  west  wall. 
The  original  work  of  this  wall  and  the  roof 


surrounded  hy  the  Garter,  with  the  lion  and 
unicorn  as  supporters  standing  on  a  wTeath 
bearing  the  motto  Beati  Pacifici.  Each  side 
panel  contains  a  group  of  three  shields,  the  larger 
in  the  centre  bearing  the  arms  of  the  see, 
impaling  the  arms  of  Bishop  James  quarterly 
I  and  4  (a  dolphin  embowered),  2  and  3,  ermine 
on  a  chief  azure  three  crosslets  or,  the  whole 
standing  on  a  ribbon    bearing   the    motto  Dei 


do  not  appear  to  be  bonded  with  the  great  north     gratia     sum     quod     sum.      The     four     earlier 
wall,  but  the  joint  of  the  east  wall  cannot  be 
seen,  as  it  is  covered  with  a  pyramidal  mass  of 
rough  uncoursed  rubble  work. 

The  only  feature  of  interest  on  the  courtyard, 
or  south  side,  is  the  wall  immediately  above 
Bishop  TunstaU's  chapel,  which  appears  to  be 
of  14th-century  date.  In  this  wall  can  be  traced 
a  large  pointed  double  window  the  upper  part 
of  which  has  disappeared.  This  window  must 
have  lighted  a  large  apartment,  now  divided  into 
the  Bursar's  Lodgings,  above  the  Senate  Room  or 
Drawing  Room.  In  the  passage,  on  the  inside, 
a  portion  of  the  jambs  of  one  of  the  windows 
may  be  seen.  In  the  place  of  these  older 
windows,  three  windows  have  been  inserted  ; 
the  centre  one,  of  16th-century  date,  is  a  square- 
headed  window  of  three  lights.  The  east  one 
is  above  the  jamb  of  the  earlier  window,  which 
is  to  be  seen  from  the  level  of  the  window  sill 
down  to  the  floor ;  it  i  s  deeply  splayed  and  checked 
in  the  centre.  Both  the  new  and  the  old  jambs 
are  of  finely  dressed  ashlar  with  close  joints. 
The  east  and  west  windows  are  of  modern  date 
and  have  two  lights  with  four-centred  heads 
having  small  eyelets  in  the  spandrels.  Under 
this  apartment  and  immediately  over  the  old 
Norman  Chapel  is  the  Senate  Room,  probably 
formed  by  Bishop  Neile  (1617-28),  who  inserted 
the  present  square-headed  windows  in  the  great 
north  wall,  here  9  ft.  thick;  the  flat  arches  of 
these  windows  are  noticeable  on  the  north 
front.'*  This  room  was  probably  refitted  by 
Bishop  Egerton  (1772-87).  The  walls  are 
covered  with  Brussels  tapestry  of  the  i6th  cen- 
tury, depicting  incidents  in  the  life  of  Moses. 
There  is  also  a  fine  carved  oak  overmantel  of 
the  time  of  Bishop  James  (1606-17).  The 
mantel  possesses  a  cornice  supported  on  carved 
lion  heads  as  brackets,  a  frieze  and  architrave, 
the  latter  supported  by  caryatides  standing 
on  an  ovolo  fluted  base,  and  dividing  the  lower 
portion  into  three  compartments  each  slightly 
recessed  and  decorated  with  elaborately  carved 
arches  springing  from  fluted  pilasters  with 
carved  Ionic  capitals.  Each  compartment  con- 
tains a  coat  of  arms  on  a  scroll  groundwork  ;  that 
in  the  centre  bears  the  arms  of  France  and 
England  quarterly  i  and  4,  Scotland  2,  Ireland  3, 


shields  in  the  two  side  panels  are  insertions, 
supposed  to  be  the  arms  of  Palatinate  officials 
of  that  time,  but  several  are  of  obviously  later 
date.  The  three  panels  of  the  frieze  each  con- 
tain the  lion  and  unicorn  standing  at  gaze  on 
either  side  of  a  Tudor  rose.  The  mantel  has  had 
a  somewhat  chequered  existence.  It  is  supposed 
to  have  been  prepared  for  the  place  where  it 
now  stands  in  expectation  of  the  proposed  visit 
of  King  James ;  it  was  recovered  in  later  years 
from  a  house  in  the  Exchequer  Buildings 
and  restored  to  its  former  position  in  the 
Senate  Room  by  the  University.'*  The  large 
oak  doors  of  this  room  are  in  two  panels  with 
raised  moulds,  and  together  with  the  architraves 
are  of  Jacobean  feeling.  In  the  east  wall  is  a 
door  leading  into  a  bedroom  by  a  short  passage 
with  closets  or  stores,  the  one  on  the  left  having 
been  probably  used  as  a  powder  or  stool  closet. 
The  walls  of  the  bedroom  are  lined  with  late 
17th-century  paneUing,  and  a  portion  hung  with 
an  odd  piece  of  tapestry. 

The  mound  and  keep  are  placed  practically 
on  the  centre  of  the  total  width  of  the  north 
front.  The  mound  rises  to  45  ft.  above  the 
general  level  of  the  courtyard  and  is  divided  into 
three  terraces  by  means  of  alternate  slopes  and 
retaining  walls.  The  terraces,  it  is  recorded, 
were  made  during  the  time  of  Bishop  Cosin 
(1660-72),  long  after  the  keep  had  lost  any 
military  value.  They  have  been  identified  with 
the  cubitis  iribus  referred  to  by  Laurence," 
but  the  words  will  not  bear  this  meaning,  nor 
for  defensive  reasons  could  terraces  be  possible 
on  a  castle  mound.  The  original  mound  may 
have  been  partly  natural  but  enlarged  with  the 
earth  taken  from  the  south  moat.  In  any 
case  it  was  considerably  extended  or  widened 
later  by  Bishop  Hatfield,  who  is  said  to  have 
enlarged  the  keep,  for  which  purpose  the  mound 
must  have  been  lowered.  This  widening  is 
evidenced  by  the  blocking  of  the  east  windows 
of  the  Norman  Chapel.  The  base  of  the  mound 
was  at  one  period  defended  by  a  chemise  wall, 
the  foundations  of  which  exist  in  places,  and  the 
position  of  it  may  be  roughly  followed  by  the 
various  walls  at  present  supporting  the  base. 


'*  Hutchinson,  op.  cit.  i,  605  ;  iii,  p.  rvi ;  Heylin, 
Cypreanus  Anglicus,  pt.  i,  p.  74. 


'*  There  is  grave  doubt  whether  the  jamb  supports 
are  original. 

"  Laurence  of  Durham,  op.  cit.  (Surt.  Soc.),  11. 


89 


12 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


Outside  this  wall  was  a  moat  which,  together 
with  the  chemise,  was  crossed  by  four  walls 
ascending  the  mound.  Two  of  these  walls  exist, 
and  the  foundations  of  a  third  have  been  found, 
but  all  trace  of  the  fourth  is  lost. 

The  north  wall  descending  to  the  west  from 
the  north-west  angle  of  the  keep  is  on  the  line 
of  the  main  outer  defensive  wall  of  the  castle 
and  city,  and  doubtless  includes  much  early 
work,  though  the  facing  is  chiefly  of  the  13th 
century  and  later.  There  are  remains  of  several 
arrow  slits  in  the  form  of  a  cross,  one  partially 
exposed,  being  contained  in  a  recess  in  the  wall, 
open  to  the  south'*  and  arched  over  by  a  series 
of  corbel  stones.  At  the  bottom  of  the  mound 
is  a  triangular  turret  of  13th-century  date,  with 
the  square  outlet  and  sloping  sill  of  a  latrine. 
There  is  no  access  to  this  turret  at  the  present 
time.  Along  the  top  of  this  wall  above  the 
recess  was  the  stair"  forming  the  only  access  to 
the  keep,  the  latter  being  entered  by  a  draw- 
bridge. The  second  existing  wall  ascends 
the  mound  from  the  castle  gate,  and  formed  a 
portion  of  the  south  screen  wall ;  the  portion 
between  the  gate  and  the  chemise  is  entirely 
modern,  but  the  part  ascending  the  mound 
undoubtedly  contains  a  good  deal  of  original 
work  refaced  at  various  periods.  The  wall  was 
at  one  time  considerably  higher  and  was  pro- 
bably reduced  to  its  present  dimensions  during 
the  episcopate  of  Bishop  Egerton  (1772-87).** 
That  it  was  a  strongly  defensible  wall  is  shown 
by  the  existence  of  the  lower  portion  of  four 
large  buttress  turrets  in  its  short  length.  The 
third  wall,  the  foundations  of  which,  12  ft.  in 
thickness,  exist  under  the  soil  of  the  mound, 
was  the  wall  completing  the  line  at  the  main 
defences  running  up  from  the  north  gate  to 
the  north-east  angle  of  the  keep.  The  fourth 
wall  is  supposed  to  have  joined  the  south-east 
angle  of  the  keep  with  the  east  end  of  the  church, 
and  is  known  to  have  been  erected  by  Bishop 
Flambard. 

The  original  mound,  as  already  stated,  was 
possibly  thrown  up  by  Bishop  Walcher  (1071-80) 
and  crowned  by  a  wooden  palisade  and  tower, 
which  has  been  succeeded  by  three  later  keeps. 

™  May  be  seen  in  several  old  prints.  It  is  indicated 
in  an  engraving  of  the  keep. 

"  '  The  approach  to  the  gate  of  Tower  was  by  a 
long  flight  of  steps,  from  the  inner  court, — so  narrow, 
that  two  persons  only  could  pass  at  a  time.' — Hutchin- 
son, op.  cit.  ii,  366. 

*"  Drawing  in  the  possession  of  the  Very  Rev. 
Henry  Gee,  Dean  of  Gloucester — entitled  '  Design 
given  to  Bishop  Egerton  for  the  Octagon  Tower  at 
Durham  Castle.'  It  shows  the  wall  reduced  to  about 
its  present  height,  and  by  dotted  lines  the  height  of 
the  wall  as  apparently  existing  at  that  time.  A 
plan,  Plate  H,  shows  the  wall  joining  on  to  the 
keep. 


The  first,  built  by  Bishop  Flambard,  consisted 
of  a  ring  wall,  probably  inclosing  the  then 
existing  wooden  tower,  and  is  mentioned  by 
Laurence.  The  second  was  built  by  Bishop 
Hatfield  (1345-81),  and  the  present  one  by  the 
University  in  1840.  The  existing  keep  forms 
an  irregular  octagon  on  plan  measuring  76  ft.  by 
65  ft.,  and  is  supposed  to  have  been  rebuilt  upon 
the  foundations  of  Hatfield's  keep.  A  good  deal 
of  the  old  material  was  re-used,  including  a  few 
of  the  old  quoins  on  the  west  side.  The 
dressings  are,  however,  generally  new  and  of 
Penshaw  stone.  Each  angle  is  covered  by  a 
square  buttress  springing  from  the  main  pro- 
jecting base  course,  and  surmounted  by  imita- 
tion machicolated  turrets  rising  slightly  above 
the  embattled  parapet.  The  flagstaff  turret 
at  the  north-west  angle,  over  the  point  where 
the  north  wall  joins  the  keep,  denotes  the 
position  of  a  tower  defending  the  entrance  both 
to  the  Norman  and  the  14th-century  keep. 
The  interior  of  the  keep  is  entirely  modern, 
consisting  of  a  basement  for  storage  purposes, 
and  three  other  floors  divided  into  sets  of 
students'  rooms,  each  set  consisting  of  bedroom 
and  sitting  room.  The  various  floors  are  con- 
nected by  a  central  well  staircase  lighted  from 
the  roof.  There  are  no  remains  existing  above 
ground  of  the  vaults  or  other  work  mentioned 
by  Hutchinson  in  his  description  of  the  remains 
of  Hatfield's  keep,  and  it  is  evident  that  a  clean 
sweep  must  have  been  made  when  the  rebuilding 
was  commenced. 

Fortunately  there  are  several  views  of  Hat- 
field's keep  as  it  existed  in  the  early  part  of  the 
19th  century  and  before.  The  best  of  them  are 
a  picture  in  the  castle  common  room,  dated  1842, 
and  a  view  from  the  north-east  by  Bryne,  dated 
1 799,  which  shows  that  there  were  no  windows 
on  the  exposed  northern  face  and  that  the 
north  wall  between  the  keep  and  the  north  gate 
had  disappeared  before  Bryne's  time. 

Hutchinson"  describes  the  keep  in  the  follow- 
ing words : — 

Durham  Tower,  an  ill-formed  octagon  of  irregular 
sides  ;  some  of  the  fronts  exceeding  others  in  breadth 
several  feet ;  the  angles  are  supported  by  buttresses. 
&  a  parapet  has  run  round  the  summit  of  the  whole 
building  with  a  breast  wall  and  embrasure  ;  the  dia- 
meter of  this  Tower  in  the  widest  part  is  63  ft.  6  in. 
&  in  the  narrowest  part  61  ft.  ;  It  has  contained 
four  stories  or  tiers  of  apartments,  exclusive  of  the 
vaults  ;  The  great  Entrance  is  on  the  west  side ; 
there  is  nothing  now  left  of  this  edifice,  but  the 
mount,  vaults  and  outside  shell ;  which  latter,  from 
its  noble  appearance,  &  the  great  ornament  it  is  to 
the  city,  has  been  an  object  of  attention  of  many  of  the 
prelates. 

Indeed  from  the  whole  mode  of  architecture,  the 
roses  which  ornament  the  summits  of  the  buttresses 

81  Hutchinson,  op.  cit. 


90 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


&  the  form  of  the  windows,  we  are  led  to  believe 
that  the  present  shell  was  the  work  of  Bishop  Hatfield, 
&  repaired  &  kept  standing  by  his  successors. 
The  tower  was  only  lined  round  the  outward  wall 
with  apartments,  so  as  to  leave  an  inner  area  or  wall 
from  top  to  bottom,  by  which  the  engines  of  war, 
&  necessaries  in  time  of  danger  &  attack,  were 
drawn  up  and  distributed  to  the  several  parts  of  the 
building  ;  those  apartments  have  been  approached 
by  five  different  staircases  or  turnpikes  in  the  angles, 
the  remains  of  which  are  yet  visible,  so  that  the  parapet 
could  be  mounted,  the  galleries  lined  with  armed  men, 
and  the  apartments  guarded  in  a  very  short  time,  & 
equally  as  quick  the  garrison  could  descend,  & 
be  ready  for  a  sally.  At  the  present  the  mount  is 
formed  into  terraces,  as  well  for  ornament  as  recreation. 
The  uppermost  terrace  is  lo  ft.  wide,  and  laid  with 
gravel. 

The  building  appears  to  have  served  its 
purpose  up  to  the  time  of  Bishop  Fox  (1494- 
1501),  who  'Began  to  repair  the  Great  Tower 
and  build  a  Hall,  a  Kitchen  &  some  other 
apartments  therein,  but  before  this  plan  was 
far  advanced  he  was  translated,  &  no  further 
progress  was  made  in  that  work.'  Bishop  Fox's 
alterations  indicate  that  it  was  recognised  that 
its  military  value  had  diminished.  The  improve- 
ment in  artillery,  and  the  impossibility  of  pro- 
tecting the  base  of  the  outer  walls  by  earthworks, 
rendered  the  whole  castle  useless  from  a  military 
point  of  view,  at  a  much  earlier  date  than  a 
similar  structure  buUt  in  a  comparatively  flat 
country.  There  is  little  record  of  its  subsequent 
history,  and  it  appears  to  have  been  allowed  to 
fall  gradually  into  decay ;  several  bishops  are 
recorded  to  have  made  small  repairs,  but  its 
maintenance  was  considered  a  hardship,  and 
Bishop  Morton  (1632-59)  obtained  a  decree 
discharging  him  from  future  dilapidations. 
Some  of  the  later  bishops,  however,  considered 
it  an  ornament  to  the  city  and  made  some 
repairs.  Bishop  Cosin  (1660-72)  is  stated  to 
have  put  the  castle  into  repair  and  doubtless 
did  something  to  the  keep.  Bishop  Crewe 
(1674-1721)  is  supposed  to  have  restored  the 
keep ;  at  any  rate,  his  arms  were  placed  on  the 
east  side  with  the  following  inscription  under  :** 

HAEC  DIU  RUITURI  CASTELLI  LATERA  Cu' 
VETUSTATE  TANDEM  UTRINQ.  EXESA  NEC  NON 
COLLAPSA  DE  NOVO  NUPERRIME  EXTRtTXIT 
AC  CITO  CITIUS  FIRMIORA  EREXIT  NATH.  d'nUS 
CREWE,  DUNELM.  Ep'uS  ET  BARO  DE  STANE 
COM.  NORTHAM.  ANNIS  CONSECR.  45,  TRANSL. 
40,  SALUTIS  1 714. 

On  the  death  of  Bishop  Chandler  a  dispute 
arose  as  to  dilapidations  on  the  keep,  and  it  was 
then  pleaded  that  the  building  had  not  been 
used  since  Bishop  Fox's  time,  some  250  years 
before.  Bishop  Egerton  in  1773  had  the  keep 
surveyed,  with  a  view  to  repairs.    Evidently  it 


*-  Hutchinson,  ii,  368. 


must  have  been  in  a  very  dilapidated  condition 
about  this  time,  as  it  is  recorded  that  Bishop 
Thurlow  in  1789  had  the  upper  stories  pulled 
down,  for  fear  they  should  fall,  and  it  doubtless 
remained  in  this  condition  until  finally  destroyed 
about  1839. 

Besides  the  castle 
FORTIFICATIONS  fortifications  the  city 
of  Durham  was  pro- 
tected by  an  inclosing  wall.  Indications  of 
earthworks  on  the  east  and  south  sides  of  the 
peninsula  may  represent  pre-Conquest  earthen 
defences ;  any  defences  of  this  date  on  the  north 
side  are  now  obliterated.  It  is  to  Bishop  Ranulf 
Flambard  (1099-1128),  however,  that  the  in- 
closure  of  the  city  with  masonry  walls  must  be 
attributed.*^  These  walls  followed  the  Unes  of 
the  banks  of  the  peninsula  on  all  sides,  except 
on  the  north.  Here  was  an  outer  moat  within 
which  was  a  wall  of  great  strength  which  varied 
from  30  ft.  to  50  ft.  in  height.  In  places  where 
good  foundations  could  not  be  obtained  for  the 
walls,  reheving  arches  were  used  to  carry  them, 
which  were  filled  up  to  make  the  wall  solid. 
The  walls  were  strengthened  with  square  and 
octagonal  flanking  towers,  and  round  the  sharp 
southern  bend  there  appear  to  have  been  a  series 
of  buttress  turrets  between  the  greater  towers 
both  to  give  increased  strength  and  a  better 
defence.  Some  of  the  lower  portions  of  these 
towers  remain,  but  most  of  them  have  been 
destroyed.  Prior  Laurence  describes  three 
gates,  the  King's  Gate  at  the  bottom  of  Bow 
Lane,  the  Water  Gate  or  Porte-du-Bayle,  at  the 
south  end  of  the  Bailey,  and  the  North  Gate, 
which  stood  at  the  top  of  Saddler  Street.** 
What  little  is  known  of  these  gates  has  already 
been  described.  Flambard  further  inclosed  the 
space  called  the  Palace  or  Place  Green  by  a 
wall  running  from  the  east  end  of  the  Norman 
cathedral  church  northward  to  the  keep,  thus 
forming  an  outer  ward.  Another  wall  w-ent 
from  the  Kingsgate  along  Bow  Lane  and  Dun 
Cow  Lane  with  a  gateway  spanning  the  North 
Bailey.  This  wall  divided  the  civil  from  the 
ecclesiastical  part  of  the  hill.  The  gateway 
crossing  the  North  Bailey  was  later  aimexed  to 
the  church  of  St.  Mary  le  Bow  until  it  fell 
in  1637. 

The  burgesses  of  the  Borough  or  those  Uving 
around  the  Market  Place  and  the  streets  leading 
out  of  it,  although  subject  to  Scottish  raids, 
had  no  protection  until  after  13 12,  when  Brus 
sacked  the  town.  This  disaster  led  to  the  build- 
ing of  the  wall  inclosing  the  Market  Place  from 

*s  This  wall  has  been  attributed  to  Bishop  Pudsey, 
but  as  it  is  described  in  the  poem  about  Durham  by 
Prior  Laurence,  who  died  in  the  year  of  Pudsey's 
consecration,  he  cannot  have  referred  to  work  of 
Pudsey's  lime.     See  p.  65  for  further  information. 

*»  Laurence  of  Durham,  Dialogi  (Surtees  Soc),  p.  lo. 


91 


Printed  by  W.  H.  Smith  &  Son 

Plan  of  the  Ancient  Fortifications  of  Durham  City 

(Bated  upon  the  Ordnance  Surrey  Map  with  the  sanction  of  the 
Controller  of  H.M.  Stationery  Office) 


92 


CITY  OF   DURHAM 


the  tower  on  Framwellgate  Bridge  round  the 
Market  Square  to  the  tower  on  Elvet  Bridge, 
with  gates  on  the  northern  line  of  the  wall 
opening  on  to  Claygate  and  Walkergate.  This 
later  wall  probably  did  not  possess  any  great 
military  value,  but  was  merely  of  sufficient 
strength  to  keep  off  raiders.  The  city  walls 
became  neglected  in  the  i6th  century  and  were 
allowed  to  fall  into  disrepair  and  so  have  gradu- 
ally disappeared. 

Durham     Cathedral 
CATHEDRAL  stands  on  a  rockyheight 

CHURCH  bounded  on  the  east, 

I.  HISTORICAL  south,  and   west    by  a 

bend  of  the  river  Wear. 
To  the  north  and  south  of  the  cathedral  the 
level  space  is  considerable,  but  the  buUding 
occupies  the  whole  extent  of  the  level  ground 
from  east  to  west,  the  buttresses  of  the  western- 
most portion  actually  descending  the  face  of 
the  cliff  some  forty  feet,  whence  the  thickly 
wooded  slope  descends  rapidly  to  the  river.  The 
position  is  one  of  the  most  commanding  of  any 
in  England,  and  the  view  of  the  cathedral  from 
the  west  and  south-west  is  extremely  impressive. 

The  site  has  been  continuously  occupied  by  a 
church  from  995,  when  the  body  of  St.  Cuthbert 
was  brought  hither  after  many  wanderings,  and 
a  temporary  structure  was  erected  over  it.  This 
was  superseded  by  a  church  of  stone  begun  by 
Bishop  Aldhun  in  996,  and  known  as  the  White 
Church.  Aldhun's  church  was  standing  at  the 
time  of  the  Conquest,  but  excavation  has  failed 
to  reveal  any  trace  of  it.  That  it  had  a  western 
tower  is  evident  from  the  account^  of  Reginald 
the  monk,  and  that,  after  the  fashion  of  the  larger 
churches  of  the  time,  it  was  cruciform  with  a 
second  tower  over  the  crossing. 

Certain  crossheads  of  late  style,  taken  from 
below  the  chapter  house,  must  be  relics  of  the 
period  between  995  and  the  Norman  Conquest 
and  may  have  commemorated  members  of  the 
community  of  secular  priests  who  served  the 
church  from  the  time  of  Aldhun  to  that  of 
William  of  St.  Calais.  The  discovery  in  1874, 
below  the  graves  of  the  bishops  Ranulf  Flam- 
bard,  Geoffrey  Rufus  and  William  of  St.  Barbe, 
of  the  skeletons  of  men,  women  and  children,  and 
of  an  iron  spear  head  with  a  gold-plated  socket, 
believed  by  some  to  be  attributable  to  this  period, 
probably  points  to  a  pre-Christian  settlement 
of  considerably  earlier  datc.^ 

The  church  which  stands  to-day  was  begun, 
as  Simeon  of  Durham  tells  us,  in  1093  by  Bishop 
William  of  St.  Calais  (1080-1096).  During  his 
lifetime  an  agreement  was  in  force  between  the 

*  Reginaldi  Mon.  Dunelm.  (Surtees  Soc),  cap.  ivi, 

P-  29-         . 

*  The  evidence  of  the  cranial  indices,  though  incon- 
clusive, is  on  the  whole  unfavourable  to  such  a 
hypothesis. 


bishop  and  the  monks,  by  which  the  former 
undertook  to  bear  the  cost  of  building  the  church, 
and  the  latter  that  of  the  monastic  buildings. 
There  are  indications  that  the  replacement  of 
the  Saxon  buildings  other  than  the  church  had 
already  been  taken  in  hand  before  this  time,  the 
east  and  south  ranges  of  the  cloister  having  been 
worked  upon  during  the  time  of  Walcher  (1071- 
1080),  and  doubtless  in  the  first  thirteen  years 
of  William's  episcopate,  before  he  was  in  a 
position  to  start  work  on  the  new  church.  It  is 
possible  that  the  site  of  the  earlier  church  was  a 
little  to  the  south  of  the  present  building  and 
that  Walcher's  work,  of  which  mention  will  be 
made  in  the  description  of  the  monastic  build- 
ings, was  joined  directly  to  the  south  side  of 
Aldhun's  church. 

With  regard  to  the  church  of  William  of  St. 
Calais,  it  may  be  said  that  if  the  Chapel  of  the 
Nine  Altars  at  the  east  and  the  Galilee  Chapel 
at  the  west  end  be  imagined  absent,  and  if  for 
the  former  be  substituted  a  termination  con- 
sisting of  a  great  central  apse  semicircular  both 
inside  and  out,  and  two  side  apses  with  a  square 
external  termination,  one  at  each  of  the  ends  of 
the  quire  aisles,  the  present  building  follows  the 
lines  of  the  plan  laid  down  in  1093. 

Comparatively  little,  however,  of  this  great 
design  was  actually  completed  in  the  lifetime  of 
its  originator ;  yet,  even  so,  the  rapidity  of  the 
work  must  have  been  remarkable. 

The  death  of  Bishop  William  in  1096  did  not 
interrupt  the  work,  which  was  carried  on  con- 
tinuously but  more  slowly,  and  we  are  told  that 
the  monks  devoted  themselves  to  the  church, 
leaving  for  the  time  their  work  on  the  monastic 
buildings.  The  see  was  vacant  till  1099,  and  in 
this  time  the  work  of  the  church  was  carried  on 
usque  navem.  Ranulf  Flambard,  on  his  appoint- 
ment as  bishop  in  that  year,  did  not  continue 
the  arrangement  made  by  his  predecessor,  but 
used  the  funds  arising  from  the  oblations 
altaris  et  cemiurii,  and  carried  on  the  building 
of  the  church  as  the  money  came  in,  '  so  that  at 
one  time  little  was  done  and  at  another  much.'^* 
This  went  on  till  Flambard's  death  in  11 28, 
when  the  see  again  remained  vacant,  this  time 
for  five  years.  The  nave,  we  are  told,  was  com- 
plete up  to  the  vault  in  11 28,  and  by  11 33  the 
monks  had  finished  the  nave  vault. 

Although  the  building  of  the  fabric  was  one 
continuous  work,  occupying  a  period  of  forty 
years  from  1093,  there  was  a  slight  break  about 
mo  when  the  work  had  been  carried  from  the 
east  end  of  the  church  usgug  navem.  The 
whole  was  brought  to  completion,  except  for  the 
upper  stories  of  the  western  towers,  in  ii33- 
The  scale  and  magnificence  of  the  design  would 


'"  '  Circa  opus  ecclesiae  modo  intentius,  mode  re- 
missius  agebatur.'  Simeon  of  ZJuriam  (Rolls  Ser.),i,  139. 


93 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


alone  set  Durham  in  the  first  rank  of  the 
great  Romanesque  churches  of  the  north,  but 
an  exceptional  value  is  added  to  it  by  the 
complete  structural  evidence  of  the  intention 
to  cover  the  whole  building  with  stone  rib-vaults 
as  part  of  the  original  scheme.  There  is  no 
surviving  church  in  Normandy  which  can  show 
so  early  a  use  of  this  construction,  but  that  it  is 
of  Norman  origin  is  equally  certain.  So  much  of 
the  building  energy  of  the  Normans  was  trans- 
ferred to  English  soil  after  the  Conquest  that  an 
advance  in  development  on  this  side  of  the 
Channel  is  not  a  matter  for  surprise.  Certain 
features,  however,  which  do  not  occur  in  Nor- 
mandy at  this  date,  must  be  noted.  The  long 
eastern  arm  of  four  bays,  as  at  St.  Albans,  has 
no  existing  counterpart  in  Normandy,  where  a 
presbytery  of  two  bays  is  normal,  and  the 
cushion  capital,  practically  unknown  in  Nor- 
mandy, is  used  every^vhere  in  Durham  to  the 
exclusion  of  the  Norman  volute  capital,  so  that 
it  may  be  said  that  the  Norman  designer  of 
Durham  Cathedral  did  not  come  direct  from 
Normandy  to  Durham,  but  had  had  previous 
experience  of  building  in  England. 

It  is  not  possible  to  say  exactly  how  far  the 
work  had  advanced  between  August  1093  and 
Bishop  William's  death  in  January  1096,  but  the 
first  design  continues  unaltered  through  the 
eastern  arm  and  as  far  as  the  top  of  the  triforium 
on  the  east  side  of  both  transepts.  The  west 
walls  of  the  transepts  are  of  simpler  character 
and  suggest  that  lack  of  funds  after  the  bishop's 
death  may  have  affected  this  part  of  the  design, 
but  a  more  impressive  witness  to  a  modification 
of  the  original  scheme  is  seen  in  the  temporary 
abandonment  of  the  intention  to  vault  the 
transepts.  The  clearstory  of  the  south  tran- 
sept, with  its  continuous  arcade  of  tall  arches,  is 
clearly  designed  for  a  wooden  ceiling,  and  since 
no  hesitation  was  shown  in  vaulting  the  eastern 
arm,  it  is  reasonable  to  conclude  that  this  alter- 
ation was  due  to  lack  of  funds. 

A  landmark  in  the  progress  of  the  work  is 
made  by  the  record  of  the  translation  of  St. 
Cuthbert  to  his  shrine  in  1104;  the  details  of 
the  story  make  it  clear  that  the  stone  vault  over 
the  eastern  arm  was  finished  by  this  date,  and 
it  may  be  suggested  that  the  south  transept 
with  a  wooden  ceiling  was  completed  by  that 
time.  The  two  eastern  bays  of  the  main  arcade 
of  the  nave,  and  of  its  aisles,  together  with  one 
bay  of  the  triforium,  belong,  with  certain  small 
modifications,  to  the  earlier  work  of  the  church, 
and  it  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that  the  north 
transept  was  finished  and  its  stone  vault  built 
as  part  of  this  work.  The  limit  of  date  may  be 
c.  II 10.  At  the  continuation  of  the  building 
of  the  nave  a  new  feature  appears,  namely  the 
cheveron  ornament,  introduced  in  the  arcade 
arches  and  the  ribs  of  the  aisle  vaults.     It  also 


occurs  in  the  vaults  of  the  south  transept,  which 
must  have  been  undertaken  while  the  continua- 
tion of  the  nave  was  in  progress.  It  must  be 
assumed  that  the  lack  of  funds  which  followed 
on  Bishop  William's  death  had  been  overcome, 
and  possibly  the  translation  of  1104  brought  a 
new  era  of  prosperity. 

The  last  stage  of  the  work,  the  building  of  the 
stone  vault  over  the  nave,  falls  within  the  five 
years  1128-1133,  and  it  is  a  matter  of  much 
interest  to  note,  as  a  landmark  in  the  story  of 
vault  construction,  that  the  springing  stones  of 
the  great  transverse  arches  are  designed  for  a 
semicircular  curve.  The  weakness  which  by 
then  may  have  been  evident  in  the  presbytery 
vault,  owing  to  the  flatness  at  the  crown  of  the 
diagonal  ribs,  must  have  suggested  the  use  of  a 
higher  trajectory  in  the  nave,  and  the  substitu- 
tion of  pointed  transverse  arches  for  the  semi- 
circular arches  was  the  result. 

Geoffrey  Ruf us  (i  1 30-40),  then,found  the  cathe- 
dral church  practically  complete,  together  with 
the  greater  part  of  the  monastic  buildings.  The 
slype  between  the  south  transept  and  the  chapter 
house,  with  its  barrel  vault,  had  been  built  in 
the  time  of  William,  or  in  the  interval  between 
his  death  and  the  appointment  of  Flambard,  but 
the  chapter  house  was  still  incomplete,  though 
there  can  be  no  doubt  that  its  plan  had  long  been 
settled,  and  probably  the  walls  had  been  set 
out  to  the  level  of  the  string  below  the  wall 
arcading.  Ruf  us  completed  the  chapter  house, 
with  a  very  rich  doorway  in  whose  capitals  the 
centaur  occurs,  together  with  mermaids  and  other 
monsters  carved  in  spirited  fashion. 

Hugh  Pudsey  (1153-1195)  began  to  build  a 
Lady  Chapel  at  the  east  end  of  the  church,  but, 
taking  the  failure  of  his  work  as  the  result  of 
divine  prohibition,  abandoned  it  and  built  the 
Gahlee  Chapel  at  the  west  end,  c.  1175.  He  also 
enriched  the  exterior  of  the  south-east  doorway 
of  the  nave.  His  work,  which  can  be  identified  in 
many  places  throughout  the  diocese,  is  always 
characterised  by  boldness  and  originality. 

Richard  de  Marisco  (1217-1226)  probably 
completed  the  western  towers. 

Richard  Poore  was  translated  from  Sahsbury 
in  1229,  and  by  1235  the  serious  condition  of 
the  quire  vault  seems  to  have  decided  him  to 
substitute  for  the  then  existing  triapsidal  eastern 
termination  of  the  church  a  building  which  is 
now  represented  by  the  Chapel  of  the  Nine 
Altars.  The  work  was  not  actually  begun  till 
1242,^  under  the  direction  of  Prior  Melsonby 
(1233-1244),  but  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  the 
ground  plan  was  influenced  by  Bishop  Poore, 
whose  connexion  with  the  building  of  Salisbury 
testifies  to  his  interest  in  the  task.  There  is 
evidence  that  the  design  was  altered  in  several 


^  Hist.  Dun.  Script.  Ires  (Surtees  Soc),  p.  41. 


94 


CITY  OF   DURHAM 


details  more  than  once  during  the  progress  of 
the  building,  especiaUy  in  the  earlier  stages, 
and  an  interesting  feature  of  these  changes  is  a 
departure  from  and  subsequent  return  to  the 
original  design  for  the  use  of  detached  marble 
shafts  on  the  piers,  which  are  built  on  the  arc 
of  the  former  apse.  A  change  in  the  design  of 
the  feretory  platform  of  St.  Cuthbert  between 
these  piers  is  also  to  be  suspected.  The  chapel 
was  not  finished  until  1280,  and  here  again  the 
problems  of  vaulting  seem  to  have  occasioned 
difficulty  and  delay,  and  possibly  more  than  one 
accident.  The  work  was  probably  continuous, 
and  the  south-east  corner  appears  to  have  been 
the  point  of  completion,  for  there  are  indications 
here  that  the  southernmost  pier  in  the  east  wall 
had  been  standing  unroofed  for  some  time,  and 
needed  repair  before  the  vault  was  built. 

The  junction  of  the  chapel  and  the  quire 
was  certainly  completed  in  one  design  with  the 
rest  of  the  chapel,  the  whole  of  this  work  being 
finished  between  1242  and  1255,  but  the  details 
of  the  vaulting,  both  of  the  chapel  and  the  quire, 
are  distinctly  later  in  character,  and  were 
probably  not  considered  until,  at  the  earliest, 
1270.  The  vault  of  the  chapel,  especially,  dis- 
plays a  remarkable  series  of  ingenious  make- 
shifts of  construction.  The  interval  of  delay 
may  be  traceable  to  the  impoverishment  of  the 
see  by  the  alleged  wrongful  reservation  of  certain 
lands  by  Nicholas  de  Farnham  after  his  resigna- 
tion in  1249  and  the  seizure  by  the  king  of  the 
rest  of  the  temporalities.  The  latter  were 
probably  restored  on  the  consecration  of  Walter 
de  Kirkham  at  the  end  of  the  same  year,  but 
Nicholas  de  Farnham  lived  till  1275,  retaining 
the  reserved  lands.  As  one  of  the  first  acts  of 
Walter  de  Kirkham  was  an  attempt  to  have  the 
reservation  set  aside,  it  seems  likely  that  the 
money  was  needed  for  building,  for,  as  the  pope 
pointed  out,  he  had  no  case  for  recovery  what- 
soever.'' It  is  very  likely,  therefore,  that  the 
vaulting  was  not  begun  till  the  bishopric  of 
Robert  of  Holy  Island  (1274),  though  the  main 
lines  of  the  design  were  probably  earlier. 

The  work  of  the  fourteenth  century  includes 
no  structural  additions  except  the  cloister,  which 
was  begun  about  1390,  but  was  not  finished 
until  1418.  The  Jesse  window  in  the  west  wall 
of  the  nave  and  the  window  of  the  Four  Doctors 
in  the  north  transept  were  inserted  about  the 
middle  of  the  century  by  Prior  John  Fossor, 
who  also  built  the  fine  kitchen  of  the  monastery 
in  1365-70.  In  the  episcopate  of  Bishop  Hat- 
field   the    altar-screen   or    'French  peir'**  was 

*  Matt.  Paris,  Chron.  Maj.  ed.  Wats,  1684,  pp. 
658,  666,  701. 

"The  dedication  of  the  high  altar  in  1 380 
probably  marks  the  completion  of  the  '  French  peir.' 


erected  by  John  Lord  Neville,  and  the  Bishop's 
throne,  which  incorporates  m  its  design  the 
chantry  tomb  of  this  bishop,  was  set  up  by  him 

c.  1375- 

Walter  de  Skirlaw  (i 388-1406)  contributed 
largely  to  the  work  in  the  cloister,  and  the  wood- 
work of  the  roof  near  the  chapter  house  is  of  his 
time,  and  contains  his  arms.  He  also  built  the 
dormitory  at  the  west  of  the  cloister. 

In  the  fifteenth  century  Thomas  Langley 
(1406-1437)  made  the  two  doorways  from  the 
nave  aisles  to  the  Galilee  Chapel,  erected  the 
Lady  Altar  in  the  old  west  doorway  of  the  nave, 
with  his  own  tomb  before  it,  and  also  buttressed 
the  west  wall  of  the  Galilee  Chapel,  inserting 
new  windows,  adding  a  new  roof,  and  supple- 
menting the  twin  columns  of  the  arcades  by 
additional  shafts  (c.  1420).  The  Te  Deum 
window  in  the  south  transept  is  of  c.  1430. 

About  1470  the  rebuilding  of  the  central 
tower,  which  had  been  long  failing,  was  under- 
taken and  the  lower  gallery  of  the  lantern  and  the 
arcade  above  it  were  completed  in  the  time  of 
Bishop  Laurence  Booth,  the  belfry  being  added 
about  1490,  under  the  direction  of  Prior  Auck- 
land. 

From  this  time  no  additions  were  made,  and 
the  church  was  fearfully  despoiled  at  the 
Reformation.  Bishop  Cosin  (1660-72),  however, 
erected  the  stalls  and  tabernacle  work  of  the 
quire,  and  the  font-tabernacle  is  his  work,  as 
were  also  the  destroyed  quire  screen  and  a  fine 
screen  about  the  feretory,  now  removed. 

The  church  suffered  much  from  the  devasta- 
tions of  Wyatt,  at  the  end  of  the  eighteenth 
and  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century, 
when  the  Galilee  Chapel  was  only  saved 
from  destruction  by  the  vigorous  intervention 
of  Lord  Cornwallis,  then  newly  appointed 
Dean,  who  was  too  late  to  save  the  chapter 
house,  which  was  pulled  down,  except  its 
most  westerly  portion,  in  1796.  The  exterior 
of  the  building  was  most  horribly  scraped,  re- 
ducing the  Norman  mouldings  to  mere  shadows, 
and  a  ridiculous  '  restoration '  of  the  north 
porch  was  carried  out.  The  great  '  rose ' 
window  in  the  east  wall  of  the  Chapel  of  the 
Nine  Altars  is  Wyatt's  work,  and  is  perhaps  less 
disastrous  than  the  rest  of  his  meddling,  which 
actually  included  the  destruction  of  the  old 
stained  glass  of  the  eastern  windows. 

In  1859  the  central  tower  was  restored  by 
Sir  Gilbert  Scott,  who  also  supervised  a  restora- 
tion (1870-76)  in  the  course  of  which  the  quire 
screen  and  pulpit  were  inserted,  and  the  quire 
stalls  replaced.  In  1895  the  chapter  house 
was  rebuilt  as  a  memorial  to  Bishop  Lightfoot, 
unfortunately  departing,  in  the  vaulting  of  the 
apse,  from  its  original  design,  although  record  of 
the  latter  had  been  preserved. 


95 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


2.  DETAILED 
DESCRIPTION 
OF  CHURCH 


The  church  consists  of 
an  Eastern  Transept, 
129  ft.  5  in.  long  intern- 
ally from  north  to  south 
and  34  ft.  2  in.  wide, 
Aisled  Quire  of  five  bays,  North  and  South 
Transepts,  each  of  four  bays  in  length,  with 
eastern  aisle,  Central  Tower,  Nave  of  eight  bays, 
with  North  and  South  Aisles  terminating  at  the 
west  with  Towers  projecting  in  front  of  the 
aisle  walls,  and  a  Western  Porch,  or  Chapel, 
known  as  the  Galilee. 

The  Quire  is  125  ft.  long  by  32  ft.  8  in. 
wide,  and  the  total  width  across  Quire  and  Aisles 
77  ft.  2  in.,  the  Aisles  being  each  15  ft.  3  in.  wide, 
and  the  piers  of  the  arcades  7  ft.  thick.  Each 
of  the  Transepts  is  62  ft.  9  in.  long,  by  33  ft.  7  in. 
wide,  exclusive  of  its  Aisle,  the  total  length  across 
Transepts  and  Central  Tower  being  171  ft.  9  in. 
The  Nave  is  198  ft.  long  and  32  ft.  4  in.  wide 
and  the  width  across  Nave  and  Aisles  81  ft.  i  in., 
the  Aisles  being  each  about  17  ft.  6  in.  The 
Western  Towers  are  each  about  24  ft.  8  in. 
east  to  west  and  26  ft.  north  to  south,  and  the 
Gahlee  measures  76  ft.  6  in.  from  north  to 
south  and  48  ft.  from  west  to  east.  All  these 
measurements  are  internal. 

The  whole  of  the  building  is  faced  with  dressed 
stone,  very  much  renewed,  and  the  roofs  of  the 
Nave,  Quire,  North  Transept  and  Chapel  of 
the  Nine  Altars  are  slated.  All  the  other  roofs 
are  covered  with  lead.* 

The  eastern  transept,  or  CHAPEL  OF  THE 
NINE  ALTARS,  is  divided  vertically  into  three 
main  sections  marked  externally  by  major  but- 
tresses on  the  east  side  in  hne  with  the  walls  of 
the  quire,  the  middle  section  being  thus  much 
narrower  than  the  others,  each  of  which  inter- 
nally is  divided  into  three  bays.  The  north- 
west and  south-west  angles  are  each  covered  by 
a  massive  octagonal  staircase  turret,  and  at  the 
north-east  and  south-east  angles  are  strong 
piers  of  masonry  forming  buttresses  weighted 
by  lofty  pinnacles.  The  chapel  is  vaulted  at 
the  same  level  as  the  quire,  but  additional 
height  is  obtained  by  placing  the  floor  2  ft.  8  in. 
below  the  quire  aisle  floor,  an  arrangement  due 
primarily  to  the  fall  in  the  ground  at  the  east 
end  of  the  church.  The  walls,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  north  wall,  are  divided  horizontally 
into  two  main  stages,  the  division  between  the 
stages  being  slightly  above  the  triforium  level 
of  the  quire.     A  passage,  approached  by  large 

*  The  slated  roof  of  the  nave  and  quire  appears  to 
have  taken  the  place  of  the  older  higher-pitched  cover- 
ing of  lead  subsequent  to  1 775.  A  pordon  of  the  old 
lead  covering  remained  in  181 2  over  the  nave  adjoin- 
ing the  central  tower,  but  it  was  renewed  in  the 
foUomng  year  :  Raine,  Durh.  Cath.  (1833),  122.  The 
roof  of  the  chapel  of  the  Nine  Altars  is  sho^vn  leaded 
in  Billings'  drawing,  1842. 


vices  in  the  western  angle  turrets,  is  carried 
through  the  north,  east,  and  south  walls  at  the 
sill-level  of  the  windows  in  the  lower  stage,  and 
there  is  a  second  passage  in  the  east  and  south 
walls  at  the  base  of  the  upper  stage,  which  is  also 
the  sill-level  of  the  upper  windows.  Smaller 
vices  at  the  top  of  the  main  vices  lead  to  passages 
on  the  west  side  through  which  access  is  gained 
to  the  eastern  compartment  of  the  quire  clear- 
story. A  vice  in  the  turret  capping  the  south- 
east buttress  formerly  led  from  the  upper  wall 
passage  to  the  roof,  but  was  blocked  at  the 
time  of  Wyatt's  restoration. 

In  the  ground  stage  the  wall  surface  below  the 
windows  and  between  the  vaulting-piers  is 
entirely  occupied  by  an  arcade  of  elaborately 
moulded  trefoil  arches  inclosed  by  labels  with 
headstops,  over  the  intersections  of  which  are 
elongated  quatrefoil  panels  touching  the  sill 
string,  but  not  meeting  over  the  heads  of  the 
arches.  Two  of  these  panels,  in  the  east  wall, 
are  enriched — one  with  foliage  and  the  other  with 
a  sculptured  figure — but  all  the  rest  are  plain. 
The  arches  spring  from  detached  marble  shafts 
with  stiff-leaf  capitals  and  water-table  bases 
standing  on  a  boldly  moulded  pUnth,  which  on 
the  east  wall  is  stepped  upwards  to  clear  the 
altars  which  formerly  were  placed  along  it  and 
drops  at  the  extremities  of  each  section  nearly 
to  floor  level,  the  outermost  shafts  as  originally 
designed  being  nearly  twice  the  length  of  the 
others. 

The  east  wall  is  divided  internally  into  seven 
bays  by  the  vaulting-piers  and  externally  by  four 
major  and  four  minor  buttresses.  The  width  of 
the  great  central  bay  was  governed  by  that  of  the 
quire,  of  which  it  now  forms  the  structural 
eastern  termination ;  three  altars  were  placed 
in  it,  and  the  three  bays  on  either  side  were  set 
out  to  contain  one  altar  each,  the  clear  -.vidth  of 
each  bay  between  the  vaulting-piers  being  roughly 
equal  to  one  third  of  the  central  bay. 

The  central  bay  is  occupied  by  three  lancet 
windows  in  the  lower  stage  and  a  large  wheel 
window  above.  Each  of  the  narrow  side  bays 
contains  a  large  lancet  wndow  with  a  second  and 
less  lofty  lancet  above  it.  The  vaulting-piers 
flanking  the  central  bay  are  of  half-lozenge  plan, 
each  having  seven  detached  marble  shafts, 
three  on  either  face,  and  one,  somewhat  stouter, 
at  the  apex  of  the  pier.  These  are  separated  from 
each  other  by  stone  shaft-rolls,  and  all  have 
richly  carved  stiff-leaf  capitals  some  4  ft.  6  in. 
above  the  siU-level  of  the  upper  windows.  The 
shafts  are  encircled  by  annulets  at  the  sill-level 
of  the  lower  tier  of  windows,  and  again  at  a  point 
about  midway  between  this  level  and  their 
capitals.  The  vaulting-piers  which  divide  the 
three  bays  on  either  side  are  of  the  same  char- 
acter and  rise  to  the  same  height,  but  they  are 
of    slighter    proportions,    having    each    only 


96 


Durham  Cathedral  :    The  Nine  Altars 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


five  detached  marble  shafts.  The  repair  to  the 
southernmost  pier  referred  to  above  consists 
of  the  renewal  in  stone,  with  plain  bell-capitals, 
of  about  2  ft.  of  the  upper  part  of  the  detached 
shafts  next  the  wall.  The  rear-arches  of  the  outer 
lancets  of  the  group  of  three  which  occupy  the 
lower  stage  of  the  central  bay  spring  on  the  north 
and  south  respectively  from  twin  marble  shafts 
with  foliage  capitals  and  water-table  bases  with 
circular  plinths  standing  upon  the  sill.  The 
splayed  jambs  of  the  middle  window  meet  those 
of  the  side  windows,  and  at  the  apex  of  each  pair 
of  meeting  splays  are  three  similar  shafts,  the 
rear-arches  thus  forming  a  continuous  arcade. 
All  these  jamb  shafts  are  ringed  at  the  level  of  the 
upper  annulets  of  the  vaulting-piers.  The  rear- 
arches  are  of  two  orders  moulded  with  filleted 
rolls,  the  soffits  of  the  inner  orders  being  enriched 
with  dog-tooth.  They  are  inclosed  by  labels 
decorated  with  a  foliage  ornament  set  at  inter- 
vals on  their  undersides,  and  having  headstops 
at  their  intersections  and  at  the  extremities. 
The  spandrels  are  plain,  and  the  heads  of  the 
labels  touch  the  hollow  string  set  with  stiff-leaf 
knobs  which  divides  the  two  stages  of  the  chapel 
here  and  elsewhere.  The  jambs  are  pierced  by 
shouldered  openings  to  take  the  lower  wall- 
passage,  and  at  the  level  of  the  heads  of  these 
openings  the  triple  shafts  at  the  splay-angles  of 
the  middle  lancet  are  cut  short,  and  rest  upon 
short  shafts  of  marble  with  plain  bell-capitals. 
These  windows,  as  well  as  all  the  other  lancets 
in  the  east  wall  of  the  chapel,  were  filled  with 
two-light  tracery  in  the  15th  century  like  that 
which  still  remains  in  the  southern  windows, 
but  this  was  removed  by  Wyatt  at  the  end  of 
the  1 8th  century.  Beneath  the  sill,  which  is 
emphasized  by  a  moulded  string-course  con- 
tinuous with  the  lower  annulets  of  the  vaulting- 
piers,  are  nine  bays  of  the  waU-arcading,  the 
northernmost  shaft  of  which  has  been  curtailed 
by  the  insertion  of  a  later  aumbry  in  the  plinth 
beneath.  A  second  aumbry  has  also  been  formed 
in  the  plinth  near  the  middle  of  the  bay.  These, 
with  a  third  aumbry  in  the  north  wall,  make  up 
the  '  3  or  4  little  anvryes  in  the  wall '  described 
in  Rites.^  In  the  upper  stage  the  wall  is  set 
back  nearly  to  the  face  of  the  tracery  of  the  great 
wheel  window,  and  the  passage  at  this  level 
pierces  the  piers  on  either  side  as  far  back  from 
their  inner  face  as  possible,  to  ensure  the 
maximum  amount  of  stabiUty.  The  tracery  of 
the  wheel  window,  which  consists  of  thirty-six 
trefoiled  lights  radiating  from  a  central  multi- 
foiled  circular  light,  was  inserted  by  Wyatt  in 
1795.  This  window  is  described  in  Rites  as 
a  '  goodly  faire  round  window  called  St.  Kath- 

«  Rites  of  Durh.  (Surtecs  Soc.  no.  107),  2.  Dr.  J.  T. 
Fowler's  edition  has  been  used  throughout  this 
description. 


erns  window,  the  bredth  of  the  quere,  aU  of 
stone  .  .  .  hauingeinit  24 lights'  verye  artificially 
made,  as  it  is  called  geometricall  .  .  .'  *  The 
glazing  of  the  window  is  known  to  have  been  done 
in  the  early  15th  century  at  the  cost  of  Thomas 
Pikeringe,  rector  of  Hemingbrough,  1409-12,' 
but  whether  the  tracery  removed  by  Wyatt  was 
of  this  period,  or  contemporary  with  the 
building  of  the  chapel,  is  uncertain. 

The  lancets  in  the  lower  stage  of  the  side 
bays  are  slightly  narrower  than  those  in  the 
central  bay,  but  are  of  the  same  general  design 
except  that  the  outer  jamb  shafts  are  of  stone 
instead  of  marble.^" 

The  jambs  are  pierced  by  the  wall-passage  and 
the  labels  touch  the  enriched  string-course 
which  divides  the  stages ;  the  inner  orders, 
however,  have  dog-tooth  enrichment  on  the 
face  as  well  as  on  the  soffits. ^^  Below  each  window 
are  three  bays  of  waU-arcading. 

In  the  upper  stage  the  three  lancets  to  the 
south  of  the  central  bay  have  marble  shafts  to 
their  inner  orders,  but  the  outer  orders  are 
continuous ;  the  three  windows  north  of  the 
centre  bay  are  different,  having  attached  double 
jamb  shafts  of  masonry,  except  the  south  jamb 
of  the  innermost  opening,  which  has  a  single 
shaft  of  marble  made  out  at  the  top  with  stone. 
The  jambs  of  all  these  windows  are  pierced  by 
the  upper  wall-passage,  and  the  heads,  which  are 
partly  hidden  by  the  vaulting,  are  inclosed  by 
labels.  All  this  work  was  probably  completed  up 
to  the  vault  within  a  few  years  after  1242. 

In  the  four  angles  of  the  chapel  the  vaulting- 
piers  consist  merely  of  three  attached  stone 
shafts  with  annulets  of  the  same  material  and 
foliage  capitals  and  bases  similar  to  those  of  the 
other  piers.  The  south  wall  is  divided  into  two 
equal  bays  by  a  central  vaulting-pier,  each  bay 
being  filled  by  two  tiers  of  coupled  lancets.  In 
the  north  wall  the  idea  of  a  central  vaulting-pier 
appears  to  hare  been  abandoned  after  the  work 
had  reached  the  lower  siU-level,  and  the  whole  of 
the  area  above  was  filled  by  the  present  large 
six-light  window.  This  window,  which  cannot 
have  been  constructed  much  before  1280,  is 
described  in  Rites  as  a  '  goodly  faire  great 
glass  window  called  Josephs  window,  the  w"^** 
hath  in  it  all  the  whole  story  of  Joseph  most 
artificially  wrought  in  pictures  in  fine  coloured 
glasse  accor(d)inge  as  it  is  sett  forth  uerye  good 


'  This  probably  referred  to  the  outer  lights,  the  same 
number  as  at  present. 

8  Rites  of  Durh.  (Surtecs  Soc),  2. 

*  Durh.  Acct.  Rolls  (Surtees  Soc.).  The  present 
glazing  and  that  of  the  three  lancets  below  date  from 

1873- 

1"  On  the  inner  side  of  the  two  windows  adjoining 
the  central  bay  both  the  shafts  are  of  marble. 

1*  The  soffits  of  both  orders  are  enriched. 


97 


»3 


A  HISTORY  OF   DURHAM 


and  godly  to  the  beholders  thcrof.''-  The 
window  is  of  six  trefoiled  lights  under  a  two- 
centred  main  head,  and  the  tracery  is  of  two 
orders,  the  master-mullions  dividing  the  lights 
into  three  groups  with  as  many  two-centred 
sub-heads,  each  filled  by  a  trefoiled  circle.  The 
tracery  in  the  main  head  is  formed  by  the  inter- 
section of  the  master-mullions,  which  meet 
considerably  above  the  sub-heads,  and  the  com- 
partments thus  formed  are  filled  by  cinquefoilcd 
and  trefoiled  circles.  The  stiffening  of  the 
enormous  window  surface  is  effected  by  an  inner 
system  of  tracery,  consisting  of  clustered  stone 
shafts*'  with  moulded  bases  and  capitals  carry- 
ing finely  moulded  arches,  which  repeats  the 
main  order  of  the  outer  tracery  and  is  connected 
with  it  by  through-stones.  The  lower  wall- 
passage  is  continued  along  the  sill,  the  jambs 
being  pierced  by  shouldered  openings,  but  the 
upper  passage  is  of  course  interrupted.  The 
wall  arcade  is  continued  below  the  sill,  the 
plinth  being  stepped  upwards  at  the  east  end  to 
clear  the  altar-pace.  In  the  easternmost  bay  of 
the  arcade  is  the  aumbry  above  referred  to, 
while  the  westernmost  bay,  which  is  nearly  equal 
in  width  to  three  of  the  others,  has  a  stilted 
two-centred  head,  and  incloses  a  doorway,  now 
blocked,  with  a  rear-arch  of  the  same  form.  The 
fact  that  the  arcading  is  purposely  designed  to 
allow  room  for  the  doorway  leaves  no  doubt  that 
the  work  is  all  of  one  date,  despite  the  tradition 
which  declares  that  it  was  made  for  the  admission 
of  the  body  of  Bishop  Bek  in  1311."  The 
foundations  of  the  intended  central  vaulting-pier 
are  visible  in  the  pavement,  and  indications 
exist  in  the  stonework  of  the  arcading  which  lead 
to  the  conclusion  that  the  pier  was  actually 
carried  up  some  distance  above  the  base  before 
the  change  in  plan  was  decided  upon.  On  the 
exterior  the  beginning  of  the  intended  sustaining 
buttress  remains,  terminated  by  a  gablet  below 
the  sill  of  the  window. 

The  south  wall  with  its  four  coupled  lancets 
is  the  least  satisfactory  feature  in  the  design  of 
the  chapel.  This  may  have  been  felt  by  the 
builders  themselves,  and  possibly  determined 
the  change  of  treatment  adopted  in  the  north 
wall  which  resulted  in  the  substitution  of  the 
magnificent  six-light  window  for  the  somewhat 
haphazard  fenestration  necessitated  here  by  the 
retention  of  the  constructionally  superfluous 
central  vaulting-pier,  the  design  of  which  shows 
a  curious  indecision.  When  the  lower  portion  of 
the  pier  was  in  course  of  building,  it  was  not 
foreseen  that  the  vaulting-rib  which  it  would 
have  to  receive  would  be  of  an  entirely  subsidiary 

12  Rites  of  Durh.   (Surtees  Soc),   3.     The  present 
glass  dates  from  1 877. 
"  The  jamb  shafts  are  of  marble. 
"  RiUi  oJDurh.  (Surtees  Soc),  2. 


character,  and  would  therefore  need  but  a  single 
shaft  for  its  support.  The  plan  at  the  ground- 
stage  is  therefore  identical  with  that  of  the 
smaller  vaulting-piers  on  the  east  wall,  but  the 
attached  marble  shafts  rise  no  further  than  the 
annulet  at  the  sill-level  of  the  lower  windows. 
At  the  springing-level  of  the  window  heads  the 
three  empty  hollows  between  the  outer  stone 
shaft-rolls  of  the  pier  are  terminated  by  gablets, 
and  the  plan  of  the  pier  changes  to  a  rectangle 
with  a  central  attached  filleted  shaft,  flanked  by 
attached  shafts  at  the  angles.  The  twin  rear- 
arches  of  each  pair  of  coupled  lancets  spring  in 
the  upper  stage  from  filleted  shafts  attached  to 
the  extreme  jambs  and  in  the  lower  from  shafts 
of  marble,  and  are  received  upon  a  central 
mullion  consisting  of  a  cluster  of  shaft-rolls 
connected  to  the  front  of  the  window  by  slender 
through-stones  at  two  levels.  In  the  lower 
windows  the  rear-arches  of  each  pair  are  inclosed 
by  a  two-centred  containing  order  and  in  the 
spandrel  thus  formed  is  a  circular  quatrefoil 
panel  :  owing  to  the  unequal  splay  of  the  jambs, 
the  rear-arches  next  to  the  vaulting-pier  are 
wider  than  the  others,  with  the  result  that  the 
containing  arches  are  very  perceptibly  out  of 
centre  with  the  rear-arches  beneath.  All  the 
windows  are  filled  with  early  15th-century 
tracery,  each  window  having  two  transomed 
lights  with  vertical  tracery  in  the  head.  The 
whole  group  is  described  in  Rites  as  a  '  good 
glazed  window  called  St.  Cuthberts  window, 
the  w<=h  hath  in  it  all  the  whole  storye  life  and 
miracles  of  that  holy  man  St.  Cuthbert  from 
his  birth  of  his  natiuitie  and  infancie  unto  the 
end  and  a  discourse  of  his  whole  life,  maruelously 
fine  and  curiously  sett  forth  in  pictures  in  fine 
coloured  glass  accordinge  as  he  went  in  his 
habitte  to  his  dying  day.'*^  At  the  west  end  of 
the  wall  is  a  doorway  like  that  on  the  north, 
the  wall  arcade  being   similarly  spaced. 

The  west  side  of  the  chapel,  like  the  east,  is 
divided  by  the  vaulting-piers  into  seven  bays,  but 
only  the  central  bay  (which  is  open  to  the  quire 
for  its  whole  height)  corresponds  in  width  with 
the  bay  opposite.  The  two  bays  next  to  the 
central  bay  are  governed  by  the  width  of  the 
quire  aisles,  which  are  also  open  to  the  chapel 
for  their  whole  height,  and  exceed  the  width  of 
the  opposite  bays  by  about  one-half.  Of  the 
two  remaining  bays  on  either  side,  which  project 
transeptally  beyond  the  body  of  the  church, 
those  at  the  extreme  north  and  south  are  spaced 
so  as  to  correspond  very  nearly  with  those 
opposite,  and  consequently  the  bays  next  the 
quire  aisles  are  very  narrow.  The  only  windows 
on  this  side  are  a  skewed  lancet,  now  blocked,  in 
the  lower  stage  of  each  of  the  two  end  bays,  and 
a  window  in  the  clearstory  of  each  of  the  bays 

1^  Ibid.  3.  Thevvindows  are  nowfilledwith  plain  glass. 


98 


CITY  OF   DURHAM 


formed  by  the  ends  of  the  quire  aisles,  which 
preserve  the  horizontal  division  of  the  quire 
into  triforium  and  clearstory.  As  the  string- 
course dividing  the  two  stages  of  the  rest  of  the 
chapel  is  a  little  above  the  general  triforium  level, 
the  triforium  of  the  quire  is  correspondingly 
raised  to  face  the  chapel,  so  that  no  interruption 
occurs  in  the  main  horizontal  division,  the 
clearstory  merely  forming  an  additional  sub- 
division of  the  upper  stage  in  these  bays.  In 
each  of  the  bays  at  the  extreme  north  and  south, 
next  to  the  vaulting-pier  in  the  angle  is  a  door- 
way to  the  vice-turret,  with  a  well-moulded 
two-centred  head  springing  from  jamb  shafts 
with  foliage  capitals.  Each  of  these  doorways  is 
set  in  a  length  of  plain  ashlar,  and  between  it  and 
the  first  of  the  western  vaulting-piers  is  a  single 
bay  of  arcading.  The  skewed  lancets  in  the  lower 
stage  of  the  end  bays  are  of  the  same  height  as 
the  lancets  in  the  opposite  wall  and  each  has  a 
two-centred  rear-arch  inclosed  by  a  label,  and 
shafted  jambs  of  two  orders.  These  windows 
were  placed  out  of  the  centre  of  the  bays  in  order 
to  clear  the  vice-turrets,  and  the  outer  jamb  in 
each  case  is  pierced  by  a  short  extension  of  the 
lower  wall-passage,  which,  however,  is  not  con- 
tinued beyond  the  window.  These  blocked 
openings  are  alike  in  every  respect  and  have 
external  jamb  shafts  and  hood  moulds.  The 
upper  stage  of  the  end  bays  is  occupied  in  each 
case  by  a  tall  recess,  across  the  top  of  which  is 
carried  the  wall-passage  leading  from  the  vice 
at  the  angle  to  the  eastern  compartment  of  the 
quire  clearstory.  Each  of  these  recesses  has  a 
moulded  head  of  two  orders,  the  outer  two- 
centred,  and  the  inner  of  trefoil  form  ;  the 
outer  order  springs  from  attached  jamb  shafts 
with  foliage  capitals  and  moulded  bases,  and  the 
inner  order  from  capitals  of  the  same  type 
supported  by  grotesque  heads.  The  vaulting- 
piers  which  divide  these  bays  from  the  bays 
next  the  quire  aisles  are  similar  to  their  opposite 
eastern  piers,  but  the  capitals  of  these  and  the 
other  western  piers,  in  which  human  and  animal 
forms  appear  among  the  foliage,  show  that 
this  side  of  the  chapel  was  the  last  to  be  com- 
pleted. Each  of  the  narrow  bays  next  the  quire 
aisles  contains  a  recess  in  the  upper  stage  like 
those  in  the  end  bays,  with  the  clearstory  pas- 
sage carried  across  the  top  in  a  similar  manner  ; 
in  the  lower  stage,  above  the  sill-string,  is  a  tall 
shallow  blank  recess  with  a  moulded  trefoil 
head  and  label  and  shafted  jambs  of  two  orders, 
the  outer  shafts  being  of  marble,  below  which 
are  two  narrow  bays  of  arcading.  The  vaulting- 
piers  next  the  quire  aisles  are  smaller  than  their 
opposite  piers,  having  only  three  marble  shafts. 
Above  the  arches  to  the  quire  aisles,  which 
occupy  the  whole  of  the  lower  stage  of  the  bays 
formed  by  the  ends  of  the  aisles,  are  triple- 
arched  openings  to  the  eastern  compartment  of 


the  quire  triforium.  The  arches  of  these 
triforium  openings  are  moulded  and  enriched 
and  are  supported  by  shafts  with  foliage  capitals 
and  moulded  bases.  The  clearstory  window  in 
the  bay  on  the  north  is  of  three  lights  with 
intersecting  tracery  in  a  two-centred  head,  and 
has  an  inner  system  of  tracery  like  that  of  the 
great  north  window  with  which  it  must  be 
nearly  contemporary.  The  clearstory  window  in 
the  southern  bay  is  of  two  lancet  lights  with 
twin  rear-arches  enriched  with  dog-tooth 
ornament,  which  spring  from  shafts  with  foliage 
capitals  attached  to  the  jambs  and  are  received 
upon  a  central  cluster  of  filleted  shafts  with 
plain  bell-capitals  connected  to  the  front  of  the 
window  by  through-stones.  The  arches  to  the 
quire  aisles,  which  are  two-centred  and  very 
richly  moulded,  have  their  outer  orders  stilted 
and  one  of  each  pair  of  responds  is  formed  by  a 
portion  of  one  of  the  great  piers  which  terminate 
the  side  walls  of  the  quire. 

Besides  the  diagonals  of  the  adjacent  vaults 
the  great  piers  carry  the  transverse  arch  dividing 
the  quire  vault  from  the  central  compartment 
of  the  chapel  vault,  and  receive  the  transverse 
arches  of  the  latter.  In  addition  to  these  func- 
tions they  also  form  the  responds  of  the  eastern- 
most arches  of  the  quire  arcades,  as  well  as  the 
inner  responds  of  the  arches  from  the  chapel 
to  the  quire  just  described.  They  are  of  a 
complicated  polygonal  plan  with  attached  stone 
shafts  at  the  angles  and  a  marble  detached 
shaft  in  the  middle  of  each  face  having  a  slight 
hollow  behind  in  which  it  is  partly  recessed. 
The  piers  are  without  annulets  and  the  shafts 
have  capitals  richly  carved  with  foliage  and 
grotesques.  The  feretory  platform,  which  pro- 
jects into  the  chapel  between  the  piers,  is  in 
reality  an  extension  of  the  sanctuary  floor  of 
the  quire,  and  the  moulded  bases  of  the  three 
shafts  on  the  inner  face  of  each  great  pier 
carrying  the  transverse  arch  between  quire  and 
chapel  stand  upon  it,  but  the  shafts  between 
this  point  and  the  eastern  and  western  apices 
of  the  pier,  the  limit  to  which  the  platform 
extends  on  either  side,  rise  from  the  floor 
without  bases.  The  evidence  of  change  in  design 
during  the  early  stages  of  the  building  of  these 
piers,  already  referred  to,  was  furnished  in 
1895,  when  excavations  were  made  at  the  foot 
of  the  north  pier  in  order  to  give  access  to  the 
still  existing  walls  of  the  old  apse  of  the  quire. 
The  changes  took  place  before  the  piers  had 
been  carried  above  the  level  of  the  present 
platform,  and  the  bases  of  the  pier  then  un- 
covered have  been  left  exposed.  A  little  above 
the  chapel  floor,  which  below  the  platform  is 
raised  a  step,  the  plinth  as  a  whole  has  a  moulded 
base,  on  which  stand  water- holding  bases  for 
both  attached  stone  shafts  and  detached  marble 
shafts ;    the  original  intention  appears  to  have 


99 


A   HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


been  to  make  the  feretory  platform  narrower  in 
order  to  leave  the  foot  of  the  piers  clear.  When, 
however,  the  piers  had  been  carried  up  higher, 
it  seems  to  have  been  determined  to  discard 
the  detached  marble  shafts,  but  on  its  being 
finally  decided  to  complete  the  platform  in  its 
present  form,  the  detached  shafts  were  intro- 
duced. The  pavement  of  the  platform  appears 
to  be  that  of  the  apse  (which  occupied  its  site) 
reset  and  made  out  from  semicircular  to  rect- 
angular form  with  new  stone,  the  old  curved- 
outline  stones  of  the  original  pavement  being 
retained  appro.ximately  in  their  original  positions. 
The  transverse  arch  between  quire  and  chapel 
is  of  three  elaborately  moulded  orders  towards 
the  east,  the  intermediate  order  being  enriched 
with  dog-tooth  ornament. 

The  setting  out  of  the  east  wall  of  the  chapel 
was  no  doubt  inspired  by  the  design  of  the  Nine 
Altars  at  Fountains,  begun  a  few  years  before. 
There,  however,  the  comparative  narrowness  of 
the  quire  aisles  made  it  possible  to  arrange  the 
western  bays  to  match  the  eastern  bays,  but  at 
Durham  the  irregular  distribution  of  the  points 
of    support    presented    a    problem    in    vaulting 
which  has  only  been   solved  by  the  most  in- 
genious compromise.     The  square  central  bay 
of  course  offered  no  particular  difficulty,   but 
had  the  three  bays  on  either  side  been  vaulted 
in  as  many  narrow  quadripartite  compartments 
of  differing  sizes  and  irregular  shapes,  the  effect 
would  have  been  awkward  in  the  extreme.     The 
pairs  of   bays  adjoining  the  central  bay  were 
therefore  each  grouped  into  one  nearly  rect- 
angular sexpartite  compartment,  the  transverse 
rib,  owing  to  the  vaulting-piers  not  being  oppo- 
site to  one  another,  passing  very  much  to  the 
side  of  the  centre  of  the  compartment.     Of  the 
two    remaining    bays,    the    northernmost    was 
covered    by    a    quadripartite   vault,    while    the 
southernmost   bay,  having  five  points  of  sup- 
port, was  covered  by  a  vault  of  quinquepartite 
form.     The  stability  of  the  vaulting  is  amply 
provided  for,   the  four   angle  turrets  and  the 
buttresses  which  counteract  the  thrusts  on  the 
eastern  and  southern  vaulting-piers  being  pro- 
portioned to  their  varying  loads.     On  the  west, 
the  walls  of  the  quire  provide  sufficient  abut- 
ment for  the  piers  of  the  central  bay,  and  short 
buttresses  are  erected  on  the  walls  of  the  quire 
aisles  to  abut  the  piers  which  carry  the  trans- 
verse ribs  of  the  sexpartite  compartments.     The 
two   remaining   piers   are  left   without   further 
abutment    than    the    great    thickness    of    the 
walls  provides,    as   being    sufficiently  close    to 
the  western  angle  turrets.     The  vault  of  the 
central  bay  is  constructed  on  a  modification  of 
the    quadripartite    principle,    having    divergent 
twin  diagonals  forming  a  four-pointed  star  about 
a   central   circular    opening    or    eye-hole.     The 
transverse  arches  are  of  two  orders,  the  outer 


order  has  dog-tooth  enrichment,  and  the  ribs 
have  foliage  set  at  intervals  in  the  hollows 
flanking  their  central  rolls.  The  eye-hole  is 
surrounded  by  a  heavy  moulding  sculptured 
with  figures  of  the  four  Evangelists,  and  upon 
this  moulding  the  ribs  converge  in  pairs.  The 
sexpartite  vaults  also  have  large  eye-holes  with 
richly  sculptured  mouldings. **  The  diagonal 
ribs  are  enriched  like  those  of  the  vault  of  the 
central  bay,  and  the  skewed  transverses,  which 
pass  to  the  side  of  the  eye-holes,  are  of  two 
orders,  the  outer  enriched  with  the  dog-tooth. 
The  northernmost  and  southernmost  compart- 
ments of  vaulting  have  diagonal  ribs  of  the  same 
character,  but  the  transverses  are  of  slighter 
proportions  than  those  separating  the  se.xpartite 
compartments  from  the  central  compartment. 

The  nine  altars  placed  along  the  east  wall  are 
enumerated  in  Rius.  In  the  middle  bay  was 
the  altar  of  St.  Cuthbert  and  St.  Bede,  flanked 
by  those  of  St.  Martin  on  the  north  and  St. 
Oswald  and  St.  Lawrence  on  the  south.  In  the 
three  northern  bays  were  the  altars  of  St. 
Michael,  St.  Aidan  and  St.  Helen,  and  St.  Peter 
and  St.  Paul.  The  three  southern  bays  con- 
tained the  altars  of  St.  Thomas  of  Canterbury 
and  St.  Katherine,  St.  John  Baptist  and  St. 
Margaret,  and  St.  Andrew  and  St.  Mary  Mag- 
dalene. '  Between  every  altar  (was)  a  uerye 
faire  and  large  partition  of  wainscott  all  uar- 
nished  ouer,  wth  fine  branches  &  flowers  and 
other  imagerye  most  finely  and  artificially  pic- 
tured and  guilted,  conteyninge  the  severall 
lockers  or  ambers  for  the  safe  keepinge  of  the 
uestments  and  ornaments  belonginge  to  euerye 
altar,'  while  above  the  altars  were  '  couers  of 
wainscote  ...  in  uerye  decent  and  comely 
forme.' ^' 

At  the  north  end  of  the  chapel  is  the  white 
marble  monument  of  Bishop  WiUiam  Van 
Mildert  (d.  1836),  which  stands  over  his  tomb. 
It  represents  him  seated,  holding  a  book,  and 
is  the  work  of  John  Gibson,  R.A.  The  tomb 
of  Bishop  Anthony  Bek  (d.  131 1)  is  close  by, 
but  is  marked  only  by  a  blue  slab,  with  a  modern 
inscription. 1^  No  trace  of  the  monument  of 
Bishop  Richard  de  Bury  (d.  1345)  remains,  but 
a  marble  slab  with  canopied  figure  in  rehef  was 
placed  in  1903  at  the  south  end  of  the  chapel 
over  the  place  of  his  burial.  There  are  other 
more  modern  grave  slabs  and  wall  tablets. 

1*  Vine  leaves  and  grapes  in  the  north  compart- 
ment, figure  subjects  in  the  south. 

1'  Ritcj  of  Durh.  (Surtees  Soc),   1-3. 

1*  The  Inscription,  on  a  brass  plate,  was  taken  from 
Browne  Willis  {Cathedrals,  i,  239)  and  is  a  copy  of 
the  original.  It  was  placed  on  the  slab  in  1834.  Bek 
was  the  first  bishop  '  that  ever  attempted  to  lye  so 
neere  the  sacred  slirine  of  St.  Cuthbert '  (Rites).  He 
was  buried  in  a  '  faire  marble  tomb  underneath  a  fair 
marble  stone.' 


100 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


The  floor  of  the  chapel  was  newly  flagged  in 
1825.  The  altar  pace  along  the  east  side  is 
raised  two  steps,  with  a  return  at  the  north  end. 

The  exterior  of  the  chapel  follows  the  general 
lines  of  its  construction  with  gables  north  and 
south  and  a  smaller  one  in  the  middle  of  the 
east  elevation,  behind  the  parapet,  over  the 
wheel  window.  The  great  north-east  and 
south-east  buttresses,  square  on  plan,  become 
octagonal  at  the  line  of  the  sills  of  the  upper 
windows  and  terminate  in  lofty  pinnacles.  The 
two  major  buttresses  on  the  east  elevation  have 
smaller  pinnacles  set  back  behind  gabled  heads, 
and  the  intermediate  buttresses  terminate  in 
gablcts  at  the  line  of  the  parapet.  The  character 
of  the  original  design  of  the  east  front  was  a 
good  deal  changed  at  the  time  of  the  early 
19th-century  restoration,  many  features  being 
then  destroyed  and  others  introduced.  Wyatt 
removed  the  canopied  niches  of  the  major 
buttresses  containing  the  statues  of  William 
of  St.  Calais  and  Ranulf  Flambard  mentioned 
in  Rites,^^  and  the  wall  surface  suffered  in  the 
general  paring  down  process.  The  north  pin- 
nacles -'  and  the  windows  in  the  east  gable 
lighting  the  roof  space  date  from  this  period. 
All  the  lower  windows  have  double  chamfered 
jambs  and  moulded  heads  and  the  upper  have 
single  jamb  shafts  and  labels.  In  the  middle 
bay,  between  the  major  buttresses,  the  slender 
intermediate  buttresses  between  the  lancets  are 
carried  up  to  support  an  arcade  of  three  plain 
arches,  thus  advancing  the  surface  of  the  wall 
immediately  below  the  wheel  window  and 
making  the  lancets  appear  to  be  deeply 
recessed.  The  wheel  window  is  moulded  all 
round  and  has  Wyatt's  Gothic  ornament  in  the 
spandrels.  Horizontally  the  east  elevation  is 
divided  at  mid-height  by  a  string-course,  and 
there  is  a  string  also  at  the  level  of  the  sills  of 
the  lower  windows.  On  one  of  the  corner  stones 
of  the  major  buttress  south  of  the  middle  bay 
is  cut  in  13th-century  characters  '  Posuit  hanc 
petram  Thomas  Moises,'  a  record  of  the  name 


^'  '  Upon  the  east  front  of  the  Nine  Altars  in  two 
large  buttresses  on  each  side  of  the  round  window  are 
erected  statues  of  Williani  of  Karileph  ...  on  the  south 
side,  and  on  the  north  Ranulph  Flambard  .  .  .  the  first 
in  his  mitre  and  episcopal  habit,  and  the  other  having 
his  head  uncovered '  {Riles,  p.  93). 

**  An  undated  drawing  of  the  east  front  (Grimm's 
Topog.  Drawings,  Brit.  Mus.  ii,  no.  132,  reproduced 
in  Trans.  Durh.  and  Northd.  Arch.  Soc.  v,  36)  made  in 
the  latter  part  of  the  1 8th  century,  before  the  removal 
of  the  15th-century  tracery  from  the  windows, 
shows  only  the  two  south  turrets  with  pinnacles,  or 
spirelets.  The  north  turrets  and  the  major  buttresses 
were  without  them.  The  canopied  niches  and  statues 
are  shown.  The  south-west  turret  was  rebuilt  in 
1826-9  and  the  return  of  the  west  wall  restored;  the 
north  pinnacles  would  be  added  about  tliis  time. 


of  one  of  the  masons  engaged  in  the  work.-* 
The  north  gable  has  an  open  arcade  of  five 
trefoiled  moulded  arches  on  grouped  shafts 
with  moulded  capitals  and  bases,  standing  on  a 
string  above  the  great  window.  Over  this  in 
the  apex  of  the  gable  are  three  smaller  trefoiled 
arches  with  canopies.^^  The  south  gable  is 
entirely  filled  by  an  ascending  arcade  of  seven 
moulded  arches,  three  alternate  openings  of 
which  are  pierced  and  glazed,  lighting  the  roof 
space.  In  a  recess  on  the  face  of  the  north-west 
turret  is  the  famous  carving  representing  the 
legend  of  the  Dun  Cow.  The  original  sculpture 
had  fallen  into  decay  before  1795  and  was  in 
consequence  replaced  by  the  present  cow  and 
milkmaids  of  frankly  modern  character.^' 

The  platform  of  ST.  CUTH BERTS  FERE- 
TORT  is  6  ft.  above  the  floor  of  the  chapel  of 
the  Nine  Altars,  into  \vhich  it  projects  some 
10  ft.  It  is  separated  from  the  quire  by  the 
screen  of  the  high  altar  and  is  37  ft.  long  from 
north  to  south  by  23  ft.  in  width.  It  has  a  low 
parapet  with  modern  moulded  coping  and  its 
north  and  south  sides  are  plain,  but  the  longer 
east  face  has  an  arcade  of  eleven  boldly  moulded 
semicircular  arches  springing  from  shafts  with 
moulded  capitals  and  bases,  all  work  of  the 
latest  date  of  the  chapel.  Originally  the  plat- 
form was  enclosed  by  a  grille  upon  which  were 
'  very  fine  candlesticks  of  iron  '  which  had  lights 
set  in  them  before  day  '  so  that  the  monks  could 
see  to  read  on  their  books  in  the  Nine  .\ltars 
when  they  said  mass.'-^  The  shrine  was  de- 
stroyed shortly  after  the  surrender  of  the  con- 
vent, but  the  precise  date  is  not  known.  The 
oak  screen  erected  on  three  sides  of  the  plat- 
form in  the  17th  century  was  removed  in  1844  :-* 
it  is  shown  in  BiUings'  drawing  engraved  the 
year  before,  and  a  portion  of  it,  four  bays  in 
length,  is  now  in  the  University  Library.^* 
The  tomb  of  St.  Cuthbert  was  opened  in  1827, 
and  again  in  1899:  its  contents  have  already 
been  described."    The  Purbeck  marble  ground- 

21  Possibly  the  master-mason.  In  the  Treasury  at 
Durham  is  a  grant  of  a  burgage  in  Elvet  by  '  Thomas 
Moyses  filius  Dalber,'  c.  1240,  with  a  seal  inscribed 
'S'  Thome  Moises'  (GreenweU,  Durh.  Cath.  8th 
ed.  65).  The  inscription  on  the  plinth  is  on  the  east 
and  north  sides  just  above  the  ground. 

22  As  shown  in  Carter's  drawings,  1810,  but  much 
restored. 

23  There  is  an  engraving  of  the  original  carving  in 
Hutchinson,  Hist.  Durh.  ii,  226.  The  present  cow 
is  of  the  shorthorn  breed,  attended  by  two  dames  in 
the  costume  of  the  reign  of  George  IV :  Raine,  St. 
Cuthbert,  55. 

2>  Rites  of  Durh.  (Surtees  Soc),  198. 

25  Tlie  moulded  coping  was  placed  on  the  parapet 
at  tliis  time. 

26  It  is  in  a  perfect  state  of  preservation,  except 
that  the  cresting  is  missing. 

27  r.C.H.  Dur.  i,  241. 


lOI 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


course  of  the  substructure  of  the  shrine  was 
recovered  from  the  grave  at  the  latter  date  and 
is  now  placed  on  the  platform  around  the  blue 
marble  slab  that  marks  the  position  of  the 
saint's  burial  place.-*  The  feretory  is  thus 
described  in  Rita  : — '  Next  to  theise  9  altars 
was  the  goodly  monument  of  St.  Cuthbert 
adioyninge  to  the  quire  and  the  high  altar  on 
the  west  end,  reachinge  toward  the  9  altars  on 
the  east,  and  toward  the  north  and  south  con- 
taininge  the  breadth  of  the  quire  in  quadrant-* 
form,  in  the  midst  whereof  his  sacred  shrine  was 
exalted  with  most  curious  workmanshipp  of  fine 
and  costly  marble  all  limned  and  guilted  with 
gold,  hauinge  foure  seates  or  places  conuenient 
under  the  shrine  for  the  pilgrims  .  .  .  sittinge 
on  theire  knees  to  leane  and  rest  on,  in  time  of 
their  deuout  ofleringes  and  feruent  prayers  to 
God  and  holy  St.  Cuthbert.'  The  shrine  had 
an  elaborate  cover  '  of  Wainescott '  which  besides 
other  enrichments  was  '  all  gilded  over,  and  of 
eyther  side  was  painted  fower  lively  Images 
curious  to  -f  beholders,  and  on  the  East  End 
was  painted  the  picture  of  o"^  Savio"^  sitting'  on 
a  Rainebowe  to  give  Judgm'  .  .  .  and  on  the 
West  end  of  itt  was  y"  picture  of  o"^  Lady  & 
Savio"^  on  her  knee  .  .  .'  Elaborate  arrange- 
ments were  made  for  lifting  the  cover,  and  the 
main  suspension  rope  was  hung  with  silver  bells. 
The  hole  into  which  the  pulley  was  fixed  is  still 
visible  in  the  shell  of  the  vault  just  to  the  east 
of  the  transverse  arch  between  quire  and  chapel. 
The  magnificent  stone  reredos,  known  as  the 
NEVILLE  SCREEN,  divides  the  sanctuary  from 
the  feretory.  It  is  placed  a  little  to  the  east  of 
the  centre  of  the  easternmost  bay  of  the  quire 
and  is  described  in  Rites  as  being  '  all  of 
french  peere  uerye  curiously  wrought  both  of 
the  inside  and  the  outside  (i.e.  on  the  east  and 
west  faces)  with  faire  images  of  Alabaster  .  .  . 
the  s**  curious  workmanshipp  of  french  peere  or 
Laordose  reachinge  in  height  almost  to  the  middle 
vault  (i.e.  the  aisle  vaults)  and  containinge  the 
breadth  of  the  quire  in  lengthe.'  The  '  french 
peere  '  or  free-stone  of  which  it  is  constructed 
is  a  variety  of  clunch,  but  where  quarried  it  is 
difficult  to  say.  The  '  faire  images  of  Alabaster  ' 
have  long  disappeared,  but  otherwise  the  struc- 
ture remains  practically  intact,  with  the  four 
contemporary  sedilia  on  either  side,  which  are 
placed  under  the  adjacent  arches  of  the  quire 
arcades,  and  separate  the  sanctuary  from  the 
aisles.  The  screen  is  divided  into  nine  bays  by 
slender  uprights  of  rectangular  plan  with  but- 
tressed  angles,   and  the  lower   part,   which   is 

^*  The  slab  is  of  blue  marble  6i  in.  thick.  It  measures 
9  ft.  by  4  ft.  4 in.  It  has  been  lettered  ctrrHBERTVs  since 
the  last  opening  of  the  grave.  The  marble  ground- 
course  formed  part  of  the  new  work  of  John  Lord 
Neville  in  1 372.     It  was  used  in  the  new  grave  in  1542. 

*•  I.e.  quadrate,  or  quadrilateral. 


solid,  is  pierced  by  two  doorways  opening  into 
the  feretory,  while  the  whole  of  the  upper  por- 
tion, extending  from  a  little  above  the  heads  of 
the  doorways  to  the  '  middle  vault,'  is  occupied 
by  open  tabernacles  for  images  placed  between 
the  uprights.  The  tabernacles  in  the  central 
bay  and  the  alternate  bays  on  either  side  are 
arranged  in  two  diminishing  stages  with  octa- 
gonal canopies  to  each  stage,  those  of  the  upper 
stage,  which  rise  clear  of  the  uprights  between 
the  bays,  being  surmounted  in  addition  by  open 
octagonal  lanterns  with  crocketed  spirelets. 
The  tabernacles  in  the  intermediate  bays  are  of 
one  stage  only,  and  have  hexagonal  canopies 
crowned  by  hexagonal  lanterns  of  the  same 
character  as  those  of  the  octagonal  tabernacles. 
The  western  projecting  angles  of  the  canopies 
are  unsupported,  leaving  the  tabernacles  entirely 
open  towards  the  quire,  but  on  the  side  towards 
the  feretory  they  are  supported  by  slender 
buttressed  uprights  or  mullions,  those  of  the 
octagonal  tabernacles  rising  from  the  buttressed 
angles  of  three-sided  pedestals  projecting  from 
the  lower  portion  of  the  screen.  The  canopies 
and  lanterns  throughout  have  cinquefoiled 
arches,  gabled  and  crocketed,  in  each  face,  and 
each  tabernacle  contains  a  richly  panelled 
pedestal  for  an  image,  while  all  the  minute 
buttress  work  is  elaborately  finished  with 
gables,  crockets  and  pinnacles.  The  dividing 
uprights,  which,  as  will  be  clear  from  the 
foregoing  description,  do  not  rise  higher  than 
the  lower  tier  of  tabernacles,  each  contain  four 
tiers  of  small  niches  with  pedestals  and  cinque- 
foiled heads  on  both  faces,  and  are  crowned  by 
crocketed  and  finialled  pinnacles.  On  the 
quire  side  the  three  middle  bays  of  the  solid 
lower  portion  of  the  screen  are  without  projec- 
tions, to  allow  for  the  High  Altar  to  be  placed 
against  it.  Below  the  two  octagonal  tabernacles 
on  either  side  of  the  three  altar  bays  are  richly 
panelled  three-sided  pedestals  rising  from  the 
floor  to  the  base  of  the  tabernacles,  while  below 
the  intermediate  hexagonal  tabernacles  are  the 
two  doorways  to  the  feretory,  which  have  cinque- 
foiled and  subfoliated  two-centred  heads  with 
spandrels  containing  shields  with  the  Neville 
saltire  in  quatrefoils.  On  the  side  towards  the 
feretory  the  heads  of  the  doorways  are  of  the  same 
form, but  are  uncusped.  Beneath  each  of  the  other 
hexagonal  tabernacles  on  this  side  are  two  small 
niches  with  pedestals  and  cinquefoiled  heads, 
ranging  with  the  lowermost  of  the  niches  in  the 
uprights,  and  the  pedestals  beneath  the  octa- 
gonal tabernacles  have  similar  niches  in  their 
east  faces.  The  sedilia  are  treated  in  the  same 
style.  The  four  seats  in  each  range  are  sepa- 
rated from  each  other  by  slender  buttressed 
piers  supporting  octagonal  canopies  with  gabled- 
cinquefoiled  arches  in  each  face,  and  the  canopies 
are  surmounted  by  tall  open  tabernacles  of  the 


102 


Durham  Catucdrai.  :    The  Neville  Screen.     East  Side 


Durham  Cathedral!    The  Chancel,  looking  West 


CITY  OF   DURHAM 


same  plan,  crowned  by  crockctcd  and  finialled 
spirelets. 

St.  Calais'  QUIRE  consisted  of  the  two 
aisled  double  bays  which  still  exist,  a  single  bay 
to  the  east  of  the  double  bays,  and  beyond  this 
the  apse.  The  aisles  originally  terminated  on 
either  side  of  the  single  bay  in  small  apses, 
which  appear  by  the  foundations  discovered  to 
have  been  internal  only,  their  external  eastern 
terminations  having  been  rectangular.  In 
the  13th  century  the  apse  was  demolished, 
and  the  adjacent  single  bay,  with  the  apsidal 
easternmost  bays  of  the  aisles,  was  rebuilt  to  join 
up  with  the  new  work  of  the  Nine  Altars.  Be- 
tween the  double  bays  are  shafted  responds  of 
two  orders  rising  from  the  floor,  which  were 
evidently  designed  to  carry  a  semicircular 
transverse  arch  of  two  orders,  like  those  in  the 
transepts.  The  shafts  of  the  responds,  like  all 
the  other  attached  shafts,  are  St.  Calais'  work, 
of  half-round  section  with  cushion  capitals  and 
moulded  bases  consisting  of  flat,  slightly  chan- 
nelled, splays.  Each  respond  has  a  square  plinth 
common  to  its  three  shafts,  with  a  larger  sub- 
plinth  below,  the  off-set  being  finished  with  a 
plain  chamfer,  but  the  westernmost  shafts  on 
both  sides  have  been  cut  away  for  the  stalling. 
The  quire  is  bounded  on  the  west  by  the  eastern 
arch  of  the  crossing,  which  is  of  three  orders 
towards  the  east,  but  of  only  two  towards  the 
west.  The  innermost  order  has  hollow-cham- 
fered edges  and  a  large  half-round  on  the  soffit, 
the  next  order  has  a  plain  roll  on  each  edge, 
while  the  third  order  on  the  east  face  is 
unmoulded.  The  responds  form  part  of  the 
eastern  piers  of  the  crossing,  which  may  be 
described  as  consisting  of  shafted  responds 
of  two  orders  on  each  cardinal  face,  with 
single  attached  shafts  between,  the  whole 
number  of  attached  shafts  amounting  to  sixteen. 
The  responds  of  two  orders  on  the  inner  north 
and  south  faces  of  the  piers,  together  with  the 
single  shafts  adjoining  on  the  east,  suffice  to 
carry  the  orders  of  the  arch,  the  answering 
single  shafts  on  the  west  being  carried  up  the 
internal  angles  of  the  tower.  The  shafts  are  of 
the  same  detail  as  those  of  the  responds  of  the 
main  transverse,  and  rest  on  a  plinth  of  the  same 
height,  but  of  different  detail,  the  chamfered 
off-set  being  replaced  by  a  projecting  band 
with  a  quirked  chamfer  on  its  upper  and  lower 
edges.  In  both  cases  it  may  be  noted  that  the 
central  shaft  of  each  group  of  three  is  larger  than 
the  flanking  shafts  and  has  a  capital  of  corre- 
spondingly greater  size.  There  are  clear  indica- 
tions that  the  division  of  sanctuary  and  quire 
was  marked  by  an  arch  of  the  same  type  as  the 
eastern  arch  of  the  crossing  (probably  of  three 
orders  on  both  faces)  between  the  single  bay 
next  the  apse  and  the  adjoining  double  bay  ; 
the  piers  between  these  bays  still  remain,  but 


the  shafted  responds,  which  must  have  corre- 
sponded with  those  of  the  eastern  arch  of  the 
crossing,  were  cut  away  in  the  13th  century, 
when  the  junction  between  the  new  work  and 
the  old  was  effected.  Each  of  the  original  double 
bays  has  on  either  side,  opening  to  the  aisles,  a 
pair  of  semicircular  arches  supported  by  a 
central  cyHndrical  pier  of  massive  proportions, 
and  shafted  responds  against  the  main  piers. 
The  arches  are  of  two  orders  moulded  with 
hollows  and  angle-rolls,  the  inner  orders  having 
in  addition  a  large  roll  on  the  soffit.  The  west 
responds  of  the  arcade  are  formed  by  the 
three  attached  shafts  on  the  east  face  of  each 
crossing-pier,  which  have  cushion  capitals  and 
moulded  bases  like  those  of  the  shafts  on  the 
inner  faces  of  the  piers  from  which  the  eastern 
arch  of  the  crossing  springs.  The  responds 
against  the  other  main  piers  are  designed  to 
correspond,  but  the  plinths  of  the  responds 
in  the  eastern  bay  foUow  the  pattern  of  those 
of  the  responds  of  the  central  transverse 
already  described.  As  the  ground-stages  of 
the  piers  between  the  double  bays  are  made 
of  the  same  length  on  plan  from  east  to  west  as 
the  crossing-piers,  though  the  shafted  responds 
of  the  central  transverse  attached  to  them  have 
one  order  less  than  those  of  the  eastern  arch  of 
the  crossing,  short  spaces  of  blank  wall  interrupt 
the  continuity  of  the  suites  of  shafts.  The 
intermediate  piers  are  not  complete  cylinders, 
for  shafted  responds  of  two  orders,  from  which 
spring  the  transverses  of  the  aisle  vaults,  are 
attached  to  their  aisle  sides.  The  drum  of  the 
cyHndrical  portion  of  each  pier  is  ornamented 
with  left-handed  spiral  fluting,  and  the  main 
capital,  the  plan  of  which  is  composed  of  five 
sides  of  an  octagon  (the  remaining  sides  being 
merged  in  the  capitals  of  the  shafts  of  the 
responds  of  the  aisle  transverses),  is  of  cushion 
type,  approximating  to  the  scalloped  form.  The 
abacus  is  continuous  round  the  whole  pier,  which 
stands  on  a  base  and  plinth  corresponding  to 
those  of  the  responds  against  the  main  piers.  The 
walls  are  set  back  1 1  in.  at  the  level  of  the  tri- 
forium  sill,  w^hich  is  marked  by  a  plain  chamfered 
string-course,  and  upon  the  set-off  thus  formed 
stand  short  vaulting-shafts  ;  these  consist  of 
single  attached  shafts  placed  in  the  nooks  formed 
by  the  setting  back  of  the  face  of  the  wall  next 
the  shafts  on  the  main  piers,  and  of  triple  shafts 
in  the  centre  of  each  bay  over  the  minor  or 
cylindrical  piers.  All  have  cushion  capitals 
and  moulded  bases  standing  on  square  plinths, 
but  the  capitals  of  the  eastern  nook-shaft  and 
the  triple  shafts  in  the  east  double  bay  are 
carved  with  foliage  similar  to  that  of  the 
13th-century  capitals  adjoining,  while  retain- 
ing generally  their  old  form.  As  the  nook- 
shafts,  which  were  designed  to  receive  the 
diagonals  of  the  vault,  were  necessarily  placed 


103 


A  HISTORY   OF   DURHAM 


next  the  responds  of  the  main  transvcrscs 
without  regard  to  their  unequal  length  from 
east  to  west,  the  western  nook- shafts  of  the 
western  double  bay  are  exactly  above  the  shafts 
of  the  outer  orders  of  the  westernmost  arches  of 
the  arcades,  while  the  eastern  nook-shafts  are 
a  little  to  the  east  of  the  corresponding  responds 
beneath.  The  same  relative  positions  of  the 
nook-shafts  are  repeated  in  the  eastern  bay,  the 
eastern  nook-shafts  answering  exactly  in  position 
to  the  western  nook-shafts  of  the  western  bay, 
a  circumstance  which  can  only  be  explained  by 
the  former  existence  to  the  eastward  of  shafted 
responds  of  the  same  number  of  orders  as  those 
of  the  eastern  arch  of  the  crossing.  In  each  of 
the  vertical  subdivisions  formed  by  the  vaulting 
shafts  is  an  opening  to  the  triforium  with  a  clear- 
story window  above  it.  The  triforium  openings 
are  double,  each  having  a  pair  of  semicircular 
arches,  wth  hollow- chamfered  edges  and  a 
half-round  on  the  soffit,  contained  under  an 
outer  inclosing  arch  of  the  same  form  moulded 
with  a  quirked  angle-roll  below  a  hollow.  Both 
orders  spring  from  half-shafts  attached  to  the 
jambs,  and  the  inner  pair  of  arches  rest  in  the 
centre  upon  a  circular  shaft  of  the  same  detail 
as  the  jamb  shafts.  The  triforium  is  lighted 
by  pairs  of  small  semicircular-headed  lights  in 
the  outer  walls  of  the  aisles.  There  is  no  clear- 
story passage  ;  the  windows  in  this  stage  have 
plain  internal  openings  with  semicircular  heads 
and  stepped  sills. 

The  double  bays  were  evidently  each  designed 
to  carry  two  compartments  of  quadripartite 
vaulting,  the  middle  shafts  of  the  groups  of 
three  vaulting-shafts  placed  over  the  cylindrical 
piers  of  the  arcades  supporting  a  transverse  rib, 
while  the  flanking  shafts  and  the  nook-shafts 
received  the  diagonals.-*'"  The  thrusts  of  the 
vault  were  counteracted  at  the  points  of 
support  by  semicircular  arches  which  still  span 
the  triforium  beneath  the  aisle  roof,  and  by 
broad  pilasters  on  the  outer  wall.  In  the 
western  double  bay,  which  is  a  little  shorter 
than  the  eastern,  the  arches  of  the  arcades 
next  the  crossing-piers  are  considerably  narrower 
than  the  eastern  arches,  and  consequently,  as  the 
triple  vaulting-shafts  are  placed  exactly  over  the 
cylindrical  piers  of  the  arcades,  the  western 
compartment  of  the  double  vault  of  this  bay 
must  have  been,  as  it  still  is,  much  narrower 
than  the  eastern  compartment.  Even  had  both 
bays  been  subdivided  equally  with  respect  to 
the  ground-stage,  as  is  the  case  in  the  eastern 
bay,  the  compartments  of  the  vaults  next  the 
central  main  transverse  would  still  have  been 
slightly  wider  than  the  other  compartments, 
owing  to  the  greater  width  from  east  to  west 


29uf}jg  lines  of  the  lunettes  of  the  original  vault 
still  exist  in  p.irt  here. 


of  the  eastern  arch  of  the  crossing  and  the  former 
great  sanctuary  arch. 

The  remains  of  the  apse,  which  were  un- 
covered in  1895,  show  that  an  interlacing 
arcade  like  that  which  runs  round  the  outer 
walls  of  the  original  portions  of  the  church 
occupied  the  lower  part  of  the  ground-stage, 
and  that  there  were  two  vaulting-responds 
similar  to  those  of  the  central  transverse  of 
the  surviving  portion  of  the  quire.  The  ground- 
stage  of  the  original  single  bay  next  the  apse 
must  have  been  blank,  as  it  was  flanked  by  the 
eastern  apses  of  the  aisles.  The  interlacing 
arcades  were  most  likely  continued  from  the 
apse  along  the  foot  of  the  walls,  and  the  tri- 
forium and  clearstory  probably  repeated  the 
design  of  each  subdivision  of  the  upper  stages 
of  the  double  bays.  The  vault  was  almost 
certainly  a  single  quadripartite  compartment 
carried  by  triforium  shafts,  and  it  was  probably 
separated  by  a  transverse  arch  of  two  orders 
from  that  of  the  apse. 

The  13th-century  rebuilding  entailed  the 
demolition  of  all  this  bay  except  the  substance 
of  the  piers  which  divided  it  from  the  original 
double  bays.  Single  arches  open  to  the  eastern- 
most bays  of  the  aisles,  which  were  also  rebuilt 
to  join  up  with  the  new  eastern  transept.  These 
arches  are  of  the  same  type  as  those  which  open 
from  the  east  end  of  the  aisles  into  the  Nine 
Altars.  They  are  each  of  three  richly  moulded 
orders,  the  outer  order  stilted,  and  the  inter- 
mediate order  ornamented  with  the  dog-tooth. 
Their  western  responds  are  the  counterpart  of 
the  eastern  responds,  which  form  part  of  the 
great  piers  terminating  the  side  walls  of  the 
quire.  The  labels  are  enriched  with  knobs  of 
foliage  and  touch  the  enriched  string-courses 
which  mark  the  sill  of  the  triforium.  The  walls 
are  not  set  back  above  the  ground-stage  as  in 
the  original  western  bays.  The  triforium  open- 
ings are  nearly  alike  on  both  sides ;  each  consists 
of  three  two-centred  drop  arches  with  dog-tooth 
enrichment  inclosed  by  a  nearly  semicircular 
arch  with  an  enriched  label  and  headstops.  The 
subsidiary  arches  spring  from  circular  shafts 
with  foliage  capitals  and  moulded  bases,  the 
shafts  at  the  responds  being  flanked  by  smaller 
detached  shafts  with  similar  capitals  and  bases. 
Outside  these  again  on  both  quire  and  triforium 
faces  are  slender  marble  shafts  with  capitals  and 
bases  of  the  same  character,  those  towards  the 
quire  carrying  the  inclosing  arch.  In  the  tym- 
panum above  the  subsidiary  arches  are  two 
circular  quatrefoiled  panels,  those  of  the 
northern  triforium  opening  being  filled  with 
rich  foliation,  while  those  of  the  southern  opening 
are  plain  ;  below  these  panels,  immediately  over 
the  intersections  of  the  arches,  are  richly  carved 
bosses  of  foliage.  The  abaci  of  the  jamb  shafts 
of  the  northern  opening  are  continued  as  string- 


104 


CITY  OF   DURHAM 


courses  to  the  extremities  of  the  bay,  and  in 
both  cases  the  back  of  the  wall  is  carried  by  a 
pair  of  two-centred  arches  springing  from  a 
central  shaft,  circular  on  the  north  and  octa- 
gonal on  the  south.  The  clearstory  string  is 
like  that  of  the  triforium.  The  clearstory  has 
on  either  side  a  pair  of  pointed  windows,  each 
of  two  uncusped  lights,  those  on  the  north 
having  a  plain  circle  in  the  head ;  the  twin  rear- 
arches,  which  are  enriched  with  the  dog-tooth, 
spring  from  marble  nook  shafts  with  foliage 
capitals  and  moulded  bases  flanked  by  stone 
shaft-rolls  round  which  the  main  capitals  are 
continued,  and  are  received  upon  short  stone 
shaft-rolls  with  similar  capitals  attached  to  the 
central  pier,  the  lower  part  of  which  is  cut  away 
for  the  wall-passage  and  rests  upon  an  isolated 
cluster  of  marble  shafts  with  elaborately  carved 
capitals  and  moulded  bases  of  the  same  type  as 
those  of  the  nook  shafts.  The  wall-passage  is 
entered  from  the  western  clearstory  of  the  Nine 
Altars,  and  is  not  continued  westward  beyond 
this  bay.  The  openings  in  the  jambs  have 
shouldered  heads  like  those  of  the  wall-passage 
openings  in  the  Nine  Altars,  and  the  lintel 
supporting  the  upper  part  of  the  central  pier 
has  hollow-chamfered  edges  filled  with  carved 
ornament. 

As  has  been  pointed  out  above,  the  piers 
between  this  bay  and  the  next  belong  mainly 
to  St.  Calais'  work,  but  their  faces  have  been 
made  flush  with  the  adjacent  walling  by  the 
cutting  away  of  the  shafted  responds  of  the 
former  sanctuary  arch.  The  junction  of  the 
old  and  new  work  is  clearly  shown  by  the  changes 
in  the  masonry  which  occur  at  this  point,  the 
small  and  comparatively  irregular  coursing  of 
the  13th-century  builders  giving  place  to 
the  still  more  irregular  '  making  good  '  of  the 
facing  of  the  truncated  piers,  which  is  in  turn 
succeeded  by  the  regularly-coursed  ashlar  of  the 
original  bays.  The  flush  surface  of  each  pier  is 
masked  by  a  tall  arcade  of  three  trefoiled  arches, 
the  gabled  canopies  of  which  extend  to  the  sill- 
level  of  the  triforium,  while  the  shafts  upon 
which  they  are  carried  rest  on  carved  corbels 
placed  at  a  distance  from  the  sanctuary  floor 
equal  to  about  one-third  of  the  whole  height 
from  the  floor  to  the  triforium.  The  shafts, 
which  are  alternately  of  stone  and  marble,  are 
banded,  and  have  capitals  richly  carved  with 
foliage,  birds  and  grotesques ;  the  arches  are 
moulded  with  a  deep  hollow  filled  with  rich 
sculpture,  and  the  gabled  canopies  are  crowned 
with  rich  finials  and  crockcted  with  foliage  in 
which  occur  human  figures  in  miniature  niches 
and  birds  of  a  most  naturalistic  type.  The 
corbels  of  the  shafts  are  treated  in  the  same 
style  of  elaboration,  being  carved  with  human 
and  grotesque  forms.  Below  this  arcade  is  a 
band    of    arcaded    panelling    consisting    of    six 


trefoiled  arches  springing  from  shafts  with  plain 
capitals  and  inclosed  within  a  square  containing 
label,  and  between  the  panelling  and  the  floor 
is  an  aumbry  with  double  doors.  The  tri- 
forium string-course  is  stepped  upwards  as  it 
crosses  the  pier,  clearing  the  canopies,  and  is 
again  dropped  to  join  the  plain  string-course  of 
the  original  bays.^"  Immediately  above  the 
raised  portion  of  the  string-course  is  the  richly 
carved  corbel  upon  which  the  short  triple  shafts 
of  the  present  easternmost  transverse  are  carried. 
These  consist  of  a  central  stone  shaft  flanked  by 
two  slighter  marble  shafts,  all  having  elaborately 
sculptured  capitals. 

The  present  high  vault  of  the  quire  belongs 
to  the  period  of  the  13th-century  reconstruction. 
The  irregularity  which  St.  Calais'  method  of 
spacing  must  have  entailed  in  the  sizes  of  the 
compartments  of  the  original  high  vault  has 
already  been  pointed  out. 

The  entire  rebuilding  of  the  single  bay  next 
the  apse,  however,  and  the  removal  of  the  great 
sanctuary  arch  by  which  it  was  separated  from 
the  double  bays,  rendered  it  possible  approxi- 
mately to  equalise  all  the  compartments  except 
the  westernmost.  The  new  transverse  arches, 
which  are  of  the  two-centred  form,  were  all  made 
slighter  and  of  equal  size,  the  double  compart- 
ment system  being  abandoned  in  favour  of  a 
series  of  single  quadripartite  compartments,  and 
as  it  was  necessary  to  keep  the  crown  of  the 
vault  as  nearly  as  possible  at  the  old  level,  the 
centres  of  those  transverses  which  are  carried 
by  the  old  points  of  support  are  dropped  below 
their  springing.  In  consequence  of  this  re- 
arrangement of  the  vault,  only  the  middle 
shafts  of  the  responds  of  the  old  transverses 
of  two  orders  between  the  double  bays  are 
required  to  carry  the  new  transverses  at  this 
point,  and  the  shafts  on  cither  side,  which 
carried  the  outer  order  of  the  old  transverses, 
now  receive  the  diagonals.  The  short  flanking- 
shafts  rising  from  the  triforium  sill  upon  which 
the  old  diagonals  were  received,  being  thus 
rendered  useless  for  their  original  purpose,  were 
utilised  to  support  slender  marble  shafts  with 
foliated  capitals  from  which  the  present  stilted 
wall-ribs  spring.  The  triple  attached  shafts 
standing  upon  the  triforium  sill  in  the  middle 
of  each  bay  received  as  before  the  transverses 
and  diagonals  of  the  vault,  and  the  vaulting 
shafts  next  the  responds  of  the  eastern  arch  of 
the  crossing,  which  were  necessarily  left  un- 
touched, still  continued  to  discharge  their 
original  functions,  the  slender  shafts  of  the 
wall-ribs    being   supported    by   carved    corbels. 

^  On  the  north  side  it  clcirs  the  two  eastern 
canopies  only,  its  junction  wth  the  original  string- 
course being  masked  by  the  finial  of  the  western 
canopy. 


105 


H 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


In  the  case  of  the  transverse  between  the  new 
and  the  old  work,  however,  which  is  placed  at 
about  the  centre  line  of  the  former  sanctuary 
arch,  the  cutting  away  of  the  original  shafted 
responds  left  the  shafts  of  the  old  diagonals 
isolated  some  distance  westwards  from  the 
triple  corbelled  shafts  provided  for  the  new 
transverse  and  diagonals,  and  consequently 
useless  for  the  direct  support  of  the  wall-ribs 
of  this  compartment.  Marble  shafts  extending 
to  the  shell  of  the  vault,  like  those  of  the  wall-ribs 
of  the  other  compartments,  are,  however,  placed 
upon  their  capitals,  and  the  space  intervening 
between  them  and  the  eastern  spring  of  the 
vault  is  occupied  on  both  north  and  south  sides 
by  trefoiled  gables  forming  canopies  to  small 
figures  on  sculptured  brackets.  These  canopies 
die  into  the  vault  on  the  east  and  thus  mask  the 
springing  of  the  wall-ribs,  while  on  the  west  they 
rest  on  small  marble  shafts  supported  by  carved 
corbels  placed  immediately  to  the  east  of  the 
capitals  of  the  shafts  of  the  old  diagonals.  The 
transverse  arches  of  the  vault  are  like  those  of 
the  vault  of  the  Nine  Altars,  being  each  of  two 
orders,  the  inner  order  moulded  with  filleted 
rolls,  and  the  outer  order  enriched  with  dog- 
tooth ornament.  The  diagonals  are  moulded  with 
a  central  filleted  roll  with  hollows  on  either  side 
filled  with  dog-tooth  ornament  set  at  intervals. 
The  easternmost  compartment  has  in  addition 
a  transverse  ridge-rib  terminated  on  the  north 
by  a  seated  figure  flanked  by  lizard-like  monsters, 
and  on  the  south  by  an  angel ;  the  wall-ribs 
of  this  compartment  spring  from  richly  carved 
corbels.  The  central  bosses  of  the  whole  vault 
are  very  elaborately  sculptured  ;  that  of  the 
middle  compartment  has  a  figure  of  the  Agnus 
Dei,  while  the  boss  of  the  westernmost  compart- 
ment appears  to  represent  Abraham  receiving 
the  souls  of  the  saved  into  Heaven. 

The  treatment  of  the  remodelled  easternmost 
bays  is  nearly  alike  in  both  QUIRE  AISLES. 
Each  has  seven  bays  of  wall-arcading  of  the 
same  type  as  that  of  the  Nine  Altars,  and  is 
lighted  by  an  original  late  13th-century  window 
with  restored  four-light  tracery  and  a  two- 
centred  rear-arch  of  two  orders  with  dog-tooth 
enrichment,  springing  from  twin  jamb  shafts 
with  foliated  capitals,  the  inner  shafts  being  of 
marble  and  the  outer  shafts  of  stone.  These 
windows  are  placed  close  against  the  responds 
bounding  the  bays  on  the  west,  and  the  outer 
of  the  western  jamb  shafts  is  utilised  in  each 
case  to  carry  one  of  the  diagonals  of  the  vault, 
into  which  the  outer  order  of  the  rear-arch  dies. 
The  waU-arcade  of  the  bay  on  the  north  has  no 
bounding  string-course  above  it,  and  the 
quatrefoils  over  the  intersections  of  the  arch- 
mouldings  are  omitted  in  the  four  bays  beneath 
the  window,  the  sill  of  which  is  splayed  down- 
wards nearly  to  the  tops  of  the  labels  of  the 


arcade,  and  finished  with  a  projecting  moulding 
on  the  edge.  The  siU  of  the  corresponding 
window  of  the  south  aisle  is  not  splayed  so  far 
downwards,  and  the  string-course  above  the 
arcade  is  confined  to  the  four  western  bays, 
stopping  at  this  point  upon  a  foliated  boss. 
The  shafts  of  the  second  bay  from  the  west  are 
cut  short  and  rest  upon  the  ogee-shaped  label 
of  an  inserted  14th-century  doorway,  now 
blocked.  The  quadripartite  vaults  have  richly 
sculptured  central  bosses,  and  the  ribs  are  of 
the  same  character  as  those  of  the  high  vault. 

The  transverse  arches  dividing  these  bays  from 
the  western  bays  are  of  the  original  work  of 
St.  Calais.  They  are  each  of  two  semicircular 
moulded  orders,  and,  as  has  been  explained 
above,  marked  the  commencement  of  the 
original  apses.  The  orders  are  moulded  with 
rolls  and  hollows  and  the  responds  have 
attached  half-shafts  with  cushion  capitals  and 
moulded  bases  to  each  order.  The  plinths  and 
sub-plinths  are  like  those  of  the  eastern  quire 
piers,  and  are  of  the  same  height.  Imme- 
diately to  the  west  of  the  responds  of  the 
transverses  are  single  attached  half-shafts  for 
the  diagonals  of  the  vaults,  those  on  the  quire 
sides  of  the  aisles  connecting  the  responds  of 
the  transverses  and  those  of  the  adjoining  arches 
of  the  quire  arcades  into  continuous  suites  of 
shafts.  The  four  remaining  bays  of  each  aisle, 
which,  being  spaced  by  the  centre-lines  of  the 
quire,  are  of  unequal  length,  are  divided  from 
each  other  by  transverses  of  a  single  order, 
springing  from  the  middle  shafts  of  triple 
shafted  responds  like  those  of  the  easternmost 
transverses,  the  flanking  shafts  receiving  the 
diagonals.  The  plinths  and  sub-plinths  follow 
the  design  of  those  of  the  quire  piers  to  which 
they  are  severally  adjacent.  The  westernmost 
bays  open  north  and  south  to  the  transept 
aisles  ;  the  lower  portions  of  the  outer  walls  of 
the  other  bays  are  occupied  by  interlacing 
arcades,  the  longer  bays  having  six  bays  of  arcad- 
ing,  and  the  shorter  bays  five.  These  arcades, 
which,  as  stated  above,  are  continued  round  the 
outer  walls  of  the  whole  of  the  original  church, 
though  interrupted  in  many  places  by  later 
insertions,  stand  upon  a  sub-plinth  formed  by 
a  continuation  of  that  of  the  responds  of  the 
transverses  ;  they  consist  of  interlacing  semi- 
circular arches  moulded  with  edge-rolls  and  shallow 
hollows  and  springing  from  coupled  shafts  with 
cushion  and  scalloped  capitals  having  an  abacus 
common  to  each  pair  and  moulded  bases  standing 
on  square  plinths  above  the  sub-plinth.  The 
present  windows  of  the  north  aisle  were  originally 
inserted  in  the  last  half  of  the  14th  century,  but 
they  were  all  renewed  in  1 848,  their  tracery  being 
for  the  most  part  copied  from  windows  to  be 
found  in  the  churches  of  Sleaford  and  Holbeach 
in  Lincolnshire  and  Boughton  Aluph  in  Kent. 


106 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


Their  internal  sills  are  lower  than  those  of 
St.  Calais'  windows,  the  string-course  marking 
the  sill-level  of  which  has  been  lowered  about 
9  in.  in  the  second  and  third  bays,  and  has  been 
replaced  by  a  14th-century  string-course  in  the 
fourth  bay.  In  each  bay  is  a  stone  bench  ;  that 
in  the  third  bay  opposite  the  site  of  Bishop 
Skirlaw's  altar  is  of  the  late  14th  or  early  15th 
century,  and  the  front  has  multifoiled  circular 
panels  containing  Skirlaw's  shield  of  arms 
alternating  with  smaller  cinquefoil-headed 
panels.  The  bench  in  the  second  bay  is  quite 
plain,  while  that  in  the  fourth  bay  has  a  pro- 
jecting moulding  with  nail-head  enrichment  and 
is  stopped  by  a  doorway  formerly  leading  to  the 
Sacrist's  Exchequer,  or  later  Song  School.'* 

The  windows  of  the  south  aisle  are  also  14th- 
century  insertions.  They  are  each  of  four  lights 
with  flowing  tracery  in  a  two-centred  head, 
and  are  said  to  have  been  '  restored  as  they  were 
found'  in  1842.  The  original  sill-string  has 
been  replaced  by  a  14th-century  siU-string.  In 
the  third  bay  is  a  plain  stone  bench.  The  wall- 
arcade  in  the  fourth  bay  has  been  partly  cut 
away  for  the  insertion  of  two  doorways ;  the 
eastern,  which  is  of  the  13th  century  and 
has  a  trefoiled  head  and  shafted  jambs,  is  the 
*  reuestrye '  doorway  of  Rites,  while  the 
western  doorway,  a  14th-century  insertion,  may 
perhaps  have  opened  to  stairs  to  the  '  Chamber  ' 
over  the  west  end  of  the  vestry.  The  ribs  of  the 
quadripartite  vaults  which  cover  each  bay  of  the 
original  portions  of  the  aisles  are  moulded  with 
hoUow-chamfered  edges  and  have  half-rounds  on 
their    soffits. 

Traces  of  the  fittings  of  the  aisles  described 
in  Rites  can  still  be  seen  in  the  stonework. 
In  the  easternmost  bay  of  the  north  aisle  was 
the  loft  or  'porch'  called  the  ' Anchoridge.' 
In  it  was  '  an  altar  for  a  monke  to  say  dayly 
masse  beinge  in  antient  time  inhabited  with  an 
Anchorite,  wherunto  the  Pretors  (priors)  were 
wont  much  to  frequent  both  for  the  excellency 
of  the  place  as  also  to  heare  the  masse  standinge 
so  conveniently  unto  the  high  altar  .  .  .  the 
entrance  to  this  porch  or  Anchoridge  was  upp 
a  paire  of  faire  staires  adioyninge  to  the  north 
dore  of  St.  Cuthbert's  feretorie,  under  the  w"^*" 
staires  the  pascall  did  lye.  .  .  .'  The  fifth  and 
westernmost  bay  of  the  aisle,  which  opens  into 
the  eastern  aisle  of  the  north  transept,  was 
occupied  by  a  '  porch  .  .  .  hauinge  in  it  an 
altar  and  the  rood  or  picture  of  our  sauiour, 
w'^''  altar  and  roode  was  much  frequented  in 
deuotion  of  D'''  Swallwell  sometime  monke  of 
Durham.  .  .  .'     In  the  easternmost  bay  of  the 


south  aisle  '  adiojTiinge  to  the  pillar  next  St. 
Cuthberts  Feretorie,  next  the  Quire  door  on 
the  south  side  there  was  a  most  fair  Roode  or 
picture  of  our  Saviour,  called  the  black  rood  of 
Scotland  with  the  picture  of  Mary  and  John 
being  brought  out  of  holy  rood  house  in  Scotland 
by  King  David  Bruce,  and  w-as  wonne  at  the 
battle  of  Durham  with  the  picture  of  our  Lady 
on  the  one  side  of  our  Saviour  and  the  picture 
of  St.  John  on  the  other  side,  the  which  Rood 
and  pictures  were  all  three  very  richly  wrought 
in  silver,  the  which  were  all  smoked  black  over, 
and  on  every  one  of  their  heads,  a  Crowne  of 
pure  bett  gold  of  goldsmithes  work.  .  .  .'  The 
rood  was  attached  to  '  fine  Wainscot  work  .  .  . 
redd  Varnished  over  very  finely,  and  all  sett 
full  of  starres  of  Lead,  every  starre  finely  guilted 
over  with  gold.  .  .  .' 

On  the  south  side  of  the  quire,  between  the 
piers  of  the  western  arch  of  the  east  double  bay, 
is  the  MONUMENT  OF  BISHOP  HATFIELD 
(d.  1 381),  with  the  great  throne  of  stone  above 
it  erected  by  the  bishop  during  his  lifetime. 
The  alabaster  effigy  of  the  bishop  lies  on  a  high 
table  tomb  with  moulded  plinth  and  arcaded 
sides,  the  canopy  of  which  forms  the  ground 
story  of  the  throne.  This  is  an  elaborate 
piece  of  work,  open  to  the  north  and  south  by 
foliated  segmental  arches,  on  each  side  of  which 
are  trefoiled  niches  containing  brackets  for 
statues,  flanked  by  narrow  buttresses  of  two 
stages  terminating  in  pinnacles.  The  arches 
are  richly  moulded  and  have  large  shields  with 
the  bishop's  arms  in  the  spandrels ;  the  arms 
also  occur  on  smaller  shields  all  over  the  monu- 
ment, the  ground  work  of  which  is  of  rich  diaper. 
The  canopy  has  a  lierne  vaulted  roof  with 
moulded  ribs,  the  intersections  of  which  have 
bosses  of  sculptured  foliage,  and  on  the  walls 
at  the  east  and  west  ends  are  the  remains  of 
paintings  representing  in  each  case  two  angels.^ 
A  flight  of  steps  on  the  east  side  leads  from  the 
quire  to  the  throne,  which  is  a  kind  of  pulpitum 
or  gallery  containing  five  seats,  for  the  bishop 
and  his  chaplains.  The  fronts  of  the  seats 
have  quatrefoil  panelling  and  that  of  the  bishop 
projects  in  hexagonal  form.  This  middle  seat 
has  above  it  a  hexagonal  niche  with  canopy  of 
rich  design,  and  above  this  again  is  another 
canopied  niche  rising  to  a  considerable  height. 
The  backs  of  the  other  seats  are  panelled  in  the 
lower  part,  and  above  is  open  tracery  work 
with  canopied  niches  for  statues  flanking  the 
central  opening  at  a  lower  level.  The  back 
of  the  throne  thus  forms  an  elaborate  piece  of 
stone  tabernacle  work  in  five  bays  divided  by 


'1  The  Exchequer  was  built  by  Wessington  (1416- 
1446)  and  pulled  down  about  1633-34.  ^^^  doorway  is 
now  blocked  ;  externally  all  traces  of  it  have  been 
effaced. 


*^  Those  at  the  east  end  hold  blank  sliields  ;  the 
painting  at  the  west  end  is  badly  damaged  and  the 
objects  held  by  the  angels  cannot  be  identified — they 
were  probably  shields. 


107 


A   HISTORY   OF  DURHAM 


slender  pinnacled  buttresses.  The  sloping  wall 
of  the  staircase  is  arcaded  with  trefoiled  arches 
in  which  are  brackets  for  statues,  but  the  iron 
handrail  is  modern.  The  throne  was  restored 
about  1700^  by  Bishop  Crewe,  but  the  present 
painted  wooden  front,  which  takes  the  place 
of  the  original  one  of  stone,  is  nearly  a  century 
later.  The  whole  monument  was  originally 
richly  gilded  and  coloured  and  still  retains 
much  of  its  colouring.** 

In  the  middle  of  the  quire  in  front  of  the 
altar  steps  is  the  great  blue  marble  slab  which 
covered  the  GRAVE  OF  BISHOP  LEJVIS 
BEAUMONT  (d.  1333).  It  was  discovered 
beneath  the  pavement  in  1848  when  the  east 
portion  of  the  floor  of  the  quire  was  lowered 
to  the  level  of  the  west  section  and  the  steps 
moved  nearer  the  altar.  The  slab,  now  in  two 
pieces,  measures  15  ft.  10  in.  by  9  ft.  7  in.,  and 
formerly  bore  a  large  brass,  the  matri.x  for  which 
alone  remains.  It  is  described  in  Rites  as  '  a 
most  curious  and  sumptuous  marble  stone  .  .  . 
adorned  with  most  excellent  workmanshipp  of 
brasse,  wherein  [the  bishop]  was  most  excellently 
and  lively  pictured,  as  he  was  accustomed  to 
singe  or  say  mass,  with  his  mitre  on  his  head  and 
his  crosier's  staff  in  his  hand  .  .  .  being  most 
artificially  wrought  and  sett  forth.'  ^ 

In  the  bay  opposite  the  Bishop's  throne,  on 
the  north  side  of  the  quire  and  occupying  the 
site  of  '  Skirlaw's  altar,'  ^  is  the  monument, 
with  recumbent  EFFIGT  OF  BISHOP 
LIGHTFOOT  (d.  1891)  in  white  marble, 
designed  by  Sir  Edgar  Boehm,  R.A.,  and  com- 
pleted after  his  death  by  Alfred  Gilbert,  R.A. 
There  is  also  on  the  south  side  of  the  quire  a 
modern  tablet  to  Joseph  Butler,  Bishop  of 
Durham  (d.  1752),  with  an  inscription  by  W.  E. 
Gladstone. 

THE  STALLS,  with  the  tabernacle  work  over 
them,  were  erected  during  Cosin's  episcopate, 
c.    1665,   and  are   interesting  examples  of    the 

^'  The  carved  balustrade  to  the  stairs  shown  in 
Billings'  drawings  was  of  this  period. 

^*  The  throne  was  '  new  painted  and  gilt '  in  1772 
by  Bishop  Egerton.  Dr.  GreenweO  points  out  that 
the  upper  portion,  or  reredos,  is  not  well  fitted  into 
the  space  it  occupies  between  the  pillars,  and  that 
some  of  its  parts  do  not  quite  correspond  with  each 
other.  He  conjectures  that  Hatfield  used  some  pieces 
of  stonework  already  carved  before  he  planned  the 
throne,  and  that  it  possibly  was  not  from  the  first 
intended  to  occupy  the  position  in  which  it  was  ulti- 
mately placed  (op.  cit.  80). 

^*  The  monument  was  prepared  by  Beaumont  be- 
fore he  died  ;  the  epitaph  and  the  '  sayings  of  Scrip- 
ture,' which  he  had  selected,  are  recorded  in  Rius  of 
Durh.  15.  The  monument  is  described  and  figured 
in  Ptoc.  Soc.  Antiq.  16  June  1890. 

^8  i.e.,  the  altar  of  St.  Blaise  and  St.  John  which  he 
founded,  and  where  he  had  constructed  his  own  monu- 
ment.  He  was  buried  in  the  aisle  opposite. 


characteristic  work  associated  with  his  name,  in 
which  the  general  form  and  spirit  of  the  15th 
century  are  preserved  side  by  side  with  Renais- 
sance or  classic  detail.  There  are  eighteen  stalls 
on  each  side,  and  originally  there  were  four 
returns  on  each  side  of  the  quire  entrance,  but 
when  Cosin's  screen  was  taken  down  in  1846 
the  return  stalls  were  removed  ;  the  rest  were 
altered  and  the  tabernacle  work  *  cut  to  pieces 
and  placed  between  the  piers  instead  of  in  front 
of  them.'  ^'  The  side  stalls  were  restored  to  their 
original  positions  thirty  years  later  by  Sir  Gilbert 
Scott,  the  tabernacle  work  replaced  in  front  of 
the  piers  and  new  parts  carved  to  take  the 
place  of  those  destroyed;  new  front  seats  were 
also  added.  The  stalls  have  tall  and  rich  cano- 
pies supported  by  circular  shafts,  traceried  back 
panelling,  and  a  series  of  carved  misericordcs.^ 
The  desks  and  carved  bench-ends^  are  of  the 
same  date,  as  is  also  the  litany  desk,  which 
bears  the  arms  of  Cosin  and  those  of  the  see. 
The  oak  faldstools  in  the  sanctuary  are  also 
Cosin's. 

Of  other  mediaeval  QUIRE  FITTINGS  no 
proper  record  of  the  quire-screen  has  been 
preserved,  but  it  appears  to  have  been  of  stone 
and  adorned  with  statues  of  kings  and  queens 
of  England  and  Scotland  and  of  bishops, 
founders  and  benefactors  of  the  church.'"'  The 
destruction  of  Cosin's  screen  is  much  to  be 
deplored.  It  is  described  as  a  magnificent  work 
of  elaborately  and  richly  carved  oak  vigorously 
treated.  Upon  it  was  placed  in  1684  the  organ 
built  by  Bernard  Schmidt  (Father  Smith)  in  a 
very  handsome  oak  case  on  which  were  the  arms 
of  Bishop  Crewe.  The  case  was  removed  from 
the  church  in  1876  and  is  now  in  the  Cathedral 
Library  .■•I 

The  present  open  quire-screen,  by  Sir  Gilbert 
Scott,  is  of  three  bays,  of  marble  and  alabaster, 
with  clustered  piers  and  spandrels  of  mosaic 
work. 

The  altar  put  up  by  Dean  Hunt  (1620-38), 
consisting  of  a  red  marble  slab  on  six  supporting 
pillars,  is  still  in  position,  though  covered  by  the 

^'  Boyle,  Guide  to  Durh.  212,  quoting  King. 

^*  The  misericorde  carvings  are  without  supporters  ; 
most  of  the  subjects  are  the  usual  mediaeval  ones,  but 
there  are  many  repetitions,  especially  on  the  south  side. 
The  17th-century  feeling  is  in  some  cases  pronounced. 
The  stalls  are  believed  to  be  the  work  of  James 
Clement,  architect,  of  Durham,  who  died  in  1690. 
Boyle,  op.  cit.  207. 

^'  There  are  two  gangways  and  twelve  bench-ends 
on  each  side. 

*"  Rites  of  Durh.  (Surtees  Soc),  20 ;   Boyle,  op.  at. 

235- 

*^  The  present  organ  dates  from  1876,  and  was 
restored  and  enlarged  in  1905.  It  is  di\'ided  and  placed 
in  the  second  arch  from  the  west  on  each  side  of  the 
quire,  above  the  canopies  of  the  stalls.  The  cases 
were  designed  by  Mr.  C.  Hodgson  Fowler. 

08 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


later  altar  designed  hy  Scott.  The  '  cherubim 
faces '  complained  of  by  Peter  Smart  have  disap- 
peared, but  holes  on  the  faces  of  the  pillars  mark 
their  position. 

Two  brass  chandeliers,  dating  from  1751, 
hang  in  the  quire  ;  another  and  larger  one  has 
been  lost. 

THE  CROSSING  was  designed  to  receive  a 
vault,  but  it  is  impossible  now  to  say  whether  the 
vault  was  built.  In  each  of  the  four  internal  angles 
is  a  single  attached  shaft ;  these  shafts  are  original 
up  to  rather  more  than  half  the  height  from  the 
springing  of  the  crossing  arches  to  the  gallery 
above,  but  the  walling  shows  that  there  has 
never  been  a  vault  below  the  gallery  level.*^  It 
is  possible  that  no  central  tower  was  built,  the 
crossing  being  perhaps  covered  with  a  low 
pyramidal  roof;  but,  supposing  a  tower  of  some 
sort  to  have  been  erected,  it  seems  to  have  been 
rebuilt  or  heightened  in  the  latter  half  of  tlie 
13th  century  by  Prior  Hugh  de  Derlington,  and 
it  was  this  upper  structure  or  bell-tower  which 
was  set  on  fire  by  lightning  and  destroyed  in 
May  1429.  It  seems  to  have  been  constructed 
largely  of  timber,  and  was  surmounted  by  a  small 
cupola  covered  with  copper  or  brass.  The  new 
tower  which  took  its  place  was '  so  enfeebled  and 
shaken '  by  1458  that  doubts  were  entertained 
as  to  its  standing  for  any  length  of  time,  and  its 
rebuilding,  as  already  stated,  was  carried  out  in 
1470-76,  the  lantern  or  bell-chamber  not  being 
completed  till  about  fifteen  years  later.  Above 
the  arches  of  the  crossing  the  great  tower  rises 
some  150  ft.,  its  total  height  above  the  ground 
being  218  ft.  The  internal  gallery  is  reached  by 
doorways  with  crocketed  ogee  hood-moulds, 
one  in  the  middle  of  each  of  the  four  walls,  and 
is  carried  on  corbels.  It  has  a  parapet  pierced 
with  quatrefoils  in  circles  and  a  moulded 
coping  ;  the  alternate  corbels  are  carved  with 
grotesques,  and  two  on  the  west  side  bear  respec- 
tively the  arms  of  Bishops  Booth  and  Langley." 
Between  the  gallery  and  the  great  windows  the 
wall  surface  on  either  side  the  doorways  is 
covered  with  an  arcade  of  tall  cinquefoiled  arches 
set  in  pairs,  each  pair  below  a  crocketed  canopy 
and  separated  from  the  next  by  slender  buttresses 
of  two  stages.  The  arcading  stands  on  a  project- 
ing string-course  in  which  are  set  four-leaf 
flowers  and  small  corbels  supporting  the  but- 
tresses. Two  of  these  corbels  are  carved  with 
the  rebus  of  Prior  Richard  Bell  (1464-78)  and  a 


**  Bilson,  Jrch.  Jour.  Ixxix,  133  ;  'if,  however,  the 
usual  type  of  Norman  lantern  tower  was  used  any 
vault  would  be  above  this  level.'  Mr,  Bilson's  paper 
is,  by  permission,  made  use  of,  and  his  conclusions 
foUowed  in  the  present  description. 

*'  A  third  has  a  lion  passant.  Langley's  arms  are 
diflScult  to  account  for,  the  work  being  undoubtedly  of 
Booth's  time. 


third  with  a  mermaid.  Above  the  arcade  are  a 
string-course  and  band  of  quatrefoils  at  the 
level  of  the  sills  of  the  great  windows,  in  front  of 
which  the  quatrefoil  panels  are  pierced  and  the 
band  forms  the  parapet  of  a  wall  passage  which  at 
this  level  goes  round  the  whole  tower.  Imme- 
diately above  the  windows  the  tower  is  vaulted 
with  a  quadripartite  vault  subdivided  by  inter- 
mediate and  lierne  ribs  with  carved  bosses  at 
the  intersections  and  having  a  large  well-hole. 
The  diagonal  ribs  spring  at  the  angles  from  round 
vaulting-shafts  and  the  transverse  ribs  from  a 
shaft  in  the  middle  of  each  wall  carried  on  a  cor- 
bel. Above  the  vault  is  the  beU-ringers'  floor, 
and  over  this  again  the  bell  chamber.  Externally 
the  tower  is  of  two  unequal  stages  above  the 
roofs.  The  loftier  lower  stage  has  on  each  side 
two  tall  pointed  windows,  lighting  the  crossing 
below  the  vault,  each  of  two  lights  divided  by  a 
transom  and  covered  by  ogee  crocketed  labels 
with  tall  finials.  The  windows  are  flanked  and 
separated  by  narrow  panelled  pilasters,  each  with 
figures  in  the  lower  panels.  This  stage  is  divided 
from  that  above  by  a  narrow  external  gallery, 
reached  by  a  doorway  in  the  north  wall,  called 
the  Bell-ringers'  Gallery,  which  has  a  pierced 
embattled  parapet.  The  upper,  or  bell  chamber, 
stage  has  also  two  pointed  windows  on  each  side, 
each  of  two  lights,  with  ogee  crocketed  labels, 
and  slender  buttress  between,  and  finishes 
with  a  pierced  embattled  parapet.  The  roof  is 
leaded.  There  are  double  buttresses  at  each 
angle  of  the  tower,  carried  up  its  fuU  height,  in 
the  front  of  which  are  canopied  niches  containing 
statues.  The  higher  stages  above  the  main  roofs 
are  reached  by  a  staircase  in  the  south-west 
angle,  entered  from  the  roof  space  of  the  south 
transept. 

In  1 8 10  the  exterior  of  the  upper  stage  was 
cased  in  cement,  and  the  whole  tower  '  made  to 
suffer  serious  indignities,' but  at  the  restoration 
of  1859  the  cement  was  removed  and  the  whole 
of  the  upper  stage  refaced  in  stone.  The  statues, 
which  had  been  taken  down  in  18 lo,**  were  re- 
instated and  thirteen  new  ones  added.  The 
exterior  of  the  tower  was  much  altered  in  detail 
at  this  time.*^  Massive  squinches  in  the  angles 
of  the  upper  stage  may  point  to  an  intention  to 

*^  The  statues,  twenty-seven  in  number,  were 
removed  and  placed  in  the  Chapel  of  the  Nine  Altars 
round  the  sides  of  St.  Cuthbert's  platform  ;  several 
were  put  back  before  the  restoration.  Boyle,  Guide 
to  Durh.  329. 

**  Greenwell,  op.  cit.  93.  The  cresting  of  the 
parapet  of  the  lower  stage  is  entirely  of  the  1 8 10 
cement.  The  outer  surface  of  the  tower,  which  was 
in  an  advanced  stage  of  decay  (especially  the  1 8  59 
work),  was  repaired,  and  cracks  in  the  walls  mended 
vrith  tile-stitching  between  1921  and  1923.  What 
Uttle  mediaeval  masonry  remained  on  the  outer  faces 
was  in  very  bad  condition. 


109 


A   HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


build  a  spire,  or  octagon,**  an  intention  never 
carried  out. 

THE  TRANSEPTS  with  their  eastern  aisles 
nearly  resemble  each  other  in  their  details. 
Each  transept  consists,  or  rather  was  originally 
intended  to  consist,  of  two  double  bays  of 
unequal  size.  The  double  bay  next  the  crossing 
on  each  side  is  considerably  longer  than  the 
other,  and  the  bays  are  separated  by  a  semi- 
circular transverse  of  two  orders,  with  shafted 
responds  of  the  same  type  as  those  of  the  former 
transverse  between  the  double  bays  of  the  quire. 
The  widths  of  the  arches  next  the  crossing  are 
governed  by  the  width  of  the  quire  aisles,  and 
consequently  they  occupy  in  each  case  more 
than  half  the  width  of  the  first  double  bay,  so 
that  the  span  of  the  adjoining  arch  is  less  by 
nearly  3  ft.  The  same  relative  diminution  is 
preserved  in  the  pair  of  arches  in  the  narrower 
end  bay,  but  the  crowns  of  all  are  kept  approxi- 
mately at  the  same  level  by  the  expedient  of 
stilting  their  springing.  The  southern  cylindrical 
pier  of  the  south  transept  has  an  incised  cheveron 
pattern  upon  it  in  place  of  the  spiral  fluting  of  the 
others,  and  the  bases  and  plinths  of  the  piers 
and  responds  all  follow  the  design  of  those  of 
the  crossing  piers,  but  with  these  exceptions  the 
detail  of  the  arcades  is  the  same  as  that  of  the 
quire  arcades.  It  should  be  noted,  however, 
that  the  main  piers  between  the  double  bays  are 
made  shorter  on  plan  than  the  crossing  piers,  so 
that  the  shafts  carrying  the  transverses  form 
continuous  suites  with  the  shafts  of  the  re- 
sponds of  the  adjoining  arches. 

The  east  walls  of  both  transepts  up  to  the 
top  of  the  triforium  stage  belong  to  St.  Calais' 
work,  and  nearly  resemble  in  their  general  design 
the  original  portion  of  the  quire,  both  showing 
preparation  for  a  high  vault.  The  ground-stage 
of  each  double  bay  is  occupied  by  a  pair  of 
arches  to  the  aisle  springing  from  heavy  cylin- 
drical minor  piers  and  from  shafts  attached  to 
the  main  piers.  The  face  of  the  triforium  wall 
is  set  back  to  receive  the  vaulting  shafts,  as  in 
the  quire,  with  the  difference  that  the  shafts 
over  the  minor  piers  are  double  instead  of 
triple.  The  triforium  openings  are  of  the  same 
character  as  those  in  the  quire,  with  their  pro- 
portions modified  to  suit  the  narrower  middle 
bays ;  in  the  still  narrower  end  bays  the  opening 
is  single.  The  semicircular  abutting  arches 
beneath  the  triforium  roof  are  repeated. 

Above  the  triforium  stage  the  details  of  the 

^*  Sir  Gilbert  Scott  was  of  opinion  that  the  inten- 
tion was  to  erect  a  '  crown  '  like  that  at  St.  Nicholas, 
Newcastle-on-Tyne,  but  the  squinches  seem  to  sug- 
gest either  a  spire  or  octagon.  Wyatt's  drawings, 
now  in  the  Dean  and  Chapter  Library,  only  show  that 
he  intended  to  give  the  tower  a  top  of  this  type  ; 
there  is  no  reason  for  supposing  that  this  was  the 
origin.ll  design. 


east  walls  of  the  transepts  vary.  As  already 
mentioned,  when  the  building  of  the  walls  had 
advanced  thus  far  the  intention  to  vault  the 
transepts  was  for  the  time  abandoned,  but  in 
the  case  of  the  north  transept  it  was  resumed 
without  modification  of  the  original  conception. 
The  triple  shafts  on  the  face  of  the  major 
pier  and  the  vaulting  shafts  in  the  double  bay 
next  the  crossing,  which  start  from  the  tri- 
forium string,  are  finished  with  capitals  at 
the  same  height  as  those  of  the  crossing  pier, 
and  the  clearstory  arcade  was  designed  for  and 
built  with  the  vault.*'  The  shafts  in  the  tri- 
forium stage  w'ere  planned  for  vaulting  each 
double  bay  in  two  compartments,  but  the  nar- 
rowness of  the  northern  bay,  together  with  the 
projecting  staircase  in  the  angle,  made  this 
difficult  and  the  whole  space  was  covered  with 
a  single  bay  of  vaulting  ;  the  double  shafts  over 
the  minor  pier  thus  became  useless  and  were 
carried  up  to  the  curve  of  the  vault.  Each  of 
the  four  clearstory  openings  has  a  plain  semi- 
circular highly  stilted  arch  in  front  of  the 
window,  flanked  in  the  double  bay  next  the 
crossing  by  a  narrow  and  lower  arch  on  each 
side,  the  arches  springing  from  plain  outer 
jambs  and  from  monolithic  shafts  with  cushion 
capitals.  In  the  northern  bay,  owing  to  its 
single  vault,  the  position  of  the  clearstory 
windows  left  room  only  for  a  narrow  opening  on 
each  side  of  the  double  wall-shaft,  the  space  for 
corresponding  openings  on  the  other  side  of 
each  window  being  insufficient.  These  openings 
were  therefore  omitted  and  square  jambs  built 
to  receive  the  window  arches,  over  which  the 
lateral  cell  of  the  vault  passes,  forming  an 
elliptical  lunette.  The  vaulting  of  the  double 
bay  next  the  crossing  introduces  the  type  of 
vault  which  was  afterwards  followed  in  the 
south  transept  and  nave  (which  probably 
existed  originally  over  the  quire),  consisting 
of  two  quadripartite  compartments  without  any 
intermediate  transverse,  and  a  strongly  empha- 
sised transverse  between  it  and  the  adjoining  vault 
on  the  north.  The  curve  of  the  transverse, 
like  that  of  the  crossing  arch,  is  a  semicircle 
slightly  stilted  and  the  diagonal  ribs  are  seg- 
ments of  circles  struck  from  centres  below  the 
springing  line.  The  transverse  is  of  two  orders, 
the  outer  square  and  the  wider  inner  order 
moulded  with  a  roll  between  two  hollows,  similar 
to  the  inner  order  of  the  crossing  arches.  The 
ribs  also  are  moulded  with  a  roll  between  two 
hollows  (as  in  the  quire  aisles)  and  are  con- 
structed of  thin  stones  with  lozenge-shaped 
keys. 

In  the  south  transept  the  east  clearstory  was 
built  to  receive  a  flat  wooden  ceiling,  and 
differs    considerably  from  that  just   described. 


*'  Bilson,  Arch.  Jour.  Ixxix,  136. 


no 


CITY   OF   DURHAM 


Internally  the  openings  in  front  of  the  windows 
have  plain  semicircular  arches  which  were  flanked, 
except  in  the  narrow  end  bay,  by  tall  narrow 
openings  with  semicircular  heads  springing 
from  the  same  level  as  those  of  the  windows. 
When  the  idea  of  vaulting  was  abandoned  the 
wall  shafts  were  carried  up  to  the  wall  head  and 
thus  governed  the  setting-out  of  the  clearstory 
arcade,  but  later,  when  the  vault  was  added,  it 
was  found  necessary  to  insert  capitals  to  the  shafts 
so  as  to  receive  the  vault  members.  The  capital 
of  the  shaft  next  the  crossing  was  inserted  at  a 
slightly  higher  level  than  that  of  the  crossing 
pier  and  the  others  were  placed  at  the  same 
height.  All  the  capitals  are  single  cushions, 
except  that  of  the  south  shaft  of  the  group  of  three 
on  the  major  pier,  which  has  its  cushion  divided 
into  two.  The  double  shafts  over  the  southern 
cylindrical  pier  still  remain  their  full  height,  as 
they  were  not  interfered  with  by  the  vault, 
and  a  single  shaft  in  the  south-east  angle, 
originally  planned  as  a  vaulting  shaft  and  after- 
wards carried  up  the  wall,  also  remains  unal- 
tered, the  diagonal  rib  of  the  added  vault 
springing  from  an  adjoining  shaft  which  rises 
from  the  floor.  The  narrow  openings  flanking 
the  clearstory  windows  are  now  partly  masked 
by  thevault,  and  when  this  was  added  all  but  one''^ 
were  walled  up.  The  vaulting  followed  the  plan 
and  system  of  that  of  the  north  transept,  the 
only  difference  being  the  addition  of  the  cheveron 
ornament.  This  occurs  on  each  side  of  the  outer 
order  of  the  transverse,  and  flanking  the  roll- 
moulding  of  the  diagonal  ribs,  as  well  as  on  the 
outer  order  on  the  south  side  of  the  crossing 
arch.*'  The  keys  of  the  vault  in  the  Uvo  bays 
next  the  crossing  are  jointed  at  right  angles  to  the 
direction  of  the  rib,  but  in  other  respects  the 
system  and  construction  of  the  vaulting  are  the 
same  as  that  in  the  north  transept. 

The  west  walls  of  the  transepts  probably 
belong  to  the  period  of  the  vacancy  of  the  see 
after  St.  Calais'  death,  their  simple  character 
being  in  marked  contrast  to  the  work  opposite. 
The  only  vertical  division  in  each  case  is  formed 
by  the  great  triple  shafts  carrying  the  main 
transverse,  and  as  there  is  no  set-off  at  the  tri- 
forium  sill  no  supports  were  provided  to  receive 
the  diagonal  ribs  of  the  vaults,  their  place 
being  taken  by  corbels.  Next  the  western 
crossing  piers  each  transept  opens  to  the  nave 

*^  Thit  on  the  south  side  of  the  window  in  the 
second  bay  from  the  end. 

*'  The  cheverons  on 'the  transverse  are  similar  to 
those  of  the  outer  order  of  the  nave  arcade  arches  ; 
those  of  the  ribs  are  of  the  same  type  as  on  the  ribs 
of  the  nave  vault,  but  simpler.  '  This  vault  was  cer- 
tainly built  while  the  nave  was  in  course  of  con- 
struction .  .  .,  it  is  probably  of  slightly  earlier  date 
than  the  vault  of  the  nave.'  Bilson,  Arcb.  Jour. 
Izzix,  140. 


aisle  by  a  semicircular  arch  of  two  orders,  with 
shafted  responds,  the  inner  ones  forming  part 
of  the  great  piers,  and  in  each  end  bay  is  a  semi- 
circular headed  window ;  in  the  north  transept 
this  window  retains  the  mullions  and  tracery 
inserted  in  the  14th  century,  and  is  of  three 
lights. 

In  the  north  transept  the  capitals  of  the  great 
triple  shafts  on  the  west  were  probably  built 
with  the  walls,  but  in  the  south  transept,  when 
the  idea  of  vaulting  was  abandoned,  the  shafts 
were  carried  up  to  the  wall-head,  capitals  being 
afterwards  added  to  receive  the  transverse  (as  on 
the  east  wall),  and  corbels  to  take  the  diagonal 
ribs.  The  corbels  in  both  transepts  are  carved 
with  grotesques,  but  those  in  the  south  are  of  a 
more  advanced  type,  the  sculptured  heads  being 
similar  to  the  corresponding  corbels  of  the  nave. 
The  treatment  of  the  west  triforium  stage  is 
alike  in  both  transepts,  but  there  is  variety  in 
the  design  of  the  openings  ;  that  next  the 
crossing  in  each  case  consists  of  a  pair  of  moulded 
semicircular  arches  like  those  in  the  quire,  but 
with  single  half-shafts  attached  to  the  jambs, 
and  the  whole  slightly  recessed  within  a  plain 
semicircular  outer  order.  The  opening  next  to 
this  is  of  a  different  type,  consisting  of  two  very 
narrow  semicircular  arches  without  moulding 
of  any  sort  supported  by  a  central  circular  shaft 
of  heavy  proportions ;  the  shaft  is  not  a  monolith, 
as  in  the  other  openings,  its  drum  being  built  up 
in  narrow  courses.  In  the  further  end  bay 
there  is  in  each  case  a  triple  opening,  with  wide 
middle  and  narrower  flanking  arches  carried  on 
shafts  with  cushion  capitals  and  plain  outer 
jambs. 

The  west  clearstory  of  the  north  transept  cor- 
responds with  that  opposite,  except  that  in  the 
contracted  northern  bay  there  is  a  single  window 
with  a  triple  arcade.  In  the  south  transept  the 
clearstory  follows  generally  the  design  of  that 
opposite,  but  as  there  are  no  vaulting  shafts 
at  the  triforium  stage  the  arrangement  of  the 
narrow  flanking  openings  is  somewhat  different ; 
in  the  double  bay,  next  the  crossing,  there  were 
two  such  openings  between  the  two  windows  and 
a  single  one  beyond  each,  while  in  the  south 
bay  the  single  window  was  flanked  by  two 
narrow  openings  on  each  side.  Three  of  these 
eight  flanking  openings  (in  the  outer  bay)  remain 
as  first  constructed,  but  the  others  were  walled 
up,  or  removed  when  the  vault  was  built.''  Both 
transepts  have  clearstory  wall-passages  on  each 
side  covered  with  small  barrel  vaults,  but  the 
vault  in  the  south  transept  is  some  3  ft.  6  in. 
higher  than  the  other,  having  been  constructed 
at  a  time  when  the  walls  were  not  expected  to 
sustain  the  weight  of  a  vault. 

The  wall-arcade  of  the  quire  aisles  is  continued 


*"  Bilson,  op.  cit.  131. 


Ill 


A  HISTORY   OF  DURHAM 


round  the  outer  walls  of  both  transepts,  broken 
only  by  the  projecting  angle  turrets,  and  on  the 
west  side  of  the  south  transept  by  a  doorway, 
now  blocked,  opening  to  the  east  alley  of  the 
cloister.  This  doorway  has  a  plain  semi- 
circular rear-arch  and  jambs  and  externally 
the  head  is  of  two  roll-moulded  semicircular 
orders  springing  from  nook  shafts  with  cushion 
capitals.  In  the  same  wall  further  south  is  a 
fireplace,"  opened  out  and  restored  in  1901. 
The  angle  turrets  contain  vices  to  the  triforium 
and  clearstory  passages,  access  to  which  is  gained 
in  each  case  from  the  transept  by  a  plain  doorway 
with  flat  lintel  and  semicircular  relieving 
arch. 

In  the  north  transept  the  end  wall  is  almost 
entirely  occupied  above  the  level  of  the  arcading 
by  a  large  six-light  window  inserted  by  Prior 
Fossor  about  1355.  The  triforium  and  clearstory 
passages  are  of  course  interrupted  by  it,  but  a 
passage  a  little  below  the  level  of  the  former  is 
carried  across  the  window  by  an  arcade  of  six 
bays  coinciding  with  the  muUions.  The  lights 
are  cinquefoiled  and  the  tracery  in  the  head  is 
composed  of  forms  resembling  five-leaved  flowers, 
the  petals  of  which  consist  of  elongated  quatre- 
foils.  The  six  cinquefoiled  arches  which  carry 
the  passage  across  the  lower  part  of  the  window 
appear  to  have  been  added  late  in  the  15th 
century  or  early  in  the  i6th  century  by  Prior 
Castell ;  this  gallery  gives  the  window  from 
the  inside  the  appearance  of  being  transomed, 
though  it  is  not  visible  from  outside.  The 
window  is  thus  described  in  Rites :  '  In  the 
north  end  of  y*  allei  of  the  Lantrene  ther  is  a 
goodlie  faire  larg  &  lightsum  glass  wyndovve 
havinge  in  it  xij  faire  long  pleasant  &  most 
bewtifull  lights  being  maid  &  buylte  w""  fyne 
stone  &  glas  w"^''  in  the  ould  t)-me  was  gone  to 
decaie,  and  y*  prior  at  that  tyme.  called  prior 
Castell,  dide  Renewe  it,  &  did  buylt  )t  all  up 
enowgh  againe  called  the  VVyndowe  of  the  iiij 
Doctors  of  y*  churche  w''^  hath  vj  long  fair 
lightes  of  glas  in  y*  upper  parte  of  y*  said 
wyndowe.'  The  gallery  is  described  as  '  the 
breadth  of  the  thickness  of  the  wall  at  the 
division  of  the  superiour  Lights  from  the  in- 
feriour  .  .  .  and  is  supported  by  the  Partitions  of 
the  Lighte  made  strong,  and  equally  broad  with 
the  Gallrey.'  The  original  sill-string,  which, 
with  the  clearstory  and  triforium  string-courses, 
is  continued  round  the  vice-turret,  is  cut  away 
from  the  sill  of  the  window.  In  the  south 
transept  the  end  wall  remains  in  its  original  state 
up  to  the  sill  of  the  triforium  except  that  a 
modem  opening  has  been  made  in  the  ground- 

"  Here,  perhaps,  charcoal  was  kept  alight  for  use 
in  the  thuribles,  and  here  may  have  been  heated  the 
'  obley-irons '  for  making  altar  breads.  Greenwell, 
Durh.  Cath.  49. 


Stage  to  communicate  with  the  slype.  In  this 
portion  of  the  wall  is  a  large  blocked  window 
with  an  internal  semicircular  head  and  shafted 
jambs  of  two  orders.  The  original  sill-string, 
which  forms  the  bounding  member  of  the 
arcade  beneath,  remains.  A  large  early  15th- 
century  window  fills  the  two  upper  stages ;  it  is 
of  six  lights  with  vertical  tracery  in  the  head, 
and  the  jambs  are  pierced  by  the  triforium  pas- 
sage. This  window  is  described  in  Rites  in  the 
following  terms  : — '  Also  in  y*  southe  end  of  the 
allei  of  J*  Lantren  aboue  y*  clocke  there  is  a 
faire  large  glasse  wyndowe  Caulede  the  Te  deum 
wyndowe  veri  fair  glased  accordinge  as  eu'y  verse 
of  Te  deu  is  song  or  saide,  so  it  is  pictured  in  y* 
w}-ndowe.  .  .  .'  The  clock  which  formerly  stood 
beneath  the  window  was  removed  in  1845.  The 
case  was  of  carved  oak,  made  originally  by  Prior 
Castell,  and  at  one  time  it  stood,  according 
to  Rites,  at  the  south  end  of  the  rood-loft.  Dean 
Hunt  in  1632  made  several  additions  to  it,  but 
much  of  Castell's  work  remained.  The  dials  are 
now  set  within  the  blocking  of  the  lower  win- 
dow. 

The  vaulting  of  the  transept  aisles  corre- 
sponds in  every  respect  with  that  of  the  quire 
aisles,  the  transverses  having  shafted  responds 
attached  to  the  outer  walls  and  to  the  main  and 
cylindrical  piers  of  the  transept  arcades.  In  the 
north  wall  of  the  north  transept  aisle  is  a  14th- 
century  window  with  modern  three-light  tracery. 
Two  coupled  shafts  and  the  west  respond  of  the 
original  wall-arcade  beneath  remain,  but  the 
arches  have  been  removed,  the  internal  sill  of 
the  window  being  now  at  the  level  of  the  abaci 
of  the  capitals  of  the  shafts.  The  two  east 
bays  of  the  arcading  have  been  filled  up,  and  in 
the  blocking  are  two  rectangular  aumbries ; 
the  eastern  aumbry  is  probably  of  the  13th 
century,  while  the  western  one  appears  to  be 
contemporary  with  the  insertion  of  the  window 
above.  The  three  semicircular-headed  windows 
in  the  east  wall  were  all  at  one  time  filled  with 
14th-century  tracery  of  three  lights,  but  the 
two  northern  ones  were  restored  in  the  '  Nor- 
man '  taste  in  the  19th  century,  the  tracery 
being  removed.  The  two  bays  of  wall  arcading 
beneath  the  northernmost  window  have  been 
thrown  into  one  semicircular-headed  bay  in 
which  traces  of  painted  decoration  remain. 
The  other  bays  of  the  transept  each  contain  three 
bays  of  arcading ;  that  in  the  southernmost 
bay  has  been  renewed.  The  floor  of  the  aisle 
is  raised  three  steps  above  that  of  the  quire 
aisle  and  transept,  and  an  altar-pace  is  provided 
along  the  east  wall.  Here  were  the  altars  of 
St.  Nicholas  and  St.  Giles,  St.  Gregory,  and  St. 
Benedict.  In  the  south  transept  aisle  the  three 
windows  in  the  east  wall  are  all  modern  '  Nor- 
man '  restorations.  The  openings  of  the  two 
northern    windows    were    enlarged    internally, 


112 


CITY  OF   DURHAM 


probably  in  the  14th  century,  their  sills  being 
splayed  down  to  the  abaci  of  the  shafts  of  the 
wall-arcades,  and  the  lower  portion  of  the  wall- 
arcade  in  the  middle  bay  blocked.  The  wall- 
arcades  have  recently  been  restored  and  the  sills 
of  the  windows  raised,  the  two  northern  bays 
of  the  aisle  now  forming  a  memorial  chapel 
to  the  officers  and  men  of  the  Durham  Light 
Infantry  who  fell  in  the  Great  War.  The  chapel 
is  enclosed  at  its  north  and  south  ends  by  oak 
screens,  that  on  the  north  being  based  upon 
the  design  of  the  screen  which  enclosed  the 
chapel  before  1840.^2 

The  window  in  the  south  wall  of  the  aisle 
is  a  14th-century  insertion,  and  as  in  the  case 
of  the  other  14th-century  windows,  the  sill 
is  splayed  down  to  the  abaci  of  the  arcade  shafts. 
The  floor  is  raised  like  that  of  the  north  transept 
aisle.  In  the  northernmost  bay  was  the  altar 
of  Our  Lady  '  alias  Howghel's  altar,'  and  in  the 
other  two  bays  were  the  altars  of  Our  Lady 
of  Bolton*'  and  of  St.  Faith  and  St.  Thomas  the 
Apostle. 

THE  NAVE  consists  of  three  double  bays 
from  the  crossing  westward,  followed  by  two 
single  bays.  The  double  bays  are  divided  from 
each  other  by  the  great  triple  shafts  which  rise 
from  the  floor  on  the  face  of  the  major  piers  and 
receive  the  great  transverses,  and  each  is  covered 
by  a  double  quadripartite  vault  without  any 
intermediate  transverse.  The  two  western 
bays  are  covered  each  by  a  single  quadripartite 
vault  and  are  separated  by  a  simOar  transverse 
springing  on  each  side  from  the  three  middle 
shafts  on  the  inner  faces  of  great  piers  similar 
to  those  of  the  crossing ;  these  were  required 
for  the  support  of  the  angles  of  the  western 
towers,  the  inner  walls  of  which  form  the  sides 
of,  and  are  open  to,  the  westernmost  bay  of  the 
nave,  while  their  ground  stages  constitute  the 
corresponding  bays  of  the  aisles.  The  vault  of 
the  westernmost  nave  bay  has  a  large  circular 
eye-hole.  The  arcades  of  the  three  double  bays 
follow  the  general  design  of  those  of  the  quire 
and  transepts,  with  semicircular  arches  on 
alternate  major  and  minor  piers.  The  single 
western  bays,  which  are  each  about  half  the 
length  of  the  double  bays,  have  single  arches 
springing   from    shafted    responds    against    the 

'^  Some  fragments  of  Cosin's  work,  which  had  been 
preserved  in  the  Cathedral  Library,  have  been  incor- 
porated in  this  work.  The  regimental  badge  appears 
in  both  screens. 

*'  The  altar  of  the  Memorial  Chapel  occupies  the 
position  of  the  Altar  of  Our  Lady  of  Bolton,  two 
pillars  of  which  remain  restored  to  their  original  use. 
The  designation  of  this  and  the  adjoining  altar  arose 
from  their  being  endowed  respectively  with  lands  at 
Bolton  in  the  parish  of  Edlingham  (Northumberland), 
and  at  Houghall,  near  Durham.  Greenwell,  Durh. 
Cath.  62. 


main  piers.  The  general  design  of  the  triforium 
stage  follows  that  of  the  quire,^  and  the 
clearstory  that  of  the  north  transept,  with 
certain  modifications  named  below. 

As  already  pointed  out,  the  first  double  bay 
of  the  arcade,  the  first  two  bays  of  each  aisle, 
and  the  first  bay  of  the  triforium  stage  date 
from  the  end  of  the  first  stage  of  the  work, 
which  coincided  approximately  with  the  early 
years  of  the  12th  century.  In  this  earlier 
east  portion  of  the  nave  the  general  scheme 
of  the  first  work,  with  but  slight  modifications 
of  detail,  was  followed.  The  first  two  major 
piers  belong  to  it  and  are  similar  to  those  of  the 
transepts,  and  the  arches  are  simply  moulded. 
The  supports  on  the  back  of  these  piers  and 
on  the  aisle  walls  opposite  are  triple  shafts, 
as  in  the  quire  and  transepts ;  but  in  the  case 
of  the  minor  cylindrical  piers  the  attached  shafts 
at  the  back  are  omitted  and  the  corresponding 
piers,  or  responds,  on  the  aisle  walls  are  half 
cylinders.  In  omitting  the  shafts,  however, 
the  builders  increased  the  diameter  of  the 
cylinder,  thus  giving  it  a  projection  into  the 
aisle  sufficient  to  receive  the  springing  of  the 
vaulting  ribs  on  that  side.  This  change  was 
followed  Ln  the  later  work  westward.  The  first 
triforium  opening  resembles  in  general  design 
that  in  the  quire  next  the  east  crossing  piers, 
where  there  are  three  jamb  shafts  on  each  side, 
the  inner  receiving  the  sub-arch,  the  middle  one 
the  moulded  containing  arch,  and  the  outer 
being  continued  up  as  a  vaulting  shaft.  In 
the  nave,  however,  where  there  are  no  vaulting 
shafts,  the  outer  shaft  is  finished  with  a  capital 
at  the  same  level  as  the  others,  and  receives 
an  unmoulded  outer  order  to  the  containing 
arch.  The  wall  thickness,  which  in  the  quire 
is  reduced  by  recessing,  is  here  retained,  the 
wall  surface  being  the  same  as  that  of  the  arcade 
wall  below  ;  this  treatment  of  the  w^all  is  con- 
tinued westward  throughout  the  nave  tri- 
forium. The  triple  jamb  shafts  are  repeated 
on  each  side  of  the  pier  over  the  minor  pier 
of  the  great  arcade,  with  a  narrow  strip  of  wall 
surface  between  the  outer  shafts,  at  which  point, 
on  this  story,  the  work  of  the  first  building 
period  ends.  Thus  far,  the  work,  like  that  of  the 
triforium  stage  on  the  west  side  of  the  tran- 
septs, shows  no  preparation  for  a  high  vault, 
and  as  the  triforium  design  of  the  first  bay 
was  continued  in  an  enriched  form  westward  in 
the  second  building  period,  it  has  sometimes 
been  assumed  that  when  the  great  arcade  and 
the  triforium  of  the  rest  of  the  nave  were  built, 


^  More  strictly  it  continues  the  motive  of  the 
triforium  openings  in  the  bays  of  the  transepts  next 
the  crossing,  where  the  earlier  design  is  followed, 
except  that  the  outer  order  of  the  arch  is  not  moulded 
and  has  no  shaft  to  receive  it. 


"3 


IS 


A   HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


the  idea  of  a  vault  had  been  abandoned.  The 
later  builders,  however,  could  scarcely  have  done 
otherwise  than  follow  in  the  triforium  what  had 
been  done  in  the  easternmost  bay,  and  they  may 
have  intended  from  the  first  to  construct  a 
high  vault  with  corbel  supports,  as  had  been 
done  on  the  west  side  of  the  north  transept." 
However  that  may  be,  there  is  evidence  to 
show  that  before  the  clearstory  was  reached 
the  construction  of  a  high  vault  had  been 
thought  out,  and  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  the 
existing  vault  was  built  as  the  original  covering 
of  the  nave. 

That  a  vault  was  intended  before  the 
clearstory  was  completed  is  indicated  by  the 
clearstory  arcade  itself  (which  is  designed  to 
fit  the  lunettes  of  the  vault),  and  by  the  con- 
struction of  the  abutting  arches  over  the  tri- 
forium. Both  the  major  and  minor  piers  of 
the  triforium  are  reinforced  at  the  back  by 
broad  pilasters  of  single  projection,^  and  the 
vault  is  abutted  by  half-arches,  or  rudimentary 
flying  buttresses,***  of  the  same  width  as  the 
pilasters  across  the  triforium  stage  beneath 
the  roof,  \vhich  on  the  outer  wall  spring  from 
shorter  pilasters  with  chamfered  plinths.  The 
fact  that  these  plinths  were  built  with  the  wall 
shows  that  preparation  was  already  being  made 
for  the  abutment  of  a  high  vault,  and  the  arches 
themselves  could  only  have  been  built  when  the 
outer  and  inner  walls  had  been  carried  up  to  a 
sufficient  height  to  receive  them.  The  clearstory 
arcade  is  of  the  same  type  as  that  of  the  north 
transept,  but  of  different  proportions  and  more 
advanced  in  character.  The  semicircular  arches 
spring,  as  in  the  transept,  from  monolithic 
shafts,  but  the  outer  jambs  have  attached 
shafts  with  cushion  capitals.  The  wide  stilted 
arch  in  front  of  the  windo^vs  is  decorated  with 
cheverons,  but  the  smaller  arches  remain  un- 
moulded.  It  should  be  noted  that  the  barrel 
vault  over  the  waU  passage  is  reduced  in  height 
through  the  pier  between  the  openings,  a  measure 
for  which  there  would  have  been  no  need  unless 
a  vault  over  the  nave  had  been  intended,  its 
purpose  being  to  avoid  undue  weakening  of  the 
abutment.  The  whole  of  the  clearstory  is  a 
homogeneous  work  built  at  one  time ;  the 
cheverons  on  the  middle  arches  are  of  the  same 
type  as  those  of  the  triforium  arches  below, 
and  the  cheveron  string-course  belongs  to  the 

*5  Bilson,in  Arch.  Jour,  bcxix,  143. 

**  On  the  easternmost  pier  on  the  north  side,  which  is 
part  of  the  first  work,  there  is  perhaps  an  indication 
that  the  first  intention  was  to  build  a  semicircular 
abutting  arch  as  in  the  quire  and  transepts,  but  there 
is  no  such  indication  on  the  corresponding  pier  on  the 
south  side.     Bilson,  op.  cit.  143. 

66a  "Pyvo  orders  were  added  under  the  flying  arches 
in  1914,  which  brought  some  strong  critici'^m.  Cf. 
Ptoc.  Soc.  Antiq.  (Ser.  2),  xrviii,  52. 


second  building  period  in  its  whole  length, 
up  to  the  west  side  of  the  crossing.  The  set-back 
of  the  face  of  the  clearstory  wall  is  very  slight, 
varying  on  the  north  side  from  i-J  in.  to  6  in., 
and  on  the  south  never  exceeding  2j  in.  The 
height  of  the  clearstory  stage  is  about  12  in. 
more  than  in  the  north  transept,  and  seems  to 
have  been  controlled  by  the  vault. 

The  height  of  the  nave  vault  was  governed 
to  some  extent  by  the  semicircular  west  arch 
of  the  crossing,  w^hich  is  slightly  stilted.  In 
addition  to  the  three  shafts  which  receive  the 
principal  orders  of  this  arch  the  west  piers  of 
the  crossing  have,  as  elsewhere,  an  additional 
shaft  designed  to  receive  the  outer  order  of  the 
arch  on  that  side.  This  shaft,  however,  is  here 
utilised  for  the  springing  of  the  diagonal  ribs 
of  the  east  bay  of  the  nave,  and  the  outer  order 
of  the  crossing  arch,  which  is  decorated  with 
cheverons,  dies  into  the  cell  of  the  vault."  When 
the  walls  of  the  nave  were  carried  up  it  was  in- 
tended that  the  great  transverses  should  be 
semicircular,  repeating  the  west  crossing  arch, 
and  springer  stones  were  set  on  the  capitals 
of  the  great  triple  shafts  for  arches  of  that  shape.** 
The  semicircular  curve  was,  however,  actually 
employed  for  the  diagonal  ribs,  and  this  in  a 
large  measure  controlled  the  design  of  the  nave 
vaulting,  the  transverse  arches  becoming 
pointed  almost  as  a  matter  of  course  in  order 
to  keep  the  ridge  level.*'  But  as  the  height 
did  not  allow  of  pointed  arches  of  a  normal 
form,  they  were  made  segmental,  the  centres 
being  dropped  so  considerably  that  the  curves 
spring  from  the  capitals  with  great  abruptness. 
The  pointed  arch,  too,  avoided  the  weakness 
of  a  flat  crown,  and  the  whole  vault  of  the  nave 
shows  a  remarkable  advance  on  those  of  the 
transepts.  The  transverses  have  two  orders, 
the  wide  inner  ones  moulded  with  a  roll  between 
two  hollows,  and  the  outer  ornamented  with 
cheverons.  In  the  easternmost  sub-bay  the  curves 
of  the  diagonal  ribs  are  very   slightly   stilted, 

*'  The  vault  springs  from  the  same  level  as  the 
crossing  arches. 

**  Mr.  Bilson  points  out  that  in  five  cases  of  the  eight 
the  lowest  stone  of  the  inner  order  was  thus  built  for 
a  semicircular  arch,  but  that  in  the  three  others  the 
segmental  curve  of  the  inner  order  starts  directly  from 
the  top  of  the  capital.  The  lowest  voussoirs,  or 
springers,  of  the  outer  order  are  some  5  in.  to  7  in. 
wider  than  those  above  them.  They  were  built  on  the 
capitals  as  the  work  went  up,  but  when  the  walls  had 
been  carried  up  to  a  sufficient  height  to  enable  the 
arches  and  vault  to  be  built  the  soffit  width  of  the 
outer  order  was  reduced  in  order  that  the  diagonal  ribs 
might  clear  themselves  better  at  the  springing.  Op. 
cit.  147. 

*9  The  apex  of  the  extrados  of  the  pointed  transverse 
arch  is  only  a  few  inches  higher  than  the  crown  of  the 
extrados  of  the  semicircular  crossing  arch.  Bilson, 
op.  cit.  152. 


114 


Durham  Catiiedrai.  :    Tiik  Nave,  looking  South-east 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


but  in  the  second  and  third  bays  the  height  from 
the  springing  to  the  key  of  the  ribs  increases ; 
from  this  point,  tlie  width  of  the  bays  being 
greater  and  the  height  of  the  ribs  the  same, 
their  curve  is  a  Httle  less  than  a  semicircle. 
In  consequence  of  this  the  keys  of  the  diagonal 
ribs  are  higher  than  the  crowns  of  the  trans- 
verse arches,  and  the  crowns  of  the  cells  rise 
from  the  latter  to  the  former. 

The  ribs  are  moulded  with  a  roll  between 
two  rows  of  cheverons,  and,  like  the  transverses, 
are  constructed  of  thin  stones.  With  one  excep- 
tion all  the  keys  are  lozenge-shaped.  The  cells 
are  built  of  coursed  rubble,  plastered  on  the 
underside  ;  where  tested  their  thickness  varies 
from  12  in.  to  20  in.  throughout  the  vault; 
except  in  the  two  western  compartments,  the 
diagonal  ribs  spring  from  corbels,  set  in  pairs  in 
the  middle  of  each  double  bay  and  singly  next 
the  capitals  of  the  great  triple  shafts.  The 
corbels  are  carved  with  grotesque  masks  and 
each  pair  has  a  common  abacus.  The  piers  of 
the  transverse  arch  between  the  western  towers 
have  an  extra  shaft  on  either  side  which  receive 
the  ribs. 

Westward  of  the  first  double  bay  the  arches 
of  the  main  arcade  differ  in  detail  from  the 
earlier  work.  In  the  inner  order  the  soffit 
roll  is  flanked  on  each  side  by  a  single  hollow 
instead  of  a  roll  and  hollow,  while  the  second 
orders  are  decorated  with  cheverons  worked 
round  a  convex  profile.  On  the  side  facing 
the  nave  there  is  an  outer  order  of  slight  pro- 
jection decorated  with  a  series  of  sunk  squares 
above  a  small  angle  roU.  The  arches  spring 
from  triple-shafted  responds  with  cushion 
capitals  set  against  the  great  piers  and  from  minor 
cylindrical  columns,  the  cushion  capitals  of  which 
have  each  an  eight-sided  abacus.  The  western- 
most pier  on  each  side  is  oblong  in  general  plan, 
being  thus  strengthened  to  carry  the  towers. 
The  respond  shafts  have  plain  moulded  bases 
standing  on  the  pedestals  of  the  great  piers, 
which  carry  also  the  bases  of  the  vaulting  shafts, 
and  are  cruciform  in  plan,  consisting  of  a  course 
of  plain  stones  capped  by  a  double  quirk- 
chamfered  moulding,  or  projecting  band,  like 
that  of  the  piers  on  the  east  side  of  the  cross- 
ing and  in  the  transepts.  The  pedestals  of  the 
cylindrical  columns  are  similar,  but  square  on 
plan. 

All  the  cylinders  have  incised  decoration, 
but  of  a  more  advanced  character  than  that  of 
the  columns  in  the  quire.  The  two  which  belong 
to  the  first  work  have  a  lozengy  pattern  with  two 
narrow  V-shaped  grooves,  leaving  blank  squares 
at  the  intersections ;  the  next  pair  are  covered 
with  cheverons  worked  with  a  sunk  bead  between 
two  fillets  and  hollows,  and  have  a  narrow  band 
of  star  ornament  immediately  below  the  necks 
of  the  capitals  j    while  the  pair  in  the  third 


double  bay  have  vertical  flutes  and  large  beads 
separated  by  fillets.***  The  wall  face  above  the 
arches  is  quite  plain  throughout. 

The  triforium  is  of  eight  bays.  The  eastern- 
most opening  has  already  been  described ; 
the  next  and  all  the  remaining  openings  west- 
ward are  similar  in  design,  but  the  containing 
arch  is  decorated  with  the  cheveron,  on  the 
south  side  on  both  orders,  but  on  the  north  on 
the  inner  order  only,**  the  outer  having  an  angle 
roll  with  plain  cheverons  sunk  in  the  flat  face 
above.  The  tympanum  is  solid  in  every  case, 
and  the  triforium  string  has  a  plain  chamfered 
face  throughout.  The  triforium  gallery  is  lighted 
from  the  outside  by  round-headed  windows  with 
external  shafted  jambs;  on  the  south  side  small 
pointed  windows  were  inserted,  one  on  each  side 
of  the  original  opening,  at  a  later  date,  but 
have  since  been  blocked  up.*^ 

The  clearstory  arcade  has  been  described. 
The  wall-passage  runs  from  end  to  end  and 
the  windows  are  semicircular  arched,  with 
external  shafted  jambs  and  arches  of  two  orders, 
the  inner  ornamented  with  cheverons. 

The  aisles  are  covered  throughout  with 
quadripartite  vaults  divided  by  semicircular 
transverses,  and  are  lighted  by  large  round- 
headed  windows,  one  to  each  bay,  all  of  which, 
like  most  of  those  of  the  triforium  and  clear- 
story, have  been  'restored.'*'  Below  the  windows 
the  wall  arcade  is  continued  along  the  whole 
length  of  the  aisles  and  across  the  west  end  of  the 
nave,  interrupted  only  by  the  several  doorways. 
The  vaulting  of  the  two  eastern  bays  of  each 
aisle  is  in  every  way  similar  to  that  in  the  quire 
aisles,  the  ribs  being  plainly  moulded  with  a 
roll  between  two  hollows.  In  the  later  bays  west- 
ward the  ribs  have  cheverons  on  each  side  of  the 
roll,  similar  in  type  to  those  in  the  arcade  arches.** 
The  half-round  piers,  or  responds,  on  the  outer 
walls,  have  cushion  capitals  and  pedestalled 
bases  similar  to  those  of  the  nave  columns 
and  piers.  The  westernmost  bay  on  each  side 
(beneath  the  towers)  is  of  greater  width  than 
the  others,  as  the  towers  project  considerably 

*"  The  decoration  in  all  cases  was  worked  on  the 
stones  before  they  were  set.  Bilson,  op.  cit.  112. 

*i  The  cheverons  of  the  inner  orders  start  with 
a  roll  on  each  side,  but  those  on  the  outer  order  of  the 
south  side  have  a  single  roll  between  the  fillets.  All 
are  modelled  on  a  convex  profile. 

*2  In  1849;  they  c.in  still  be  seen  from  the  in- 
terior. 

**  The  mullions  and  tracery  inserted  in  these  win- 
dows in  the  15th  century  were  removed  in  1S48  in 
order  to  restore  them  to  their  '  Norm.in  simplicity.' 
Externally  the  heads  and  jambs  are  entirely  new.  The 
clearstory  windows  on  the  south  were  restored  in 
1849,  and  those  on  the  north  in  1850,  the  inserted 
tracery  being  then  removed. 

**  Except  in  the  westernmost  bays  below  the  towers, 
where  they  are  simply  moulded. 


IIS 


A   HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


beyond  the  walls  of  the  aisles.  The  ribs  of  the 
vault  are  therefore  of  greater  span  and  the  vault 
itself  is  higher  than  in  the  other  bays.  In 
order  to  give  the  ribs  greater  height  their  spring- 
ing was  lowered  by  placing  the  capitals  of  the 
shafts  which  receive  them  below  the  level  of 
those  of  the  arches  opening  into  the  nave  and 
aisles.  The  staircase  turrets  of  the  towers 
project  into  these  bays  in  their  north-west 
and  south-west  angles  respectively,  each  stair- 
case having  a  doorway  similar  to  those  in  the 
transept  turrets.  The  vault  of  the  north-west 
tower  has  a  round  eye-hole  in  the  cell  next 
the  nave.  There  is  a  window  at  the  west  end 
of  each  aisle  above  the  roof  of  the  Galilee.** 
The  window  on  the  south  side  of  the  south- 
west tower  is  blocked  by  the  west  range  of  the 
monastic  buildings. 

The  west  wall  of  the  nave  has  three  doorways 
in  the  ground  stage,  the  middle  one  being 
the  original  great  doorway,  which  has  a  semi- 
circular arch  of  two  orders  supported  on  each 
side  by  a  single  shaft  with  cushion  capitals. 
The  inner  order  is  decorated  with  cheveron  and 
the  outer  with  enriched  circular  medallions,  the 
centre  one  having  on  it  a  human  face,  the  others 
grotesque  animals  and  figures.  The  exterior 
recessed  face  of  the  doorway,  now  in  the  Galilee, 
has  four**  orders  of  cheveron  and  a  hood  mould 
of  lozenges  each  divided  into  triangular  spaces, 
alternately  sunk  and  in  relief.  The  lower  part 
of  the  opening  has  long  been  blocked  by  the 
altar  platform  of  the  Galilee  chapel  erected  by 
Bishop  Langley,  but  the  upper  part  remained 
open  until  1846,  when  the  present  great  wooden 
doors  were  erected.  The  doorways  on  either 
side,  at  the  ends  of  the  aisles,  have  four-centred 
heads  within  a  square  label  and  were  inserted  by 
Bishop  Langley  when  he  fiUed  in  the  west  door- 
way ;  his  arms  are  in  the  spandrels.  Over  the 
middle  doorway,  filling  the  wall  of  the  nave 
proper,  is  the  great  pointed  west  window  of 
seven  lights,  with  very  beautiful  leaf  tracery, 
inserted  by  Prior  John  Fossor  about  1346.  It 
is  known  as  the  Jesse  window  and  originally 
contained  glass  representing  the  stem  of  Jesse. 
It  is  described  in  Rites  as  '  a  most  fyne  large 
wyndowe  of  glass,  being  the  hoU  storie  of  the 
Rute  of  Jesse  in  most  fyne  coloured  glas,  verie 
fynely  and  artificially  pictured  and  wrought  in 
coulers,  veri  goodly  and  pleasantlie  to  behoulde, 
with  Mary  and  Christ  in  her  arms  in  the  top.'*' 
The  present  glass  dates  from  1867. 

The  great  north  doorway  of  the  nave  is  in  the 
sixth  bay  of  the  aisle  and  has    a    semicircular 

*^  The  glass  in  these  windows  dates  from  1848. 

•'  Originally  there  were  five  orders,  the  inner  one, 
with  the  shafts  belonging  to  it,  having  been  removed 
probably  when  the  Galilee  was  built.  Greenwell, 
Durh.   Cath.   52. 

•'  Rites  of  Durh.  42. 


arch  of  three  orders**  on  the  inner  face,  supported 
by  two  shafts  on  each  side.  The  two  inner 
orders  are  decorated  each  with  the  cheveron,  and 
the  outer  with  a  foliage  pattern  having  eighteen 
lozenge-shaped  compartments  on  it  carved 
with  grotesque  animals,  birds  and  figure  sub- 
jects.*' The  outer  shaft  on  each  side  is  plain, 
but  the  whole  surface  of  the  inner  ones  is  covered 
with  interlacing  foliage  work  forming  circles 
and  lozenges,  which  contain  grotesque  beasts 
and  human  figures,  one  a  man  riding  a  lion. 
The  capitals  of  all  the  shafts  are  carved  with 
foliage  and  animals  and  the  abaci  with  a  leaf 
pattern.'"  The  exterior  face  of  the  doorway 
has  five  recessed  orders  supported  on  shafts, 
but  only  the  innermost  order,  which  has  the 
cheveron  moulding,  is  in  its  original  state.  The 
middle  and  outer  orders  have  also  the  cheveron, 
and  the  intermediate  ones  a  hollow  between  two 
rolls,  but  the  whole  of  the  surface  suffered  con- 
siderably in  Wyatt's  restoration  and  is  also 
much  weathered.  The  ogee  label  and  panelled 
gable  above,  together  with  the  flanking  pinnacled 
buttresses,  are  late  18th-century  work  of 
poor  type,'i  but  the  side  walls  behind  form 
part  of  the  original  shallow  porch  which  rose 
the  full  height  of  the  triforium  stage.  Over 
the  porch  were  two  chambers,  the  steps  down  to 
which  still  remain  in  the  triforium  passage,  for 
the  use  of  those  who  admitted  men  to  sanctuary, 
lighted  by  two  round-headed  windows  facing 
north  above  the  doorway .'^  The  porch  appears 
to  have  been  heightened  and  otherwise  altered 
in  the  13th  century,  old  engravings  showing  a 
high  gable  between  great  turret  buttresses, 
below  which  was  a  wide  pointed  arch  springing 
at  the  level  of  the  triforium  roof,  and  enclosing 
an  arcade  of  three  arches.'^  On  the  door  are 
indications  of  former  elaborate  ironwork,  but 
the    12th-century    bronze    ring,    or    'knocker,' 

*•  The  outer  order,  like  that  of  the  west  doorway, 
might  be  termed  a  label. 

*'  Two  are  centaurs,  another  has  two  figures  em- 
bracing, a  fourth  a  boy  being  vvliipped,  a  fifth  a  man 
strangling  another  with  a  rope  ;  two  others  have  each 
a  man  performing  some  gymnastic  feat,  and  another 
what  appears  to  be  a  representation  of  Samson  and 
the  Hon.     Greenwell,  op.  cit.  52. 

'0  Ibid.  51. 

'1  '  The  present  doorway  exhibits  externally  a 
wretched  mass  of  incongruity.  The  greater  part  of 
the  arch  itself  is  original  .  .  .  but  above,  all  is  in  the 
most  miserable  taste.'  Raine,  Durh.  Cath.  (1833), 
20. 

'2  There  were  also  two  windows  to  the  aisle,  now 
blocked,  but  visible  over  the  north  doorway. 

'*  The  porch  is  shown  in  Carter's  drawing  of  the 
north  front  (18 10),  reconstructed  from  the  evidence  of 
older  drawings.  It  is  also  seen  in  a  water-colour 
dravvdng  of  the  north  side  of  the  cathedra]  of  the 
end  of  the  i8th  century,  reproduced  in  Trans.  Durh. 
and  Northumb.  Arch.  Soc.  1896-99,  p.  29  and  pi.  i. 

16 


A 


■-J 


Durham  Catiii;drai.  :    Thl  Prior's  ])oorv\ay 


CITY  OF   DURHAM 


is  still  in  position.  The  ring  hangs  from  the 
jaws  of  a  grotesque  head,  the  eyes  of  which, 
now  hollow,  were  originally  filled  in  some  way, 
perhaps  with  enamel.'* 

On  the  south  side  of  the  nave  are  two  doorways 
opening  to  the  cloister  and  forming  the  eastern 
and  western  processional  doors.  The  first  is  in 
the  easternmost  bay  of  the  aisle  and  has  a  semi- 
circular stilted  arch  of  two  orders  on  the  inside,  of 
the  end  of  the  first  building  period  ;  both  orders 
are  moulded  with  a 
roll  between  two 
hollows,  the  inner 
continuous  and  the 
outer  on  single  jamb 
shafts  with  volute 
capitals.  The  ex- 
ternal face  is  of  later 
date,  probably  of  the 
time  of  Pudsey,  and 
has  an  unstilted 
semicircular  arch  of 
four  orders,  the  inner- 
most continuous,  the 
others  supported  on 
shafts  with  carved 
capitals  and  moulded 
bases  on  high  plinths. 
All  four  orders  are 
richly  moulded,  the 
innermost  with 
lozenges,  the  second 
with  enriched  billets, 
the  third  with  a 
deeply  hollowed 
spiral  pattern,  while 
the  outer  order,  now 
much  broken,  appears 
to  have  consisted  of 
a  species  of  cheveron. 

The  other  doorway 
is  in  the  sixth  bay 
doorway,    and    has 


Durham  Cathedral:  12th-century  Ring  or 
Knocker  on  North  Door 


opposite  the  great  north 
a  semicircular  arch  of 
three  orders,  the  inner  supported  on  single 
shafts,  the  two  outer  on  coupled  shafts,  all  with 
cushion  capitals.  The  two  inner  orders  are 
decorated  with  cheveron  and  the  outer  with  a 
floriated  ornament  set  with  medallions,  the 
lower  four  on  each  side  containing  alternately 
conventional  leaves  and  grotesque  animals,  and 
the  three  middle  ones  each  a  leaf.  The  shafts 
are  all  elaborately  ornamented,  the  two  outer 
ones  on  each  side  with  a  lozenge  pattern  of 
parallel  ridges  and  grooves,  and  the  inner  one 
with  a  pattern  of  the  same  type  but  different  in 
character,  the  space  in  the  centre  of  each  lozenge 

'*  '  The  flanges  by  which  something  representing 
eyes  were  fixed  still  remain.'  Boyle,  op.  cit.  261.  The 
diameter  of  the  head,  from  tip  to  tip  of  the  ray-like 
mane,  is  22  in. 


being  occupied  by  four  leaves.  The  capitals 
are  covered  with  a  pattern  of  grotesque  animals 
and  foliage."  On  the  external  face  the  arch  is 
of  three  cheveroned  orders  supported  on  shafts 
with  lozenge  ornament  ;  the  ornament  on  this 
side  of  the  doorway  is  much  decayed.  The 
door  itself  retains  its  scroll  hinges  and  is  covered 
with  elaborate  contemporary  ironwork  of  beauti- 
ful design. 

This  doorway  and  the  great  north  doorway 
opposite  appear  to 
be  as  late  as  the  time 
of  Bishop  Geoffrey 
Rufus  (1133-40),  or 
even  later,  the  re- 
semblance between 
certain  features  in  the 
sculpture  and  that 
on  the  doorway  of  the 
Chapter  House  and 
on  the  corbels  which 
once  supported  its 
eastern  vaulting  ribs 
being  very  marked.'* 
In  the  fifth  bay  of 
the  south  aisle  a  door- 
way, now  blocked, 
was  at  a  later  time 
cut  through  the  wall 
to  the  enclosed  north 
alley  of  the  cloister. 

In  the  floor  of  the 
nave  between  the 
great  piers  immedi- 
ately west  of  the 
north  and  south 
doorways  is  the  '  row 
of  blue  marble  '  de- 
scribed in  Rites,'" 
forming  a  cross  of 
two  short  arms  at 
of  which  no  woman  was 


the  centre,  eastward 
allowed  to  pass. 

Of  the  various  FITTINGS  AND  FURNISH- 
INGS OF  THE  NAFE  few  traces  remain. 
The  rood  screen,  described  in  Rites  as  '  a  high 


'^  GreenweU,  op.  cit.  51. 

'*  Ibid.  The  Chapter  House  was  finished  by 
Geoffrey  Rufus.  Prof.  Hamilton  Thompson  would 
give  the  date  of  the  north  doorway,  that  opposite  to 
it  and  the  west  doorway  as  about  1160,  and  the 
doorway  to  the  eastern  alley  of  the  cloister  he 
considers  contemporary  with  the  completion  of  the 
Gahlee  (c.  1 1 75). 

"  '  There  is  betwixt  the  pillar  of  the  north  syde  .  .  . 
and  the  piller  that  standith  over  against  yt  of  the  south 
syde,  from  the  one  of  them  to  the  other,  a  rowe  of 
blewe  marble,  and  in  the  mydest  of  the  said  rowe  ther 
is  a  cross  of  blewe  marble,  in  token  that  all  women 
that  came  to  here  di\Tne  service  should  not  be  suf- 
fered to  come  above  the  said  cross.'  Rites,  35- 


117 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


stone  wall,'  stood  before  the  western  piers  of 
the  crossing,  with  the  Jesus  altar  in  front  and  a 
doorway  at  either  end.'*  On  the  face  of  the 
screen,  from  pillar  to  pillar,  was  '  the  whole 
story  and  passion  of  our  Lord  wrought  in  stone  ' 
and  over  this  the  *  story  and  pictures  of  the 
twelve  apostles,'  while  upon  the  wall  *  above  the 
height  of  all '  stood  the  '  most  goodly  and 
famous  rood  that  was  in  aU  the  land,  with  the 
picture  of  Mary  on  the  one  side  and  the  picture 
of  John  on  the  other,  with  two  splendid  and 
glistering  archangels.'  '•  Each  end  of  the  Jesus 
altar  was  '  closed  up  with  fine  wainscot,'  in 
which  were  four  aumbries  on  the  south  side 
and  a  door  in  the  north. 

The  second  and  third  bays  of  the  south  aisle 
formed  the  Neville  chantry,  in  which  was  an 
altar  '  with  a  faire  allabaster  table'*  over  it.' 
This  chantry  chapel  was  enclosed  at  each  end 
by  '  a  little  stone  wall,'  that  at  the  east  being 
'  somewhat  higher  than  the  altar  '  and  wains- 
coted above  ;  the  other  had  an  '  iron  grait  ' 
on  top,  and  towards  the  nave  the  chapel  was 
'  invyroned  with  iron.'  In  1416  the  bodies  of 
Ralph,  Lord  Neville  (d.  1367),  and  Alice  de 
Audley,  his  wife  (d.  1374),  were  moved  to  the 
chapel  from  before  the  Jesus  altar  where  they 
had  been  originally  buried,'^  and  their  monument, 
much  defaced,*-  still  stands  '  betwixt  two 
pillars '  of  the  nave  arcade  in  the  second  sub- 
bay.  The  alabaster  effigy  of  Ralph  Neville  is 
reduced  to  a  headless  and  mutilated  trunk,  but 
that  of  the  lady  is  tolerably  perfect,  though  the 
face  is  destroyed.  The  table  tomb  on  which 
they  rest  has  been  stripped  of  nearly  all  its 
ornamentation,  a  portion  of  panelling  above 
the  plinth,  with  shields  set  in  quatrefoils,  alone 
remaining.  In  the  next  bay  westward  is  the 
monument  of  their  son  John,  Lord  Neville 
(d.  1386),  and  his  wife  Maud  Percy  ;  the  tomb 
has  canopied  niches,*^  with  weepers,  all  round, 
separated  by  trefoiled  panels  containing  shields 
which  bear  alternately  the  Neville  saltire  and 
the  Percy  lion  rampant.  Of  the  effigies  little 
remains  but  the  shattered  and  broken  trunks. 


'*  '  Two  rood  doors  for  the  procession  to  go  forth 
and  come  in  at.'     Rites,  32. 

'*  '  What  for  the  fairness  of  the  wall,  the  stateliness 
of  the  pictures  and  the  livelyhood  of  the  painting,  it 
was  thought  to  be  one  of  the  goodliest  monuments  in 
(the)  church.'  Ibid.  34. 

*"  Reredos. 

**  Ralph,  Lord  Neville,  was  the  first  layman  to  be 
buried  in  the  church. 

*2  The  mutilation  of  this  and  the  adjoining  tomb  is 
said  to  be  due  to  the  Scottish  prisoners  taken  at  the 
battle  of  Dunbar,  who  were  confined  in  the  church  in 
1650. 

*'  There  are  six  niches  on  each  side  and  three  on 
each  end  ;  the  weepers  remain  in  aU  but  two,  but  are 
without  heads. 


'  reduced  to  something  like  great  boulders.'** 
In  the  floor  close  by  is  a  blue  slab  with  the 
matrix  of  the  brass  of  Robert  Neville,  Bishop  of 
Durham   (d.    1457).** 

The  altar  of  Our  Lady  of  Pity*"  stood  between 
the  pillars  of  the  north  arcade  in  the  bay  im- 
mediately west  of  the  north  doorway,  and  that 
of  the  Bound  Rood*'  in  the  corresponding  situa- 
tion on  the  south  ;  both  were  '  enclosed  on  each 
side  with  wainscote.'  Another  altar,  known  as 
St.  Saviour's,  stood  on  the  north  side  of  the 
north-west  tower.**  Attached  to  the  piers 
immediately  west  of  the  north  and  south  doors 
were  holy  water  stoups  of  marble,  that  on  the 
north  serving  '  all  those  that  came  that  waie 
to  here  divyne  service,'  the  other  '  the  prior 
and  all  the  convent  with  the  whole  house.'*' 
These  stoups  were  taken  away  by  Dean  Whitting- 
ham  (1563-79)  and  put  to  '  profane  uses '  in 
his  kitchen  and  buttery.**  There  was  another 
near  the  south-east  doorway.'* 

Of  modern  monuments  west  of  the  quire  the 
chief  is  that  of  Bishop  Shute  Barrington  (d. 
1826),  a  marble  statue  by  Chantrey,  in  which  the 
bishop  is  represented  kneeling.  In  the  nave  is 
a  recumbent  marble  statue  of  Dr.  James  Britton, 
sometime  master  of  Durham  Grammar  School 
(d.  1836),  and  a  tablet  to  Sir  George  Wheler, 
antiquary  and  traveller,  the  holder  of  a  stall 
in  the  Cathedral  (d.  1723).'^  There  are  other 
memorial  tablets  but  none  of  interest. 

The  present  font  dates  from  1846  and  has  a 
rectangular  bowl  of  Caen  stone  supported  on 
pillars,  in  the  style  of  the  12th  century.  It 
took  the  place  of  a  white  marble  font  of  chalice 
type  erected  by  Cosin  in  1663,  which  was  given 
in  1846  to  Pittington  Church,  where  it  now  is. 
Cosin's  lofty  canopyof  tabernacle  work,  however, 
survived  all  the  19th-century  restorations.  It  is 
a  splendid  piece  of  work,  standing  on  eight 
fluted  pillars  with  composite  capitals,  the  lower 

^^  Rites  of  Diirh.  (Dr.  Fowler's  notes),  245. 

*^  According  to  Rites,  p.  40,  he  was  buried  in  the 
chantry,  but  Leland  says  he  lay  in  '  a  high  plain  mar- 
ble tombe  in  the  Galile.'     Greenwell,  op.  cit.  95. 

**  So  called  from  '  a  picture  of  our  Lady  carrying 
our  Saviour  on  her  knee,  as  He  was  taken  from  the 
crosse,  very  lamentable  to  behold.'     Rites  of  Durh.  38. 

*'  '  An  alter  with  a  roode  representing  the  passion 
of  our  Saviour,  having  his  handes  bounde,  with  a 
crowne  of  thorne  on  his  head,  being  commonly 
called  the  Bound  Roode.'     Ibid.  41. 

**  The  north  end  of  the  altar  slab  was  built  into  the 
wall.  Its  site  is  now  occupied  by  the  monument  to 
Capt.  R.  M.  Hunter,  killed  at  Ferozeshah,  1845. 

*9  Rites  of  Durh.  38. 

»»  Ibid.  61. 

'1  Ibid.  40.  '  A  piece  of  Frosterley  marble  let  into 
the  corner  where  the  south  transept  and  south  aisle 
of  the  nave  join  may  mark  its  site.'  Greenwell,  op. 
cit.  97. 

'2  He  is  buried  in  the  Galilee. 


118 


CITY   OF  DURHAM 


stage  being  of  classic,  and  the  upper  stages  of 
pronounced  Gothic  design."^ 

The  present  pulpit  dates  from  the  restoration 
of  1876  and  is  of  Devonshire  alabaster  and  marble 
inlay,  standing  on  columns  of  Siena  marble 
inlaid  with  mosaic.'* 

The    pelican    lectern    was    designed    by    Sir 

Gilbert  Scott  from  the  description  of  the  ancient 

■  lectern  at  the   north  end  of  the  high  altar  in 

Rites.     It    is   of  brass,'^  enriched  with  filigree 

work  and  adorned  with  crystals  and  amethysts. 

THE  GALILEE  CHAPEL,  built  by  Bishop 
Pudsey,  consists  of  five  aisles,**  separated  by 
four  arcades,  each  of  four  depressed  semicircular 
arches  resting  on  pairs  of  separate  Purbeck 
marble  shafts  with  joined  moulded  bases  and 
square  waterlcaf  capitals  having  high  moulded 
abaci.  These  columns  are  now  converted  into 
clustered  shafts,  quatrefoil  on  plan,  by  the 
addition  of  stone  shafts  on  the  east  and  west 
sides  of  each  pair,  with  capitals  and  bases  in 
close  imitation  of  the  old  work.  This  addition 
was  made  by  Bishop  Langley,  who  put  a  new 
roof  on  the  chapel,  and  raised  the  wall  above 
the  two  middle  arcades.  These  extra  shafts 
may  have  been  added  out  of  timidity,  or  for 
ajsthctic  reasons.  The  arches  of  the  arcades 
are  very  richly  decorated  with  three  rows  of 

'^  Of  the  prc-Rcformation  font  no  proper  record 
seems  to  have  been  preserved.  Peter  Smart  described 
the  font  in  use  in  Elizabethan  times  as  '  comely,  like 
to  that  of  St.  Paul's  at  London  and  in  other  cathe- 
drals.' Tliis  was  replaced  by  one  of  marble  about 
1621,  which  was  described  thirteen  years  later  as  '  not 
to  be  paralleled  in  the  land.'  It  was  '  eight  square, 
with  an  iron  grate  raised  two  yards  every  square,'  and 
all  about  it  was  '  artificially  wrought  and  carved  with 
such  variety  of  joiners  work  as  makes  all  the  beholders 
thereof  to  admire.'  Raine,  Durh.  Cath.  15.  Smart 
called  it  '  a  mausoleum,  towering  up  to  the  roof  of  the 
church,  a  most  sumptuous  fabric  and  costly,  partly  of 
wood  and  partly  of  stone.'  This  font  and  cover  were 
destroyed  by  the  Scotch  prisoners  in  1650. 

'*  In  1845  a  new  pulpit,  designed  by  Salvin,  was 
erected  in  the  quire  opposite  the  Bishop's  throne.  It 
took  the  place  of  one  of  wood,  which  was  presented  to 
the  University.  Raine  in  1833  described  the  pulpit 
then  in  use  as  of  '  comparatively  modern  date.'  It 
stood  originally  in  the  middle  of  the  quire,  with  a 
sounding  board  over  it.  It  was  probably  the  pulpit 
erected  in  1726,  recorded  in  the  chapter  minutes. 
Salvin's  pulpit  was  removed  in  1876. 

'^  The  brass  is  described  as  '  a  new  composition, 
the  result  of  an  analysis  of  the  ancient  gray  brass.' 
The  ancient  lectern  is  described  in  Rites,  13. 

"*  The  aisles  vary  slightly  in  width  between  the 
arcades,  the  northernmost  measuring  12  ft.  H  in., 
and  the  others  from  north  to  south  13  ft.  11  in.,  13  ft. 
9  in.,  13  ft.  7  in.,  and  13  ft.  8  in.  respectively.  The 
thickness  of  the  arcade  wall  is  in  each  case  2  ft.  2  in., 
making  up  the  tot.il  width  of  76  ft.  6  in.  from  north  to 
south.  The  floor  of  the  chapel  is  20  in.  below  that  of 
the  nave. 


double  cheveron  moulding  separated  by  rolls. 
The  responds  on  the  east  and  west  walls  have 
not  the  additional  shafts.  Those  abutting  upon 
the  jambs  of  the  west  door  of  the  nave  are  some- 
what clumsily  adjusted  in  relation  to  the  older 
work.  The  east  side  of  the  chapel  has  in  the 
centre  the  great  black  marble  platform  of  the 
Lady  Altar*'  erected  by  Bishop  Langley,  of 
which  his  tomb  forms  part,  steps  rising  on  either 
side  of  it  to  the  altar  platform  itself.  The 
opening  of  the  west  doorway  was  at  one  time 
filled  hy  a  painted  wooden  reredos  of  15th- 
century  date,  unfortunately  destroyed  in  1845. 
It  is  described  in  Rites  as  having  been  '  devised 
and  furnished  with  most  heavenly  pictures  .  .  . 
lively  in  colours  and  gilting,'  and  is  shown  in 
drawings  made  by  Carter  in  1795.**  The 
altar  stood  within  the  doorway  opening,  in 
the  south  jamb  of  which  is  a  large  recess  which 
originally  formed  part  of  one  of  the  '  two  fine 
and  close  aumeryes '  of  wainscot  at  either  side 
behind  the  portal.**  The  mensa  is  now  placed 
in  the  floor  of  the  platform  where  the  altar 
formerly  stood.  Langley's  tomb  is  of  blue 
marble  and  its  top  is  quite  plain,  but  round  its 
moulded  edge  is  a  chase  for  an  inscription  in 
brass,  now  lost.  The  tomb  projects  some  6  ft. 
westward  into  the  chapel,  and  at  its  west  end 
are  three  panels  each  containing  a  large  shield 
with  the  bishop's  arms.  The  chantry  chapel, 
or  Canterie,  in  which  the  tomb  and  altar  stood, 
occupied  two  bays  of  the  middle  aisle,  a  space 
of  about  24  ft.  by  13  ft.,  its  floor  raised  a  step 
above  that  of  the  Galilee,  and  enclosed  each  side 
by  an  open  screen. ^ 

On  either  side  of  the  west  doorway  of  the  nave 
is  a  wide  round-headed  altar  recess,  quite  plain 
in  section  but  having  a  double  cheveron  ornament 
on  the  face  of  the  arch  ;  that  on  the  north 
contained  the  altar  of  Our  Lady  of  Pity  and  that 
on  the  south  Bede's  altar.  These  recesses  are 
formedin  the  original  west  wall  of  the  church,  and 
cut  away  the  foot  of  the  buttresses  flanking  the 
west  window  of  the  nave.  The  east  end  of  the 
northernmost  aisle,  now  pierced  by  one  of 
Langley's  doorways,  has  a  13th-century  inner 
pointed  arch  of  two  moulded  orders  and  dog- 
tooth   label,    supported    on   short    shafts   with 

*'  The  chantry  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  and  St.  Cuth- 
bert  was  founded  by  Langley  in  1414  ;  the  deed  of 
dedication  is  dated  18  June.     Greenwell,  op.  cit.  89. 

**  Three  drawings  of  the  east  side  of  the  Gahlee, 
reproduced  in  Trans.  Archit.  and  Arch.  Soc.  Durh. 
W  Northumh.  v,  29  (1907).  The  back  of  the  reredos  was 
divided  into  five  panels,  each  of  which  contained  a 
large  standing  figure  with  a  smaller  figure  above.  There 
were  also  side  wings  and  a  ceiling  of  wood  divided  into 
oblong  panels. 

**  Rites  of  Durh.  44.     Fowler's  Notes,  232. 

1  It  appears  to  have  been  made  between  1433  and 
1435.     Greenwell,  op.  cit.  89. 


119 


A  HISTORY  OF   DURHAM 


moulded  capitals,  and  bases  raised  5  ft.  above  the 
chapel  floor.  The  recess  thus  formed  may  have 
originally  contained  an  altar,  and  it  has  been 
suggested  that  the  altar  of  Our  Lady  of  Pity 
first  stood  there  and  was  removed  by  Langley 
to  its  present  position,'^  a  position  probably 
occupied  originally  by  the  principal  altar  to  the 
Blessed  Virgin  which  Langley  placed  in  front 
of  the  great  doorway.  In  the  soffit,  jambs 
and  back  of  each  of  the  recesses  on  either  side  of 
the  doorway  are  considerable  remains  of  paint- 
ing, those  in  the  northern  recess  being  in  a  fine 
state  of  preservation.  This  painting,  which  is 
for  the  most  part  contemporary  with  the  build- 
ing, consists  of  a  band  of  conventional  leaf  orna- 
ment running  round  the  recess  at  the  level  of 
the  springing,  a  larger  pattern  of  similar  nature 
on  the  soffit,  and  a  panel  on  the  inside  face  of 
each  jamb  ;  on  the  panels  on  the  north  and 
south  sides  respectively  are  figures  of  a  king  and 
bishop,  probably  St.  Oswald  and  St.  Cuthbert, 
in  architectural  canopies.  The  colours — green, 
blue,  red  and  yellow,  with  dark  brown  outlines — 
are  still  very  fresh,  and  the  figures  are  boldly  and 
effectively  drawn  in  the  finest  style  of  12th- 
century  painting,  in  round  arched  niches  with 
masonry  towers  in  spandrels  and  apex.  The 
back  of  the  recess,  below  the  ornamental  band, 
is  occupied  by  a  painted  representation  of  hang- 
ings, or  looped  drapery,  with  borders  at  top  and 
bottom,  but  the  middle  part  on  which  no  doubt 
was  the  picture  of  Our  Lady  '  carryinge  our 
Saviour  on  her  knee,  as  he  was  taken  from  the 
cross,''  is  now  completely  defaced.  This  drapery, 
which  is  of  a  pale  yellow  colour,  is  probably  of 
later  date  than  the  rest  of  the  painting,  but  is 
certainly  not  post-Reformation.* 

The  grave  of  the  Venerable  Bede,*  in  front  of 
where  his  altar  stood,  is  marked  by  a  plain  table 
tomb  of  blue  marble  made  in  1542,  after  the 
shrine  had  been  defaced.*  The  grave  was  opened 
in  1831,'  when  the  coffin  and  bones  were  found 
3  ft.  below  the  floor.  The  present  inscription — 
'  Hac  sunt  in  fossa  Basdas  venerabilis  ossa  ' — 
was  afterwards  cut  upon  the  slab.*    The  words 

*  Greenwell,  op.  cit.  61.  An  altar  was  re-erected 
here  in  1927  in  memory  of  Canon  Cruickshank. 

^  Rites  of  Durh.  (Surtees  Soc),  44. 

*  It  may  date  from  Langley's  time,  when  our  Lady 
of  Pit)''s  altar  was  transferred  here.  Prof.  Hamilton 
Thompson,  however,  considers  that  this  picture  was 
later  and  that  it  is  unlikely  there  was  a  dedication  to 
our  Lady  of  Pity  before  Langley's  time,  as  it 
represents  a  late  mediaeval  devotion  popular  in  the 
15th  century.  He  does  not  suppose  the  dedication  of 
the  altar  to  Bede  is  earlier  than  1370. 

*  Bede's  remains  were  removed  from  near  St.  Cuth- 
bert's  shrine  to  the  Galilee  in  1370. 

*  Rites  of  Durh.  (Surtees  Soc),  Fowler's  notes,  235. 
'  Examined  to  the  level  of  the  pavement  in  1830. 

*  Slab  8  ft.  S  in.  by  3  ft.  10  in.  with  moulded  edge. 


form  the  last  line  of  the  epitaph  written  by 
Cosin  and  placed  over  the  tomb  about  1633, 
and  are  derived  from  the  first  line  of  the  older 
inscription  recorded  in  Rites?  There  is  a 
rectangular  aumbry  at  the  south  end  of  the  Bede 
altar  recess  and  a  smaller  one  at  the  north  end  of 
the  altar  of  Our  Lady  of  Pity.  A  pulley  still  in 
the  roof  over  where  Bede's  shrine  stood  was 
probably  used  for  suspending  a  lamp  before  his 
altar.  There  is  another  in  the  same  position 
in  front  of  Our  Lady  of  Pity's  altar. 

The  side-walls  of  the  chapel  are  almost  wholly 
restored  or  modern.  The  round-headed  door- 
way on  the  north  side,  after  being  long  blocked, 
was  opened  out  in  1841,  but  the  whole  wall  was 
rebuilt  in  1866,  the  original  design  of  the  door- 
way being,  however,  reproduced.  The  opening 
is  below  a  gable  and  deeply  recessed — the  wall 
being  increased  in  thickness  on  both  sides — and 
is  of  three  richly  moulded  orders,  the  two  outer 
decorated  with  cheverons,  springing  from  shafts 
with  volute  capitals.  The  doorway  is  in  the 
third  bay  from  the  east,  the  others  being 
occupied  by  windows  of  two,  three,  and  two 
lights  respectively.  Originally,  the  chapel  was 
lighted  by  round-headed  windows  placed  high 
in  the  walls  above  the  arches  of  the  outer 
arcades,  four  on  each  side,  the  outlines  of  which 
are  visible.  There  were  probably  windows  in 
the  west  wall  also.  The  present  arrangement 
dates  from  the  end  of  the  13th  century,  when  the 
outside  walls  were  increased  in  height  and  win- 
dows placed  on  all  three  sides  of  the  chapel. 
There  are  stiU  two  openings  of  this  date  in  the 
west  wall,  one  at  each  end,  the  others  having 
been  replaced  by  windows  of  Langley's  time. 
The  two  13th-century  windows  are  of  three- 
pointed  lights  in  a  two-centred  head  with  pierced 
spandrels,  and  those  in  the  south  wall  are  of  the 
same  design.  The  three  15th-century  windows, 
which  are  larger,  are  each  of  three  lights  with  a 
transom  and  have  perpendicular  tracery  in  high- 
shouldered  drop-centred  heads,  the  middle 
window  being  taller  than  the  others.  A  few 
fragments  of  ancient  coloured  glass  remain  in 
the  tracery,  including  part  of  a  Flight  into 
Egypt  and  a  Virgin  and  Child.*' 

Below  the  second  window  from  the  north  is  a 
small  doorway  leading  to  a  chamber  built  out 
on  the  outer  face  of  the  west  wall,  on  an  arch 
between  two  of  the  buttresses  added  in  the 
15th  century  by  Langley  to  counteract  the  visible 
tendency  of  the  arcades  to  lean  westward.  This 
chamber   contains   a   well,**   and    south   of   it, 

•  '  Condnet  haec  theca  Baede  venerabiUs  ossa.' 
*"  This  is  the  only  ancient  glass  remaining  in  the 

church  ;  some  other  fragments  are  now  in  the  Chapter 

House  (q.v.). 

**  The  well  was  opened  up  in  1896.  It  could  be  used 

as  a  draw-well  from  the  Galilee  and  as  a  drip-well  by 

the    townspeople  at  the  bottom  of  the   rock ;   it  is 


120 


Durham  Cathedral  :    The  Galilee 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


between  the  central  pair  of  buttresses  on  a 
similar  arch,  is  a  wide  and  low  recess  opening  to 
the  chapel  under  the  window  at  the  end  of  the 
middle  aisle.  Small  rectangular  loops  in  the 
outer  walls  of  the  chamber  and  recess  command 
a  magnificent  view  across  the  Wear.  On  the 
outer  face  of  the  west  wall  of  the  chapel,  within 
the  chamber,  are  the  remains  of  a  bold  pattern 
of  intersecting  straight  lines  of  roll-moulding 
which,  as  part  of  the  original  design,  is  carried 
across  the  west  wall  below  the  windows,  with 
two  stages  of  arcading  below  it,  the  upper  inter- 
laced and  the  lower  single,  with  solid  spandrels. 

In  the  floor  of  the  Galilee  are  several  grave 
slabs,  three  of  which  have  indents  for  brasses. 
The  grave  of  John  Brimley  (d.  1576),  master  of 
choristers  and  organist,  is  in  the  middle  aisle ; 
there  is  a  good  armorial  slab  to  Mrs.  Dorothy 
Grey  (d.  1662).  The  two  outermost  aisles  have 
lean-to  roofs,  and  the  three  inner  ones  flat  open 
timber  roofs  of  seven  bays,  with  moulded 
principals  on  stone  corbels,  all  of  Langley's 
time.  Externally,  the  roofs  are  leaded,  behind 
embattled  parapets.^^ 

Until  1822  the  north  aisle  was  walled  off  and 
used  as  a  repository  for  wills,  and  the  south  aisle 
was  stalled  and  benched  and  used  as  a  Consistory 
Court  until  1796,  ^vhen  the  court  was  transferred 
to  the  north  transept." 

There  is  a  ring  of  eight  BELLS  in  the  central 
tower,  five  of  which  are  by  Christopher  Hodson, 
1693  ;  the  treble  is  by  Pack  and  Chapman,  1780, 
the  third  by  the  same  firm  (then  Chapman),  1 78 1 , 
and  the  fourth  a  recasting  by  Mears  and  Stain- 
bank  in  1896  of  one  of  Hodson's  bells.  With 
the  exception  of  the  treble  these  bells  are  in 
direct  descent  from  the  '  seven  great  bells  in  the 
steeples '  mentioned  in  1553,  four  of  which  were 
in  the  north-west  tower,  or  Galilee  steeple,  and 
three  in  the  central  tower."  During  the  time 
of  Dean  Whittingham  (1563-79)  three  of  the 
bells  in  the  Galilee  steeple  were  removed  to  the 
central  tower,^^  and  the  remaining  one  at  a 
later  date.  Of  these  four,  the  great,  or  Galilee, 
bell  is  recorded  to  have  been  given  by  Prior 
Fossor,  two  others  were  known  respectively  as 
St.  Bede's  bell  and  St.  Oswald's  bell,  while  the 
smallest  is  described  as  having  been  long  and 
narrow  skirted.i^    The  whole  of  the  bells  seem 

46  ft.  below  the  floor  of  the  chapel.  Trans.  Archit. 
and  Arch.  Soc.  Durh.  and  Northd.  v,  27. 

12  Except  on  the  south  outer  wall,  where  the  parapet 
is  straight. 

1^  Boyle,  Guide  to  Durh.  274.  The  Latin  motto  in 
the  Galilee  over  the  great  doorway  has  reference  to  the 
Consistory  Court. 

1*  '  In  the  lanthorn,  called  the  new  work,  was  hang- 
ing there  three  fine  bells.'  Rites  of  Durh.  (Surtees 
Soc.),  22. 

**  By  the  intervention  of  Dr.  Spark. 

1*  It  appears  to  have  been  of  13th-century  date. 


to  have  been  recast  in  1632,  and  three  of  them 
again  in  1639  (and  1682),  1664,  and  1665  respec- 
tively. The  number  was  increased  to  eight  by 
the  addition  of  a  new  treble  when  Christopher 
Hodson  recast  the  whole  ring  in  1693." 

Bishop  Cosin  presented  a  fine  set  of  silver-gilt 
PLATE  to  the  cathedral,  but  of  this  only  one 
piece,  described  by  him  as  '  a  fair,  large,  scallopt 
paten,  with  a  foot  and  cover  of  fair  embossed 
work,'**  now  remains.  The  rest  was  recast  in 
1767,  and  in  its  present  form  consists  of  two 
cups,  two  patens,  two  flagons,  two  large  patens, 
two  loving  cups,  and  one  alms  dish.  All  these 
pieces  are  engraved  with  Cosin's  arms,  and  bear 
the  mark  of  Franijois  Butty  and  Nicholas  Dumee, 
with  the  London  date-letter  1766-7  ;  they  are 
of  silver  gilt  enriched  with  flower  sprays  and 
gadroons.  There  are  also  two  spoons,  undated, 
but  with  the  mark  of  Paul  Callard,  of  London  ;*' 
a  silver-gilt  17th-century  chalice,bearingGerman 
or  Dutch  assay  marks,  given  by  Archdeacon 
Watkins  in  1905  -f"  and  a  silver-gilt  paten  made 
in  1912-13,  presented  in  memory  of  Canon 
Body  (d.  191 1).  For  use  in  the  Durham  Light 
Infantry  Memorial  Chapel  there  are  a  chalice  and 
paten  of  1903-4,  and  a  flagon  of  1904-5,  London 
make.  The  silver-gilt  candlesticks  on  the  high 
altar  are  recastings  in  1767  of  those  given  by 
Cosin. 

THE  EXTERNAL  ELEVATIONS  of  the 
main  fabric  have  been  altered  chiefly  by  the 
insertion  of  tracery  windows  in  the  quire  aisles 
and  transepts  and  by  the  paring  of  the  wall 
surfaces  already  mentioned,-*  but  the  general 
outlines  of  the  first  design  have  been  preserved. 
Between  the  aisle  windows  and  those  of  the 
nave  clearstory  are  flat  pilaster  buttresses,  but 
in  the  clearstory  of  the  quire  and  transepts  they 
occur  only  in  front  of  the  major  piers.      There 

1'  The  ancient  dedications  were  recorded  in  the 
inscriptions.  Those  remaining  are  (2)  St.  Margaret, 
(S)  St.  Michael,  (6)  Bede,  (7)  St.  Oswald,  (8)  St.  Cuth- 
bert.  The  new  fourth  preserves  the  dedication  to  St. 
Benedict.  Chapman's  bells  have  only  the  names  of  the 
founder  and  the  dean.  The  tenor  weighs  approximately 
30  cvvt. 

18  It  is  a  handsome  piece  with  gadrooned  edge, 
diameter  loj  in.,  height  to  top  of  cover  12  in.  It  was 
given  in  1667,  but  bears  no  marks  or  inscription: 
Cosin's  Corr.  (Surtees  Soc),  ii,  xiv. 

1*  Entered  as  goldsmith  in  1 75 1. 

2"  The  chalice  is  9|  in.  high,  and  has  a  six-lobcd 
foot.  The  bowl  rests  on  a  calix  of  repousse  work,  with 
cherubs'  heads,  swags,  and  flowers.  On  the  foot  are 
representations  of  the  Crucifi.xion,  with  the\'irgin  and 
St.  John,  cherubim,  and  two  unidentified  coats-of-arms, 
one  surmounted  by  a  mitre.  The  chaUce  was  shown  at 
the  Exhibition  of  1862  at  South  Kensington,  and  was 
presented  to  .\rchdeacon  Watkins  by  the  owner.  It 
bears  no  date-letter  or  maker's  mark. 

21  The  repairs  of  the  north  front  seem  to  have  been 
begun  in  1775.     Raine,  Durh.  Cath.  I18. 


3 


121 


16 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


are  strings  at  the  level  of  the  sills  of  the  aisle  and 
triforium  windows,  dividing  the  walls  horizon- 
tally into  three  stages,  and  an  intermediate  one 
at  the  springing  of  the  arches  of  the  aisle  windows 
continuing  the  labels.  All  the  strings  are  taken 
round  the  buttresses.  The  ground  stage  through- 
out, beginning  with  the  earliest  work  from  the 
east,  is  occupied  by  a  wall-arcade,  which  stands 
upon  a  plinth  of  the  same  character  as  that 
already  noted  inside  the  building,  with  pro- 
jecting double  chamfered  band.  The  arcade 
consists  of  simple  semicircular  arches,  two  to 
each  bay,  and  of  two  moulded  orders,^^  on 
shafts  with  cushion  capitals  and  moulded  bases. 
The  small  two-light  triforium  windows  of  the 
quire,  enclosed  within  a  segmental  containing 
arch,  are  repeated  on  the  east  side  of  the  tran- 
septs, but  on  the  west  the  windows  are  large 
single  openings  like  those  of  the  nave.  On 
both  sides  of  the  transepts  the  windows  of  the 
clearstory  follow  the  treatment  of  those  in  the 
quire,  but  with  an  arch  of  two  orders ;  the 
nave  clearstory  windows  are  similar  with  cheve- 
rons  on  the  inner  order.  Above  the  triforium  the 
walls  now  finish  with  a  straight  parapet,  but 
formerly  each  bay  of  the  nave  aisles  had  a 
transverse  roof  ending  in  a  gable,  traces  of  which 
may  be  seen  on  the  north  side.^'  The  parapet 
above  the  clearstory  is  also  plain,  but  rests  on  a 
corbel  table.  At  the  north-east  and  south-east 
angles  of  the  transepts  respectively  are  flat 
clasping  buttresses  with  angle-rolls  carried  up 
above  the  roofs  as  square  turrets ;  the  wide 
staircase  turrets  at  the  opposite  angles  have  also 
angle-rolls,  but  change  to  octagonal  form  at  the 
clearstory  level.  The  gable  and  turrets  of  the 
south  transept  and  the  western  return  wall 
were  rebuilt  and  refaced  in  1826-9;  ^^^  north 
end  of  the  north  transept  was  altered  a  good 
deal  in  detail  about  the  same  time,  the  turrets 
being  modernised  and  made  to  finish  with  open 
parapets,  the  gable  '  barbarously  treated,'  2*  and 

22  The  inner  order  has  a  quirked  angle-roll  below  a 
hollow;  the  outer  is  the  same  with  an  additional  roll  on 
the  soffit.  Wyatt's  treatment  played  havoc  with  the 
mouldings,  but  some  of  the  arches  on  the  south  side 
of  the  quire,  then  covered  by  the  revestry,  were  left 
untouched.  The  revestry  was  taken  down  in  1802. 
Raine  says  the  walls  were  chiselled  and  pared  down  to 
the  depth  of  2  in.  or  3  in.,  in  consequence  of  which  the 
shafts  and  capitals,  moulding  and  strings  '  lost  their 
due  proportion  to  the  fabric':  op.  cit.  118. 

2'  Similar  indications  on  the  south  side  are  shown  in 
Billings'  drawing  (1843),  as  well  as  the  small  pointed 
openings  flanking  the  triforium  windows.  The  refacing 
of  the  south  side  of  the  nave  in  1849  obliterated  all 
these  marks.  At  what  time  the  gables  gave  place  to 
parapets  is  not  recorded. 

**  '  The  space  was  once  iiUed  with  boldly  pro- 
jecting Norman  strings  crossing  each  other  lozeng- 
wise.'  Raine,  op.  cit.  119.  It  has  now  an  arcade 
of  seven  arches. 


new  figures  placed  in  the  roundels  above  Fossor's 
great  window.-^ 

The  western  towers  were  in  all  probability 
originally  covered  with  pyramidal  roofs  above  the 
level  of  the  corbel  table,  which  is  a  continuation 
of  those  of  the  nave.  The  12th-century  work 
terminates  at  this  height  and  is  of  the  same  plain 
and  solid  character  as  that  of  the  body  of  the 
church,  with  flat  clasping  buttresses  at  the 
angles  and  blank  round-headed  windows  in  the 
upper  stages.  The  external  wall-arcade  and 
string-courses  are  carried  round  the  tovvers. 
The  13th-century  upper  portions  consist  of  four 
unequal  stages,  the  first  and  third  with  open 
arcades  of  tall  pointed  arches,-'  and  the  less 
lofty  second  and  fourth  stages  with  wall-arcades 
of  semicircular  arches,  the  arcading  in  each  case 
being  carried  round  the  buttresses.  All  the 
arches  are  moulded  and  supported  on  shafts. 
The  open  parapets  and  pinnacles  date  only  from 
about  1 80 1,"  before  which  the  towers  seem  to 
have  terminated  with  solidmoulded  battlement  S.2* 
Until  the  time  of  the  Commonwealth  they 
were  surmounted  by  '  great  broaches,'  or  timber 
spires  covered  with  lead.^*  From  the  turret 
staircases  there  is  access  to  the  triforium  passages 
and  from  this  level  the  towers  are  open  to  the 
roof.  There  is  access  also  to  the  platform  at 
the  base  of  the  great  west  window,  and  at  the 
level  of  the  nave  clearstory  is  a  passage,  now 
blocked,  wrhich  ran  round  all  four  sides.  The 
north-west  tower  was  known  as  the  Galilee 
steeple,  and  four  bells  hung  in  it. 

The  lower  part  of  the  west  front  of  the 
church  is  hid  by  the  Galilee,  above  the  roof  of 
which,  between  the  towers,  is  Fossor's  great 
window,  set  within  a  wide  semicircular  stilted 
arch.  Over  this  again  and  immediately  below 
the  gable  is  a  wall-arcade  of  seven  tall  round- 
headed  arches,  richly  ornamented  with  cheveron. 
The  west  front,  seen  from  the  high  ground  at  the 
opposite  side  of  the  river,  forms  a  very  majestic 
and   well-balanced   composition,    buttressed   as 

-^  The  original  figures  are  said  to  have  represented 
Priors  Fossor  and  Castell ;  '  in  their  stead  was  placed 
a  full  length  figure  of  Pudsey,  and  an  effigy  of  a  man 
said  to  be  a  prior  in  his  chair.'    Raine,  op.  cit.  119. 

-'  The  first  arcade  has  three  arches  on  each  side 
between  the  angle  pilasters,  of  which  the  two  outer 
ones  are  open  and  the  middle  one  blank.  The  third 
arcade  has  six  narrow  arches  on  each  side,  all  of  which 
are  open. 

*'  A  drawing  published  in  that  year  shows  the  para- 
pet on  the  north-west  tower  finished,  but  on  the  other 
as  in  course  of  erection.     Greenwell,  op.  cit.  38. 

-'  Carter's  drawings  on  the  authority  of  old  views 
The  merlons  were  moulded  all  round. 

-*  Cosin  at  his  first  visitation  in  1662,  and  again  in 
1665,  enquired  what  had  become  of  the  wood  and  lead. 
No  satisfactory  answer  was  returned.  The  spires  are 
shown  in  17th-century  engravings. 


122 


Durham  Cathedral  :    The  Cloister  and  Western  Towers 


o 
-J 

U 


U 


CITY   OF   DURHAM 


it  were  by  the  projecting  mass  of  the  Galilee 
and  towering  high  above  the  tree-clad  cliff. 

In  the  cathedral  church  there  were  several 
CHANTRIES.  Of  these  one  of  the  earliest  was 
founded  about  the  year  1355  by  Ralph  Lord 
Neville,^"  who  assigned  an  annual  rent-charge  of 
j^io,  which  was  later  compounded  for  by  the 
release  of  a  debt  of  ;^400  by  his  son  John.  The 
mass  of  this  foundation  was  sung  at  the  altar 
of  the  Great  Rood  {Magnae  Crucis).  Another 
Neville  chantry,  that  of  Thomas  Neville,  is  men- 
tioned in  the  i6th  century.^'  A  third  chantry, 
probably  situated  at  the  altar  of  St.  Bede  in  the 
Galilee,  was  that  of  Bishop  Neville  (d.  1457)  and 
Richard  of  Barnard  Castle.^-  The  chantry  of 
Walter  Skirlaw  (d.  1405)  was  attached  to  the 
altar  known  previously  as  that  of  St.  Blaise.^ 
The  chantry  of  the  Holy  Trinity  of  Prior  Fossor 
(d.  1374)^'*  was  founded  for  a  monk  to  say  mass 
for  his  soul  daily  at  the  altar  of  St.  Nicholas  and 
St.  Giles  in  the  north  transept.  The  chantry 
of  the  Name  of  Jesus^^  was  either  founded  or 
augmented  by  Prior  Thomas  Castell  (d.  1519), 
who  also  built  the  chapel  of  St.  Helen.  The 
chantry  of  John  Rude  may  have  been  identical 
with  that  of  Robert  Rodes  of  Newcastle  and 
his  wife  Agnes.^^  Of  the  important  foundation 
of  Bishop  Langley  (d.  1437),  the  chantry  of 
Our  Lady  and  St.  Cuthbert  in  the  GaHlee,  an 
account  has  been  given  in  an  earlier  volume.^' 
Other  chantries  in  the  cathedral  church  which 
may  be  mentioned  were  those  of  Isabel  Lawson^* 
and  of  Our  Lady  of  Pity.^^ 

The  most  important  gild  associated  with  the 
cathedral  church  was  that  of  St.  Cuthbert,  often 
known  as  the  Frary.  Its  foundation  was  early.*" 
At  the  Dissolution  the  gross  yearly  value  of  the 
revenuesof  this  gild  was  estimated'"  at  £j  14/.  8f/., 
or,  less  reprises,  £6  i6s.  T,d.  The  Anchorage  in 
the  cathedral  has  already  been  mentioned.*^ 

In  the  chapel  of  the  castle  of  Durham  was  a 
chantry  which  in  1535  was  of  the  annual  value 
of  ^os}^ 

3*  Scriptores  Ires  (Surt.  Soc),  134  ;  Durh.  Acct.  R. 
(Surt.  Soc),  iii,  Intro,  p.  Ivii. 

31  Durh.  Household  Bk.  (Surt.  Soc),  91. 

32  Durh.  Acct.  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  iii,  Intro,  p.  Iviii. 

33  Script.  Ires  (Surt.  Soc),  145  ;  Durh.  Acct.  R.  iii, 
Intro,  p.  lix. 

3*  Script.  Tres  (Surt.  Soc),  131  ;  Durh.  Acct.  R.  iii, 
Intro,  p.  Ixi. 

^Durh.  Acct.  R.,  loc  cit.  Cf.  Script.  Tres  (Surt. 
Soc),  153. 

3*  Durh.  Acct.  R.  iii,  Intro,  p.  Ixii  ;  Durh.  House- 
hold Bk.  99.  37  i^,c.H.  Dur.  i,  371. 

38  Durh.  Acct.  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  ii,  p.  418. 

3*  Rites  oj Durh.  (Surt.  Soc.  107),  p.  44. 

**  The  foundation  of  1437  was  obviously  merely  a 
reorganisation.     Hutchinson,  Durh.  iii,  260  n. 

"  Injunctions  and  Eccl.  Proc.  Bp.  Barnes  (Surt. 
Soc),  Ap.  vi,  p.  bcii.  <«  V.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  130. 

*3  Valor  Eccl.  (Rec  Com.),  v,  324. 


The    monastic 
MONASTIC  BUILDINGS     buildings        are 

grouped  on  the 
south  side  of  the  church  around  the  cloister  and 
follow  the  usual  arrangement  of  the  Benedictine 
plan,  with  the  chapter  house  in  the  east 
range  and  the  frater  on  the  south.  The 
dorter,  too,  was  originally  in  the  usual  position 
on  the  first  floor  of  the  east  range,  south  of  the 
chapter  house,  but  was  afterwards  moved  to  the 
west  range,  a  change  of  plan  perhaps  determined 
by  the  fact  that  the  river  forms  the  western 
boundary  of  the  site  and  affords  special  con- 
venience for  drainage,  and  also  possibly  by  the 
west  range  being  on  the  side  farthest  from  the 
town  houses.  A  part  of  the  old  east  range  was 
then  used  as  a  prison,  while  the  rest  was  taken 
by  the  prior's  lodging.  The  nature  of  the  site, 
which  is  longer  from  north  to  south  than  from 
east  to  west,  also  determined  the  position  of  the 
outer  court,  which  was  placed  south  of  the 
cloister,  and  the  infirmary  stood  between  the 
west  range  and  the  river,  a  position  dictated  by 
convenience.  With  these  variations,  and  allow- 
ing for  the  inevitable  changes  to  which  the 
buildings  were  put  after  the  Dissolution,  the 
normal  arrangements  of  a  Benedictine  house  can 
perhaps  be  nowhere  better  studied  than  at 
Durham.  Although  a  certain  amount  of  re- 
building has  been  done  since  the  i6th  century, 
especially  in  the  south  range,  the  references  to 
the  various  parts  of  the  buildings  in  '  Rites  of 
Durham '  can  generally  be  followed,  and  afford 
a  vivid  picture  of  the  Hfe  of  the  monastery  in 
the  years  immediately  preceding  the  surrender. 

Mention  has  already  been  made  of  work  in 
the  east  and  south  ranges  which  is  earlier  than 
any  part  of  the  existing  church,  and  in  all 
probability  forms  part  of  the  buildings  begun  by 
Walcher.  According  to  Simeon,  Walcher  began 
the  erection  of  '  suitable  buildings  for  a  dwelling 
place  of  monks, '^  but  met  his  death  before  they 
were  finished.  It  is  not  unhkely,  however,  that 
the  existing  undercrofts  at  the  south  end  of  the 
east  range  and  the  east  end  of  the  south  range, 
with  the  passage  between  them,  were  completed 
by  1080,  and  it  would  seem  probable  that 
Walcher's  work  was  planned  round  a  cloister 
about  115  ft.  square,  the  north  side  of  which 
was  formed  by  Aldhun's  White  Church.  The 
evidence  for  this  was  set  forth  by  Sir  William 
Hope  in  1909,-  and  though  not  conclusive,  as 
no  trace  of  Aldhun's  church  was  found,  fur- 
nishes strong  probability  that  Walcher's  build- 
ings were  attached  to  it,  and  that  the  east  and 
south  sides  of  the  present  cloister  preserve  the 
lines  of  the  first  cloister.  When  the  site  of  the 
lavatory  opposite  the  frater  door  was  uncovered 


^  Sim.  of  Durh.  (Rolls  Ser.),  i,  10. 

*  Proc.  Soc.  Antiq.  Land.  (2nd  ser.),  xjrii,  416. 


123 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


in  1903  the  foundations  of  a  12th-century  con- 
duit house  were  also  found,  built  against  an 
earlier  wall  running  north  and  south,  which 
seems  to  have  been  the  garth  wall  of  the  west 
alley  of  the  first  cloister.^  There  is  reason  to 
suppose  that  the  Norman  conduit  thus  stood 
in  the  south-west  angle  of  the  early  cloister,  the 
alleys  of  which  would  therefore  be  of  the  same 
width  as  at  present,  and  from  this  and  other 
evidence*  the  extent  of  the  cloister  planned  by 
Walcher  can  be  deduced.  If  these  deductions 
be  correct,  the  south  wall  of  Aldhun's  church 
must  have  been  some  30  ft.  south  of  that  of  the 
present  building,  or  approximately  in  a  line  with 
the  projection  of  the  vice-turret  of  the  south 
transept,^  and  the  west  wall  of  the  first  west 
range  would  coincide  with  the  east  wall  of  the 
existing  range,  which  there  are  grounds  for 
believing  was  built  upon  it." 

The  superstructures  of  the  two  undercrofts, 
consisting  of  the  dorter  in  the  east  and  the 
frater  in  the  south  range  respectively,  were 
probably  finished  during  the  exile  of  St.  Calais 
(1088-91)  if  not  before,  and  after  the  completion 
of  the  existing  church  the  chapter  house  was 
begun  probably  by  Flambard,  and  completed  by 
Geoilrey  Rufus  (1133-40).'  In  the  12th  cen- 
tury the  south  range  appears  to  have  been 
extended  westward  and  the  west  range  rebuilt 
on  its  present  plan,  the  dorter  then  being 
moved  to  it.  Part  of  the  walling  of  this  period, 
including  the  dorter  stair  doorway  at  the  north 
end,  still  remains,  but  the  range  was  again  rebuilt 
in  the  13th  century.  To  the  13th  century  also 
belongs  the  prior's  chapel  at  the  south-east 
corner  of  the  group  of  buildings  now  forming 
the  Deanery  at  the  south  end  of  the  east  range. 
The  main  structural  part  of  these  buildings, 
chiefly  of  14th-century  date,  is  noticed  later  ; 
the  existing  great  kitchen  of  the  monastery  was 
erected  in  1367-70.     The  cloister  was  rebuilt  in 

*  The  rubble  foundations  of  this  wall,  2  ft.  10  in. 
wide,  run  across  the  cloister  in  a  northerly  direction 
from  nearly  opposite  the  third  buttress  from  the  south- 
west angle.  It  was  laid  bare  for  about  30  ft.  and  traced 
for  24  ft.  6  in.  further  ;  Arch.  Iviii,  444. 

*  The  distance  from  the  old  walling  on  the  east  side 
of  the  cloister  to  the  bonding  mark  on  the  south  side 
beyond  the  hbrary  doorway,  which  marks  the  extent 
of  the  early  undercroft,  is  almost  exactly  115  ft. 
Other  evidence  is  set  out  in  Proc.  Soc.  Antiq.  Land. 
(2nd  ser.),  xxii,  417-21. 

*  Sir  William  Hope  pointed  out  that  the  chapter 
house  does  not  occupy  the  middle  of  the  east  wall 
of  the  existing  cloister  as  it  normally  should,  but 
is  exactly  in  the  middle  of  the  east  side  of  the  first 
cloister  assuming  it  to  have  been  1 1 5  ft.  square.  From 
this  he  inferred  that  it  is  an  enlargement  of  an  older 
chapter  house  on  the  same  site,  which  abutted  the 
south  transept  of  Aldhun's  church  ;    ibid.  420. 

*  Ibid.  417. 

'  Simeon,  op.  cit.  ii,  142. 


more  or  less  of  its  present  form  at  the  beginning 
of  the  15th  century,  being  begun  by  Skirlaw*  (d. 
1406)  and  finished  by  Langley  about  1418.*  Of 
what  immediately  preceded  it  little  or  nothing  is 
known,  but  if  Leland'"  is  right  in  stating  that 
Pudsey  built  a  cloister  it  may  have  subsisted 
down  to  Skirlaw's  time.  Nothing  of  it,  how- 
ever, remains,  unless  some  marks  on  the  north 
and  east  walls  indicate  the  lines  of  its  lean-to 
roof.^*  The  upper  part  of  the  west  range  was 
rebuilt  in  its  present  form  in  1398-1404,^^  and 
during  the  same  period  considerable  reconstruc- 
tion of  the  prior's  lodgings  took  place.  Later 
in  the  century  Prior  Wessington  (1416-46)  also 
extensively  repaired  the  prior's  lodgings  and 
other  parts  of  the  monastery  buildings,  and 
Prior  Castell  (1494-15 19)  made  further  changes, 
all  of  which  are  noticed  later.  Castell  also  re- 
built the  gatehouse. 

After  the  Dissolution,  apart  from  the  different 
uses  to  which  the  buildings  were  put,  the  chief 
change  was  the  rebuilding  of  the  frater,  or 
'  fair  large  hall '  on  the  upper  floor  of  the  south 
range,  by  Dean  Sudbury,  so  as  to  serve  as  the 
Chapter  Library.  The  hall  was  described  in 
1665  as  having  '  long  been  useless  and  ruined,'*^ 
but  was  finished  in  its  present  form  soon 
after  Sudbury's  death  in  1684.  The  cloister 
was  repaired  in  1 706-11  and  on  a  larger  scale  in 
1764-69  ;  it  was  again  restored  in  1856-7.  The 
dorter  was  restored  in  1849-53,  and  Dean 
Sudbury's  Library  in  1858,  the  latter  by  Salvin. 

The  CLOISTER  is  approximately  145  ft. 
square,*''  and  is  surrounded  by  covered  alleys 
about  15  ft.  wide,  each  of  eleven  bays  divided 
by  buttresses,  with  a  pointed  window  of  three 
lights  in  each  bay.  The  diagonally  flagged 
pavement  of  the  alleys  is  of  18th-century  date,*-" 
but  the  flat  oak  panelled  ceiUngs  are  substantially 
of  Skirlaw's  and  Langley's  time,  though  much 
restored  in  1828,  when  many  new  shields  of  arms 

'  Skirlaw  '  caused  to  be  built  a  great  part  of  the 
cloister  ...  at  a  cost  of  ;^6oo '  ;  Chambre, 
Continuatio  Hist.  Dunelm.  quoted  by  Boyle,  Guide  to 
Durh.  198. 

*  '  From  1408  to  141 8  there  was  expended  on  the 
erection  of  the  cloister  ;^838  ' ;  ibid.  200. 

1"  Collectanea,  i,  122  (ed.  1774). 

"  Greenwell,  Durh.  Cath.  99. 

^  The  contract  is  dated  22  Sept.  1 398  ;  a  second 
contract  was  made  with  a  new  builder  2  February 
1401-2,  at  which  time  the  work  was  well  advanced. 
The  building  was  begun  at  the  south  end. 

1'  Hutchinson,  Hist,  of  Durh.  ii,  131  n. 

^^  The  dimensions  as  given  by  Billings  are  :  north 
alley  147  ft.  8J  in.,  south  alley  146  ft.  8J  in.,  east  alley 
144  ft.  10  in.,  west  alley  145  ft.  6  in. 

1^  The  flags  are  of  Yorkshire  stone  laid  on  sleeper 
walls  of  brickwork  built  lattice  fashion  in  plan, 
so  as  to  leave  a  space  of  about  18  in.  beneath 
the  slabs;  Proc.  Soc.  Antiq.  Lond.  (2nd  ser.),  xxii, 
422. 


124 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


were  introduced.''  The  original  windows  were 
destroyed  in  the  i8th  century,  apparently 
during  the  restoration  of  1764-9,  when  the 
present  uninteresting  mullions  and  uncusped 
tracery  were  substituted.  About  one-third  of 
the  east  side  of  the  cloister  is  overlapped  by  the 
south  transept  of  the  church,  beyond  which  are 
the  slype  (or  parlour),  chapter  house,  and  a 
portion  of  the  early  building  containing  the 
prison  and  the  stairs  to  the  first  dorter.  The 
entrance  from  the  outer  court  is  at  the  end 
of  the  east  alley  farthest  from  the  church  and 
opposite  the  eastern  processional  doorway. 
All  the  stone  wall  benches  have  disappeared, 
but  there  is  one  along  the  garth  wall  in  the 
east  alley.  The  roofs  are  flat  and  lead  covered, 
behind  straight  moulded  parapets.  The  north 
alley,  between  the  processional  doorways,  was 
probably  screened  off  at  both  ends,  and  was 
divided  by  short  partition  walls  into  a  number 
of  studies  or  carrels,"  three  to  each  window, 
'  all  fynely  wainscotted  and  veri  close,  all  but 
the  forepart  which  had  carved  wourke  that  gave 
light  in  at  ther  carrell  doures  of  wainscott,''^ 
and  over  against  the  carrels  against  the  church 
wall  were  ranged  '  great  almeries,'  or  book 
cupboards.  The  church  wall  has  been  refaced 
in  grey  stone. 

The  first  doorway  in  the  east  alley  beyond  the 
transept  is  that  to  the  SLTPE,  or  passage 
separating  the  chapter  house  from  the  church, 
which  gave  access  to  the  '  centory  garth,'  or 
cemetery  of  the  monks,  and  is  said  to  have 
been  used  in  the  later  days  as  a  parlour,  to 
which  merchants  were  allowed  to  bring  their 
wares  for  sale.'^  It  has  a  plain  barrel  vault  and 
intersecting  wall  arcades""  similar  to  those  of 
the  chapter  house,  with  which  it  is  contem- 
porary. The  doorway  has  a  semicircular  arch 
of  two  cheveron  moulded  orders  with  label, 
the  inner  order  continuous  and  the  outer  on 
single  jamb  shafts  with  cushion  capitals,  but 
the  detail  has  suffered  considerably  at  the 
hands  of  restorers  and  the  cheverons  are  almost 
obliterated  :  the  cheveron  also  occurs  on  the 
inside  of  the  doorway.  The  slype  now  serves 
as  an  ante-room  to  the  chapter  house  and  place 
of  assembly  for  the  choir  on  weekdays,  and  has 

1*  '  In  consequence  of  the  mistake  as  to  the  source  of 
the  arms  engraved  on  the  two  armorial  plates  in 
Surtees'  History  the  whole  work  was  carried  out  in  a 
very  inaccurate  and  misleading  way  '  ;  Boyle,  Guide 
to  Diirh.  2H. 

1'  Caroli-enclosed  spaces. 

'^^  Rites  of  Durh.  (Surtees  See.  1902,  no.  107),  83 — 
i.e.,  the  carrels  were  entered  by  doors,  the  tops  of 
which  were  pierced.  Hereafter  this  edition  of  the 
Rites  of  Durham  will  be  quoted  as  Rites. 

"Ibid.  52. 

20  The  arcades  are  much  restored,  but  some  of  the 
shafts  are  old. 


a  modern  doorway  to  the  church  cut  through 
the  transept  wall  and  another  to  the  chapter 
house.'"'  The  east  wall  is  modern,  with  a  single 
round-headed  window.  A  staircase,  stiU  partly 
remaining  in  the  south-west  corner,  led  up  to  a 
room  above  built  in  1414-15  as  a  library,  usually 
known  as  Wessington's  Library,  though  it 
appears  to  have  been  completed  before  he 
became  prior  in  1416.  Some  time  between 
that  year  and  1446  he  repaired  the  roof  and  put 
in  a  large  five-light  window  at  each  end.  Wes- 
sington's flat-pitched  roof  of  four  bays  remains, 
but  the  windows  have  been  whoUy  renewed. 
This  upper  room  is  now  used  as  a  song 
school,  access  to  it  being  by  a  modern  wooden 
staircase." 

The  CHAPTER  HOUSE  is  entered  from  the 
cloister  by  a  semicircular  headed  doorway  of 
three  orders,  the  two  outer  on  nook-shafts  with 
cushion  capitals  and  the  inner  on  cushion 
capitals  and  moulded  jambs.  The  two  outer 
orders-*  have  cheveron  ornament,  but  the  inner 
is  simply  moulded  ;  internally  there  are  also 
three  orders  of  the  same  type  with  nook-shafts 
in  each  jamb,  the  capitals  and  abaci  of  which 
are  elaborately  carved.-*  On  each  side  of  the 
doorway,  and  forming  with  it  a  single  com- 
position, is  a  window  of  two  round-headed 
Hghts  with  cylindrical  mid- shaft  and  plain 
tympanum  enclosed  by  a  semicircular  cheveron 
arch  on  nook-shafts  with  cushion  capitals,  the 
whole  set  within  a  shallow  moulded  outer  order. 
These  openings  were  originally  unglazed,  but 
are  now  filled  with  fragments  of  painted  glass 
from  the  church.-^  Before  the  destruction  of 
its  eastern  portion  in  1796  the  chapter  house 
was  78  ft.  6  in.  in  length,  with  a  breadth  of 
34  ft.  6  in.  and  an  apsidal  east  end.  In  the  apse 
were  five  three-light  windows  with  flowing 
tracery  inserted  in  the  14th  century  and  at  the 
west  end  above  the  cloister  roof  a  large  15th- 
century  pointed  window  of  five  lights,  which 

-'  The  partitions  which  till  lately  divided  it  into 
three  have  been  removed. 

22  Carter's  plan  (1801)  shows  an  earlier  staircase 
starting  from  within  the  west  doorway.  The  present 
staircase  was  erected  between  1 897  and  1904,  at 
which  latter  date  the  slype  was  restored. 

23  The  outermost  is  covered  by  a  later  segmental 
arch  with  four-leaf  flowers  in  the  hollow  moulding. 

-*  Upon  one  of  the  capitals  is  a  centaur  shooting 
with  bow  and  arrow. 

25  The  glass  was  for  long  in  the  staircase  window 
of  the  house  formerly  occupied  by  the  prebendary 
of  the  second  stall  and  has  only  recently  been  placed 
in  the  chapter  house.  It  is  described  in  Boyle, 
Guide  to  Durh.  365.  It  includes  a  14th-century 
figure  of  St.  Leonard,  probably  the  one  mentioned  in 
Rites  as  in  the  south  transept ;  but  there  was 
another  in  the  destroyed  revestry  south  of  the  quire. 
There  are  also  14th,  15th  and  l6th  century  quarrels 
and  fragments. 


125 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


still  exists  in  a  restored  form,  but  with  these 
exceptions  the  building  seems  to  have  remained 
pretty  much  as  completed  in  the  first  half  of  the 
1 2th  century.  It  consisted  of  two  bays,  each 
covered  by  a  quadripartite  vault,  and  a  third 
bay  over  the  apse,  the  vault  of  which  was  set 
out  by  keeping  the  four  western  ribs  in  straight 
Hnes  on  plan,  thus  making  them  of  unequal 
length  and  throwing  the  keystone  to  the  east  of 
the  centre  of  the  apse  curve.-*  The  transverse 
arches  were  semicircular,  and  the  ribs  of  the 
vaults  had  a  shghtly  pointed  soffit  roll  flanked 
by  cheverons  of  convex  profile  :  in  the  apse  the 
ribs  sprang  from  large  figure  corbels  and  the 
soffit  roll  was  flanked  by  a  row  of  star  ornaments 
and  cheverons.-'  A  wall  arcade  of  semicircular 
intersecting  arches  ran  round  the  building, 
except  at  the  west  end,  below  which  was  a  stone 
bench  raised  on  two  steps,  and  in  the  middle  of 
the  east  wall,  standing  on  a  dais,  was  a  con- 
temporary stone  chair  in  which  the  bishops  were 
installed.  The  floor  was  covered  with  monu- 
mental slabs  of  the  bishops  buried  beneath  it, 
including  those  of  St.  Calais,  Flambard,  Geoffrey 
Rufus,  and  Pudsey,  and  at  the  west  end  of  the 
south  wall  was  a  doorway  with  flat  lintel  and 
semicircular  reheving  arch  similar  to  those  of 
the  transept  turret  staircases.-*  The  destruc- 
tion of  its  east  end  reduced  the  length  of  the 
chapter  house  to  about  35  ft.,  making  it  practi- 
cally a  square  room.  The  whole  of  the  vault 
was  demoHshed  and  a  new  coved  roof  erected, 
cutting  across  the  great  west  window,  the  walls 
being  covered  with  lath  and  plaster,  and  the 
windows  flanking  the  west  doorway  blocked. 
In  1830  part  of  the  lath  and  plaster  on  the  north 
side  was  taken  down  and  the  whole  was  removed 
in  1847,  when  the  wall  arcades  were  restored. 
In  1857  the  west  wall,  including  the  doorway 
and  the  window  above,  was  restored,  and  in 
1874  excavations  were  carried  out  on  the  site 
of  the  destroyed  part  of  the  building,  the  floor 
of  which  was  exposed  and  the  graves  of  Bishops 
Flambard,  Geoffrey  Rufus,  WiUiam  de  Ste. 
Barbe,  Robert  de  Insula,  and  Kellaw  were 
opened.^^ 

The  rebuilding  of  1895-6,  under  the  direction 
of  Mr.  C.  Hodgson  Fowler,  restored  the  chapter 
house  to  something  like  its  former  appearance, 
the  east  end  being  erected  on  the  old  plan, 
though  the  original  design  of  the  apse  vault 
was  not  followed,  and  round-headed  windows  of 
12th-century  type  take  the  place  of  the  14th- 
century   windows    destroyed    by   Wyatt.     The 

28  Bilson,  ^owr«.  Roy.  Inst.  Brit.  Archts.  vi,  318. 

2'  Three  of  the  corbels  and  the  keystone  have  been 
preserved  ;   the  former  are  in  the  Chapter  Library. 

2*  These  particulars  are  taken  from  Greenwell, 
op.  cit.  47,  based  on  drawings  by  Carter,  made  in 
1795- 

2*  The  excavations  are  described  in  Arch,  xlv,  385. 


height  to  the  crown  of  the  new  vault  is  44  ft., 
above  which  is  a  low-pitched  lead-covered  roof. 
The  stone  bench  and  steps  round  the  building 
have  been  reconstructed  and  the  wall  arcades 
renewed.  The  removal  of  the  floor  in  the 
western  part,  constructed  in  1796,  brought  to 
light  several  fragments  of  early  sculptured 
crosses,  probably  of  late  10th-century  date,  and 
also  the  arms  of  the  stone  chair,  which  have  been 
worked  into  a  new  chair  in  the  original  position. 
The  reconstructed  doorway'"  at  the  west  end 
of  the  south  wall  leads  to  a  small  chamber  be- 
longing to  the  earliest  buildings,  against  which 
the  chapter  house  was  erected.  The  juxta- 
position of  the  two  walls  is  plainly  seen  within 
the  recess  of  the  doorway,  the  depth  of  which 
is  about  5  ft.  This  chamber,  which  in  the  later 
days  of  the  monastery  was  used  as  a  PRISON 
for  light  offences,  is  about  23  ft.  long  from  west 
to  east,  and  12  ft.  wide,  and  is  Hghted  by  a 
round-headed  window.  It  has  a  flat  wooden 
ceiling,  and  on  its  south  wall  are  traces  of  painting 
representing  Our  Lady  in  glory,''  while  in  the 
north  end  of  the  west  wall  is  a  triangular-headed 
recess.  A  doorway  in  the  south  wall  leads  to 
two  smaller  chambers,  or  cells,  in  the  first  of 
which  is  a  hatch  for  conveying  food  to  the 
prisoner,  and  in  the  inner  a  latrine.  These 
cells  were  under  the  stairs  to  the  first  dorter,  the 
doorway  to  which  still  remains  in  the  cloister 
wall,  together  with  the  first  two  or  three  steps 
of  the  staircase  itself.  The  face  of  the  wall  here 
is  of  rubble,  in  contrast  with  the  squared  ashlar 
north  of  it,  a  break,  or  setback  of  14^  in.,  in 
the  wall  at  the  south  end  of  the  chapter  house 
marking  the  junction  of  Rufus'  work  with  that  of 
Walcher.  The  staircase  doorway  is,  however, 
an  early  1 2th-century  insertion  and  has  been  much 
restored  ;  it  has  a  semicircular  arch  of  three 
orders,  the  innermost  square  and  the  others 
with  a  roll  on  the  edge,  springing  from  moulded 
imposts  on  single  nook-shafts  with  cushion 
capitals  and  moulded  bases.'-  Beyond  this, 
at  the  end  of  the  eastern  cloister  wall,  is  the 
so-called  '  Usher's  Door,'"  a  restored  15th- 
century  pointed  doorway  with  a  single  con- 
tinuous hollow  moulded  order  with  label,  which 
opened  to  '  the  entrie  in  under  the  Prior's 
lodginge,  and  streight  in  to  the  centorie  garth.'  ^ 

'*  The  original  design  has  not  been  followed. 

'1  Greenwell,  op.  cit.  49. 

'-  Tlie  shafts  are  modern  restorations.  The  impost 
moulding  remains  in  its  entirety  on  the  inner  faces 
of  the  jambs,  but  has  been  mutilated  on  the  outer  side, 
apparently  when  the  opening  was  blocked.  It  is  now 
opened  out  and  is  fitted  with  a  door,  which  gives  on 
to  the  remains  of  the  stairs. 

"  '  Here  probably  the  gentleman  usher  waited  to 
attend  the  prior  to  the  church,  as  the  verger  still 
waits  for  the  dean  ' ;  Fowler's  notes  in  Rites,  256. 

^  Rites,  87. 


126 


CITY  OF   DURHAM 


This  doorway  appears  to  have  replaced  one 
contemporary  with  the  earlier  buildings,  for  the 
passage  it  leads  to  has  at  the  end  a  round-headed 
window  which  may  have  been  the  arch  of  the 
doorway  to  the  cemetery.  The  passage  now 
communicates  by  a  stair  with  the  Deanery. 

ThtSUB-VJULT  OF  THE  FIRST  DORTER, 
now  a  cellar  under  the  entrance-hall  of  the 
Deanery,  lies  on  the  east  side  of  the  passage  from 
the  cloister  to  the  outer  court,  from  which  it  was 
entered  by  a  doorway  now  blocked.  It  is  38  ft. 
long  from  north  to  south,  and  23  ft.  wide,  and  is 
divided  into  two  aisles  by  an  arcade  of  four 
semicircular  arches  supported  on  short  square 
piers.  The  walls  are  quite  plain,  and  each  aisle 
is  covered  by  a  barrel  vault.^^  The  arches  are 
now  closed  with  masonry  and  cross  walls  have 
been  built  to  form  cellars. 

The  contemporary  passage  between  this 
sub-vault  and  that  of  the  monks'  frater  in  the 
south  range  has  a  wall  arcade  of  low  round- 
headed  arches  on  each  side,  but  the  archway 
from  the  cloister  is  of  15th-century  date,  with 
a  continuous  hollow- chamfered  moulding  and 
label,  while  at  the  south  end  to  the  outer  court 
the  entrance  is  modern.  The  level  of  the  passage 
floor  is  two  steps  below  that  of  the  cloister. 

A  doorway  in  the  west  wall  of  the  passage 
opens  into  the  FRATER  SUB-VAULT.  This 
begins  at  the  east  end  with  a  narrow  chamber 
running  north  and  south  the  full  width  of  the 
range,  and  covered  by  a  plain  barrel  vault ; 
from  this  a  round-arched  opening  leads  to  the 
main  apartment  (50  ft.  by  32  ft.)  running  east 
and  west,  which  is  divided  into  three  aisles  by 
two  rows  of  short,  massive,  square  piers,  four 
in  each  row,  supporting  a  groined  vault  of  the 
simplest  form,  without  ribs  or  transverse  arches. 
The  height  to  the  crown  of  the  vault  is  only 
7  ft.  6  in.  The  piers  have  plain  abaci  chamfered 
on  the  lower  edge  and  there  are  pilasters  of  the 
same  type  along  the  side  walls. ^*  To  the  west 
of  the  main  apartment,  and  opening  from  it, 
are  two  long  narrow  chambers  like  that  at  the 
east  end,  covered  by  barrel  vaults,  and  beyond 
these  again  a  third  of  less  length.  The  whole  of 
the  sub- vault  was  lighted  from  the  south  by 
small  round-headed  windows,  five  in  the  main 
area  and  one  in  each  of  the  narrow  chambers, 
now  blocked  by  the  modern  passage  from  the 
Deanery  to  the  great  kitchen.  The  extent  of 
VValcher's  work  is  marked  by  the  thick  wall  west 
of  the  third  chamber,  which  is  now  pierced  by  a 
doorway  to  the  later  buildings  erected  against 
it.    The  whole  of  the  north  wall  on  the  cloister 

'*  Canon  Fowler  was  of  opinion  that  this  sub-vault 
was  the  original  common-room  of  the  monks.  Its 
position  favours  the  view,  but  the  entire  absence  of 
windows  makes  it  doubtful.     Notes  in  Rites,  265. 

9*  The  piers  are  2  ft.  6  in.  square,  and  the  width  of 
the  aisles  7  ft.  6  in.     Each  bay  is  a  square  of  7  ft.  6  in. 


side  was  refaced  by  Dean  Sudbury  and  all  traces 
of  ancient  work  obliterated,  but  a  bonding  mark 
west  of  the  library  doorway  indicates  its  term. 

The  whole  of  the  upper  story  of  the  south 
range  having  been  rebuilt,  no  part  of  the  arrange- 
ments of  the  MONKS'  FRATER  or  REFEC- 
TORT  as  set  out  in  Ritrs^''  can  now  be  seen 
above  the  sub-vault.  The  Frater  is  described 
as  having  been  '  a  fair  large  hall  finely  wains- 
cotted  on  the  north  and  south  side,'  and  was 
entered  at  the  west  end  from  the  cloister  by  a 
doorway  and  staircase  in  the  same  position  as  the 
existing  library  doorway  and  stair.  It  was  an 
aisleless  hall  about  106  ft.  long''  by  32  ft.  in 
width,  with  timber  roof,  and  the  high  table  at 
the  east  end.  The  screens,  or  kitchen  passage, 
were  at  the  west,  and  adjoining  them  a  pantry 
above  the  cellar  known  as  the  Covey,  which 
abutted  Walcher's  basement  on  the  west.  Over 
the  pantry,  the  roof  of  which  was  on  a  much 
lower  level  than  that  of  the  hall,  there  was  a 
room  known  as  the  Loft,  used  in  later  days  for 
the  daily  meals  of  the  monks,''  who  used  the 
frater  only  on  certain  festivals,  leaving  it  on 
ordinary  days  to  the  novices.'"  At  the  west 
end  of  the  hall  was  a  stone  bench  from  the 
cellar  door  to  the  pantry  door,*'  and  above  the 
bench  was  '  wainscot  work  two  yards  and  a  half 
in  height,  finely  carved  and  set  with  embroidered 

3'^tto,  80-82. 

'*  It  extended  eastward  over  the  passage  to  the 
cloister. 

''  '  And  also  there  was  a  door  in  the  west  end  of  the 
frater  within  the  frater  house  door  where  the  old 
monkes  or  convent  went  in,  and  so  up  a  greese  with 
an  iron  rail  to  hold  them  by,  that  went  up  into  a  loft 
(which  was  at  the  west  end  of  the  frater  house) 
wherein  the  said  convent  and  monks  did  all  dine  and 
sup  together,  the  sub-prior  did  always  sitt  at  the  upper 
end  of  the  table  as  chief  ;  and  at  the  greese  foot 
there  was  another  door  that  went  into  the  great 
cellar  or  buttery,  where  all  the  drink  did  stand  that 
did  serve  the  Prior  and  all  the  whole  convent  of  monks, 
having  their  meal  served  to  them  in  at  a  dresser 
window  from  the  great  kitchen  through  the  Frater 
House  into  a  loft  above  the  cellar ' ;  RiUs,  87. 
This,  of  course,  describes  the  order  and  arrangement 
in  the  l6th  century.  It  cannot  now  be  seen  how  the 
monks  went  up  from  the  frater  house  door  into  the 
loft,  as  the  steps  are  gone  ;  ibid.  Fowler's  notes  in 
RiUs,  269. 

*"  '  Within  the  Frater  House  the  prior  and  the  whole 
convent  of  the  monks  held  their  great  feast  of  St. 
Cuthbert's  day  in  Lent  .  .  .  Also  in  the  east  end 
of  the  frater  house  stoode  a  fair  table  with  a  decent 
skrene  of  wainscott  over  it,  being  keapt  all  the  rest 
of  the  yeare  for  the  master  of  the  no\ices  and  the 
novices  to  dyn  and  sup  in  '  ;  Rites,  32. 

*i '  A  fair  long  bench  of  hewn  stone  in  mason  work 
to  sitt  on  which  is  from  the  sellar  door  to  the  pantry 
or  covey  door  ' ;  ibid.  80.  The  cellar  door  and  the 
covey  door  are  still  to  be  seen  blocked  up  in  the  cellar 
and  pantry,  but  not  in  the  library  where  they  are 
concealed  by  wainscot ;  ibid.  Fowlers  notes,  258. 


127 


A   HISTORY  OF   DURHAM 


work,  and  above  the  wainscot  there  was  a  fair 
large  picture  of  our  Saviour  Christ,  the  Blessed 
Mary  and  St.  John,  in  fine  gilt  work  and  excellent 
colours.'*-  The  '  picture '  had  been  washed 
over  in  lime,  and  the  wainscot  bore  an  inscription 
recording  its  erection  by  Prior  Castell  in  July 
1518.  On  the  left  of  the  entrance  doorway 
was  a  strong  aumbry  in  the  stone  wall,  with  '  a 
fine  work  of  carved  wainscot  before  it  .  .  .  that 
none  could  perceive  that  there  was  any  aumbry 
at  all,'''^  in  which  was  kept  aU  the  chief  plate 
used  in  the  Frater  house  on  festival  days,"  and 
on  the  right  a  large  wooden  aumbry  or  cupboard, 
'  having  divers  ambries  within  it,  finely  wrought 
and  varnished  all  over,'  which  contained  the 
table  linen,  salts,  mazers,  cups  and  other  things 
pertaining  to  the  frater  house  and  loft.'*  The 
frater  pulpit  is  referred  to  as  '  a  convenyent 
place  at  the  south  end  of  the  hie  table  within  a 
faire  glasse  wyndour,  invyroned  with  iron,  and 
certain  steppes  of  stone  with  iron  rayles  of  the 
one  side  to  go  up  to  it  and  to  support  an  iron 
desk  there  placed '  ;**  here  one  of  the  novices 
read  some  part  of  the  Old  and  New  Testament 
during  dinner  time. 

The  frater  is  said  to  have  retained  the  name 
of  the  Petty  Canons'  Hall  till  Dr.  Sudbury 
erected  the  Library  in  its  place.*'  Nothing  of  it 
has  survived  except  the  wall  at  the  east  end, 
which  is  part  of  the  west  wall  of  the  first  dorter. 
The  long  north  and  south  walls  are  Sudbury's, 
but  the  tall  two-light  windows**  date  only  from 
1858  and  the  embattled  parapets  are  also  modern. 
Sudbury's  doorway  in  the  cloister,  however, 
remains  unaltered  and  is  characteristic  of  the 
period,  with  semicircular  keystoned  arch  below 
a  classic  entablature  supported  by  Doric  pilasters 
on  panelled  pedestals.**  The  oak  bookcases 
and  other  furnishings  of  the  Library  and  of  the 
hbrarian's    room    adjoining    it    on    the    west, 

*-  Ri(ei,  Fowler's  notes,  258. 

*^  Ibid.  81.  The  keyhole  of  the  lock  was  under  the 
wainscot. 

**  Tliis  included  '  a  goodly  great  mazer  called 
Judas  Cupp  '  which  was  used  only  on  Maundy  Thurs- 
day, when  the  prior  and  the  whole  convent  met  in 
the  frater,  and  a  cup  called  Saint  Bede's  Bowl ; 
Rita,  80. 

**  An  inventory  of  the  plate,  drawn  up  in  1446,  is 
printed  in  Rius,  8l. 

*'  Ibid.  82.  The  base  of  the  pulpit  was  identiiied 
by  Sir  William  Hope,  built  against  the  south  wall 
outside  and  covering  three  bays  ;  it  is  below  the 
present  passage  from  the  kitchen  to  the  Deanery  ; 
ibid.  Fowler's  notes,  260. 

*''  Riles  of  Durh.,  Hunter's  2nd  ed.  (1743),  95- 

*'  They  have  four-centred  heads  and  cinquefoiled 
lights  ;  no  attempt  was  made  to  reproduce  Sudbury's 
windows. 

*'  The  building  of  the  Library  was  not  finished  at 
the  time  of  Sudbury's  death  in  1684,  but  he  left 
instructions  in  his  wdl  for  its  completion  by  his 
executors. 

128 


which  partly  occupies  the  place  of  the  Loft,*" 

are  of  Sudbury's  time. 

Below  the  hbrarian's  room  are  the  *  Covey ' 
and  a  cellar  north  of  it.  This  cellar,  which  runs 
east  and  west,  has  a  restored  window  to  the 
cloister  and  a  square  opening  in  the  middle  of  its 
vault ;  beside  the  door  leading  to  it  from  the 
covey  is  a  small  opening  which  has  had  a  small 
door  and  fastenings  as  if  to  serve  drink  from 
the  cellar  to  the  covey  without  opening  the 
door."  Between  the  cellar  and  the  sub-vault 
of  the  west  range  is  another  doorway,  now 
blocked. 

The  MONKS'  LAVER  stood  in  the  cloister 
garth  '  over  against  the  fraterhouse  door,'  and 
is  described  in  Rites  as  '  being  made  in  forme 
round,  covered  with  lead,  and  all  of  marble 
saving  the  verie  uttermost  walls.' *^  The  basin 
had  in  it  '  many  little  conduits  and  spouts  of 
brass,  with  twenty-four  cocks  of  brass  round 
about  it,'  and  in  the  walls  were  '  seven  *'  fair 
windows  of  stonework '  with  a  dovecote  on  top 
covered  with  lead.  The  basin  still  exists  in  the 
centre  of  the  garth,  but  is  not  in  its  original 
position.  The  foundations  of  the  Laver  house 
were  discovered  in  1903,  opposite  the  eighth 
bay  (from  the  east)  of  the  garth  wall.^  There  is 
reason  to  believe  that  the  structure  was  of 
13th-century  date,"**  and  that  it  had  been  joined 
to  Skirlaw's  cloister  alley  by  a  short  length  of 
pentise.  A  statement  of  accounts  still  preserved 
shows,  however,  that  the  basin  and  trough  sur- 
rounding it  were  made  in  1432-3  and  that  the 
marble  came  from  Eggleston.^*  The  basin  is 
wrought  from  a  single  block  and  is  octagonal  in 
form,  the  sides  sloping  outwards,  each  with  a 
blank  shield  in  the  middle  and  another  at  each 
angle.'""     It  now  rests  on  the  ground,  but  was 

*"  After  the  Dissolution  the  loft  was  made  the 
dining  room  of  the  fifth  prebend's  house,  and  after 
the  suppression  of  six  of  the  prebendaries  it  was  con- 
verted to  its  present  purpose  ;  Rites,  Fowler's  notes, 
269. 

«  Ibid.  268.  62  Hites,  82. 

63  This  shows  that  it  was  octagonal  externally,  the 
eighth  side  containing  the  entrance  from  the  cloister 
alley,  to  wliich  it  was  attached.  '  The  building  appears 
not  to  have  been  vaulted,  but  to  have  had  a  wooden 
ceiling  surmounted  by  a  pyramidal  roof  covered  with 
lead  and  containing  a  dovecote ' ;  Hope,  Arch. 
Iviii,  447.  The  dovecote  was  probably  a  later 
addition. 

6*  The  foundations  of  a  small  12th-century  lavatory 
were  also  found  on  the  same  site,  as  already  stated, 
together  with  a  channel  for  the  lead  pipe  and  a  well 
of  the  same  period.  The  discoveries  then  made  are 
fuUy  described  by  Sir  William  Hope  in   Arch.  Iviii, 

444-57-  ...  ,        ^ 

66  The  evidence  for  this  is  given  at  length,  op.  cit. 

452. 

«»  Ibid.  448. 

6*  The  diameter  of  the  basin  is  7  ft.  and  it  is  hollowed 


CITY   OF  DURHAM 


no  doubt  originally  raised  a  convenient  height 
above  the  floor  of  the  Lavatory. 

The  GREAT  KITCHEN  or  MONASTERY 
KITCHEN  adjoined  the  frater  on  the  south- 
west. It  is  now  attached  to  the  Deanery  by  a 
modern  passage  built  against  the  south  side  of  the 
frater  sub-vault,  and  is  the  only  early  monastic 
kitchen  in  England  still  in  regular  use."  It 
communicated  originally  by  a  doorway  and 
passage  on  the  north-east  side  with  one  of  the 
rooms  under  the  Loft,  from  which  food  was 
carried  up  to  the  frater,  or  to  the  Loft  itself. 
A  doorway  on  the  east  side  (now  the  external 
entrance)  may  have  originally  communicated 
with  the  prior's  lodgings,  and  another  doorway 
on    the    west,    now    blocked,    opened    to    the 


larders,  or  store-rooms,  behind  the  fireplaces 
in  the  south-east  and  south-west  angles  in  the 
thickness  of  the  waUing.^^  About  1752  Dean 
Cowper  put  two  '  gothick  windows '  in  the 
kitchen  on  the  south  side,  and  these  still  afford 
the  principal  means  of  hghting."'-  Externally 
the  kitchen  has  angle  buttresses  and  finishes 
with  an  embattled  parapet,  with  a  series  of 
gabled  roofs  over  the  vault  abutting  on  the 
louvre.  The  flanking  structures  on  the  east 
side  have  been  modernised  with  larder  below 
and  bedrooms  above.  The  Treasurer's  chequer 
was  a  '  little  stone  building  '  between  the  kitchen 
and  the  Deanery,  erected  before  1371.^^ 

The  GREAT  DORTER  or   DORMITORY 
occupied  the  whole  of  the  upper  floor  of  the 


cellarer's   chequer,   which  adjoined  it   on   that     west  range,  the  south  end  of  which  overlapped 
'^' '     '    •' '■  1.1-1]    •   .        the  frater  some  20  ft.     The  early  13th-century 

SUB-VAULT  OF  THE  DORTER  is  a  good 
example  of  the  work  of  the  period  and  remains 
substantially  unaltered.  It  is  about  194  ft. 
long  and  39  ft.  wide  internally,  and  is  vaulted  in 
twelve  bays  of  two  spans,  divided  by  a  central 
row  of  circular  pillars  with  moulded  capitals 
and  bases.  Each  bay  is  thus  covered  by  two 
plain  quadripartite  compartments,  about  15  ft. 
in  height  to  the  crown,  with  pointed  transverse 


side.  This  building  was  later  absorbed  into 
one  of  the  canons'  houses  and  was  pulled  down 
in   1849.** 

The  kitchen  is  a  semi-detached  building, 
generally  described  as  octagonal,  but  built  in 
reality  on  a  square  plan  with  fireplaces  at  the 
angles,  the  arches  of  which  support  an  octagonal 
superstructure  and  vaulted  roof,  the  smoke 
from  the  fireplaces  being  conveyed  through  flues 
to  a  central  louvre.     The  bursar's  roUs  for  the 


period  1366-71  set  out  the  cost  of  making  'the      and  wall  ribs.     There  are  half-round  responds, 


new  kitchen,'  but  whether  it  took  the  place  of 
one  on  the  same  site  can  only  be  conjectured. 
The  main  structure  at  least  appears  to  have  been 
completed  in  Fossor's  time,  but  it  was  not 
finished  in  its  present  form  till  the  episcopate 
of  Langley  (1406-37),  who  contributed  largely 
to  the  work.'*  Internally  the  octagon  is 
36  ft.  8  in.  in  diameter  and  is  covered  with  a 
vault  consisting  of  eight  semicircular  ribs,  each 
extending  over  three  of  its  sides,  the  space  left 


similar  in  detail  to  the  piers,  against  the  walls. 
The  floor  is  five  steps  below  that  of  the  cloister 
alley.  The  sub-vault  was  originally  divided  into 
a  treasury  (in  the  bay  next  the  church),  the 
common  house,**  a  passage  from  the  cloister 
to  the  infirmary,  while  the  four  southern  bays 
contained  the  great  cellar  or  buttery  with  en- 
trances at  one  end  from  the  infirmary  passage 
and  at  the  other  from  the  cellarer's  checker  and 
the  kitchen  buildings.     There  was  a  window  in 


within   their   intersection   (14  ft.   in   diameter)      each  bay  on  the  west,  but  none  of  the  original 


forming  the  lantern.  The  ribs  are  chamfered 
and  spring  from  moulded  corbels  in  the  angles 
high  up  in  the  walls ;  the  wall  ribs  are  sharply 
pointed.  The  openings  of  the  louvre  were  not 
filled  with  glass  till  1507."''  The  six  sides,  other 
than  the  east  and  west  doorways,  have  each  a 
chimney,  one  of  which  (on  the  north-east)  was 
used  as  a  curing-room.  The  principal  fireplaces 
were  north  and  south,  but  the  former  is  now 
modernised.  The  other  sides  show  remains  of 
fireplaces  of  different  kinds,  and  there  are  small 

out  to  a  depth  of  8  in.  It  rests  upon  two  stones 
forming  the  trough  and  projecting  about  13  in.  beyond 
it. 

"  G.  W.  Kitchin,  The  Deanery,  Durh.  37. 

'*  It  is  shown  on  Carter's  plan  (1801)  and  consisted 
of  two  chambers,  each  covered  by  a  barrel  vault 
running  east  and  west. 

'•  Greenwell,  Durh.  Caih.  104,  quoting  Hist. 
Dunelm.  Script.   Tres  (Surtees  Soc),   146. 

•0  Kitchin,  op.  cit.  42,  quoting  Durh.  Acct.  Rolls 
(Surtees  See),  105. 


openings  remain,  all  the  existing  windows  being 
modern.  Of  these  divisions  only  the  treasury** 
remains,  being  still  separated  from  the  rest  by  a 
thick  wall.  It  is  entered  from  the  cloister  by  a 
pointed  doorway  with  a  single  continuous  order, 
probably  a  15th-century  insertion,  in  which  are 
still  the  '  strong  door  and  two  locks '  mentioned 

'^The  cellarer's  roU  of  1481  mentions  the  flesh 
larder,  the  fish  larder,  the  store-house  and  the  slaughter 
house.     The  latter  was  probably  east  of  the  kitchen. 

'*  A  window  on  the  north  side,  mutilated  and 
blocked,  can  be  seen  from  one  of  the  cellars  under  the 
Librarian's  room ;    Fowler's  notes  in  Rites,  274, 

•3  Kitchin,  Deanery,  Durh.  46. 

**  It  is  not  clear  how  many  bays  were  occupied  by 
the  Common  House.  The  two  bays  next  to  the 
Treasury  appear  to  have  been  the  Song  School  of 
Rites,  'a  convenient  room  for  the  instructor  of  the 
boys  for  the  use  of  the  quire,'  and  probably  the  next 
four  bays  were  the  Common  House. 

•*  '  A  strong  howse  called  the  Treasure  Howse  where 
all  the  tresure  of  the  house  did  lie ' ;  Rites,  84. 


129 


17 


A    HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


in  Rites.  The  '  strong  iron  grate '  within 
also  remains.  Here  the  muniments  of  the  con- 
vent were  icept  until  quite  recent  times,  when 
they  were  removed  to  the  room  over  the  gate- 
house. In  the  cloister  '  over  against  the  trea- 
sury house  door '  the  novices  were  taught,  for 
whom  there  was  a  '  fair  stall  of  wainscott '  and 
their  master  had  a  seat  opposite  on  the  south  side 
of  the  doorway."' 

The  Common  House  had  '  a  fyre  keapt  in 
yt  all  wynter,  for  the  mounckes  to  cume  and 
warme  them  at,  being  allowed  no  fyre  but 
that  onely,'  and  belonging  to  it  was  a  garden 
and  bowling  alley,  '  on  the  backside  of  the  said 
house  towards  the  water,  for  the  novyces 
sume  tymes  to  recreat  themeselves.'"  All  traces 
of  the  fireplace,  as  well  as  of  the  dividing  walls, 
have  disappeared,  but  the  garden  and  bowHng 
alley  still  exist  in  a  modern  form  on  the  west 
side.  The  common  house  appears  to  have  been 
entered  at  its  south  end  from  the  infirmary 
passage,  on  the  other  side  of  which  was  the 
'  great  cellar  '  of  Rius  entered  from  a  doorway, 
now  blocked,  at  the  foot  of  the  stair  to  the 
loft ;  the  buttery  was  probably  in  the  end  bay. 
The  infirmary  passage  occupied  the  eighth  bay 
from  the  north,  but  the  doorway  from  the  cloister 
is  a  later  insertion  with  a  single  continuous 
moulded  order ;  the  passage  walls  have  dis- 
appeared and  a  wide  modern  opening  has  been 
made  in  the  west  wall.  The  present  arrange- 
ment is  that  the  eight  southern  bays  of  the  sub- 
vault  form  a  single  apartment,  in  which  (at  the 
north  end)  are  preserved  a  large  number  of 
mediaeval  grave  covers  and  moulded  and  carved 
stones  of  various  kinds  from  the  cathedral  and 
other  churches  in  the  county.^  The  two  bays 
north  of  this  (third  and  fourth  from  north)  are 
now  used  as  vestries  for  the  choir  men  and  boys, 
with  a  single  modern  doorway,  and  that  next 
the  treasury  is  the  minor  canons'  vestry,  the 
doorway  of  which  has  a  flat  four-centred  head 
in  one  stone.*' 

The  entrance  to  the  DORTER  or  DORMI- 
TORT  was  at  the  north  end  by  a  stair  from  the 
cloister,  close  to  the  church,  in  the  recess  formed 
by  the  projection  of  the  south-west  tower. 
The  doorway  and  the  wall  in  which  it  is  set 
belong  to  the  12th-century  west  range,  and  a 
round-headed  opening,  now  blocked,  stiU  remains 
in  a  portion  of  this  older  walling  on  the  west 

««  Rliet,  84. 

6'  Ibid.  88. 

•*Greenwell,  op.  cit.  loi.  The  south  end  serves 
as  a  public  way  from  the  cloister  to  the  outer  court 
(College  Green)  by  a  modern  doorway  in  the  south 
wall. 

*'  It  is  a  restoration,  but  apparently  is  a  copy  of  the 
old  doorway,  perhaps  of  early  16th-century  date. 
Carter's  plan  shows  a  door  here,  but  not  in  the  fourth 
bay,  where  the  choir  vestry  door  now  is. 


side  overlooking  the  garden.  The  doorway  has 
a  semicircular  arch  of  three  moulded  orders,  the 
two  inner  on  jamb  shafts  with  cushion  capitals, 
the  outer  resting  on  extended  imposts.  The 
whole  surface  has  been  pared  down  and  the 
label  and  outer  order  cut  away. 

The  dorter  was  divided  by  wainscot  partitions 
into  a  series  of  cubicles,  or  '  little  chambers,' 
with  a  passage  down  the  middle.  Each  cubicle 
was  lighted  by  a  window'"  and  contained  a  desk, 
while  in  the  wall  above  on  each  side  were  widely 
spaced  two-light  pointed  windows  lighting  the 
whole  of  the  apartment.  The  lower  windows 
are  square-headed  and  of  two  trefoiled  lights 
divided  by  a  transom,  and  all  are  restorations ; 
the  upper  windows  have  cinquef oiled  lights, 
vertical  tracery  and  labels.'^  At  the  south  end 
is  a  modern  pointed  window  of  five  lights  below 
a  plain  flat-pitched  gable,  and  the  side  walls 
have  embattled  parapets  on  corbel  tables.  The 
dorter  still  retains  its  original  open  roof  with 
plain  oak  principals,  barely  touched  by  the  axe,'^ 
wall  pieces  on  stone  corbels,  and  struts,  the 
span  of  which  is  41  ft.  The  upper  windows  occur 
in  every  third  bay.  The  novices  occupied  the 
south  end,  '  having  eight  chambers  on  each 
side  .  .  .  not  so  close  nor  so  warme  as  the 
other  chambers,'  there  being  no  windows  to  give 
light  '  but  as  it  came  in  at  the  foreside.'"  The 
middle  passage  was  paved  with  '  fine  tyled 
stone,'  which  in  part  remained  till  past  the 
middle  of  the  19th  century,'*  and  at  either  end 
of  the  dorter  was  a  large  four-square  cresset 
stone  each  with  a  dozen  bowls.  The  sub-prior's 
chamber  was  '  the  first  in  the  dorter  for 
seinge  of  good  order  keapt.'  '^  A  doorway  at  the 
north  end,  now  blocked,  opened  into  the  church 
under  the  south-west  tower,  and  led  probably 
by  a  wooden  gallery  by  another  doorway  into 
the  tower  staircase  and  so  to  the  church  itself,'* 
The  original  fittings  have  disappeared  and  the 
room  is  now  used  as  a  part  of  the  Chapter 
Library,  bookcases  being  placed  along  the  walls 
below  the  upper  windows.  The  room  also 
contains  a  series  of  Roman  altars  and  inscribed 
stones  from  Lanchester  and  other  stations  in  the 
county,  and  on  the  line  of  the  Roman  wall,  a 

'" '  Every  windowe  serving  for  one  chamber,  by 
reason  the  particion  betwixt  every  chamber  was  close 
wainscotted  one  from  another  ' ;    Rites,  85. 

'1  The  lower  windows  are  without  labels.  '  The 
present  windows  to  a  great  extent  occupy  the  places 
of  the  old  ones  ' ;  Rites,  Fowler's  notes,  265. 
There  are  fifteen  lower  windows  facing  the  cloister  and 
six  upper  ones. 

'2  Greenwell,  op.  cit.  102. 

"i^  Rites,  85. 

'*  Greenwell,  writing  in  1879,  says  '  until  not  many 
years  ago  ' ;   op.  cit.  102. 

"1^  Rites,  86. 

"Greenwell,  op.  cit.  101. 


130 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


collection  of  crosses,  grave-slabs  and  other  work 
of  pre-Conquest  date,  and  the  rehcs  from  St. 
Cuthbert's  tomb.  At  the  south  end  of  the  east 
wall  a  modern  doorway  opens  to  the  Librarian's 
Room,  in  the  position  of  the  Loft,  which  formed 
the  dining  room  of  one  of  the  prebendal  houses 
constructed  partly  in  the  south  end  of  the 
dorter." 

The  RERE-DORTER  was  a  '  faire  large 
house  and  most  decent  place  adjoining  to  the 
west  of  the  dorter  towards  the  water  .  .  .  which 
was  made  with  two  great  pillars  of  stone  that 
did  bear  up  the  whole  floore  thereof,  and  every 
seat  and  partition  was  of  wainscot.''*  Each 
seat  had  a  window,  but  these  were  afterwards 
walled  up  '  to  make  the  house  more  close,'  and 
in  the  west  end  were  three  glass  windows  and 
on  the  south  another,  above  the  seats  which 
gave  light  to  the  whole.'*  This  building,  lying 
at  right  angles  with  the  dorter,  opposite  the 
sixth  and  seventh  bays  of  the  sub-vault  (from 
the  north),  is  shown  in  part  on  Carter's  plan  ; 
it  appears  to  have  been  about  68  ft.  long  from 
west  to  east  internally  by  about  30  ft.  wide, 
with  a  ground  floor  passage  between  it  and  the 
dorter.  The  pit  remains,  with  an  outlet  west- 
ward,*" and  the  south  wall  of  the  structure  still 
stands  as  high  as  the  siUs  of  the  little  windows, 
forming  the  north  wall  of  the  stables  built  over 
the  '  lyng  house,'  which  adjoined  the  rere- 
dorter  on  that  side.** 

The  '  lyng  house '  was  a  strong  prison  for 
great  offenders,  described  in  Rites  as  within 
the  INFIRMARY  underneath  the  master's 
chamber.*-  The  upper  building  is  shown  on 
Carter's  plan  running  east  and  west  opposite 
the  passage  through  the  sub-vault,  but  it  had 
been  greatly  altered  after  the  Dissolution  and 
converted  into  stables.  It  was  about  60  ft. 
long  by  40  ft.  wide  and  the  prison  was  in  the 
basement.  In  clearing  this  during  1890-95  the 
floor  was  found  to  be  23  ft.  below  the  present 
ground  level.  The  chamber  is  24  ft.  3  in.  long 
and  had  a  barrel  vault  supported  by  wall 
arcades   '  made   up   of   older  material,   some  of 

"  '  Some  wall-p.'iper  purposely  left  on  some  of  the 
roof  timbers  shows  where  the  garrets  were  ' ;  Rites, 
Fowler's  notes,  296. 

">»  Rites,  85. 

'9  Ibid.  85. 

**  There  was  no  watercourse,  and  some  method  of 
flushing  from  the  conduit  must  have  been  adopted  ; 
ibid.  Fowler's  notes,  266. 

**  Ibid.  266  :  '  The  stables  have  a  hay-loft  over  in 
wliich  the  window  sills  are  visible.  In  an  oil  painting 
of  the  castle,  probably  of  the  i6th  or  17th  century, 
the  rere-dorter  and  a  larger  building  to  the  south  are 
shown  standing  roofed  and  with  windows  of  late 
character  as  though  they  had  been  adapted  to  later 
uses.' 

82  '  Within  the  fermery  in  ounder  ncth  the  mr.  of 
ye  fermery's  chamber  ' ;  ibid.  89. 


the  capitals  of  the  shafts  being  of  12th-cen- 
tury, and  others  of  13th-century  date.'*^  The 
entrance  was  by  a  round-headed  doorway** 
on  the  south  leading  into  a  vaulted  passage 
carried  along  that  side  of  the  building  to  the 
west  end  '  where  a  newel  staircase  with  a  pro- 
jecting turret  ascends  into  an  upper  room  on  the 
level  of  the  stable  floor,'*^  no  doubt  the  master 
of  the  infirmary's  chamber.  This  room  was 
lighted  by  a  round-headed  window,  now  blocked, 
in  the  west  gable,  but  with  this  exception  no 
part  of  the  infirmary  remains.  Its  site  was 
south  of  the  rere-dorter  and  south-west  of  the 
dorter  range.  In  it  was  a  room  know-n  as  the 
Dead  Man's  chamber*"  and  adjoining  it  a  chapel 
dedicated  to  St.  Andrew. 

Excavations  in  1890  under  the  monk's  garden 
revealed  a  passage  commencing  at  a  depth  of 
about  30  ft.  at  the  north-west  corner  of  the 
stables  and  rising  with  a  gradual  ascent  to  the 
south  wall  of  the  Galilee,  into  which  it  formerly 
had  access.  This  passage  has  a  barrel  vault 
and  is  lighted  by  three  narrow  sHts  with  sloped 
sills  in  the  west  wall,  which  abuts  upon  the  river 
bank  ;   the  east  wall  is  blank.*' 

The  GUEST  HOUSE  was  within  the  abbey 
garth  '  on  the  west  side  towards  the  water,' 
south  of  the  infirmary  and  south-west  of  the 
kitchen.**  The  hall  is  described  as  '  a  goodly 
brave  place,  much  like  unto  the  body  of  a 
church,  with  very  fair  pillers  supporting  it  on 
ether  syde  and  in  the  mydest  of  the  haule  a 
most  large  raunge  for  the  fyer.'**  The  cham- 
bers and  lodgings  were  '  swetly  keapt  and  richly 
furnyshed,'  especially  one  chamber  called  the 
King's  Chamber  '  deservinge  that  name  in  that 


*3  Greenwell,  op.  cit.  loo. 

*^  The  doorway,  which  opened  outward,  was  closed 
by  a  wooden  bar,  the  hole  for  wliich  in  the  jamb 
remains  ;   ibid.  loi. 

*5  Ibid.  loi. 

*'  The  body  of  a  deceased  monk  was  taken  first 
to  the  Dead  Man's  Chamber,  where  it  remained  till 
night,  and  was  then  removed  to  the  chapel  where  it 
lay  till  8  o'clock  the  follov\ing  morning,  at  which  hour 
the  corpse  was  conveyed  to  the  Chapter  House  and 
from  there  through  the  parlour  to  the  cemetery  south- 
east of  the  church  ;    Rites,  51. 

*'  Greenwell,  op.  cit.  100. 

**  '  The  house  now  (1903)  occupied  by  the  Professor 
of  Divinity  stands  on  the  site  with  which  it  corresponds 
very  nearly  in  length  and  breadth.  .  .  .  The  entry 
by  the  Dark  Passage  to  the  Banks  is  along  its  north 
side ' ;  Rites,  Fowler's  notes,  272.  This  was  the 
third  prebend's  house.  The  date  of  its  erection  is 
unknown,  but  it  was  improved  by  Dr.  James  Finney 
(1694-1726),  and  rebuilt  in  its  present  form  by  Dr. 
Prosser  about  1 808  ;  ibid.  159.  In  Bek's  general 
view  of  Durham  (Bod.  Lib.)  it  is  shown  as  a  lofty 
mansion  \nth  a  long  row  of  dormer  windows  ;  ibid. 
296. 

«»  Ibid.  90. 


131 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


the  king  himselfe  myght  verie  well  have  lyne  in 
yt.'  Some  walling  of  12th-century  date  remains 
in  the  house  built  on  the  site  on  its  north  and 
west  sides  and  in  the  interior,  but  the  only 
apartment  that  has  survived  is  a  vaulted  base- 
ment, now  used  as  a  kitchen.  The  vault  is 
in  three  bays  of  two  spans,  supported  by  two 
pillars  with  moulded  capitals.*" 

The  PRIOR'S  LODGING,  now  the 
DEANERT,  was  built  eastward  of  and  incor- 
porating the  early  dorter  at  the  south  end  of  the 
east  range.  Assuming  that  the  dorter  was  aban- 
doned before  or  about  1140,  it  is  reasonable  to 
suppose  that  this  part  of  the  monastic  buildings 
would  then,  or  soon  after,  be  handed  over  to 
the  prior,  and  that  he  constructed  various 
chambers  to  the  east  of  it.  To  these  a  chapel 
was  attached  in  the  13th  century  in  the  south- 
east corner,  but  in  the  existing  buildings  nothing 
between  the  chapel  and  the  old  dorter  is  earher 
than  the  14th  century,  the  intervening  rooms 
having  presumably  been  rebuilt  at  that  period, 
and  they  have  been  altered  more  than  once 
since.  The  many  references  in  the  Rolls  of  the 
Convent  to  work  done  in  the  prior's  lodging  are 
tantalisingly  vague  and  Rius  has  little  to 
say  about  this  part  of  the  monastery.  The 
earliest  rolls  do  not  begin  until  1278,  at  which 
time  there  was  glass  in  the  prior's  rooms,  and 
Graystanes  mentions  the  prior's  chamber  twenty 
years  earlier.  The  checker  of  the  prior's  chaplain 
was  '  over  the  stairs  as  you  go  up  to  the  Dean's 
hall  .  .  .  and  his  chamber  was  next  to  the 
prior's  chamber,''^  but  neither  room  can  be 
identified.*-  Of  the  date  of  the  erection  of  the 
chapel  there  is  no  record,  and  its  attribution  to 
Prior  Melsonby  (1233-44)  i^  conjectural.  Fossor 
did  a  great  deal  of  work  in  the  monastery  build- 
ings, but  it  is  not  specifically  stated  that  '  the 
two  separate  chambers,  namely,  the  high  cham- 
ber and  the  low  one,'  were  in  the  prior's  lodging, 
though  probably  they  were.  In  Wessington's 
time  a  sum  of  £^i()  was  expended  '  for  con- 
struction and  repairs  of  various  chambers  belong- 
ing to  the  Prior,'  but  no  details  of  the  work  done 
are  given.  The  Deanery  is  said  to  have  been 
'  very  much  improved '  by  Dean  Comber 
(1691-99)  who  '  built  a  new  apartment  to  it,'*^ 
but  this  cannot  be  located,  and  no  adequate 
record  has  been  kept  even  of  the  18th-century 
reconstructions   and   alterations. 

The  detail  of  the  chapel  is  very  simple  and  in 
striking  contrast  to  Melsonby's  work  in  the  Nine 
Altars ;  though  apparently  early  in  the  pointed 
style,  it  is  possible  the  work  may  be  as  late  as 
the  middle  of  the   13th  century.     The  chapel 

•o  Boyle,  Guide  to  Durh.  363. 

•*  Rites,  loi.     This  was  in  the  l6th  century. 

•^  Kitchin,  The  Deanery,  Durh.  33. 

<«  Ibid.  73. 


was  internally  about  50  ft.  long  from  west  to  east 
by  about  16  ft.  wide,  over  a  vaulted  basement, 
and  stands  in  front  of  the  face  of  the  main 
building,  which  it  overlaps  at  the  east  end  about 
20  ft.  The  upper  part,  or  chapel  proper,  has 
been  divided  up  and  turned  to  domestic  uses, 
but  the  sub-vault  remains  substantially  un- 
altered. In  1914-15  it  was  fitted  up  as  a  chapel 
by  Dean  Henson  and  later  used  by  the  women 
students  of  St.  Mary's  College,  and  the  windows 
were  opened  out.  It  is  of  four  bays,  each  covered 
by  a  single  quadripartite  vault,  with  pointed 
wall-ribs  and  transverse  arches,  springing  from 
half-round  responds  against  the  side  walls,  with 
moulded  capitals  and  bases.  The  height  of  the 
vault  is  about  11  ft.  and  the  ribs  are  chamfered. 
This  apartment  ('  the  chamber  under  the  vault ') 
was  lighted  by  four  narrow  windows  with  wide 
internal  splays  on  the  south  side,  one  at  the 
east  end  of  the  north  wall,  and  one  at  the  east 
end,  and  the  entrance  is  at  the  west  end  from 
the  garden.  The  windows  were  made  square- 
headed  after  the  Dissolution  and  so  remain. 
The  west  doorway  has  a  pointed  continuous 
chamfered  arch  with  hood  mould,  and  there  is 
also  a  door  at  the  west  end  of  the  north  wall 
from  the  lower  floor  of  the  house.  The  entrances 
to  the  chapel  above  were  in  the  same  relative 
positions,  the  internal  one  directly  from  the 
prior's  solar  {camera  superior)  and  the  other 
from  the  outside,  the  method  of  access  to  which 
is  no  longer  apparent.  It  was  probably  reached 
by  a  wooden  stairway,  but  all  traces  of  this  or 
any  other  means  of  approach  have  long  since 
disappeared.  The  doorway  is  of  two  orders  with 
hood-mould,  the  outer  order  moulded  on  jamb 
shafts.  Above  in  the  west  wall  are  two  tall 
lancets,  now  blocked,  and  at  the  east  end  two 
similar  windows.  The  eastern  windows  are 
deeply  recessed,  with  an  outer  order  carried  on 
jamb  shafts  with  moulded  capitals  and  bases,  and 
are  widely  spaced,  the  wall  between  being  now 
rebuilt  as  a  chimney  in  a  way  which  makes  it 
difficult  to  determine  whether  there  was  originally 
a  middle  opening.  On  the  south  side  all  the 
original  windows  of  the  chapel  have  disappeared, 
five  large  square-headed  sash  windows  having 
been  inserted  on  each  floor  in  the  i8th  century, 
but  in  the  overlapping  north  wall  are  the 
remains  of  two  grouped  lancets,  placed  lower 
than  those  at  the  east  end,  which  suggest  that 
originally  the  windows  on  the  south  may  have 
been  in  pairs.  Externally  the  chapel  has  wide 
flat  clasping  buttresses  at  the  angles,  and  there 
have  been  buttresses  on  the  south  side  and  at 
the  ends.  The  conversion  of  the  chapel  into 
rooms  took  place  in  the  i8th  century,  when  a 
floor  was  inserted  and  two  sitting-rooms  with 
a  smaller  room  between  were  formed  on  the 
lower  floor  and  four  smaller  rooms  on  the  floor 
above.     These  are  all  lighted  from  the   south 


132 


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'33 


A   HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


by  the  sash  windows  akeady  named,  and  the 
lower  rooms  have  fireplaces  with  carved  mantels 
in  the  end  walls.  The  date  of  these  alterations 
is  not  known,  but  they  may  have  been  the  work 
of  Dean  Cowper  (1746-74).  The  chapel  fabric 
now  has  a  straight  parapet  and  flat-pitched  leaded 
roof ;  the  original  roof  has  been  destroyed  and 
all  traces  of  the  chapel  internally  have  been 
obhterated. 

The  main  part  of  the  building  between  the 
chapel  and  the  great  hall  consisted  of  the  prior's 
solar,  or  camera  superior,  on  the  principal  floor, 
with  the  camera  inferior,  01  servants'  hall,  under 
it.  The  former  was  a  lofty  apartment  about 
62  ft.  long  from  west  to  east  and  22  ft.  in  width. 
It  now  forms  the  drawing-room  of  the  Deanery, 
but  its  east  end,  which  overlaps  the  chapel  some 
16  ft.,  has  been  partitioned  off  as  a  lobby.  The 
drawing-room  is  thus  46  ft.  long,  and  in  its 
present  aspect  dates  from  the  i8th  century  and 
later,  but  its  walls  are  ancient.  The  south  or 
outer  wall  is  of  14th-century  date,  probably 
Prior  Fossor's  reconstruction  of  a  former  build- 
ing erected  against  the  old  rere-dorter,  the  south 
wall  of  which,  v\ith  its  pit,  was  retained,  and  still 
forms  the  inner  wall  of  the  drawing-room  and 
hall  below.  Whatever  the  original  appearance  of 
the  prior's  camera,  it  seems  to  have  been  a  good 
deal  altered  late  in  the  15th  century,  or  early  in 
the  1 6th,  when  a  fine  flat-pitched,  open-tim- 
bered roof  of  oak  was  erected  and  lofty  windows 
with  vertical  tracery  inserted,  some  indications  of 
which  stiU  remain  outside.**  This  roof  is  still 
in  position,  but  hidden  by  a  later  plaster  ceiling, 
except  at  the  east  end,  where  it  is  visible  over  the 
lobby.  In  the  south  wall,  near  its  east  end,  is  a 
vice  turret  by  which  direct  access  was  obtained 
from  the  servants'  haU  to  the  prior's  camera  and 
thence  to  the  roof.  The  turret  projects  externally 
as  a  half  octagon  and  terminates  above  the  para- 
pet with  a  short  pyramidal  roof.  It  is  of  14th- 
century  date,  and  the  doorway  in  the  lower  room 
has  a  continuous  moulded  shouldered  arch  :  the 
opening  in  the  upper  room  is  now  covered  by 
panelling,  but  can  still  be  used.  The  present 
four  great  square-headed  sash  windows  were  put 
in  by  Dean  Cowper  about  1748-49,*  but  the 
coved  plaster  ceiling  appears  to  be  subsequent  to 
Cowper's  time  (1746-74),  as  a  panel  with  his 
arms  is  now  above  it  at  the  west  end  of  the 
room.**    The  fireplace  is  modern. 

**  Kitchin,  op.  cit.  50. 

•^  He  is  said  at  this  time  to  have  '  pulled  down  an  old 
part  of  the  Deanery,  next  the  garden  facing  the  south,' 
and  to  have  '  rebuilt  the  same  in  a  handsome  manner,' 
but  Dean  Kitchin  points  out  that  this  refers  to  the 
staircase  leading  from  the  front  door  to  the  outer  hall ; 
op.  cit.  71. 

••  The  panel  is  figured  in  Kitchin,  op.  cit.  52.  It 
has  the  arms  of  Cowper  impaling  Townshend.  Dean 
Spencer  Cowper  married  Lady  Dorothy  Townshend. 


The  camera  inferior  has  been  modernised,  and 
except  for  the  doorway  to  the  vice  is  architectu- 
rally uninteresting.  Partition  walls  now  divide  it 
into  three,  and  the  windows  have  been  enlarged 
and  made  into  sashes.  It  has  a  flat  ceiling.  On 
this  floor  the  double  wall  of  the  old  rere-dorter, 
enclosing  the  pit  of  the  latrines,  stands  clear  its 
full  width  from  the  wall  of  the  old  dorter  range, 
with  a  passage  between  ;  on  the  floor  above  it  has 
been  cut  through  at  the  ends,  perhaps  in  the  17th 
century,  to  form  a  passage-way  through  the 
house.  The  site  of  the  rere-dorter  is  now 
occupied  by  rooms  which  in  their  present 
aspect  are  of  comparatively  modern  date,  but 
probably  took  shape  in  the  15th  century.  They 
consist  of  a  morning  room  (28  ft.  by  20  ft.),  and  a 
smaller  room  opening  from  it  at  the  east  end,  but 
are  without  architectural  interest.*' 

Immediately  north  of  the  chapel  was  the  minor 
camera  of  the  prior,**  now  the  Dean's  hbrary, 
and  to  the  north  of  this  again,  and  originally 
communicating  with  it,  a  room  called  '  King 
James's  Room,'**  but  probably  in  the  first  in- 
stance the  prior's  sleeping  chamber.  Both  these 
rooms  appear  to  have  been  originally  of  14th- 
century  date,  and  their  outer  walls,  including  a 
buttress  on  the  east  side  and  part  of  a  window  on 
the  north,^  are  still  largely  of  that  period,  but  the 
outer  wall  of  the  library  was  rebuUt  in  its  present 
form,  with  a  bay  window,  early  in  the  19th  cen- 
tury, when  an  external  stone  staircase  to  the 
garden  was  erected.^  The  library  (28  ft.  by 
22  ft.)  has  an  oak  ceiling  of  four  bays,  probably  of 
late  isth-century  date,  the  main  beams  carried  on 
stone  corbels  and  shaped  wall  pieces,  each  bay 
having  three  panelled  compartments  with  carved 
bosses  at  the  intersection  of  the  ribs.  The  fire- 
place is  modern. 

The  celling  of  King  James's  Room  is  of 
panelled  oak,  with  a  series  of  carved  bosses  and 
shields  at  the  intersections  of  the  ribs.     On  one 

"  These  rooms  were  altered  and  improved  by  Dean 
Cowper  about  1748-9;  Kitchin,  op.  cit.  71.  They 
may  have  been  part  of  the  work  done  in  Wessington's 
time. 

•*  The  chapel  was  described  in  1343  as  '  juxta  et 
prope  minorem  cameram  prioris.'  Richard  de  Bury 
(Surtees  Soc.  ciix),  167,  quoted  by  Kitchin,  op.  cit.  54. 

•*  From  King  James  VI  of  Scotland  having  slept 
there  in  April  1603  on  his  way  to  London. 

'^  In  the  basement  story  ;  it  is  the  top  of  a  pointed 
window  of  two  cinquefoiled  lights  with  an  elongated 
trefoil  in  the  head. 

*  A  drawing  of  the  east  front  of  the  Deanery  by 
Robert  Surtees,  c.  1810  (reproduced  in  Kitchin's 
Deanery,  55),  shows  a  kind  of  large  entrance  porch  in 
the  angle  of  the  chapel  and  library  and  a  modern 
gabled  addition  immediately  north  of  the  buttress. 
These  were  pulled  down  when  the  east  wall  of  the 
Hbrary  was  rebuilt.  The  library  is  shown  in  the 
sketch  as  lighted  by  two  four-centred  windows  with 
square  labels. 


134 


CITY  OF   DURHAM 


of  the  shields  is  Prior  Castell's  badge  of  the 
winged  heart  pierced  by  a  sword,  and  others  have 
the  arms  of  the  See  and  of  the  prior  and  chapter. 
The  work  is  apparently  of  Castell's  time,^  and 
may  be  as  late  as  the  second  decade  of  the  i6th 
century.''  The  carved  bosses  include  the  sacred 
monogram,  the  Agnus  Dei,  the  cross  of  thorns, 
Tudor  rose  (repeated),  chained  hart,  fleur-de- 
lys,  three  rabbits  nibbling  at  fruit,  and  other 
subjects.  Below  the  ceiling  is  an  embattled 
cornice  with  deep-cut  flowing  floral  pattern  on 
the  underside.  The  bedrooms  over  the  Library 
and  King's  Room  are  without  interest,  but  the 
chamfered  wall  pieces  of  an  old  roof,  apparently 
of  early  16th-century  date,  remain  on  both  sides. 
Probably  the  whole  of  this  floor  was  originally 
one  room,  but  it  is  divided  into  four,  with  a 
passage  on  the  west  side  connecting  the  rooms 
over  the  chapel  with  a  staircase  on  the  north  side 
of  the  house.  To  the  west  of  this  staircase  are 
three  bedrooms  opening  from  one  another  over 
the  rooms  north  of  the  drawing-room.  All  the 
internal  arrangements  and  the  windows  on  this 
floor  are  18th-century  or  later,  though  the  outer 
walls  are  old.  The  basement  story  of  the  block 
north  of  the  chapel  has  been  modernised,  and 
contains  a  laundry  and  coal  cellar  with  a  passage 
between.  From  this  a  trap  door  opens  to  a 
large  stone-built  chamber,  or  cesspool,  12  ft. 
deep,  divided  by  a  semicircular  arch  into  two 
bays,  with  a  flanking  arch  over  each.  This 
chamber,  which  is  8  ft.  6  in.  by  8  ft.,  has  a  round- 
headed  opening,  now  blocked,  on  the  east  side, 
and  may  have  been  the  cesspool  connected  with 
the  early  buildings  on  the  east  side  of  the  cloister, 
though  it  is  some  30  ft.  east  of  the  old  rere- 
dorter.  It  was  perhaps  used  later  in  connexion 
with  the  prior's  privy  chamber. 

The  Great  Hall  of  the  prior's  lodging,  as 
already  stated,  was  formed  from  the  old  dorter 
by  lengthening  it  at  the  north  end  up  to  the 
chapter  house,  so  as  to  include  the  dorter  stairs 
and  landing.  Since  the  days  of  the  deans  the 
Great  Hall  has  been  divided  horizontally  by  the 
insertion  of  a  floor  over  rather  more  than  half  its 
length,  providing  bedrooms  in  the  upper  part, 
and  vertically  by  the  erection  of  a  partition  on 
the  ground  floor,  and  has  thus  lost  all  its  ancient 
characteristics.  The  side  walls  belong  to  the 
Norman  building,  and  on  the  west,  overlooking 
the  cloister,  is  still  a  round-headed  window,  now 
blocked,  but  no  other  features  of  this  period 
survive.  The  modern  doorway  on  the  east  side, 
which  opens  on  to  a  lobby  between  the  Great 
Hall  and  the  northern  apartments,  is,  however, 

*  Whether  this  is  its  first  position  has  been  ques- 
tioned. Dean  Kitchin  says  :  '  It  shows  signs  of  a 
juncture  across  the  middle  ;  it  has  been  suggested 
that  it  was  originally  the  roofing  of  two  rooms  trans- 
ferred here  at  some  later  time '  (Kitchin,  op.  cit.  62). 

*  Castell  wainscotted  the  frater  in  15 18. 


in  the  same  position  as  the  original  doorway  to 
the  rere-dorter.  Above  this  is  a  blocked  square- 
headed  three-light  window  of  I5ih-century  date, 
and  there  is  another,  blocked  in  its  lower  part, 
on  the  west  side,  the  upper  portion  of  which 
lights  one  of  the  bedrooms.  The  hood  mould  of 
another  opening  still  remains  on  this  side  above  a 
modern  sash  window.  Prior  Fossor  placed  a 
window  at  the  south  end  of  the  hall,  but  the 
existing  window  in  that  position  is  a  restoration 
of  a  four-light  square-headed  opening  wliich 
replaced  the  earlier  one  in  1476,^  and  the  other 
windows  and  the  oak  roof  were  probably  erected 
a  few  years  later.^  It  is  almost  certain  that  the 
Great  Hall  was  re-roofed  and  otherwise  altered 
about  this  time,  assuming  then  the  aspect  it 
retained  until  the  Dissolution,  but  there  are  no 
records  of  actual  work  done.  As  then  recon- 
structed, the  Hall  must  have  been  a  very  noble 
apartment,  lighted  by  great  windows  on  either 
side  at  its  north  end,  some  13  ft.  above  the  floor, 
and  by  a  large  window  in  the  south  end.  In 
length  it  was  about  75  ft.  and  in  width  24  ft., 
with  a  height  of  about  40  ft.,  but  the  floor  was 
raised  four  steps  some  10  ft.  from  the  south  end 
so  as  to  clear  the  vault  of  the  undercroft.  The 
15th-century  roof  still  remains  over  the  whole  of 
this  space,  but  can  be  seen  only  from  the  inner 
hall  at  the  south  end,  the  i  emainder  being  hidden 
by  the  flat  plaster  ceilings  of  the  bedrooms.  The 
north  end  of  the  Great  Hall,  now  the  dining  hall 
of  the  Deanery  (42  ft.  by  24  ft.),  has  a  plaster 
ceiling  imitating  oak,  and  is  lighted  by  three 
modern  windows  on  the  east  side.  The  south 
end,  now  the  Inner  Hall,  is  panelled  all  round 
with  two  tiers  of  late  15th  or  early  i6th  century 
oak  traceried  panelling,  and  the  partition  divid- 
ing it  from  the  dining  hall  has  three  tiers  of 
similar  panelling  with  plaster  above.  Dean 
Kitchin  was  of  opinion  that  aU  this  panelling 
was  the  wainscot  from  the  monks'  frater  re- 
erected  here  by  Dean  Sudbury  when  he  con- 
verted the  frater  into  the  chapter  library,'  and  if 
so  it  dates  from  15 18.  The  tracery  of  the 
wainscot  was  from  time  to  time  replaced  by 
sham  work  in  painted  putty  or  plaster,  but  has 
since  been  restored  in  oak.*  Modern  doorways 
on  the  west  side  of  the  inner  hall  open  to  the 
Chapter  Library  and  to  the  passage  to  the 
kitchen.  The  Great  Hall  had  a  buttery  at- 
tached to  it,  but  its  position  cannot  be  accurately 
located ;  it  may  have  been  to  the  south-west  of 
the  Hall,  approximately  where  the  modern 
butler's  pantry,  built  by  Dean  Waddington  over 
the  passage  to  the  cloister,  now  stands. 

^  Kitchin,  op.  cit.  61,  quoting  Durh.  Acct.  Rolls 
(Surtees  Soc),  iii,  646. 

*  There  were  charges  for  '  divers  windows  '  in 
1482  and  1483  :   ibid. 

'  Kitchin,  op.  cit.  64- 

8  Ibid.  48. 


135 


A  HISTORY  OF   DURHAM 


The  GATEHOUSE,  on  the  east  side  of  the 
abbey  garth,  still  remains  in  a  very  perfect  con- 
dition, though  restored.  The  gateway  proper  is 
set  in  the  middle  of  the  entrance  passage,  and 
has  the  usual  greater  and  lesser  doorways.  The 
outer  porch,  as  well  as  the  gate  hall,  has  a  vaulted 
roof  of  quadripartite  form  with  ridge  ribs  and 
tiercons,  the  boss  in  the  porch  being  carved 
with  the  arms  of  the  See  of  Durham,  borne  by 
an  angel,  while  that  of  the  inner  compartment 
has  the  badge  of  Prior  Castell.  Each  compart- 
ment has  a  wall  arcade  of  three  plain  chamfered 
arches,  and  the  great  arch  at  each  end  of  the 
entrance  passage  is  a  pointed  one  of  two  con- 
tinuous chamfered  orders.  The  upper  story  is 
lighted  at  each  end  by  a  four-centred  three-light 
window  with  vertical  tracery,  and  terminates  in 
a  flat-pitched  gable.  Both  windows  are  modern 
restorations,  and  the  upper  part  of  the  walling  is 
much  rebuilt.  On  the  east  side,  facing  the  Bailey, 
are  two  empty  canopied  niches — one  on  each 
side  of  the  window.'  In  the  room  over  the 
archway  Castell  renewed  the  former  chapel  of 
St.  Helen  and  the  sleeping  room  of  its  priest. 
After  the  Dissolution  the  room  was  used  for  a 
long  time  as  the  exchequer  of  the  Dean  and 
Chapter,**  and  it  is  now  the  treasury.  On  the 
north  side  of  the  Gatehouse  was  a  building  con- 
taining a  loft,  where  the  children  of  the  Almery 
'  had  diet  '  at  the  cost  of  the  convent.  The  loft 
had  a  '  long  porche  over  the  stairhead,  slated 
over,  and  at  either  side  of  the  porch  or  entry 
there  was  a  stair  to  go  up  to  it  and  a  stable  under- 
neath it.'  "  After  the  Dissolution  this  building 
was  converted  into  a  dwelling-house  for  the  first 
prebendary  of  the  sixth  stall,  when  the  stairs  were 
taken  down  and  the  stable  made  into  a  kitchen.*- 

The  CHAMBERLAIN'S  EXCHEQUER  was 
to  the  north-west  of  the  Gatehouse.  It  was 
rebuilt  as  the  residence  of  the  prebendary  of  the 
first  stall,  and  again  in  part  by  Dr.  J.  Bowles 
(1712-21).''  The  chamberlain  'kept  a  tailor 
daily  at  work  in  a  shop  underneath  the  Ex- 
chequer,' and  at  the  back  was  a  walled  garden 
called  Paradise.  An  infirmary  for  lay  folk  with  its 
own  chapel  stood  outside  the  monastery  gate.*^ 

*  Billings'  plate  (1842)  shows  a  mutilated  figure  in 
the  southernmost  niche. 

MRaine,  Durh.  Cath.  117. 

^'^  Rites,  91.  MS.  of  1656.  The  food  for  the 
children  was  served  from  a  window  in  the  covey  near 
the  kitchen,  and  carried  to  the  loft  by  the  gatehouse. 

1*  Rites  of  Durh.  (Hunter's  2nd  ed.),  106.  The  loft 
was  made  into  a  buttery.  The  house  was  partly 
rebuilt  by  Richard  Wrench  (1660-75),  being  'much 
ruined  in  the  Rebellion  ' ;  Fowler's  Rites,  159.  Early 
walling  remains  in  the  basement  ;  ibid.  296. 

*'  The  existing  house  bears  Bishop  Egerton's  arms 
(1771-87),  and  therefore  was  rebuilt  or  repaired  in  his 
time. 

^*  Rites,  272. 


The  church  of  S7.  NICHOLAS 
CHURCHES  stands  on  the  north  side  of  the 
market-place,  but  was  entirely 
rebuilt  in  the  style  of  the  14th  century  in  1857-8. 
It  consists  of  a  short  chancel,  nave  with  north 
and  south  aisles,  and  tower  at  the  west  end  of 
the  south  aisle  forming  the  porch,  surmounted 
by  a  tall  stone  spire.  A  few  carved  stones  from 
the  old  church  are  preserved  in  Durham  Castle 
and  a  modern  '  Norman  '  window  inserted  before 
1857  is  now  at  Edmundbyers. 

The  building  pulled  down  in  1857  consisted 
of  chancel,  nave  with  north  and  south  aisles, 
and  a  tower  in  the  same  position  as  at  present. 
Sir  Stephen  Glynne,  who  visited  the  church  in 
1825,  described  it  as  '  a  large  structure  display- 
ing some  marks  of  antiquity  although  the  bar- 
barous hand  of  innovation  has  swept  nearly  all 
before  it.'  * 

The  nave  arcades  consisted  of  pointed  arches, 
three  on  the  north  side  and  two  of  greater  span 
on  the  soi^th.  The  chancel  had  aisles  on  cither 
side,  the  arcade  on  the  north  being  apparently 
of  12th-century  date,  but  that  on  the  south 
was  similar  to  the  arches  in  the  nave.  Surtees 
states  that  the  north  aisle  extended  '  the  whole 
length  of  the  nave  and  chancel.  It  is  divided 
from  the  nave  by  two  low  octagonal  pillars  sup- 
porting blunt  pointed  arches,  and  from  the 
chancel  by  a  low  round  column  with  a  fluted 
capital  supporting  round  arches  of  unequal 
height  and  span.  The  south  aisle  is  separated 
from  the  chancel  by  a  small  pillar  and  pointed 
arch,  and  from  the  nave  by  one  slender  and 
octagonal  column  supporting  wide  pointed 
arches.'-  The  chancel  arch  was  wide  and  blunt, 
springing  from  corbels  of  human  heads.'  At 
the  beginning  of  the  19th  century  the  south 
front  of  the  building  was  almost  entirely  con- 
cealed by  the  market-piazza.  The  tower  had 
been  a  good  deal  altered,  and  finished  with  a 
straight  parapet.  The  outward  northern  wall 
(was)  of  great  height  and  strength,  supported 
by  square  buttresses  and  was  considered  as  a 
portion  of  the  defensive  line  of  the  city  on  the 
north,  sweeping  exactly  in  line  with  the  curtain 
wall  of  Nevill's  Place  and  Claypath  Gate.* 
There  were  two  galleries,  one  for  the  children 
of  the  Bluecoat  School  at  the  west  end,  erected 
in  1 72 1  by  Sir  John  Eden,  bart.,  and  the  other 
between  two  of  the  pillars  of  the  north  aisle, 
erected  in  1729  by  the  Cordwainers'  Company.* 
In  1768  the  south  front  of  the  tower  was  chiselled 
over  and  a  large  east  window  inserted  in  the 
chancel,  and  in  1803  the  interior  was  restored, 

1  Proc.  Soc.  Antiq.  Newcastle  (3rd  ser.),  iii,  283. 
*  Surtees,  Hist,  of  Dur.  iv,  47. 
3  Ibid.  47. 
«  Ibid.  48. 
«  Ibid.  48. 


136 


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Church 
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m  C1080-90 

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I  AM     Cathedral 


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o 


CITY  OF   DURHAM 


the  north  gallery  taken  down,  the  wainscot 
removed  from  behind  the  altar  and  the  pews 
and  paving  renewed."  An  old  stone  pulpit 
resting  on  a  small  stone  pillar  was  removed 
about  the  same  time.  Another  gallery  extending 
nearly  the  whole  length  of  the  north  aisle  was 
erected  in  1826.  An  organ  loft,  which  had 
succeeded  the  rood  loft,  had  been  taken  down 
in  1684  and  replaced  by  the  Ten  Commandments 
and  the  Royal  Arms  which  remained  till 
1806.' 

There  is  a  ring  of  six  bells,  five  of  which  from 
the  old  church  are  dated  1687  and  bear  the 
stamp  of  James  Bartlett,  of  Whitechapel.  They 
all  bear  an  inscription  which,  with  slight  varia- 
tions, chiefly  in  the  division  of  the  lines,  reads 

FVNDATVR  DEI  GLORIjE  REGNO  AVGVSTISSIMI 
lACOBI  SECVNDI  NATHANIELE  :  :  EPISE  ROBERT 
DELAVAL    ARM    :    PRjETORE    RALPH    TROTTER    ROB    : 

ROBSON  cn  WARDENS  1687.  The  treble  was  cast 
by  John  Warner  &  Sons,  of  London,  in  1889, 
when  the  other  bells  were  rehung.^ 

The  plate  consists  of  a  chalice  and  cover 
paten  of  1665  with  the  maker's  initials  IR, 
inscribed  '  Calix  Benedictionis  S'='  Nicholai 
Dunelm  1665'*;  a  chalice  and  cover  of  1685 
with  the  maker's  initials  lY,  and  the  arms  of 
Fenwick  impaling  Hall,  the  chalice  inscribed 
•  The  gift  of  Mary  Fenwick  Widd.  of  Mr.  Wm. 
Fenwick  of  Newton  Ganes  desceased  and  the 
only  daughter  and  Heir  of  Alderman  John  Hall 
Vintner  ;  for  the  Communion  Service  of  St. 
Nicholas  Durham  '; '"  two  flagons  of  1685  with 
the  arms  of  Clark  impaling  Hall,  inscribed  '  Given 
to  y'=  Parish  of  St.  Nicholas  in  the  Cittie  of 
Durham  by  Mrs.  Ann  Clark  Widdow,  Sister  to 
John  Hall  Esq.  one  of  y*  Aldermen  of  y^  said 
Cittie  1686  '  ;  a  paten  of  1708,  with  the  maker's 
mark  CH  ;  and  two  almsdishes  of  1771  Edin- 
burgh make,  inscribed  '  The  gift  of  Thomas 
Wilkinson  Esq.  (of  Old  Elvet)  for  the  Com- 
munion Service  of  the  Parish  Church  of  St. 
Nicholas  in  the  City  of  Durham.  Oct.  nth, 
1841.'  There  are  also  two  plated  cups  'Pre- 
sented to  St.  Nicholas  Church  Durham  by  G.W. 
1858.' 

*  Ibid.  48.  The  wainscot  bore  the  date  1627 
and  the  initials  of  William  Pattison. 

'  Ibid.  48.  Seats  for  the  Mercers'  Company  were 
erected  in  1678  (renewed  1 762),  and  for  the  Mayor 
and  Aldermen  in  1705. 

8  Froc.  Soc.  Aiitiq.  Newcastle,  iv,  128.  The  treble  is 
inscribed  '  This  bell  is  the  gift  of  Thomas  and  Eleanor 
Winter.  The  other  five  bells  were  rehung  at  the  same 
time.  Rev.  H.  E.  Fox,  vicar,  George  Chapman, 
John  Robinson,  churchwardens,  Wilham  Boyd,  mayor.' 

'  Ibid,  iv,  126-8.     In  7  Edw.  VI  there  was  '  one 
chalice,  with  a  paten  double  gilt,  weighing  xvi  ounces, 
one  other  chalice  with  a  paten  parcel   gilt  weighing 
viii  ounces.'     Invent,  of  Ch.  Gds.  (Surt.  Soc),  142. 
10  The  cover  is  inscribed  '  St.  Nicholas  Durham.' 


137 


The  register  of  baptisms  and  burials  begins 
in  1540  and  that  of  marriages  in  1561.  The 
first  volume,  which  ends  in  1602,  is  a  transcript 
made  in  1635. '' 

The  church  of  ST.  MART-LE-BOfV  stands 
on  the  east  side  of  the  North  Bailey,  on  a  very 
ancient  site,  but  dates  only  from  the  17th  cen- 
tury. It  consists  of  chancel  with  organ  chamber 
on  the  north  side,  aisleless  nave  and  engaged 
west  tower  forming  a  porch  and  slightly  pro- 
jecting in  front  of  the  face  of  the  main  wall. 
It  derives  its  name  from  the  '  bow  '  or  arch  of 
the  old  tower  which  was  thrown  across  the 
street,  resting  on  a  pier  on  the  opposite  side." 
This  tower  fell  down  on  29  August  1637,  in 
its  fall  destroying  a  great  portion  of  the  west 
end  of  the  church.  In  the  following  December 
the  parishioners  resolved  to  take  down  and  re- 
build the  whole  structure,'^  but  nothing  seems 
to  have  been  done  immediately,  and  during  the 
entire  period  of  the  Civil  War  the  church  was 
abandoned  and  the  churchyard  used  as  a  common 
way.  The  building  lay  in  ruins  till  1685,  when, 
after  ineffectual  attempts  by  the  parishioners  to 
raise  sufficient  money  for  the  restoration,  the 
aid  of  the  bishop  (Lord  Crewe)  and  the  Dean 
and  Chapter  was  sought  and  the  church  entirely 
rebuilt.  The  tower  was  added  in  1702,  and 
the  fittings  of  the  chancel  date  from  a  few  years 
later,  the  altar  rails  1705,  the  screen  1707,  and 
the  wainscoting  1731.  The  west  gallery  and 
vestry  were  erected  in  1741.  The  tower  was 
repaired  in  1827,  and  in  1875  the  whole  building 
was  restored  and  the  organ  chamber  built,  oak 
benches  at  the  same  time  taking  the  place  of 
the  old  pews.i'* 

The  walls  are  of  rubble  masonry  and  the  roofs 
are  leaded  and  of  flat  pitch  behind  embattled 
parapets.  All  the  windows  are  modern,  gener- 
ally of  two  or  three  lights  with  transoms  and 
perpendicular  tracery.  The  parapets  are  all 
modern  restorations. 

The  chancel  measures  internally  34  ft.  by 
21  ft.,  and  has  a  five-fight  east  window  with 
perpendicular  tracery  and  two  similar  w-indows 
each  of  two  lights  on  the  south  side  and  one  on 
the  north.  The  west  end  of  the  north  wall  is 
open  to  the  organ  chamber  by  a  modern  arch. 
The  roof  is  a  boarded  one  of  four  bays  and  the 
floor  is  level  with  that  of  the  nave.     The  chancel 

11  Surtecs,  op.  cit.  iv,  51.  Extracts  are  given.  The 
second  volume  begins  in  1603  and  ends  in  1730. 
Extracts  from  the  churchwardens'  accounts  are  given, 
p.  52. 

12  Ibid,  iv,  38,  quoting  Micklcton  MS.  "  Ibid. 
1^  Sir  Stephen  Glynne  visited  the  church  in  1825. 

He  describes  it  as  a  '  structure  of  no  great  extent  or 
beauty.  The  west  front  ...  in  a  motley  style  of 
architecture  partaking  both  of  the  Gothic  and  Itahan 
style.'  The  windows  were  '  mostly  of  Perpendicular 
character.'    Proc.  Soc.  Antiq.  Newcastle,  3rd  ser.  iii,  324. 

18 


A   HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


arch  is  a  lofty  flat  four-centred  one,  the  full 
width  of  the  chancel,  dying  into  the  walls  at 
the  springing,  and  the  screen  is  of  dark  oak  with 
three  divisions  on  each  side  of  the  middle 
opening.  The  design  is  of  mixed  Renaissance 
and  Gothic  character,  with  cornice  and  long 
top  panels  and  tracery  in  the  heads  of  the 
openings.  On  the  south  side  of  the  screen 
within  the  chancel  are  three  stalls  with  carved 
standards  of  Renaissance  type,  and  on  the  north 
side  a  pew.  The  altar  rails  consist  of  turned 
oak  balusters  and  the  wainscoting  is  of  a  rather 
plain  classic  type.  The  upper  part  of  the  walls 
is  plastered.  The  general  effect  of  the  chancel 
with  its  lofty  roof,  tall  Gothic  windows,  and  dark 
oak  fittings  is  one  of  much  dignity. 

The  nave  is  56  ft.  long  by  27  ft.  wide  and  of 
the  same  height  as  the  chancel.  It  is  divided 
externally  by  buttresses  into  three  unequal  bays 
and  has  three  windows  on  each  side  of  three  and 
two  lights,  similar  in  character  to  those  in  the 
chancel.  The  walls  are  panelled  to  the  height 
of  the  window  siUs  with  18th-century  oak 
wainscot,  and  the  gallery,  which  is  16  ft.  in 
depth,  has  a  good  panelled  oak  front.  It 
is  approached  by  a  staircase  on  the  north  side 
of  the  tower.  The  nave  roof  is  a  flat  boarded 
one  of  six  bays,  and  the  walls  are  plastered 
above  the  panelling.  There  are  diagonal  but- 
tresses at  the  angles  of  both  chancel  and  nave. 

The  tower  measures  externally  14  ft.  by 
13  ft.  6  in.  above  the  roof,  but  is  wider  at  the 
bottom  where  it  forms  a  west  porch,  the  outer 
wall  on  this  side  being  5  ft.  thick.  The  west 
doorway  is  round-headed  and  above,  in  the 
second  stage,  is  a  round-headed  classic  window 
enclosed  within  a  pointed  hood  mould,  pos- 
sibly part  of  the  older  building.  The  em- 
battled parapet  of  the  west  wall  is  carried 
along  the  face  of  the  tower  at  the  second  stage, 
from  which  the  belfry  rises  above  the  roof. 
The  belfry  windows  are  modern  openings  of  two 
lights  with  tracery  in  the  heads,  and  the  walls 
terminate  in  an  embattled  parapet.  On  the 
south  side  is  a  vice  to  the  roof  of  the  nave  at 
the  south-west  corner.  The  tower  arch  is  a  lofty 
segmental  one  of  two  chamfered  orders  16  ft.  6  in. 
in  width,  the  belfry  stage  contracting  above. 

The  font  dates  from  1875,  but  has  an  old 
cover  probably  of  early  18th-century  date.  An 
organ  was  purchased  in  1789  from  the  executors 
of  the  rector  of  Houghton-le-Spring^^  and  for- 
merly stood  in  the  west  gallery. 

The  tower  contains  one  bell  cast  by  G.  Dalton, 
of  York,  in  1 759." 

The  plate  consists  of  a  chalice  of  1 570-1  with 

^^  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iv,  40. 

1^  Ptoc.  Soc.  Jntiq.  Nfivcastle,  iv,  1 25.  It  is  inscribed 
'  lames  Bullock,  Thomas  Hanby  Churchwardens 
1759.'  Temp.  Edw.  VI  there  were  three  bells  in 
the  steeple. 


an  interlacing  band  of  leaf  ornament ;  two  plates 
of  1688  with  the  maker's  mark  FG  above  a 
mullet,  probably  for  Francis  Garthorne,  both 
inscribed  '  Ecclesiae  Ball'  Boreal'  Dunelm 
E  :  K  :  dedit  A°  1689'";  a  flagon  of  1696, 
with  the  arms  of  Spearman,  inscribed  '  Deo  et 
Ecclesiae  Stse  Marise  1'  Bow  in  BaDivo  Boreali 
Dunelm.  Submissa  oblata  Ao.  Dom.  1703.  Ex 
dono  Johannis  Spearman  generosi  Parochiani 
ejusdem  Parochiae  '  ;  another  flagon  of  the  same 
date,  and  a  covered  cup  made  at  Newcastle  in 
1748,  both  inscribed  '  The  Gift  of  Eliz.  daughter 
of  Wm.  Aubone  Esq"',  and  Relict  of  Wm. 
Featherstonhalgh  Esq'',  to  her  grandchild  Mary 
Wilkinson  &  given  to  Bow  Church  by  Mary 
Wilkinson  her  Mother  Anno  Dom.  1734,'  ^^^ 
bearing  the  arms  of  Featherstonhalgh.** 

The  registers  begin  in  1571. 

There  is  a  small  burial  ground  on  the  north 
side  of  the  church,  but  the  original  churchyard 
no  doubt  extended  to  the  south  and  west.'' 

The  church  of  ST.  MART  THE  LESS  stands 
in  a  retired  situation  on  the  west  side  of  the 
South  Bailey,  and  consists  of  chancel  and  nave 
under  separate  roofs,  with  a  bell  turret  containing 
two  bells  over  the  west  gable.  The  chancel 
measures  internally  26  ft.  6  in.  by  14  ft.  6  in., 
and  the  nave  35  ft.  by  20  ft.  6  in.,  the  total 
internal  length  being  64  ft.  6  in.  The  church  is 
of  12th-century  date,  but  was  almost  entirely 
rebuilt  in  1846-7  in  the  '  Norman  '  style,  very 
few  of  its  ancient  architectural  features  being 
preserved,  though  it  follows  more  or  less  the 
old  design.  The  only  original  window  which 
has  been  preserved  is  a  small  round-headed 
opening  at  the  west  end  of  the  south  wall  of 
the  chancel,  now  in  the  position  of  a  low  side 
window,  but  it  was  formerly  at  the  west  end 
of  the  nave.  The  modern  windows,  including 
that  at  the  east  end,  are  all  large  round-headed 
openings  of  '  Norman  '  type.  The  waUing  is 
of  rubble  with  quoins  and  ashlar  dressings,  and 
the  roofs  are  covered  with  slates  overhanging 
at  the  eaves.  The  south  doorway  is  slightly 
advanced  in  front  of  the  main  wall,  its  gable 
giving  it  the  appearance  of  a  shallow  porch. 
The  whole  of  the  work  on  the  north  side  of  the 
building,  being  little  seen,  is  of  a  very  plain 
description,  the  jambs  and  heads  of  the  windows 
being  of  brick,  and  there  is  a  small  brick  vestry 
on  the  north  side  of  the  chancel.  The  building 
had  lost  many  of  its  original  features  some  years 
prior  to  the  rebuilding,  Sir  Stephen  Glynne,  who 
visited  it  in  1825,  stating  that  it  had  been  '  lately 

"  On  one  of  the  plates  '  dedit '  is  spelt  '  didit.' 
E.  K.  was  Edward  Kirkby  :   Surtees,  op.  cit.  iv,  42. 

1*  Proc.  Soc.  Antiq.  Newcastle,  iv,  125. 

1'  Traces  of  interment  have  been  frequently  found 
under  the  pavement  of  the  Bailey  and  even  in  digging 
the  cellars  of  the  houses  at  the  east  end  of  Dun  Cow 
Lane  :  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iv,  38. 


138 


CITY   OF  DURHAM 


modernised  and  the  windows  altered  from  the 
original  form.'  ^^  The  chancel  arch  is  9  ft.  wide 
and  is  of  two  orders  to  the  nave  and  square  to 
the  chancel.  It  was  originally  quite  plain,  but 
the  inner  order  was  carved  at  the  rebuilding 
wdth  the  cheveron  ornament  and  the  outer  with 
an  indented  moulding.  Some  panelling  at  the 
east  end  of  the  chancel  may  be  of  late  16th- 
century  date,  but  the  rest  of  the  fittings,  inclu- 
ding the  chancel  screen,  are  modern.  The  font 
also  is  modern.  A  mediaeval  grave  slab  with 
cross  and  sword  is  built  into  the  south  wall  of 
the  chancel  and  over  the  vestry  doorway  in  the 
north  wall  is  a  large  stone,  formerly  at  St. 
Giles's,-!  Qu  which,  enclosed  in  a  vesica,  is 
carved  in  low  relief  a  representation  of  Our 
Lord  in  judgment.  The  corners  are  occupied 
by  the  evangehstic  symbols.  '  In  1743  there 
remained  in  the  large  south  window  a  coat  in 
stained  glass,  argent  on  a  chief  azure  three 
escallops  or.'--  There  are  some  12th-century 
stones  with  cheveron  and  star  ornament  in  the 
churchyard  on  the  north  side  of  the  building. 

The  plate^'  consists  of  a  chalice  and  paten  of 
1702  made  by  Eli  Bilton,  of  Newcastle,  both 
inscribed  '  Ecclesia  Sanctae  Mariaj  BaUivi 
Austral  Dunelm.  Ex  dono  Cuthberti-*  Bowes 
Sen.  1702  '  ;  a  flagon  of  171 1  made  by  Jonathan 
French,  of  Newcastle,  with  the  same  inscrip- 
tion f^  a  paten  on  three  feet  v\'ithout  marks, 
inscribed  '  Eccles.  B.  Mar.  in  Ball.  Austral 
Dunelm  A.D.  M-DCCC-XXIX,'  and  scratched 
on  the  back  '  Pro  eleemos  coUigend  :  used  the 
first  time  on  Whitsunday  7  June  1829';  and 
a  17th-century  almsdish,  probably  originally  in 
use  for  secular  purposes,  given  by  the  Rev.  E. 
Shipperdson,  M.A.,  in  1848  and  bearing  his 
arms.-^  There  is  also  a  set  of  two  chalices,  two 
patens,  a  flagon  and  almsdish  given  in  1889  under 
the  will  of  Robert  Henry  Allan  of  Blackwell 
Hall,  Darhngton. 

The  registers  begin  in  1559. 

The  church  of  ST.  NICHO- 

ADVOWSONS      LAS,  a  rectory  originally   in 

the   gift-'   of  the   Bishop   of 

Durham,  was  annexed  in  1443  by  Bishop  Robert 

2*  Ptoc.  Soc.  Antiq.  Newcastle  (3rd  ser.),  iii,  324.  The 
old  window  in  the  west  wall  was  then  the  only  one 
remaining  unaltered.  Glynne  further  states  that 
'  the  church  wears  a  very  neat  appearance,  especially 
the  chancel  which  is  fitted  up  with  some  elegance.' 

^  It  was  brought  to  St.  Mary's  in  1829  when  St. 
Giles's  was  undergoing  restoration. 

2-  Surtees,  Hist.  Dur.  iv,  44.  The  monumental 
inscriptions  are  given,  pp.  44-5. 

23  Proc.  Soc.  Antiq.  Netvcasth  (new  ser.),  iii,  256. 

2*  On  the  paten  the  name  is  spelt '  Cuberti.' 

-*  The  speUing  of  some  of  the  words  is  different. 

2*  The  date  letter  is  illegible  :   the  maker's  mark  is 

I.e. 

2' The  Crown  occasionally  presented  W#  faran*?; 
cf.  Pat.  22  Hen.  Ill,  m.  2;  Cal.  Pat.  1 340-1343,  p.  377. 


Neville^^  to  the  Hospital  of  Kepier,  and  served 
from  that  time  to  the  Dissolution  by  a  stipen- 
diary chaplain  since  there  was  no  endowed 
vicarage.-*  The  impropriate  rectory  of  St. 
Nicholas,  with  other  property  of  Kepier  Hos- 
pital, was  sold^"  by  the  Crown  in  1553  to  John 
Cockburn,  lord  of  Ormeston,  who  conveyed  to 
John  Heath,  Esq.  Elizabeth,  daughter  and  heir 
of  John  Heath,  married  in  1642  John,  son  of 
Sir  Thomas  Tempest,  of  the  Isle.  After  this 
date  the  advowson  followed  the  descent  of  Old 
Durham  (q.v.),  and  thus  descended  to  the 
Marquess  of  Londonderry.  The  church  was 
served  by  a  titular  '  Curate-in-Charge  '  with  a 
very  small  stipend.  His  inefficient  services  were 
supplemented  by  the  endowment  of  a  '  Lecture- 
ship '  by  the  Corporation  in  about  1700,  which 
was  of  substantial  value,  and  was  held  by  various 
learned  persons.  In  1854  when  Corporations 
became  disqualified  by  law  from  holding  such 
patronage,  the  Corporation  sold  their  rights  to 
the  Rev.  Edward  Davison,  the  then  vicar,  and 
he  in  turn  to  the  Rev.  G.  T.  Fox,  who  at  that 
time  held  both  curacy  and  lectureship.  The 
Rev.  G.  T.  Fox  presented  it  to  the  living.  Sub- 
sequently in  1893  Lord  Londonderry  sold  the 
patronage  of  the  augmented  living  to  the  Rev. 
H.  E.  Fox,  nephew  of  the  Rev.  G.  T.  Fox,  who 
vested  the  living  in  five  trustees.  They  in  turn 
passed  it  to  the  Church  Pastoral-Aid  Society.*^ 
The  original  endowments  of  the  rectory  of  St. 
Nicholas  were  considerable,  the  glebe  lying  in 
Old  Durham.  In  1268  Geoffrey  de  Helme,  rec- 
tor of  St.  Nicholas,  received  licence*-  from  the 
Prior  of  Durham  for  an  oratory  within  his  court 
of  Old  Durham,  and  before  the  appropriation 
to  Kepier  Hospital  a  manor  court^  was  held  by 
the  rector  for  his  tenants.  In  1522  a  messuage*' 
and  land  in  SmaUies,  in  Wolsingham  parish,  was 
vested  in  trustees  to  the  use  of  the  '  chirchwarke 
and  ornamentes '  of  the  parish  of  St.  Nicholas. 

The  Chantry  of  Our  Lady  was  founded*^  by 
Reginald  the  merchant  before  1250  for  one 
chaplain  and  one  light  at  the  Altar  of  the 
B.V.  Mary,  and  was  further  augmented  in  1299 
by  Hugh  de  Queringdon,  who  provided  for  a 
second  chaplain.  The  gild  hall^  in  the  market 
place  belonged  to  this  chantry,  and  in  the 
15th  century  at  least  was  rented  to  the  gild  of 

23  Roll  no.  2,  Neville,  m.  6. 

29  Injunct.  and  Eccl.  Proc.  Bp.  Barnes  (Surtees 
Soc),  App.  xii. 

30  Pat.  6  Edw.  VI,  pt.  7,  no.  24. 

31  Inf.  from  Rev.  Canon  W.  Bothamly. 

32  Surtees,  Hist.  Dur.  iv,  91. 

33  B.M.,  Lans.  MS.  902,  fol.  184. 

31  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iv,  49  ;  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  72, 
m.  9  d. 

35  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iv,  48. 

3«  This  doubtless  is  the  '  Gild  Hall '  mentioned 
in  1 3 16. 


139 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


St.  Nicholas."  The  gross  value^  of  the  Chantry 
of  Our  Lady  at  the  Dissolution  was  £i^  I4.f.,  and 
the  net  value  less  reprises  £^  9/.  ^d.,  and  of  the 
second  Chantry  of  Our  Lady  £\  \s.  id.  gross  and 
£}  lis.  Sid.  less  reprises. 

The  Chantry  of  the  Holy  Trinity  in  the 
church  of  St.  Nicholas  existed  in  the  14th 
century,  if  not  before,  as  the  '  mansio  cantarie 
Sancte  Trinitatis  '  is  mentioned  ^  in  1400.  The 
clear  annual  value  ■"•  at  the  Dissolution,  less  re- 
prises, was  £j  IS.  ^d.,  the  gross  value  ^j  p.  lod. 
The  Chantry  of  St.  John  the  Baptist  and  St. 
John  the  Evangelist  was  founded  *'  in  1348  by 
Thomas  Kirkeby,  rector  of  Whitburn.  At  the 
Dissolution  this  chantry  was  estimated  at  a 
clear  annual  value,*'-  less  reprises,  of  ^^5  12s.  lid., 
the  gross  yearly  value ''^  being  £6  los.  The 
Chantry  of  St.  James  was  founded  in  1382  for 
the  souls  of  Thomas  de  Cockside"  and  Alice 
his  wife  and  their  son  Robert,  and  at  the  Dis- 
solution its  gross  value  was  £^  \is.  lod.  and  its 
clear  value,''*  less  reprises,  ^^5  12s.  2d.  The 
almoner  of  the  Priory  of  Durham  was  the  patron 
of  each  of  these  chantries. 

Besides  these  chantries  in  St.  Nicholas' 
Church  there  were  other  chapels  in  the  parish. 
Two  of  these  were  situated  on  Elvet  Bridge,  both 
being  in  the  gift  of  the  Prior  and  Convent  of 
Durham.  Of  these  the  Chapel  of  St.  James  was 
founded  '*  by  Thomas  son  of  Lewin,  a  burgess 
of  Durham,  and  his  wife  Emma,  in  the  13th 
century,  and  endowed  with  burgages,  lands  and 
rents  in  Durham  and  land  at  Stokeley ;  the 
other,  the  Chapel  of  St.  Andrew,*'  at  the  south 
end  of  the  bridge,  was  founded  in  the  pontificate 
of  Robert  de  Insula  by  WiUiam  son  of  Absalom. 
Owing  to  the  loss  or  depreciation  of  endowments 
the  chapels  were  usually  held  by  the  same 
chaplain  from  about  the  middle  of  the  14th 
century,  and  on  7  April  1344  William  Syreston 
was  presented  to  the  chantries,  united  '^  ob 
eorum  exilitatem.     At  the  Dissolution  the  gross 

3'  Cf.  Rental  cited  by  Surtees.'  De  fratribus  Gildae 
S.  Nicholai  pro  libero  redditu  magni  hospicii  sive 
aulae  lapidiae  vocatae  le  Gyld  Hall  in  foro,  x_r.' 

^8  Injunct.  and  Eccl.  Proc.  Bp.  Barnes  (Surtees  Soc), 
App.  vi,  p.  Ixi  ;  cf.  Harl.  R.  D  36. 

39  B.M.  Lansd.  Ch.  620. 

*"  Injunct.  and  Eccl.  Proc.  Bp.  Barnes,  App.  vi, 
p.  Ixii,  and  Harl.  R.  D  36. 

*^  Surtees,  Hist.  Dur.  iv,  p.  48. 

*^  Injunct.  and  Eccl.  Proc.  Bp.  Barnes,  App.  vi, 
p.  Ixii. 

**  Another  estimate  gives  £6  14J. ;  cf.  Harl.  R.  D 
36. 

**  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  32,  m.  3,  no.  3. 

**  Injunct.  and  Eccl.  Proc.  Bp.  Barnes  (Surt.  Soc), 
p.  Ixi.  Another  estimate  gives  a  gross  value  of 
£S  3s.  lod.  (Harl.  R.  D  36). 

«  Hardy,  Reg.  Pal.  Dun.  (Rolls  Ser.),  ii,  1 176. 

*'  Surtees,  Hist.  Dur.  iv,  56. 

*8  Ibid,  iv,  56,  n.  9. 


annual  value  of  the  united  chapels  was  ^^4  6s.  lod. 
and  the  net  value,  less  reprises,  ^^3  iSs.  6d.  The 
relative  size  "  of  these  two  chapels  is  indicated 
by  the  lead  roofing,  estimated  at  36  sq.  yds.  in 
the  case  of  St.  James,  and  88  sq.  yds.  in  that  of 
St.  Andrew's.  At  one  time,  after  the  Reforma- 
tion, a  charity  school  was  carried  on  in  the 
chancel  of  St.  Andrew's,  the  remainder  of  the 
building  being  used  as  a  blacksmith's  shop.^" 
Another  still  older  chapel  in  the  parish  was  that 
of  St.  Thomas  the  Martyr,  Claypath,  which  is 
mentioned  in  13th-century  deeds.*'  Its  ceme- 
tery was  used  for  burials  as  late  as  the  plague 
year  of  1597,  as  shown  by  entries  in  the  parish 
registers  of  St.  Nicholas. 

There  were  at  least  three  gilds  or  fraternities 
associated  with  the  Church  of  St.  Nicholas, 
those  of  Our  Lady,^'^  St.  Nicholas  and  Corpus 
Christi.  Of  these  the  gild  of  Our  Lady  may  have 
been  connected  with  the  chantry  of  that  name. 
The  gild  of  St.  Nicholas  certainly  existed  in  the 
first  quarter  of  the  15th  century,  and  as  early 
as  1432,  if  not  before,  the  brethren  were  occupy- 
ing the  great  hall  of  stone  known  as  the  Gild 
Hall  *^  in  the  market  place,  renting  it  from  the 
Chantry  of  Our  Lady.  At  the  Dissolution  the 
gross  annual  value  of  its  property  had  evidently 
largely  declined  **  and  the  clear  value,  after 
deducting  reprises,  was  only  23/.  Any  early 
importance  possessed  by  this  gild,  and  certainly 
strongly  suggested  by  its  occupation  of  the 
Gild  Hall  in  the  market  place,  had  been  eclipsed 
in  the  15th  century  by  the  rise  of  the  gild  of 
Corpus  Christi,  to  which  were  affiliated  the 
various  craft  gilds  of  the  city." 

The  gild  of  Corpus  Christi  was  founded, 
or  rather  reorganised,*®  in  1437,  and  its  hall 
was  situated  in  Walkergate."  Its  chief  occu- 
pation was  the  ordering  of  the  festivities  of 
Corpus  Christi  Day,  when  a  great  procession 
of  the  crafts  with  banners  and  lights  escorted 
the  Corpus  Christi  Shrine,  finely  gilt,  having 
'  on  the  height  thereof  ...  a  four-square 
box  of  chrystal,  wherein  was  inclosed  the 
Holy  Sacrament  of  the  Altar  '  from  St.  Nicholas' 
Church  to  the  Cathedral  and  back  again.  This 
famous  shrine**  was  saved  by  the  parishioners 
of  St.  Nicholas  till  1546,  when  Dr.  Harvey,  one 

■*'  Injunct.  and  Eccl.  Proc.  Bp.  Barnes  (Surt.  Soc), 
App.  vi,  p.  Ixi. 

*"  Surtees,  Hist.  Dur.  iv,  56. 

*i  Ibid.  55. 

*2  Ibid.  49. 

*3  See  above. 

**  Injunct.  and  Eccl.  Proc.  Bp.  Barnes  (Surt.  Soc), 
App.  vi,  p.  Ixi. 

**  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  44,  mm.  10,  11,  no.  46, 
m.  23  d.,  no.  50,  m.  6  d. 

*8  Ibid. 

"  Dur.  Halmote  Book,  no.  16,  m.  55  d.  ;  cf.  Pat. 
7  Jas.  I,pt.  7. 

**  Surtees,  Hist.  Dur.  iv,  49. 


140 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


of  the  Commissioners  '  for  defacing  all  such 
ornaments  in  the  parish  churches  of  Durham  as 
were  left  undefaced  at  the  former  Visitation, 
did  call  for  the  said  shrine ;  and  when  it  was 
brought  before  him,  he  did  tread  upon  it  with 
his  feet  and  broke  it  into  pieces.'  At  the  dis- 
solution of  the  gild  the  yearly  value  of  its 
endowments,  less  reprises,  was  returned  at 
;^5  los.  Jid.,  the  gross  value  at  £6  3/.^' 

A  number  of  other  benefactions  for  obits  and 
anniversaries  also  existed  in  the  Church  of  St. 
Nicholas  at  the  Dissolution,  and  at  a  much 
earlier  date  in  1366  John  de  Luceby  died  seised 
of  a  messuage  held  by  paying  annually  4  lb.  of 
wax  for  the  support  of  lights  before  the  cross 
there.*" 

An  evening  lectureship  at  St.  Nicholas  in  the 
patronage  of  the  Mayor  and  Corporation  was 
founded  in  the  late  17th  century ,**  the  principal 
endowment  being  derived  from  a  farm  at 
Easington. 

The  church  of  ST.  MART  THE  VIRGIN 
in  the  North  Bailey,  or  ST.  MART-LE-BOW, 
belonged  before  the  Reformation  to  the  Prior 
and  Convent  of  Durham.  The  advowson  of  the 
church  then  passed  to  the  Archdeacon  of 
Northumberland.  It  was  afterwards  conveyed 
to  the  Dean  and  Chapter  of  Durham.  The 
livings  of  St.  Mary  the  Virgin  and  St.  Mary 
the  Less  were  united  by  Order  in  Council  of 
14  May  191 2,  the  Dean  and  Chapter  presenting 
twice  to  one  presentation  of  the  Lord  Chancel- 
lor.'^* For  several  years  after  the  Dissolution 
no  rector  was  regularly  instituted,*-  the  incum- 
bent being  styled  curate  or  minister.  Between 
1637  and  1685  the  church  lay  in  ruin,  though 
burials  still  took  place  in  the  churchyard.  After 
the  death  of  Richard  WakeHn,  minister,  in  1655 
there  was  no  incumbent  until  Anthony  Kirbon 
was  instituted  to  the  rectory  in  1687  after  the 
building  of  the  new  church,  some  provision  for 
the  endowment  being  gradually  made  from 
Queen  Anne's  Bounty  and  from  other  sources. 
The  early  possessions  of  the  church,  which  had 
then  long  been  lost,  appear  to  have  included  a 
parsonage  house,  for  we  hear  in  1313  that  the 
messuage*^  of  Sir  William,  parson  of  the  church 
of  '  Nort  Bailly,'  and  other  buildings  near  the 
North  Gate  were  to  be  cleared  for  the  building 
of  a  barbican  there.  An  early  charter  of  un- 
certain date  mentions  the  grant  of  certain  land 
in  the  North  Bailey  by  William,  son  of  Thomas 
the  chaplain,  to  Piers  Goldsmith.  It  was  held 
of  Ranulf  de  Fisseburn,  and  charged  with  the 

*•  Injunct.   and  Eccl.    Proc.    of  Bp.    Barnes   (Surt. 
Soc),  App.  vi,  p.  Ixi ;  cf.  Harl.  R.  D  36. 
"O  Surtecs,  Hut.  Dur.  iv,  49. 
«  Ibid.  50. 

«»  Inf.  from  Mr.  K.  C.  Bayley,  Chapter  Clerk. 
•2  Surtecs,  Hist.  Dur.  iv,  41. 
«3  Reg.  Pat.  Dun.  (Rolls  Ser.),  i,  338. 


provision  of  a  lamp  in  the  church  at  the  morrow 
mass**  (missam  matutinam)  and  at  other  times. 
In  1416  John  Belasis"^  desired  in  his  last  will 
to  be  buried  in  the  church  of  '  St.  Mary 
within  the  Castle  '  before  St.  Katherine's  Altar, 
and  left  lands  within  the  bishopric  of  Durham 
to  his  wife  Sybil,  and  after  her  death  for  the 
foundation  of  a  chantry  at  the  same  altar.  This 
was  carried  out  under  licence  from  Bishop 
Langley,  4  messuages  and  4  acres  held  of  the 
bishop,  and  17  messuages,  9  acres  of  meadow 
and  39/.  ^d.  rent  held  of  other  lords  forming 
the  endowment.**  At  the  Suppression  the 
yearly  revenue*'  of  this  chantry,  less  reprises, 
was  £^  ijs.  9^. 

There  was  at  least  one  other  chantry  in  this 
church  in  the  15th  century,  that  of  St.  Helen, 
since  in  1480  Thomas  Hedlam,**  a  Durham 
merchant,  granted  to  William  Smethirst  a  waste 
burgage,  between  John  Kelynghall's  burgage  on 
one  side  and  a  lane  leading  to  St.  Helen's  Well 
{Jontem  Sancte  Elene),  in  South  Street,  on  the 
other,  charged  with  an  annual  rent  of  is.  6d., 
payable  to  the  chaplain  of  St.  Helen's  Chantry 
in  the  North  Bailey  church. 

The  church  of  ST.  MART  THE  LESS,  in 
the  South  Bailey,  was  in  the  patronage*'  of  the 
Nevills  of  Raby,  afterwards  Earls  of  Westmor- 
land, till  the  attainder  of  1569.  Since  then  the 
advowson  has  belonged  to  the  Crown,  the  patron- 
age being  in  the  hands  of  the  Lord  Chancellor. 
The  living  was  united  to  that  of  St.  Mary  the 
Virgin  (q.v.).  According  to  Surtees,'"  there  was 
after  the  year  1572  no  institution  to  the  rectory, 
which  was  held  by  sequestration  till  1742,  'or 
rather  the  profits  were  so  small  that  whoever 
had  the  key  of  the  church  left  him  by  his  pre- 
decessor became  minister  without  let  or  hin- 
drance.' A  13th-century  deed  mentions  a 
'  place '  in  the  Bailey  held  by  the  chaplain"  of 
this  church.  In  1388  the  endowment'-  in- 
cluded a  rent  of  40/.  paid  by  Lord  Nevill  from 
land  in  Crook  in  Brancepeth  parish,  and  another 
parcel  named  Aldhenland,  as  well  as  rents  charged 
on  tenements  in  the  Bailey.  A  parsonage  house 
existed,  but  apparently  at  this  time  was  not 
occupied  by  the  rector,  who  also  had  the  right 
on  three  days  of  the  week  to  eat  at  the  Prior's 


118. 

67 

App 

68 


xliv, 
Ch. 

70 
71 
72 


Surtees,  op.  cit.  iv,  43  n. 

Hist.  MSS.  Com.  Rep.,  Far.  Coll.  ii,  17. 

Surtees,  Hist.  Dur.  iv,  43  ;    Dep.  K.  Rep.  xxdii, 

Injunct.  and  Eccl.  Proc.  Bp.  Barnes  (Surtees  Soc), 
.  vi,  p.  Ixii. 

Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  55,  m.  4  d. 
Surtees,  Hist.  Dur.  iv,  44  et  seq.      Dep.  K.  Rep. 
529.  532.  533.  534.  535  ;   xlv,  280,  281;  Dur. 
Inq.  p.m.  Ser.  ii,  v,  167. 
Surtees,  Hist.  Dur.  iv,  45. 
Feod.  Prior.  Dun.  (Sun.  Soc),  197  n. 
Surtees,  Hist.  Dur.  iv,  162. 


141 


A   HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


table.  This  in  1434,  if  not  before,  had  been 
commuted  for  a  pension  of  one  mark  and  a  sable 
suit  at  Christmas.  In  1535  the  rectory  was 
valued'3  at  £4  13/.  ^.d. 

The  Johnston  Technical 
CHARITIES^  School  (see  V.C.H.  Durham,  i, 
p.  401).  By  a  scheme  of  the 
Charity  Commissioners,  20  February  1903, 
one-sixth  of  the  net  income  of  Henry  Smith's 
charity  (see  post)  was  made  applicable  in 
scholarships  tenable  at  this  school.  In  191 1 
nine  scholarships  of  £z  2s.  each,  and  sixteen 
scholarships  of  j^i  los.  each,  were  so  applied. 
In  pursuance  of  a  scheme,  7  May  1901,  for 
Lord  Crewe's  charity  (see  post)  nine  exhibitions 
of  j^4  each,  and  six  at  £2  each,  were  awarded  to 
this  school. 

Thomas  Craddock's  charity  for  Elementary 
Schools  (see  V.C.H.  Durhajn,  i,  p.  403). 

In  1848  James  Barry,  by  will  proved  at  Dur- 
ham, bequeathed  j^i,ooo  consols,  now  repre- 
sented by  ^^241  i6s.  Sd.  4  per  cent.  Funding 
Stock,  ^^158  gs.  ^d.  5  per  cent.  War  Stock, 
;^ioo  5  per  cent.  National  War  Bonds,  £^2^ 
London  Midland  and  Scottish  Railway  4  per 
cent.  Guaranteed  Stock,  with  the  official 
trustees.  The  charity  is  regulated  by  a  scheme 
of  the  Charity  Commissioners,  7  February 
1893,  whereby  the  annual  dividends,  amounting 
to  j^55  15/.  2d.,  are  applicable  in  the  main- 
tenance of  one  or  more  scholarships,  tenable  for 
one  year,  in  the  University  of  Durham,  by 
Divinity  Students  or  Licentiates  in  Theology. 

In   1598  Henry  Smith    by  his  will    devised 
certain  coal  mines  and  bequeathed  his  residuary 
personal  estate  to  the  City  of  Durham  for  the 
setting  out  of  youth  to  work,  and  for  the  relief 
of  those  past  work.     The  endowments  consisted 
of  part   of  a   carpet  factory  in   the  parish  of 
St.  Nicholas,  the  Town  Hall  and  buildings,  a 
farm  known  as  Widehope  Farm,  a  farm  known 
as  Hagar  Leazes  Farm,  including  a    wayleave 
thereon,  an  allotment  near  West  Auckland,  a 
residence  known  as  Glake  Hall,  producing  an 
income  of  ;^400  a  year,  a  ground  rent  of  £1^ 
on  14  houses  in  Gilesgate,  belonging  to  Kirby 
and   Messenger's   Charities,   mentioned  in   the 
parhamentary  returns  of  1786,  and  X2>83S   7s. 
consols.      The  Town  Hall,  Hagar  Leazes  Farm, 
Glake  Hall  and  seven  of  the  houses  in  Giles- 
gate  were   sold  in    1925  and   the  proceeds  in- 
vested in  £482  London  and  North  Eastern  Rail- 
way 4  per  cent.  First  Preference  Stock  and  ;^482 
Second  Guaranteed  Stock  of  the  same  railway, 
;^5,8io  9/.  lod.  3-J  per  cent.  Conversion  Stock, 
;^i,592  11/.  yd.  5  per  cent.  War  Stock,  producing 

'3  Falor  Eccl.  (Rec.  Com.),  v,  314. 

^  For  the  Educational  Institutions  for  the  County 
and  City  of  Durham,  see  the  General  Article  on 
Durham  Schools,  I'.C.H.  Durham,  i,  p.  365  et  seq. 


^392  8^.  lod.  The  official  trustees  also  hold  stocks 
for  the  purpose  of  recoupment  as  the  houses  in 
Gilesgate  were  sold  below  their  proper  value. 

The    charity   is    regulated    by   a    scheme    of 
the  Charity  Commissioners,  20  February  1903, 
whereby  one-sixth  of  the  net  income  is  made 
applicable  in  scholarships  tenable  at  the  Johnston 
Technical    School    (see    Educational    Charities, 
ante),  and  the  residue  of  the  income  in  pensions. 
Bishop   Cosin's  Almshouses,   regulated   by   a 
scheme  of  the  Charity  Commissioners  of  24  Feb- 
ruary 1914,  were  founded  and  endowed  by  Bishop 
Cosin,  as  mentioned  in  his  charter  bearing  date 
31   August   1668.       In  pursuance  of  an  Order 
in   Council,   19    July    1837,    the  present   alms- 
houses   were    erected    by    the    University    of 
Durham,  on    a    site  in  Queen    Street,  in   lieu 
of   the   old   almshouses    situate    on    the    east 
side  of  the  Palace   Green.     Bishop   Cosin   en- 
dowed the  almshouses  with  a  yearly  payment  of 
£jo,  issuing  out  of  lands  at  Chilton,  County 
Durham  (see  V.C.H.  Durham,  \,  p.  381).     The 
yearly   sum   of  j^i6  is  also  received  from  the 
Trustees  of  Lord  Crewe's  charity,  in  pursuance 
of  the  will,  dated  1 720,  of  Nathaniel,  Lord  Crewe, 
Bishop  of  Durham,  and  the  yearly  sum  of  ^^24 
from    the    trustees    of     Bishop    Barrington's 
Charity,    who,    by    deed    22    February    1822, 
directed  that  £1  yearly  should  be  paid  to  each 
of  the  inmates.     The  official  trustees  hold  ;^250 
5   per    cent.    War    Stock,   producing   ^^12    10s. 
yearly.     The  almshouses  are  occupied   by  four 
men    and    four    women,    who    are    appointed 
by  the  Bishop,  six  from  Durham  and  two  from 
Brancepeth.     Each  inmate  also  receives  a  yearly 
bounty  of  £1    12s.  6d.   and   £2   os.    lod.   each 
quarter.     The   sum  of  £6  is  expended  yearly 
on  coal,  the  nurse  receives  2s.  6d.  weekly  and 
£1  13/.  id.  quarterly,  and  13/.  ,^J.  is  paid  yearly 
to  the  receiver  for  '  glove  money.' 

Bishop  Cosin's  Library,  founded  by  charter 
20  September  1669,  is  regulated  by  a  scheme  of 
the  Charity  Commissioners  of  2  December  1913. 
The  property  consists  of  the  perpetual  right  of 
access  to  the  library  hall.  Palace  Green,  for  the 
purpose  of  safe  custody  of  the  books  and  other 
effects  belonging  to  the  library.  It  is  endowed 
with  an  annuity  of  ;£20,  payable  out  of  the  rev- 
enues of  the  see  of  Durham,  and  a  sum  of 
;^229  6s.  Sd.  2-J  per  cent,  consols,  with  the  official 
receivers,  producing  ^^5  14J.  Sd.  yearly. 

In  1720  Lord  Crewe,  Bishop  of  Durham,  by 
will  directed  that  ^^loo  a  year  should  be  applied 
for  putting  out  apprentices  in  the  city  and 
suburbs.  The  annuity,  together  with  the  divi- 
dends on  ^870  11/.  4J(f.  War  Stock,  and  on 
;^i,i  18  London  and  North  Eastern  Railway  3  per 
cent,  debenture  stock,  are  apphed  in  pursuance 
of  a  scheme  of  the  Charity  Commissioners, 
7  May  1901,  in  apprenticeship  premiums,  in 
clothing,  in   binding  apprentices  and  in  exhibi- 


142 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


tions   at   the   Johnston   Technical   School   (see 
under  Educational  Charities). 

In  1724  William  Hartwell,  D.D.,  by  his  will 
devised  his  landed  estate  at  Fishburn,  now 
known  as  the  Elderberry  Farm,  containing 
222  acres,  for  certain  charitable  purposes.  The 
farm  is  let  at  £160  a  year.  In  1926  the  official 
receivers  held  ;^246  Bombay,  Baroda  and  Central 
India  Railway  3i  per  cent,  debenture  stock; 
^^724  1 8/.  id.  4  per  cent.  Funding  Stock,  and 
^^2,966  ly.  2d.  5  per  cent.  War  Stock,  producing 
altogether  ^^185  iSs.  lod.  In  1926  the  net 
income  was  applied  as  follows : — j^30  between 
two  poor  tradesmen  commencing  business ; 
j^20  in  scholarships;  two  annuities  of  £10  each 
to  two  women,  and  ^^20  to  Discharged  Prisoners' 
Aid  Society  ;  ^^8  for  the  Hartwell  Lectureship 
Charity  for  Stanhope  (see  V.C.H.  Durham,  i, 
p.  411). 

Unknown  Donor's  Charity,  known  locally  as 
'  The  Mayor's  Shilling  Charity,'  is  endowed 
with  ;^4i8  \js.  gd.  consols,  arising  from  the 
redemption,  in  1884,  of  an  annual  payment  of 
£ii{.  lis.  ^d.  received  from  the  Land  Revenue 
Office,  the  origin  of  which  was  unknown.  The 
annual  dividends,  now  amounting  to  j^io  9/.  4^/., 
are  divided  by  the  Mayor  among  the  ministers 
of  all  denominations  for  distribution  among  the 
poor,  in  sums  of  is.  to  each  recipient. 

In  or  about  the  year  1681  John  Kirby,  by  his 
will,  bequeathed  ^30  to  the  Merchants'  Com- 
pany of  Durham  towards  the  rehef  of  decayed 
members  of  the  company  and  their  widows.  A 
sum  of  30J.  a  year  is  paid  to  a  widow  of  a  deceased 
member  of  the  company  in  respect  of  this 
charity. 

The  Prison  Charities  : — The  income  of  the 
following  charities  is  paid  to  the  treasurer  of 
the  Discharged  Prisoners'  Aid  Society — namely, 
John  Frankelyn's  Charity,  will  1572,  being  an 
annual  payment  of  £2  12s.  made  by  the  Corpora- 
tion of  Newcastle-upon-Tyne. 

WiUiam  Wall's  Charity,  will  1679,  an  annuity 
of  15/.  issuing  out  of  lands  and  tenements  in 
Bondgate  and  Escombe,  which  was  redeemed  in 
1924  by  transfer  of  ^30  2i  per  cent,  consols  to 
the  official  trustees. 

Bishop  Wood's  Charity,  founded  in  1690,  by 
will  of  Thomas  Wood,  Bishop  of  Lichfield  and 
Coventry,  proved  in  the  P.C.C.,  endowed  with 
an  annuity  of  ^^20  issuing  out  of  lands  in 
Egglescliff,  and  ;(^8io  2s.  Sd.  5  per  cent.  War 
Stock  in  the  names  of  the  official  trustees  and 
;^i65  IS.  lod.  5  per  cent.  War  Stock  in  the  names 
of  Capt.  N.  W.  Apperley  and  two  others,  pro- 
ducing together  ^^48  15J.  2d.  yearly.  The  official 
trustees  also  hold  /51  ijs.  id.  2f  per  cent, 
consols,  representing  accumulations  of  income 
of  John  Frankelyn's  charity. 

Dr.  Hartwell' s  Charity  (see  ante),  being  a 
yearly  payment  of  £20. 


The  present  County  Hospital  or  Infirmary, 
originally  founded  by  public  subscription  in 
1792,  is  comprised  in  an  indenture,  22  May 
1848,  and  was  opened  in  1853.  Convalescent 
wards  were  added  in  1867  as  a  memorial  to  the 
late  Dean  Waddington,  who  was  a  large  bene- 
factor to  the  institution.  Additional  wards  and 
an  operating  theatre  were  subsequently  erected 
from  funds  contributed  by  John  Eden.  The 
institution  is  supported  mainly  by  voluntary 
subscriptions  and  donations. 

The  official  trustees,  however,  hold  in  trust 
for  the  hospital  a  sum  of  ^^350  8/.  gd.  5  per  cent. 
War  Stock,  derived  under  the  will  of  Henry 
Ferdinand  William  Bolckow,  proved  at  York 
27  July  1878,  and  a  sum  of  ;^36o  15^.  iid.  5  per 
cent.  War  Stock  bequeathed  by  the  will  of  Richard 
Welch  Hollon,  proved  at  York  18  September 
1890,  producing  together  ^35  11/.  .\.d.  yearly. 
The  official  receivers  also  hold  ^1,999  London 
and  North  Eastern  Railway  3  per  cent,  deben- 
ture stock;  ;^400  4  per  cent.  First  Guaranteed 
Stock;  ;^3,094  4  per  cent.  Second  Guaranteed 
Stock ;  and  ;^3,094  4  per  cent.  First  Preference 
Stock  in  the  same  railway;  ;^3,7Si  London 
Midland  and  Scottish  Railway  4  per  cent. 
Preference  Stock ;  ^1,100  Great  Western  Railway 
5  per  cent.  Consolidated  Preference  Stock ; 
£i6,jj8  I2S.  id.  5  per  cent.  War  Stock  and 
^1,481  9/.  %d.  of  the  same  stock.  The  total 
receipts  for  1925  were  j^9,88i  5^.  9^. 

The  Durham  County  Penitentiary,  comprised 
in  an  indenture  dated  20  September  1851,  is 
supported  entirely  by  voluntary  contributions. 
In  1840  Mrs.  Ann  Lampson,  by  her  will 
proved  with  a  codicil  in  the  P.C.C.  23  January, 
bequeathed  ;^250,  the  interest  to  be  applied 
annually  for  the  ministers  of  the  chapels  of 
Claypath  and  Framwellgate,  in  moieties.  The 
same  testatrix  likewise  gave  ;^25o  for  the  use  of 
the  said  chapel.  These  legacies  arc  now 
represented  by  ;^500  consols  in  the  names  of 
the  trustees ;  the  annual  dividends,  amounting 
to  j^l2  lOJ'.,  are  now  appHed  towards  the  salary 
of  the  minister  of  Claypath  Chapel,  with  which 
the  Framwellgate  Chapel  was  amalgamated  on 
the  sale  of  the  latter  in  1842.  The  several  sums 
of  stock  above  mentioned  are,  except  where 
otherwise  stated,  held  by  the  official  trustees. 

The  Lying  Charity,  founded  in  or  about  1806, 
is  regulated  by  a  scheme  of  the  Charity  Commis- 
sioners dated  26  March  191 5.  The  charity  was 
wound  up  owing  to  the  Insurance  Act  and  re- 
started by  scheme.  The  endowment  consists  of 
^^275  2i  per  cent,  consols,  with  the  official 
receivers,  producing  £6  i~s.  \d.  yearly.  The 
trustees  are  the  committee  of  the  Durham  City 
Charity  Organisation  Society,  and  the  income  is 
applicable  in  giving  help  at  the  time  of  confine- 
ment to  poor  women. 

The  Mayoress  of  Durham  Fund,  founded  by 


H3 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


declaration  of  trust  21  December  1918,  consists 
of  a  sum  of  /^loo  5  per  cent.  National  War  Bonds, 
1928,  with  the  official  trustees.  The  income  is 
distributed  among  the  poor  of  the  city  by  the 
mayoress. 

The  parish  of  ST.  NICHOLAS  is  possessed 
of  endowments  known  as  Church  Estates — 
namely,  3  acres  at  Witton  Gilbert,  derived 
under  an  Inclosure  Award  12  May  1809,  i  a. 
2  r.  known  as  Whitesmocks  and  two  tenement 
houses  in  Durham,  producing  together  in  1926 
j^35  10s.  lod.  The  official  trustees  also  hold 
a  sum  of  j^i,630  4J.  jd.  consols,  arising  from  the 
sale  in  1901  of  four  houses  in  Claypath,  and  from 
sales  of  other  lands,  ;^20i  India  3  per  cent,  stock 
and  fyji  15.  lod.  India  3i  per  cent,  stock.  The 
income,  amounting  to  j^8o  15/.  yearly,  is  applied 
for  general  church  purposes.  The  charity  is 
regulated  by  a  scheme  of  the  Charity  Commis- 
sioners dated  9  May  1902. 

In  1572  John  Frankelyn,  by  his  will,  gave 
Js.  ^d.  yearly,  to  be  paid  by  the  Corporation  of 
Newcastle  for  the  benefit  of  the  poor  of  this 
parish. 

In  161 7  Robert  Surtees,  by  his  will,  gave  out 
of  his  house  in  the  market  place  6s.  ^d.  yearly 
to  the  poor,  which  is  received  from  the  National 
Provincial  Bank,  the  present  owners  of  the 
premises  charged. 

In  1675  Francis  Callaghan  charged  his  pro- 
perty in  the  market  place  with  the  following 
annuities : — 20.f.  for  distribution  to  the  poor  ; 
£1  to  the  vicar  ;  £^  to  the  lecturer  or  preaching 
minister,  for  a  sermon  on  the  anniversary  of 
testator's  burial,  and  5/.  to  the  bellringers  for 
ringing  the  bells  on  that  day.     The  yearly  sum 


of  £6  5/.  is  now  received  out  of  premises  in  Sadler 
Street,  Durham,  and  duly  apphed. 

In  1702  Thomas  Cooper,  by  his  will,  gave  an 
annuity  of  £^  4/.  to  be  distributed  in  bread,  2s. 
every  Sunday,  among  the  poor  attending  divine 
service.  The  annuity  is  paid  out  of  lands  at 
Fishburn  and  distributed  in  bread. 

The  parish  of  ST.  MART-LE-BOW  is 
possessed  of  two  houses  and  a  garden,  situate 
in  Sadler  Street,  Durham,  and  an  allotment  of 
I  a.  2  r.  in  Witton  Lane,  Sniperley,  the  income 
of  which,  amounting  to  ^^73  yearly,  is  applied 
in  the  insurance  and  repair  of  the  fabric  of  the 
parish  church. 

In  1703  John  Spearman,  by  his  will,  devised 
3  a.  situate  at  East  or  North  Bow,  Sheraton,  to 
the  rector  and  his  successors  for  ever,  upon 
trust  that  the  rector  should  perform  divine 
service  and  administer  the  Sacrament  to  prisoners 
in  Durham  Gaol,  which  then  stood  upon  a  site 
adjoining  the  parish.  The  rector  receives  the 
rents  of  the  land  so  devised,  a  salaried  chaplain 
being  attached  to  the  gaol. 

The  Church  Estate  in  the  parish  of  ST. 
MART  THE  LESS  originally  consisted  of 
ancient  burgage  tenements,  held  from  time 
immemorial.  The  endowments  now  consist  of 
allotments  in  Framwcllgate  Moor,  containing 
3  a.  0  r.  3 1  p.,  producing  ^^34  a  year;  £$6^  London 
and  North  Eastern  Railway  3  percent,  debenture 
stock,  and  ^60  consols,  with  the  official  trustees, 
arising  respectively  from  a  sale  in  191 1  of  a 
house  in  South  Bailey,  and  of  a  stable  in  1884, 
producing  in  yearly  dividends  /18  8/.  6d.  The 
net  income  is  applied  in  aid  of  general  church 
expenses. 


ST.   OSWALD'S 


The  ancient  parish  of  St.  Oswald*  lay 
around  three  sides  of  the  city  of  Durham  and 
occupied  all  the  right  bank  of  the  Wear,  the 
boundary  following  the  course  of  the  river  from 
Blackdene  Burn  southwards  as  far  as  Pelaw  Wood 
Beck,  from  the  top  of  which  it  mounted  the 
moor,  skirted  Shirburn  House  and  then,  after 
making  a  great  loop  eastwards,  regained  the 
Wear.  It  thus  included  the  modern  districts  of 
Finchale,  Framwcllgate  and  Framwellgate  Moor, 
Broom,  Neville's  Cross,  Crossgate,  Old  and  New 
Elvet,  Old  Durham,  Shinchfle,  Croxdale  and 
Sunderland  Bridge.  At  an  early  date  part  of 
the  parish  was  assigned  to  the  chapelry  of  St. 
Margaret,  which  obtained  parochial  rights  in 
the  15th  century.  From  this  time  St.  Oswald's 
included  the  settlements^  of  Old  Durham, 
Houghall,  Burn  Hall,  Relley,  Broom,  Shinchffe, 

*  For  St.  Oswald  and  his  place  in  the  history  of 
Durham,  see  V.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  2. 

*  Some  of  these  are  represented  now  by  farms  or 
country  houses  only. 


Butterby,  Croxdale  and  Sunderland  Bridge,  while 
St.  Margaret's  served  Crossgate,  Neville's  Cross, 
the  Bellasis,  Framwellgate,  Sidgate  and  Crook- 
haU,  Aykley  Heads,  Framwellgate  Moor,  Dry- 
burn,  Windy  Hills,  Hag  House,  Cater  House, 
Newton  by  Durham,  Frankland  and  Harber 
House.  With  the  growth  of  population,'  how- 
ever, the  arrangement  has  undergone  considerable 
change.'' 

The  civil  parishes  have  experienced  some 
modification  under  the  provisions  of  the  Local 
Government  Act  of  1894.*  Neville's  Cross  was 
then  formed  from  Crossgate  and  Framwellgate 
from  the  portion  of  Framwellgate  within  the 
borough  of  Durham.  In  1895  a  part  of  the 
civil  parish  of  Bearpark  was  attached  to  the 
parish  of  St.  Oswald,  while  ten  years  later  the 
boundary  of  the  borough  was  extended  to  in- 

3  See  V.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  261,  273. 
*  For  the  ancient  boundaries  see  Lans.  MS.  902, 
fols.  72-3. 

5  Stat.  56  and  57  Vict.  cap.  73. 


144 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


elude  part  of  the  civil  parish  of  Framwellgate 
Moor.  As  constituted  in  1898  the  civil  parish 
of  Framwellgate  contained  148  acres,  Framwell- 
gate Moor  3,801  acres,  Neville's  Cross  429  acres, 
Crossgate  74  acres,  Elvet  256  acres,  Shinclifle 
1,377  acres,  Sunderland  Bridge  1,438  acres, 
Broom  1,076  acres  and  St.  Oswald  itself  2,227 
acres. 

The  Priory  of  Durham  in  the  14th  century  had 
a  house  at  Elvet-hall  or  Hallgarth,  from  which 
Hallgarth  Street  takes  its  name,*  where  distin- 
guished guests  were  sometimes  entertained.' 
In  the  hall  in  1371  there  were  hangings  one  show- 
ing armed  men  and  another  of  green  with  a  blue 
leopard,  while  in  the  chamber  were  costly  beds 
with  covers  adorned  with  lilies,  roses,  butter- 
flies, leopards  and  eagles.'  There  is  some 
reason  for  thinking  that  the  Hallgarth  was  kept 
in  the  actual  possession  of  the  Priory  until  the 
Dissolution,  but  from  this  time  onwards  it 
became  merely  two  farm  houses  usually  occupied 
by  foremen  or  '  hinds.'  ^ 

Just  south  of  Maiden  Castle  Wood  is  the 
Shincliffe  road,  its  junction  with  Hallgarth  Street 
being  marked  by  Philipson's  Cross,  of  unknown 
origin.  The  conical  hill  called  Mountjoy  has  at 
least  a  legendary  history,  for  it  was  from  this 
point  that  the  weary  monks  first  beheld  the 
resting  place  they  sought  for  the  body  of  St. 
Cuthbert.  The  Great  High  Wood  on  the  hill 
to  the  south  and  east  of  Mountjoy  is  perhaps 
the  '  East  Wood  or  St.  Cuthbert's  Place '  >"  men- 
tioned in  1442,  the  Little  High  Wood  being  per- 
haps the  West  Wood  mentioned  at  the  same 
date.  Charlay's  Cross,^^  at  the  junction  of  the 
Bishop  Auckland  road,  Church  Street  and  Quar- 
ryheads  Lane,  is  connected  with  the  close  called 
Charlay  in  1442,'-  when  mention  is  also  made 
of  Fourudhclose  or  Welleshead,  Dedrygh, 
Dedryghbanks,  Swallowhopp,  AUers,  le  Peth  and 
the  ditch  called  Langmardyke.  Palmer's  close," 
between  Charlay's  Cross  and  the  river,  was  called 
'  Palman  closse  '  in  1541,  when  mention  is  also 
made  of  Kirkecroft  and  of  the  Smithyhaughs" 
which  have    been  used  as  a    racecourse    since 

1733-'' 
In  spite  of  modern    building   developments, 

•  Dur.  Acct.  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  i,  passim. 
'  Ibid,  i,  117;  ii,  523. 

8  Ibid,  i,  129. 

*  Exch.  Bills  and  Ans.  Dur.,  Eliz.  no.  22. 
1*  Lans.  IMS.  902,  fol.  223  d. 

11  It  is  shown  on  Christopher  Schwytzer's  map 
Dunelm.  (1595).  Only  the  base  of  this  remains.  For 
drawings  of  it  and  of  Philipson's  Cross,  see  B.M., 
Kaye  Coll.  ii,  no.  227,  228. 

12  Ibid. 

1*  There  was  a  Palmer  Close  in  St.  Giles'  parish 
also;  see  Mem.  of  St.  Giles  (Surt.  Soc),  iii,  153. 
I''  Rentals  and  Surv.  (Gen.  Ser.),  R.  987. 
15  Sunees,  Dur.  iv  (2),  88. 


St.  Oswald's  church  still  stands  on  the  outskirts 
of  Elvet.  St.  Oswald's  Well"  lies  between  the 
river  '  Bank  '  and  the  east  end  of  the  church,  and 
a  pathway  leads  through  the  churchyard  to 
Elvet  Bank  and  its  picturesque  slope  to  the 
river  below.  Much  of  the  land  between  the  Wear 
and  the  road  has  been  cut  up  for  allotment  gar- 
dens. 

The  Prebend's  Bridge"  gives  access  to  this 
district  from  the  Promontory  of  Durham,  and  it 
was  thus  possible  to  build  the  Grammar  School 
here  when  it  was  moved  from  its  old  site  near 
Palace  Green  in  1842.*®  The  modern  school  lies 
on  a  part  of  the  ground  called  Bellasis,  the  house 
of  that  name  being  arranged  for  the  use  of  the 
headmaster. "^^  The  name  of  Bellasis  is  still 
appHed  to  certain  closes,-"  on  one  of  which  the 
Observatory  of  the  University  of  Durham  was 
built  in  1841. 

Another  part  of  the  school  buildings  seems  to  lie 
on  the  site  of  '  the  little  tenement  or  grange  ' 
of  the  Almoner's  Barns'-^  or  '  Ambling  Barns  ' 
as  they  were  styled  in  1754.^"  Perhaps  some- 
where here  was  '  Bowes  close  '  sold  in  1628  by 
Robert  Hutton  to  Richard  Wilkinson,-'  the 
owner,  in  January  1635-6.-^  The  property  de- 
scended in  the  family  of  Wilkinson  and  was  held 
by  Mr.  Thomas  Wilkinson  shortly  before  1857.-'' 
Close  to  Ambling  Barns  was  the  Grove,  where 
Stephen  George  Kemble,  the  actor,  and  brother 
of  Mrs.  Siddons,  died  in  1822.26 

North  of  the  Grove,  houses  become  frequent 
and  South  Street,  parallel  to  the  river,  leads  to 
Framwellgate  Bridge.'-' 

Leland,  writing  of  Durham  in  the  first  half  of 
the  1 6th  century,  describes  how  '  the  suburbe 
over  Framagatebridg  hath  3.  partes,  the  Southe 
streate  on  the  left  hand,  the  crosse  streate  on  the 
midle  toward  Akeland,  and  the  3.  on  the  right 
hand,  bering  the  name  of  Framagate,  and  leding 

18  It  is  marked  on  Forster's  Map  of  Dur.  (1754). 

1'  See  above. 

18  V.C.H.  Dur.  i,  384. 

i!"  It  is  said  that  the  vendor's  son,  Sir  William 
Fothergill  Cooke  (1806-79),  inventor  of  the  electric 
telegraph,  made  some  of  his  early  experiments  here 
{Diet.  Nat.  Biog.  ;  V.C.H.  Dur.  i,  384  n.). 

20  There  was  an  orchard  in  Bellasis  in  1430  {Feod. 
Prior.  Dun.  (Surt.  Soc.),  78). 

21  It  was  part  of  the  endowment  of  the  9th  Prebend 
(Rec.  of  D.  and  C.  of  Dur.  C.  iv,  33,  fol.  148).  See 
also  Aug.  Office  Misc.  Bks.,  vol.  213,  fol.  53.  It  had 
a  garden  of  I  r.  and  a  close  lying  ne.xt  to  Bellasis. 

-'-  Forster,  Map  of  Dur.  (1754). 

23  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  7,  fol.  118  ;   no.  108,  m.  6. 

2-«  Surtees,  Dur.  iv  (2),  135. 

25  Fordyce,  Dur.  i,  384. 

26  Diet.  Nat.  Biog.  ,■  Allan,  Hist,  and  Desc.  Vino  of 
Dur.  (1824),  130. 

2'  In  South  Street,  by  a  tenement  belonging  to  the 
chantry  of  St.  Mary  in  St.  Margaret's  Chapel  (Pat.  11 
Chas.  I,  pt.  l). 


H5 


19 


A  HISTORY  OF   DURHAM 


to  Chester  and  to  New-Castelle.'^*  The  chapel  of 
St.  Margaret  stands  in  the  angle  formed  by  the 
junction  of  South  Street  with  Crossgate.  A  map 
of  1754  shows  houses  aU  along  the  south  side  of 
Crossgate  and  the  north  side  of  its  branch 
Allergate,  but  only  one  block  of  houses  on  the 
intervening  space  where  the  workhouse  now 
stands. 

From  the  end  of  Crossgate  the  road  leads 
across  the  Browney  to  Brancepeth.  The  land 
between  the  river  and  end  of  Margery  Lane 
is  dotted  with  modern  \allas,  and  suburban 
roads  now  cross  the  site  of  the  battle  of  Neville's 
Cross.  Both  Scots  and  English  were  drawn  up 
in  line  on  Bearpark"*  Moor,  between  the  city  and 
the  manor-house.  Much  of  the  fighting  centred 
on  the  Red  HiUs,  enclosed  land  belonging  to  the 
Priory*"  and  now  cut  through  by  the  railway 
line.  The  Prior  and  some  of  his  monks  took 
their  stand  '  a  litle  distant  from  a  pece  of  ground 
called  ye  flashe  above  a  close  lying  hard  by  north 
Chilton  poole  and  on  ye  north  side  of  ye  hedge 
where  ye  maydes  bower  had  wont  to  be.'''  Here 
they  displayed  St.  Cuthbert's  corporax  case 
and  prayed  for  an  English  victory.^  The  Scots 
were  routed  by  Ralph  Lord  NeviU  and  his  fellows, 
King  David  was  badly  wounded  in  the  face,  and 
according  to  tradition  he  fled  down  to  the  Browney 
and  hid  under  a  narrow  stone  bridge  near  Aldin 
Grange,  but  was  there  betrayed  by  his  shadow 
on  the  water.''  However  this  may  be,  the  King 
was  taken  captive  by  John  de  Copeland,  a 
Northumberland  esquire  and  husband  of  one  of 
the  heirs  of  Crook  Hall.**  In  commemoration  of 
his  victory  Lord  NeviU  set  up  the  cross  whence 
the  district  takes  its  name.'^  This  monument 
was  broken  down  one  night  in  1589^*  by  '  some 
lewde  and  contemptuous  wicked  persons,'  but 
the  stump  remained  in  its  old  position  until 
1903,  when  it  was  moved  to  a  new  mound  a  few 
yards  distant. 

Milburngate,  at  right  angles  to  Crossgate, 
was  of  great  importance  in  the  middle  ages"  as 
being  an  urban  portion  of  the  road  to  Newcastle 
and  the  North.     The  road,  though  paved  as 

^  Iti7i.  (ed.  L.  Toulmin  Smith),  i,  73. 

29  Hist.  Dunelm.  Script.  Ires  (Surt.  See),  App. 
no.  cccxxxvii. 

30  Cf.  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  16,  fol.  39  d. 
'1  Rites  of  Dur.  (Surt.  Soc.),  28-9. 

3^  According  to  Gough  the  Prior  signalled  the  result 
of  the  battle  to  the  monks  watching  on  the  Priory 
tower,  and  in  1789  the  custom  of  singing  '  Te  Deum ' 
from  the  tower  on  the  anniversary  of  the  battle  was 
still  observed  (Camden,  Brit,  iii,  121).  Hist.  Dunelm. 
Script.  Ires  (Surt.  Soc),  App.  no.  cccmvii. 

"  Mackenzie  and  Ross,  Dur.  ii,  438  and  n. 

**  See  below. 

3*  Rites  of  Dur.  (Surt.  Soc),  27. 

3*  Ibid.  28,  217. 

''  There  were  87  burgage  tenements  in  MUburngate 
in  1540  (Mins.  Accts.  Dur.  Hen.  VIII,  no.  708). 


early  as  141 3,'*  was  narrow  and  inconvenient, 
and  in  or  about  18473*  the  present  North  Road 
was  opened,  with  the  result  that  an  entirely  new 
settlement  came  into  being  in  this  direction.*" 
Piper's  close  and  White's  close  have  all  been 
built  over,  but  Shaw  Wood  under  Western  Hill 
still  lies  as  it  was  when  granted  by  the  Bishop 
to  the  burgesses  of  Durham  in  the  1 7th  century.''^ 
Just  east  of  Shaw  Wood  is  the  County  Hospital, 
opened  in  1853,  and  a  little  to  the  west  a  ditch 
forms  the  parish  boundary,  and  is  all  that  is  left 
of  the  Mill  Burn  which  divided  the  Prior's 
borough  of  Crossgate  from  Framwellgate,  the 
bishop's  borough.*- 

Framwellgate,  though  on  the  main  road  to  the 
north,  struck  a  19th-century  observer  as  squalid 
and  mean.'"  In  the  mid-i8th  century  the  land 
between  the  road  and  the  Wear  was  laid  out  in 
gardens  and  closes,  one  of  which  must  have  been 
that  Bishops  Mead  let  to  the  tenants  of  Fram- 
wellgate as  a  garden  in  the  15th  century.  In 
1754"  ^^^  Castle  Chare  was  a  country  lane,  and 
the  North  Eastern  Railway  station,  opened  in 
1856,  stands  on  what  was  then  market  gardens.** 
The  ground  west  of  the  station  was  given  to  the 
city  as  a  pubUc  park  by  Mr.  W.  Lloyd  Wharton 
about  i86o'"  and  bears  his  name. 

Framwellgate  runs  northwards  for  about  half 
a  mile  and  then  abruptly  branches  north-east 
and  north-west.  The  north-western  road  is  the 
main  highway  to  the  north  and  until  the  inclo- 
sure  of  Framwellgate  Moor  in  1800"  was  an 
open  track,  as  Leland  described  it,  '  partely  by  a 
litle  corne  ground,  but  mostly  by  mountainiouse 
pasture  and  sum  mores  and  firres.'*'  On  the 
western  side  of  this  road  and  at  some  little  dis- 
tance from  the  city  once  stood  the  hospital  of 
St.  Leonard  on  the  ground  called  Spittleflat.** 
Little  is  known  of  this  leper  hospital,  but  it  was 
probably  that  at  which  St.  Godric's  sister  died 
in  the  late  12th  century  and  it  was  certainly  in 
existence  in  1292.^  Though  an  entry  made  in 
January  1404-5   seems  to  imply  that  the  plot 

38  Dur.  Acct.  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  i,  224. 

'9  Illus.  Guide  to  Dur.  (1907). 

**  See  Lans.  MS.  902,  fol.  73. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  4,  no.  2,  fol.  340  d. 

*2  Feod.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc),  192  n.  As  early 
as  1754  the  latter  part  of  its  course  ran  underground 
(Forster,  Map  oj  Dur.  1754). 

^3  Though  the  borough  of  Framwellgate  belonged  to 
the  Bishop,  the  Priory  had  16  burgage  tenements  here 
in  1540  (Mins.  Accts.  Dur.  Hen.  VIII,  no.  708). 

**  Cf.  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  14,  fol.  11,  35  ;  no.  15, 
fol.  188. 

**  Forster,  op.  cit. 

"  Brief  Sketch  of  Dur.  (1863). 

■"  Priv.  Act,  41  Geo.  Ill,  cap.  xii. 

*8  Leland,  Itin.  (ed.  L.  Toulmin  Smith),  i,  74. 

*9  Marked  on  Christopher  Schwytzer's  map  Dunelm. 
engraved  in  1595. 

so  V.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  123. 


146 


CITY  OF   DURHAM 


occupied  by  the  patients  had  not  been  long 
vacant,^^  there  is  reason  to  suppose  that  the 
14  acres*-  known  as  Spittleflat  were  granted  out 
by  the  bishop  at  a  much  earlier  date.  Land  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  Framwellgate  was  devised 
by  John  Bille  to  Maud  his  daughter  in  1346'^  and 
she  inherited  the  rest  of  his  land  on  his  death  in 
or  about  January  1356-7."  Maud  married  as 
her  first  husband  one  of  the  Yorkshiie  family  of 
Thwing  and  had  by  him  a  son  John  on  whom 
she  settled  lands  in  Durham  and  Whitton  Gil- 
bert in  1374.^  ^^^  second  husband,  William 
Jalker,  had  died  in  the  previous  year^  and  Maud's 
settlement  provided  for  the  contingent  remainder 
of  her  lands  to  William  and  John  Jalker,  her 
younger  sons."  John  de  Thwing  died  in  pos- 
session of  the  14  acres  called  Spittalflat  in  or 
about  1394**  and  William  Jalker  succeeded  him. 
The  land  passed  by  marriage  to  Agnes  wife  of 
William  Billingham  and  was  acquired  by  Robert 
Jackson  before  1437.*'  He  then  conveyed  Spittle- 
flat  to  trustees,  and  there  is  no  evidence  that  it 
descended  to  his  kinsman  and  heir  John  Rassh.**" 
In  1563  Christina  Rawlinge  died  in  possession, 
her  heirs  being  her  daughters,  Alice  wife  of 
Robert  Farters  and  Ehzabeth  wiie  of  William 
Heighington.^i  Its  history  in  the  17th  and  i8th 
centuries  is  obscure,  but  in  1840  it  was  the 
property  of  Mr.  Francis  Johnson.*'- 

Just  south  of  Spittleflat  is  Chapelflat,  where 
the  church  of  St.  Cuthbert  now  stands.*^ 
Here  once  stood  the  chapel  of  St.  Leonard,  its 
position,  long  conjectural,  being  established  by 
the  map  of  1595**  and  by  the  fact  that  the  close 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  13,  fol.  454. 

'^  In  1563  it  was  said  to  contain  only  10  acres 
(ibid.  no.  6,  fol.  7  d.)  in  one  place,  but  14  acres  in 
another  (ibid.  fol.  28).  In  1840  it  contained  only 
2  acres  (Surtees,  Dur.  iv  (2),  137  n.). 

*3  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  11,  no.  78. 

^  Ibid.  no.  2,  fol.  55. 

^*  Ibid.  no.  II,  no.  50. 

**  Ibid.  no.  2,  fol.  90  d. 

"  Ibid.  no.  II,  no.  50. 

'*  Ibid.  no.  2,  fol.  120.  Spittalflat  was  said  to  con- 
tain 16  acres  in  Hatfield's  Surv.  (Surt.  Soc),  85. 

^*  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  304  d. 

«>  Ibid. 

*i  Ibid.  no.  6,  fol.  7  d.     See  Dryburn,  below. 

^  Surtees,  Dur.  iv  (2),  137. 

*'  Reg.  of  St.  Margaret's,  Dur.  (Dur.  and  North. 
Par.  Reg.  Soc),  p.  v.  In  1597  Edward  Hudspethe 
of  Durham  left  '  Chaple  Close  '  and  the  little  close 
called  Paradise  to  his  wife  Alice  for  life,  with  remainder 
to  his  sons  Thomas,  Christopher,  and  John.  {Dur. 
Wills  and  Invent.  [Surt.  Soc],  iii,  163). 

*^  Christopher  Schwytzer,  Dunelm.  (1595).  St. 
Leonards  is  the  name  given  to  the  whole  enclosure 
and  includes  both  hospital  and  chapel.  The  free 
chapel  of  St.  Leonard  in  St.  Margaret's  p.irish  was 
granted  in  1572  to  Percival  Gunston  of  Aske 
together  with  the  ch.ipel  of  St.  Bartholomew  in  the 
same  parish  (Pat.  14  Eliz.  pt.  i,  m  13).      In   1628  a 


was  long  used  as  a  burial  place  for  the  criminals 
executed  at  Gibbet-Knowle  hard  by.** 

Gibbet- Knowle,  so  called  in  1397,'"  was  copy- 
hold land  and  was  held  in  15 15  by  John,  Lord 
Lumley.*'  Gallowsflat  was  probably  also  in 
this  neighbourhood  ;  it  was  exchequer  land  and 
was  held  with  three  acres  called  Sourmilkden.** 
Dryburn  is  immediately  north  of  Gibbet-Knowle, 
and  in  the  i6th  century  executions  are  usually 
said  to  have  been  carried  out  there.  It  was 
not  only  the  ordinary  criminal  who  suffered 
here,  for  in  May  1590  four  men — Duke,  HyU, 
Hogge  and  Holyday — were  hanged  and  quar- 
tered here  as  '  semynaryes,  Papysts,  Tretors 
and  rebels  to  hyr  Magestye.'*' 

The  name  Dryburn  is  now  confined  to  the 
residence  of  Mrs.  Charles  Waring  Darwin.  On 
the  east  side  of  the  main  road  and  almost  opposite 
Dryburn  is  Aykley  Heads,  the  property  of  Capt. 
C.  F.  Dixon-Johnson.™  The  estate  once  formed 
part  of  the  manor  of  Crook  Hall,'i  within  its 
bounds  being  the  spring  whence  the  city  ob- 
tained its  first  water  supply  by  grant  of  Thomas 
Billingham  in  1450.'-  The  meadow  whence  it 
sprang  was  called  the  Framwell  meadowes  or 
Conduit  heads  until  at  least  1676,"  when  water- 
courses in  the  meadows  belonged  to  the  two 
ancient  water  corn-mills  at  Crook  Hall.'* 

Crook  Hall  itself  is  reached  by  following  the 
more  easterly  road'*  that  branches  from  the  top 
of  Framwellgate.  The  Rev.  James  Raine,  anti- 
quary and  topographer,  lived  here,  and  here  he 
died  in  1858.""  The  old  quarry  to  the  west  of  the 
house  was  being  worked  in  the  late  17th  cen- 
tury" and  in  1748  mention  is  made  of  the  Crow 
Orchard,  Dovecoat  Flats,  Dog  Close  and 
Marlin's  Field. '^  The  shafts  of  the  Durham 
Main  Colliery  have  now  been  sunk  in  the  fields 
north  of  the  house,  but  a  tract  of  woodland 
still  remains,  and  by  its  name  of  Hopper's  Wood 
commemorates  an  18th-century  owner. 

From  the  road  by  Crook  Hall  footpaths  lead 
across  the  fields  to  Frankland,  where  the  Bishops 

chapel  in  decay,  lying  near  Framwellgate,  probably 
that  of  St.  Leonard,  was  granted  to  Ralph  Wise  and 
Henry  Harryman  (Pat.  4  Chas.  I,  pt.  xxv,  no.  2). 

**  Surtees,  Dur.  iv  (2),  137. 

*'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  13,  fol.  257b. 

«' Ibid.  no.  21,  fol.  188  d. 

^  Ibid.  no.  13,  fol.  491  ;    14,  fol.  786  d.,  863. 

*'  Mackenzie  and  Ross,  Dur.  ii,  400  n. 

'"  Surtees,  Dur.  i;  (2),  141. 

'*  See  below. 

'-  Mackenzie  and  Ross,  op.  cit.  ii,  438.  In  1834 
the  original  masonry  of  the  fountain  was  still  in 
existence. 

'*  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  4,  no.  3,  fol.  408. 

'■•  For  these  see  fVills  and  Invent.  (Surt.  Soc),  ii, 
277;  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  121,  m.   43. 

'*  ?  Sidgate.  '«  Diet.  Nat.  Biog. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  4,  no.  3,  fol.  408. 

'*  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  121,  m.  43. 


H7 


A   HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


of  Durham  had  their  park.  Long  before  1840 
the  land  was  inclosed  and  farmholds  created,'* 
but  as  late  as  1848  an  appointment  was  made  to 
the  sinecure  office  of  parker  or  keeper  of  the  park 
of  Frankland  near  Durham  with  Middlewood  and 
Ryton.8o 

The  North  Eastern  Railway  line  separates 
Frankland  Park  from  Newton  Hall.  There  was 
a  capital  messuage  here  in  1465."  Newton  Hall, 
which  was  pulled  down  in  1926,  stood  on  high 
ground  about  a  mile  and  a  half  to  the  north  of 
Durham,  and  was  a  dignified  Georgian  house  of 
two  stories  and  an  attic,  built  of  brick  with  stone 
dressings.  The  date  1751  which  occurred  on 
the  spout  heads  apparently  indicated  the  year 
of  its  erection.  The  front  faced  west  and  was 
about  90  ft.  in  length,  the  middle  part  being 
emphasised  by  four  Ionic  pilasters  supporting 
an  entablature  above  the  second  story,  the 
swelled  frieze  of  which  was  richly  carved.  The 
windows  had  all  stone  architraves  and  keystones 
and  retained  their  barred  sashes.  The  house 
was  L  shaped  on  plan,  the  shorter  wing  facing 
south  on  to  a  large  garden  inclosed  by  brick 
walls.  The  stables  and  outbuildings  were  on 
the  north  side  ranged  round  a  courtyard.  The 
house  fell  into  a  state  of  semi-dilapidation ;  it 
was  used  fo  barracks  during  the  Great  War  and 
afterwards  demolished. 

Between  Newton  Hall*-  and  the  main  north 
road  is  the  Framwellgate  Colliery,  in  connexion 
with  which  modern  hamlets  have  sprung  into 
being  at  Framwellgate  Moor  just  north  of  Dry- 
burn  and  at  Pity  Me  further  along  the  road. 
Pity  Me,  the  more  northerly  of  these  hamlets, 
is  said  to  take  its  name  from  the  mediaeval '  Petit 
Mere,'  and  there  is  still  a  large  pond  and  a 
marshy  tract  south  of  the  settlement.  Framwell- 
gate Moor  is  of  more  importance  and  boasts  the 
church  of  St.  Cuthbert,  opened  in  1862,  and 
chapels  of  the  Wesleyan,  United  and  Primitive 
Methodist  bodies,  the  last  two  opened  respec- 
tively in  1869  and  1870,  as  well  as  a  public  ele- 
mentary school.  The  land  on  which  this  colony 
has  sprung  was  originally  part  of  the  Cater  House 
estate,  the  farm  known  by  that  name  lying 
immediately  north-west  of  the  village.  Cater 
House  was  described  in  1857  as  *  an  ancient 
single  tenement  shaded  by  a  row  of  tall  syca- 
mores '^  and  an  extent  of  1597  makes  mention 

"  Surtees,  Dur.  iv  (z),  147. 

^  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  134,  no.  13,  cf.  132,  no. 
45.  In  the  19th  century  the  parker  was  a  clerk  in 
Holy  Orders. 

*^  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  4,  fol.  22. 

*2  There  was  a  vill  of  Newton  here  in  the  12th 
century,  and  a  story  is  told  of  how  a  shepherdess  of 
Newton  heard  supernatural  music  one  day  when 
setting  out  with  her  sheep  {Libellus  de  Vita  et 
Miraculis  S.  Godrici  [Surt.  Soc],  244,   33 1,  cf.  254). 

88  Fordyce,  Dur.  i,  386. 


of  a  kitchen  and  cowhouse  and  closes  called 
Benterstills,  Maggfield  and  Well  close.**  In  the 
16th  century  the  land  north  of  Cater  House  was 
largely  uninclosed  moor  and  Cater  House  itself 
was  only  a  part  of  the  holding  of  Hag  House, 
north-east  of  Pity  Me.  ^ 

North-east  of  Hag  House  are  the  Finchale 
and  Redhouse  Woods,  running  down  to  the 
Wear.  Beyond  the  woods  the  river  makes  a  bend 
from  north-west  to  south-east,  and  in  the  corner 
thus  created  stand  the  ruins  of  Finchale  Priory. 
In  the  1 2th  century  all  P'ramwellgate  Moor 
was  a  hunting  ground  for  the  Bishops  of  Durham 
and  Finchale  was  little  more  than  a  thicket  of 
undergrowth.  The  banks  of  the  Wear  are  still 
heavily  wooded  on  either  side. 

Few  traces  of  the  Benedictine  priory  of 
Finchale  remain.  It  was  founded  in  1 196  on  the 
site  of  the  hermitage  of  St.  Godric,  who,  after  a 
chequered  career,  settled  about  1 1 10  in  the  valley 
of  the  Wear  a  mile  above  Finchale.**  Some  five 
years  later  the  Saint  moved  to  the  site  of 
the  present  ruins,  where  in  his  hermitage  he 
died  in  11 70.*'  Here  he  built  the  little  chapel 
of  St.  Mary,  of  timber  and  brushwood,  and 
adjoining  it  the  house  in  which  he  lived.** 
As  his  sanctity  became  known  a  larger  chapel 
of  stone,  dedicated  to  the  honour  of  St.  John 
Baptist,  was  built  by  the  faithful  for  his  use, 
the  two  chapels  being  connected  by  a  covered 
way  of  branches  and  thatch.  On  the  south 
side  of  St.  John's  Chapel  were  two  wooden  huts 
for  his  food  and  other  possessions.*'  After 
Godric's  death  his  hermitage  was  acquired  by 
the  priory  of  Durham,  and  in  1196  Bishop 
Pudsey  established  there  a  small  priory  as  a  cell 
of  Durham,  which  was  later  increased  in  size. 

All  that  remains  of  St.  Godric's  hermitage 
are  the  foundations  of  the  chapel  of  St.  John 
Baptist,  which  were  recently  found  within 
the  presbytery  of  the  13th-century  church. 
The  chapel  was  a   small  rectangular  building, 

**  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  192,  no.  41  ;  cf.  file  188, 
no.  38. 

**  See  below. 

**  Priory  of  FinchaU  (Surtees  Soc),  pref.  xiii. 

*'  I'.C.H.  Dur.  i,  103. 

**  \  wooden  building,  described  as  the  house 
of  the  Blessed  Godric,  was  newly  made  by  the  monks 
in  1490-1,  but  its  site  is  now  unknown  {Priory  of 
FinchaU  [Surt.  Soc],  pp.  cccxc,  cccxd). 

**  Arch.  Aeliana  (ser.  iv),  vol.  iv,  p.  193  et  seq. 
Paper  by  C.  R.  Peers  from  which  by  kind  permission  of 
the  author  and  the  Soc  of  Antiq.  of  Newcastle  much 
of  this  account  of  Finchale  Priory  has  been  taken. 
The  plan  was  prepared  for  that  paper  and  is  repro- 
duced here  by  permission  of  Mr.  Peers  and  the 
Society.  The  details  of  the  life  of  St.  Godric  and 
the  buildings  forming  his  hermitage  are  taken  from 
Libellus  de  Vita  S.  Godrici  (Surt.  Soc),  passim  (see 
index  under  '  Finchale  '). 


148 


BAklLMOUSEL 

AND 
iBetWHOUSL 


H-ts/,-OrFiCE_     OF    WOK-ldS 
ANCILKiT     MONUMENTS    DLPT. 


LATE    12"^^  CENTURY 

I3TH 

LATE    13^'^ 


FINCHALE        PRIORY 
DURHAM 


JBAVCLMOUSEL 

AND 
JBEtWHOUSL 


GR.OUND     PLAN 


FEET     lO     5      O  lO  20  30  40  50  60  70  80  90  tOO   FEET 


HN/.-OfFICE.     Of     WOK-klS 
ANCltNT    MONUMENTS    DLPT. 


CITY  OF   DURHAM 


15  ft.  6  in.  wide  by  33  ft.  6  in.  long  internally. 
Its  east  wall  was  some  20  ft.  west  of  the  east 
wall  of  the  presbytery,  and  its  south  wall  lay 
partly  under  the  south  wall  of  the  presbytery 
and  quire.  The  north  wall,  which  at  its  east 
end  contains  the  base  of  an  aumbry  showing 
12th-century  tooling,  is  well  within  the  pres- 
bytery and  quire,  while  the  west  wall  was 
apparently  destroyed  when  the  new  quire  stalls 
were  set  up  here,  but  the  core  of  the  foundations 
remains.  From  its  position  it  would  appear 
that  the  chapel  was  left  standing  until  the 
eastern  part  of  the  new  church  round  it  was 
completed.  St.  Godric  was  carried  to  this  chapel 


who  supervised  the  work  of  clearing  the  ruins, 
states  that  they  exhibit  '  the  plan  of  a  normal 
domestic  house  of  the  better  class  with  a 
hall  (about  40  ft.  by  25  ft.),  having  at  its  north 
end  a  two-story  building  which  on  the  analogy 
of  other  houses  of  this  type  has  consisted  of  a 
solar  over  a  cellar.  The  hall  shows  remains 
of  its  hearth  and  stone  bases  on  either  side 
on  which  stood  wooden  posts  carrying  the 
superstructure  ;  part  of  the  west  door  into  the 
screens  remains  at  the  lower  end  of  the  hall, 
but  the  rest,  including  the  domestic  offices 
which  normally  occupy  such  a  position,  was 
destroyed    at    the    building    of    the    north-east 


FiNCHALE  Priory  :   ExrtRioR 


when  he  was  dying,  and  in  it  he  w.is  buried. 
A  grave  has  been  found  in  the  position  described 
by  Reginald  of  Durham,  which  there  can  be  little 
doubt  was  that  in  which  the  body  of  the  Saint 
lay.  The  sides  of  the  grave  were  lined  with 
rough  masonry,  and  within  it  was  a  stone  coffin 
rounded  at  the  head  and  square  at  the  foot, 
shaped  within  for  the  body  of  a  man  5  ft.  2  in. 
in  height  and  16  in.  in  width  at  the  shoulders, 
tapering  to  7  in.  at  the  foot  ;  proportions  which 
would  fit  the  descriptions  of  the  Saint,  who  was 
of  small  stature.  The  lid  of  the  coffin  has  gone, 
but  the  places  for  the  iron  cramps  securing 
it  remain.  The  coflnn,  when  found,  contained 
only  rubbish  and  a  piece  of  highly  polished 
Frosterley  marble,  which  probably  formed  a  part 
of  the  slab  covering  the  '  tumba.'  The  relics 
of  the  Saint,  it  would  seem,  disappeared  at  the 
suppression  of  the  monastery.*" 

When  Finchale  was  converted  from  a  her- 
mitage into  a  monastery,  about  1196,  accom- 
modation had  to  be  found  for  the  monks  who 
were  sent  there  from  Durham,  and  this,  it  is 
suggested  by  Mr.  Peers,  was  provided  by  some 
buildings  recently  cleared  to  the  east  of  the 
church. 

These  buildings,  in  which  three  slightly 
different  dates  can  be  discerned,  were  probably 
pulled   down   in   monastic   times.      Mr.   Peers, 


*"  Anh.  Jdiana,  loc.  cit. 


wing  of  the  prior's  quarters.  To  this  simple 
rectangular  building  has  been  added  a  large 
room  to  the  north  (46  ft.  by  20  ft.),  with 
a  fireplace  in  its  east  wall,  and  along  its 
south  side  a  corridor  lighted  from  the  south 
by  small  splayed  windows,  leading  to  a  large 
garde-robe  pit  at  the  east.  Against  the  south 
side  of  the  garde-robe  building  there  is  built  a 
rectangular  room  entered  from  the  north-west, 
showing  remains  of  similar  windows,  and  having 
along  its  west  side  a  covered  walk,  which  may 
be  of  later  date.  Both  the  garde-robe  and  the 
room  south  of  it  have  been  enlarged  eastwards, 
and  though  no  evidence  of  a  stair  remains,  it 
seems  probable  that  these  buildings  had  an 
upper  story.  Southward  from  here  there  exists 
a  short  length  of  foundation  which  seems  to  be 
of  the  same  period,  and  suggests  the  former 
existence  of  another  room.' 

This  group  of  buildings  seems  to  have  been 
built  as  a  temporary  expedient  to  give  enough 
accommodation  for  the  monks  until  more  ample 
buildings  were  ready.  It  may  be  supposed, 
Mr.  Peers  suggests,  that  the  upper  story 
of  the  eastern  block  next  to  the  garde-robe 
supplied  the  place  of  the  dorter,  the  hall  served 
for  meals,  and  the  large  north  room  for  the 
daily  labor  et  lectio.  The  ground  floor  of  the 
eastern  block  probably  served  as  the  chapter 
house,  and  the  chapel  of  St.  John  Baptist  as 
the  monastic  church. 


H9 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


About  1237*'  the  monastic  church  and  build- 
ings, of  which  the  ruins  still  survive,  were  begun 
on  artificially  levelled  ground  near  the  river, 
and  were  completed  about  1277.  The  original 
cruciform  church'^  consisted  of  a  quire  (87  ft. 
by  23  ft.  3  in.),  with  north  and  south  aisles, 
a  low  central  tower  surmounted  by  a  spire 
at  the  crossing,  north  and  south  transepts 
(each  34  ft.  by  22  ft.  6  in.),  with  a  chapel 
projecting  eastward  from  the  north  transept 
(27  ft.  by  14  ft.),  and  nave  (75  ft.  6  in.  by  23  ft.), 
with  north  and  south  aisles  of  four  bays. 
This  church  was  possibly  found  to  be  unneces- 
sarily large  for  the  number  of  inmates,  and  the 
cost  of  maintenance  burdensome,  or  perhaps 
it  may  have  been  damaged  during  one  of  the 
Scottish  raids ;  in  either  event  it  was  reduced 
in  size  about  1364-7.*'  This  reduction  was 
effected  by  the  removal  of  the  chapel  on  the 
eastern  side  of  the  north  transept  and  of  the 
aisles  of  the  quire  and  nave,  the  arcades  being 
walled  up  and  windows  inserted  in  the  walling. 
The  south  aisle  of  the  nave,  however,  was  trans- 
formed into  the  north  walk  of  the  cloister, 
while  the  original  north  walk  was  added  to  the 
cloister  garth.  No  further  structural  alteration 
of  importance  seems  to  have  been  made  before 
the  suppression  of  the  house  in  1536,  when  the 
buildings  were  dismantled  and  allowed  to  fall 
into  ruin.  The  central  tower,  which  terminated 
just  above  the  roof  line  of  the  church,  and  the 
spire  were  standing  in  1655,  but  had  disappeared 
by  1728.  Much  of  the  masonry,  including  the 
eastern  arch  of  the  tower  and  the  three  east 
lancets  of  the  quire,  have  fallen  since  1728.** 

The  presbytery  projected  by  one  bay  beyond 
the  east  ends  of  the  original  aisles,  and  was 
originally  lighted  from  the  east  by  three  tall 
lancets  and  by  single  lancets  in  the  north  and 
south  walls.  The  jamb  shafts  of  these  windows 
have  gone,  but  the  stifl-leaved  capitals,  except 
those  of  the  south  window,  still  remain.  A  two- 
story  building,  which  was  erected  in  the  14th 
century  against  the  eastern  part  of  the  north 
waU  of  the  presbytery,  blocked  the  lancet  window 
here.  To  compensate  for  the  loss  of  light  so 
caused,  the  lancet  in  the  south  wall  was  replaced 
by  a  14th-century  three-light  window,  now 
without  a  head.  In  order  to  make  room  for  this 
window,  two   of    the   four   sedilia   which   were 

*'  The  dates  assigned  to  the  different  parts  of  the 
buildings  are  largely  based  on  a  series  of  indulgences 
which  are  printed  in  Priory  of  Finch  ale,  p.  169  et  seq., 
and  deductions  drawn  from  them  by  Mr.  Peers  in 
Arch.  Adiana,  loc.  cit. 

^  The  total  length  of  the  church  internally  is 
194  ft.  4  in.,  and  the  width  across  the  transepts  99  ft. 

*'  Arch.  Aeliana,  loc.  cit. ;  see  entries  in  Priory  of 
FinchaU,  pp.  bdii-bncvii. 

**  Cf.  drawing  in  Dugdale,  Mon.  Angl.  (ed.  1655), 
vol.  i,  pt.  i,  p.  512,  with  drawing  by  S.  and  N.  Buck. 


originally  in  the  south  wall  were  built  up. 
The  two  remaining  retain  their  moulded  arches 
and  stifl-leaved  capitals.  To  the  east  of  the 
sedilia  is  a  double  piscina  with  moulded  arches 
and  stiff-leaved  capitals.  Both  the  piscina 
and  sedilia  seem  unduly  high,  owing  to  the 
present  ground  level  being  2  ft.  below  the 
original  floor.  On  the  north  side  is  a  square 
aumbry  with  a  groove  for  a  shelf  and  a  rebate 
for  doors.  Apparently  it  is  not  in  its  original 
position.  The  13th-century  blocked  arcades 
formerly  opening  into  the  aisles  have  moulded 
arches  and  round  pillars  and  half-round  responds 
with  bell-shaped  capitals,  those  of  the  eastern 
responds  and  of  the  first  pillar  on  the  north 
side  being  carved  with  foliage  and  fruit.  The 
arches  of  the  north  arcade  are  fairly  complete, 
but  the  two  eastern  arches  on  the  south  side 
have  disappeared,  while  the  western  is  broken 
at  the  crown.  The  infilling  wall  has,  for- 
tunately, protected  the  carved  capitals  and 
other  details.  The  geometrical  ornament  painted 
in  red,  yellow  and  black  is  well  preserved  on 
the  west  respond  and  west  pillar  on  this  side, 
and  gives  evidence  of  a  wall  between  the  pillars 
as  a  back  to  the  quire  stalls.  Above  the  arcades 
the  walling  has  fallen.  In  each  of  the  blocked 
arches  windows  were  inserted  in  1364-7. 
The  western  window  on  the  north  side  is  com- 
plete with  three  trefoiled  lights  and  reticulated 
tracery.  The  tracery  of  the  other  windows 
has  disappeared.  It  is  evident  that  when  the 
14th-century  alterations  were  being  made  the 
north  wall  was  showing  signs  of  weakness, 
and  was  then  strengthened  by  three  deep 
buttresses,  only  the  western  of  which  is  now 
perfect. 

Recent  excavations  show  that  the  quire  stalls 
extended  26  ft.  east  of  the  crossing,  and  the 
lectern  stood  28  ft.  eastward  of  the  stalls.  The 
presbytery,  which  was  2  ft.  6  in.  above  the 
quire,  was  reached  by  five  steps,  the  top  step 
being  31  ft.  from  the  east  wall.  The  high  altar, 
dedicated  in  honour  of  St.  John  Baptist,  stood 
against  a  wooden  screen  12  ft.  6  in.  from  the 
east  wall. 

The  central  tower  was  supported  by  four 
great  circular  piers  (8  ft.  in  diameter).  The 
north-west,  which  contains  a  newel  stair  to 
the  upper  part  of  the  tower,  is  broken  away 
at  the  top,  but  the  others  are  complete  with  their 
moulded  capitals  and  bases,  the  bases  of  the  west 
piers  being  of  slightly  later  date  than  those  in 
the  east.  The  vault  over  the  crossing  and  the 
four  crossing  arches  have  fallen.  The  western 
piers  were  originally  intended  to  stand  free, 
but  as  the  work  progressed  the  responds  of  the 
eastern  arches  of  the  nave  arcade  were  set  some 
12  ft.  westward  of  the  tower  piers  and  the  inter- 
vening space  was  filled  by  a  solid  wall.  There 
is  no  evidence  of  .n  stone  pulpitum,  but   chases 


150 


,);        Vf.Mi       /j//..'/\M- 


/.     " 


/,'/.  J_,''/r.yu</ 


Durham  :    Finciiale  Priorv.     The  West  \'ie\v  in   1728 
(From  an  engraving  by  S.  and  N.  Buck) 


Dlriiam  :    I'iNciiALE  Priory.     The  West  Doorway 


Durham  :    Finciiale  Priorv.     East  View 


Durham  :    Finchale  Priory.     Undercroft 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


in  the  base  of  the  eastern  piers  of  the  crossing 
point  to  a  wooden  screen  here.  There  was 
probably  another  wooden  screen  with  a  central 
doorway  across  the  western  tower  arch.  From 
the  evidence  of  a  piscina  in  the  eastern  respond 
wall  of  the  south  arcade  of  the  nave,  this  screen 
and  the  altar,  possibly  the  Rood  altar,  on  the 
south  side  of  its  central  doorway,  which  the 
piscina  served,  stood  on  a  platform  2  ft.  above 
the  nave  floor. 

The  north  transept  was  lighted  by  three 
lancets  in  the  north  wall  and  two  in  the  west, 
but  the  north  wall  has  now  fallen.  At  the  south 
end  of  the  east  wall  is  a  pointed  arch,  blocked 
in  the  14th  century,  which  led  into  the  north 
aisle  of  the  quire.  It  is  of  two  chamfered 
orders  springing  on  the  north  side  from  a 
semicircular  respond  with  moulded  capital, 
and  on  the  south  from  a  moulded  capital  formed 
on  the  circumference  of  the  great  north-west 
pier.  In  the  blocking  of  this  arch  was  a  two- 
light  window,  under  which  was  an  altar,  prob- 
ably that  of  St.  Cuthbert.  To  the  north  of 
this  window  is  a  wider  and  lower  pointed  arch 
of  slightly  later  date,  also  blocked,  which 
opened  into  the  rectangular  chapel  destroyed 
in  the  14th  century.  This,  according  to  the 
arguments  of  Mr.  Peers,  was  the  chapel  of  St. 
Godric.  Its  foundations,  recently  exposed, 
show  that  it  e.^isted  before  the  monastic  church 
was  planned,  with  which  it  is  out  of  line.  Mr. 
Peers  suggests  that  it  represents  the  wooden 
chapel  of  St.  Mary  built  by  St.  Godric,  which, 
in  that  case,  must  have  been  rebuilt  in  stone 
between  the  date  of  St.  Godric's  death  and  the 
building  of  the  monastic  church.  The  chapel 
was  lengthened  westward  in  the  13th  century 
to  join  the  north  transept,  into  which  it  opened 
by  the  blocked  arch  above  referred  to.  If  this 
theory  is  correct,  the  altar  of  St.  Mary  was 
probably  moved  for  a  time  to  the  presbytery 
and  later  to  the  south  transept,  while  the  altar 
of  St.  Godric  was  set  up  in  the  chapel.'*  When 
the  chapel  was  destroyed  in  the  14th  century  the 
altar  of  St.  Godric  was  placed  beneath  the  two- 
light  window  in  the  wall  blocking  the  arch 
opening  into  the  chapel,  where  evidence  of  it  may 
still  be  seen.  Between  the  two  altars  was  a 
doorway  leading  to  the  monks'  cemetery. 

The  south  transept,  which  seems  to  have 
formed  the  Lady  Chapel,  was  lighted  from  the 
east  by  a  large  five-light  window  of  about 
1300,  the  lower  part  of  which  only  survives. 
Below  it  are  the  remains  of  an  altar,  which  may 
be  identified  as  that  of  St.  Mary,  and  beside 

•*  Jrch.  Aeliana,  4th  ser.  vol.  iv,  pp.  206-8. 
The  roof  weatherings  on  the  east  wall  of  the  transept 
are  set  centrally  over  the  arch  opening  into  the 
chapel,  showing  they  were  intended  for  a  narrower 
chapel  with  a  south  wall  independent  of  the  wall  of 
the  quire  aisle. 


it  on  the  south  is  a  14th-century  piscina.  The 
block  of  masonry  in  which  the  piscina  is  set 
carried  the  night  stair  to  the  dorter,**  the  door- 
way to  which  was  originally  at  the  south-east 
of  the  transept,  but  was  at  some  time  blocked 
and  a  new  doorway  made  in  the  middle  of  the 
south  wall.  This  latter  doorway  apparently 
gave  access  to  a  wooden  gallery  at  the  south 
end  of  the  transept.  The  square-headed  door- 
way inserted  in  the  south-west  corner  leads 
to  the  cloister.  The  day  stair  was  apparently 
disused  before  the  dissolution  of  the  monastery, 
and  possibly  the  night  stair  took  its  place.  A 
14th-century  window  was  inserted  in  the  wall 
blocking  the  arch  from  the  transept  to  the  south 
aisle  of  the  quire,  the  lower  part  of  which  only 
remains.  Below  this  window,  from  the  evidence 
of  a  trefoiled  piscina,  now  without  a  bowl, 
and  an  image  bracket,  there  was  an  altar,  the 
dedication  of  which  is  unknown.  A  14th-century 
pointed  doorway  has  been  inserted  in  the  blocked 
arch  leading  into  the  south  aisle  of  the  nave, 
and  south  of  it  another  pointed  doorway  to 
the  cloister,  over  which,  above  the  level  of  the 
cloister  roof,  are  the  remains  of  a  lancet  window. 

The  nave  arcades,  of  four  bays,  are  of  similar 
detail  to  those  of  the  quire.  The  walls  blocking 
the  arches  on  the  north  side  have  three-light 
traceried  windows  of  the  14th  century  in  the 
three  easternmost  bays,  and  a  doorway  in  the 
western  bay,  over  which  is  a  14th-century  two- 
light  window.  In  the  west  wall  is  a  pointed 
doorway  of  three  moulded  orders,  the  two  outer 
of  which  were  supported  by  detached  shafts 
with  bell  capitals,  while  the  inner  order  is 
composed  of  a  large  roll  interrupted  only  by  a 
capital  of  similar  character.  An  external  string- 
course is  carried  across  the  wall  above  the  door- 
way ;  over  the  string-course  are  the  remains  of 
three  lancets. 

The  cloister  was  originally  a  square  of  75  ft. 
with  arcades  towards  the  garth,  but  its 
length  from  north  to  south  was  extended  when, 
as  already  stated,  the  south  aisle  of  the  nave 
became  the  north  cloister  walk.  The  eastern 
part  of  the  old  aisle  wall  still  survives,  and  at 
the  east  end  of  it  is  a  doorway  with  a  two-centred 
drop  arch  of  two  chamfered  orders  dying 
into  plain  jambs.  Opposite  the  first  bay  of  the 
nave  arcade  is  a  segmental-headed  window 
of  the  14th  century  with  fragments  of  tracery, 
and  a  moulded  jamb  farther  west  probably 
indicates  the  remains  of  a  similar  window.  A 
keel  moulded  respond  facing  the  eastern  pier 
of  the  nave  arcade  doubtless  received  the  ribs 
of  the  aisle  vaulting.  The  western  part  of  this 
wall  is  destroyed.  Some  of  the  bases  of  the 
cloister  arcade  remain  in  the  south  walk,  but  in 

*•  The  masonry  of  the  stair  blocked  two  lockers 
here. 


151 


A   HISTORY  OF   DURHAM 


the  east  and  probably  the  west  walks  the  arcades 
were  replaced  bybuttressedwalls  having  traceried 
windows  in  each  bay.  Work  on  these  windows 
was  apparently  being  carried  out  in  1495-6,  at 
which  date  the  roofs  seem  to  have  been  covered 
with  slates." 

The  chapter  house  is  a  rectangular  building 
(21  ft.  by  23  ft.)  of  the  latter  part  of  the  13th 
century,  and  immediately  adjoins  the  south 
transept.  It  is  now  in  a  ruinous  condition. 
In  the  west  wall  is  a  plain  doorway  from  the 


was  occupied  by  the  monastic  dorter,  some 
80  ft.  long.  In  the  south  gable  was  a  window, 
and  in  the  west  wall  a  blocked  doorway  leading 
to  the  day  stair,  which,  as  already  stated,  was 
abandoned.  A  doorway  to  the  south  of  the 
east  wall  led  to  the  rerc  dorter  (30  ft.  by  18  ft.), 
which  lay  to  the  south-east  of  the  dorter. 
It  apparently  had  no  system  of  flushing. 

The  frater  range,  rebuilt  about  1320,  occu- 
pies the  south  side  of  the  cloister,  with  a  narrow 
passage  on   its   east    side   between   it   and   the 


FiNCHALE    Priory  :  Chapter  House 


cloister,  of  two  moulded  orders  with  foliated 
capitals.  On  either  side  of  the  doorway  is  a 
window  of  two  chamfered  orders,  much  decayed. 
There  were  originally  three  lancet  windows 
in  the  east  wall,  but  in  the  15th  century  the 
middle  light  behind  the  prior's  seat  was  blocked 
and  two-light  windows  substituted  for  the 
others.  The  stone  seats  remain  against  the 
north,  south  and  east  walls,  and  the  prior's  seat 
in  the  middle  of  the  east  wall  has  stone  arms  on 
each  side. 

The  dorter  range,  which  occupies  the  re- 
mainder of  the  eastern  side  of  the  cloister, 
consists  on  the  ground  floor  of  three  barrel- 
vaulted  apartments,  with  a  passage  to  the  in- 
firmary or  prior's  lodging.      The  upper   story 


*'  Priory  oj  FinchaU  (Surt.  Soc),  p.  ccciciv. 


dorter  range.  The  undercroft,  which  was  prob- 
ably used  as  a  cellar,  is  entered  from  the  north- 
east, and  is  lighted  from  the  south.  Its  vault 
is  divided  into  twelve  quadripartite  compart- 
ments, supported  in  the  middle  by  a  row  of 
five  octagonal  pillars  with  plain  chamfered 
bases,  but  no  capitals.  The  frater  (40  ft. 
by  23  ft.)  is  approached  by  a  flight  of  steps 
from  the  cloister,  to  which  entrance  is  obtained 
through  a  pointed  doorway  with  richly  moulded 
jambs  and  head,  at  the  west  end  of  the  north 
wall.  It  was  originally  lighted  by  five  lancets 
each  in  the  north  and  south  walls,  those  on  the 
north  side  being  placed  high  in  order  to  clear 
the  cloister  roof.  In  the  14th  century  the  north- 
west lancet  was  replaced  by  a  trefoiled  light 
with  flowing  tracery.  Down  the  middle  of  the 
frater  was  a  line  of  wooden  posts  supporting 


152 


CITY  OF   DURHAM 


an  upper  floor,  which  was  probably  an  addition. 
At  the  south-west  angle  is  a  room  in  which  are 
the  remains  of  a  fireplace,  the  chimney  of  which 
blocks  a  three-light  window  in  the  west  gable. 
The  low  upper  story  had  on  both  sides  small 
square-headed  windows  of  two  lights,  some  of 
which,  now  without  mullions,  still  remain. 
This  upper  room  may  have  corresponded  to  the 
*  loft '  at  the  west  of  the  frater  at  Durham 
where  the  monks  ordinarily  had  their  meals. 
There  is  now  no  western  range  of  claustral 
buildings  except  at  the  north  end,  where  there 
is  a  building  with  a  vaulted  undercroft,  which 
may  have  been  the  guest  house  or  perhaps  the 
cellarer's  quarters.  The  vaulting  of  the  under- 
croft, now  broken  through,  is  supported  by 
plain  heavy  ribs  which  spring  from  an  octagonal 
pier  in  the  centre  of  the  room.  An  original 
pointed  doorway  on  the  east,  now  blocked, 
led  to  the  cloister,  and  there  was  another  square- 
headed  doorway  in  the  north  wall,  apparently 
of  later  date.  The  upper  story  was  reached 
by  a  stair  at  the  south-east,  and  was  lighted 
by  a  14th-century  square-headed  window  of 
two  lights  on  the  north  and  by  three  single- 
light  windows,  all  now  more  or  less  destroyed. 
There  is  evidence  of  other  buildings  on  this 
side  of  the  cloister  which  have  now  gone. 

The  prior's  lodging  forms  a  group  of  buildings 
east  of  the  dorter  range  and  south  of  the  church, 
in  a  position  ordinarily  occupied  by  the  monastic 
infirmary.  These  buildings  are  of  two  stories, 
the  lower  or  basement  being  storerooms, 
and  the  upper  the  living  rooms  of  the  prior 
and  his  household.  The  principal  range,  in- 
cluding the  hall  and  the  prior's  camera,  with 
its  chapel  at  the  south-east,  are  of  the  latter 
part  of  the  13th  century,  while  the  buildings 
at  the  west  end  are  15th-century  and  those 
on  the  north-east  are   14th-century   additions. 

The  walls  of  the  prior's  hall  (44  ft.  by  20  ft.)'^ 
have  largely  fallen,  but  still  retain  on  the  south 
the  remains  of  a  range  of  three  two-light  tran- 
somed  windows  inserted  in  1459-60,  and  a 
pointed  doorway  at  the  west  end  of  this  wall. 
At  the  eastern  part  of  the  north  wall  are  the 
remains  of  a  wide  fireplace,  the  masonry  of  which 
forms  a  considerable  external  projection.  This 
fireplace  was  apparently  made  in  1459-60, 
when  a  bay  window  was  built  on  the  east  side 
of  it,  two  buttresses  added,  and  new  hangings 
were  provided."  Further  alterations  were  made 
in  1464.1'"  The  entrances  at  the  lower  end  of  the 
hall  opening  to  the  screens  had  formerly  been 
approached  by  external  steps,  but  at  this  date 

°*  The  whole  range  is  100  ft.  by  27  ft.  The  use  of 
the  different  parts  of  the  building  is  taken  from  the 
inventories  printed  in  Priory  of  Finchale  (Surt.  Soc), 
pp.  cxvii,  civ. 

**  Ibid.  p.  cclxxv. 

l**  Ibid.  p.  ccxc^-i. 


the  north-west  doorway  was  blocked  and  replaced 
by  another  in  the  west  wall  which  led  to  a  pas- 
sage running  westward  to  the  cloister.  On 
the  west  side  of  the  prior's  hall  were  the  pantry, 
buttery  and  kitchen,  with  a  lobby  and  serving 
hatch  and  remains  of  several  fireplaces  and 
ovens.  The  larder  and  poultry  were  probably 
below  the  dorter.  On  the  east  of  the  hall  was 
the  prior's  camera  or  great  chamber  (48  ft. 
by  20  ft.),  the  principal  entrance  to  which 
was  through  the  prior's  hall,  but  in  the  15th 
century  a  stair  from  the  undercroft  was  added 
in  the  north-east  corner.  In  the  south  wall 
was  a  fireplace,  which  was  built  up  in  the 
15th  century,  when  a  new  fireplace  was  made 
in  the  north  wall.  Three  two-light  windows 
were  at  the  same  period  inserted  on  the  south 
side,  and  a  bay  window  thrown  out  on  the  west 
end  of  the  north  wall''^  and  some  panelling, 
probably  for  a  canopied  seat  by  the  fire,  erected 
on  the  east  side  of  it.  The  east  window  at  the 
same  time  received  new  tracery. 

The  prior's  chapel  (26  ft.  by  10  ft.)  is  entered 
from  the  prior's  chamber  on  the  north  by  a 
15th-century  doorway,  replacing  an  earlier 
doorway  farther  to  the  east.  A  ruined  door- 
way in  the  south  wall  led  to  a  chamber,  now 
destroyed,  which  apparently,  according  to  a 
15th-century  inventory,  contained  six  beds. 
The  chapel  is  lighted  by  a  15th-century  square- 
headed  window  of  three  cinquef oiled  lights 
in  the  east  wall,  at  the  cast  end  of  both  the 
north  and  south  walls  is  a  14th-century  square- 
headed  window  of  two  trefoiled  lights,  and  in 
the  west  wall  are  the  remains  of  another  window. 
At  the  west  end  was  a  gallery,  reached  by  a  stair 
in  the  north-west  angle. 

On  the  north  of  the  great  chamber  is  a  two- 
storied  building,  which  can  perhaps  be  identi- 
fied with  theDouglasTower  mentioned  in  1460-1 
and  1467-8.1*-  The  ground  story,  possibly 
the  prior's  lower  study,  has  a  barrel  vault, 
and  is  separated  from  the  main  building  by  a 
passage,  through  which  it  is  entered.  The 
upper  story  was  the  prior's  study,  which  was 
entered  from  the  great  chamber  by  a  door 
in  the  south  wall.  It  was  lighted  from  the  east 
by  two  small  windows,  apparently  later  inser- 
tions, and  from  the  north  by  a  fine  15th-century 
oriel  window  and  what  appears  to  be  a  small 
window,  now  blocked,  placed  lower  in  the  wall. 
In  the  north-east  corner  is  a  garde-robe,  and 
in  the  west  wall  is  a  fireplace.  A  stair  in  the 
south-west  corner  led  to  the  roof,  and  against 
the  north  wall  of  the  great  chamber  are  the 
remains  of  an  external  stair  which,  before  the 
previously  mentioned  stair  was  made,  gave 
access  to  the  study. 


153 


1«1  Ihid.  p.  cclxx\-. 

'"^  Ibid.  pp.  cclxiix,  cccvi. 


20 


A   HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


The  15th-century  buildings  to  the  east  of  the 
prior's  lodging  were  probably  the  bakehouse 
and  brewhouse.  In  the  vicinity  of  the  prior's 
chamber,  but  in  a  position  not  exactly  known, 
was  the  camera  ludencium,  or  '  le  player 
chambre,'""  apparently  a  recreation  room  for  the 
monks  from  Durham,  who  stayed  on  leave  at 
Finchale  according  to  regulations  made  in 
1408.  There  is  reference  also  to  the  camera 
hospitii^'^  or  guest  house  chamber,  probably 
near  the  prior's  lodging,  but  its  exact  position 
is  also  unknown. 

To  the  west  of  the  priory  buildings  are  vestiges 
of  the  west  gate  mentioned  in  1490^"^  and 
other  outlying  structures,  and  the  farmhouse 
on  the  north  of  the  church  incorporates  part 
of  the  priory  mill. 

The  priory  was  made  accessible  from  the  left 
bank  of  the  Wear  by  a  ford  which  Bishop  Skirlaw, 
according  to  tradition,  replaced  by  a  bridge.^ 
Leland  describes  it  as  '  of  2  Arches,  or  rather 
one  Arche  withe  a  Pillor  in  the  middle  of  it,' 
and  says  that  it  fell  down  some  two  or  three 
years  before  his  visit  '  for  lake  of  Reparations 
in  tyme.'^ 

North  of  Finchale  the  Wear  makes  yet  another 
sudden  turn,  and  a  tongue  of  land  lies  low 
between  the  river  on  the  south  and  east  and  the 
Black  Dene  Burn  on  the  north.  Harbourhouse 
Park  occupies  most  of  the  neck  of  this  peninsula. 
Harbour  House  itself  lying  beyond  a  field  to 
the  north.  Its  secluded  position,  surrounded 
by  streams  and  woods  on  every  side,  made  it  an 
admirable  centre  for  the  Jesuit  priests,  who  car- 
ried on  their  mission  in  the  i6th  and  early 
17th  centuries.  The  Forcers,  its  owners, 
were  Roman  Catholic  recusants,  and  at  one  time 
a  regular  college  was  established.  Father  Ralph 
Corby  being  among  those  who  lived  there.^ 
The  tolerance  of  the  neighbourhood,  remarked 
on  by  Defoe  in  1723,*  made  it  possible  for 
various  members  of  the  Forcer  family  to  be 
buried  in  the  chapel  attached  to  the  house.^ 

West  of  Harbour  House  and  beyond  the 
railway  line  the  land  rises  to  the  moor,  in- 
closed and  yet  bare,  with  its  bleak  colliery  vil- 
lages new  or  half  deserted.  Much  of  this  country 
lay  within  the  Prior's  hunting  ground  of  Bear 
Park.  Most  of  the  park  is  within  the  parish  of 
Witton  Gilbert,  but  a  detached  portion  of  the 

103  Priory  of  Finchale,  pp.  civ,  ccxcv,  ccxcviii. 

IM  Ibid.  p.  ccci. 

***  Ibid.  p.  ccclxixvi. 

1  Leland,  Itin.  (ed.  L.  Toulmin  Smith).  The 
Prior  of  Finchale  had  a  garden  by  the  ford  {Feod.  Prior. 
Dunelm.  [Surt.  Soc]  20). 

"  Leland,  loc.  cit. 

'  Foley,  Rec.  0/  the  Engl.  Prov.  of  the  Soc.  of  Jesus, 
iii,  127. 

*  Defoe,  Tour,  description  of  Dur. 

6  Cf.  Headlam,  Par.  Reg.  of  St.  Oswald's,  Dur.  193. 


modern  civil  parish  is  in  St.  Oswald's,  and  con- 
tains the  hamlet  of  Relley,  once  a  grange  of 
Durham  Priory.*  A  quarter  of  a  mile  to  the 
east  the  River  Browney  winds  gradually  south- 
ward, and  is  joined  at  Langley  Bridge  by  the 
River  Deerness.  On  the  Browney  the  monks 
of  Durham  had  a  water  mill  used  for  fulling 
in  the  15th  and  early  i6th  centuries.''  Nothing 
is  known  of  the  origin  of  the  name  Spyttller- 
haugh,  given  to  a  field  near  Relley  bridge  in 
1536,*  but  traces  of  earthworks  were  still  visible 
here  in  1840,  and  it  has  been  conjectured  that 
the  close  was  the  site  of  the  early  Brunspittle.* 

The  hamlet  of  Baxter  Wood,**  a  little  north 
of  Relley,  is  in  Broom,  and  so  outside  the  Priory 
lands.  It  takes  its  name  from  the  Bacstane 
Ford,  near  which  Pudsey  founded  the  house  of 
Austin  Canons  at  New  Place,  so  soon  crushed 
by  the  Benedictines  of  Durham.  No  trace  of 
this  house  remains,  but  a  hamlet"  was  in  exist- 
ence here  in  the  17th  century,  and  Peter  Smart, 
prebendary  of  the  6th  stall  and  vehement  Puri- 
tan, is  said  to  have  died  here  in  or  about  1625.*^ 

Aldin  Grange,  some  distance  north-west  of 
Baxter  Wood,  has  been  associated  with  owners  of 
a  very  different  political  complexion,  for  it  was 
the  house  of  the  nonjuring  family  of  Bedford.*' 
The  property  is  leasehold,  under  the  Dean 
and  Chapter,  as  successors  of  Durham  Priory, 
and  great  alterations  were  made  both  to  the 
house  and  grounds  early  in  the  19th  century.*'' 
To  the  west  of  the  house  and  beyond  the  rail- 
way line  Aldin  Grange  Terrace  and  the  church 
of  St.  Edmund  have  sprung  into  being  as  a 
result  of  the  neighbouring  colliery  of  Bearpark, 
so  that  Aldin  Grange  is  still  connected  with 
that  coal  getting  that  made  it  a  valuable  pos- 
session to  Durham  Priory  in  the  15th  century.*^ 

Tracks  and  rough  roads  lead  across  the  moor 
to  Broom,**  with  its  rows  of  colliery  houses, 
its  chapel,  and  mission  church  of  St.  Katherine. 
Broom  Hall  lies  in  the  fields  at  some  distance 
north-west  of  the  village.  There  was  a  capital 
messuage   here   in  1358,  when   the   house  was 

«  Dur.  Acct.  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  i,  47,  50,  67,  72,  85, 
iii,  683. 

'  Ibid,  iii,  216,  222,  252. 

8  Ibid,  iii,  683. 

•  Surtees,  Dur.  iv  (2),  105. 

*"  Bacstamforthwode  in  1 362  {Chartul.  of  Finchale 
[Surt.  Soc],  p.  Ix). 

"  See  V.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  103,  109  ;  Surtees,  Dur.  iv  (2), 
105. 

12  Diet.  Nat.  Biog. 

*'  Mackenzie  and  Ross,  Dur.  ii,  438. 

W  Ibid. 

*6  Hist.  Dunelm.  Script.  Ires  (Surt.  Soc),  p.  ccci; 
Dur.  Acct.  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  iii,  712. 

1*  In  the  spring  of  1 343-4  Adam  de  Relley,  clerk,  was 
fined  20^.  for  having  obstructed  a  way  from  Broom 
to  Aldin  Grange  (Dur.  Rec.  cl.  13,  no.  221,  m.  3). 


154 


CITY  OF   DURHAM 


divided  between  the  coheirs,  Alan  de  Marton 
and  Margaret,  his  wife,  having  the  chamber 
on  the  east  of  the  great  hall,  while  that  on  the 
west  was  assigned  to  Richard  and  Emma  de 
Aldwood." 

South  of  Broom  Hall  the  land  falls  towards 
the  River  Deerness,  which  divides  St.  Oswald's 
from  the  parish  of  Brancepeth.  From  the  ford 
at  Langley  Bridge  southward  the  River  Browney 
forms  the  parish  boundary,  with  a  few  unim- 
portant deviations,  until  that  stream  joins 
the  Wear.  The  Browney  winds  considerably, 
its  last  and  largest  bend  enclosing  Burn  Hall 
on  all  but  its  eastern  side.  The  present  house 
was  the  residence  of  the  late  Mr.  Henry  Salvin, 
and  was  sold  in  1926,  two  years  after  his  death, 
to  St.  Joseph's  Society  for  Foreign  Missions, 
who  have  established  a  boys'  school  there.  It  was 
built  in  1825I*  on  higher  ground  about  300  yds. 
from  the  older  house  where  Elizabeth  Barrett 
Browning  was  born  in  1809.'*  It  is  not  certain 
whether  this  house  was  identical  with  the 
house  having  a  great  chamber  hung  with  red  and 
green,  owned  by  William  Claxton  at  his  death  in 
c.  1566.^"  South-east  of  Burn  Hall  and  just 
without  the  limits  of  the  park  is  Herd's  House, 
mentioned  as  '  Hurdhous '  in  1589.^1  Low 
Burnhall  lies  close  to  the  Wear  ;  it  is  now  occu- 
pied as  a  farm.  In  1430  there  was  a  hermitage 
at  Burn,^'^  near  the  quarry  of  the  lord  of  the 
manor,  but  its  exact  position  has  now  been  lost. 

The  north  road  skirts  the  park  of  Burn  Hall 
on  the  east  and,  after  crossing  Browney  Bridge 
and  some  low-lying  land,  reaches  Sunderland 
Bridge  over  the  Wear.  This  bridge  is  men- 
tioned in  1346,  a  skirmish  being  fought  here 
in  the  morning  of  17  October  before  the  battle 
was  joined  at  Neville's  Cross.-^  Leland  rode 
by '  Sunderland  Bridges '  when  he  came  to 
Durham  in  or  about  1536.  'There,'  he  says, 
*  Wear  is  divided  into  two  arms  and  after  shortly 
meeting  maketh  an  isle  ;  the  first  bridge  as  I  came 
over  was  but  of  one  arch,  the  other  of  three.'  -* 
In  1578  it  was  said  that  the  Wear  had  changed 
its  course,  and  that  unless  something  was  done 
it  would  '  leave  the  saide  brydge  upon  drye 
land  upon  the  southe  syde  of  the  said  water.'  -* 
The  bridge  was  partly  rebuilt  in  1769.^* 

The   villages   of   Sunderland   Bridge    and   of 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  30,  m.  12  d. 

1'  Allan,  Hist,  and  Desc.  View  of  the  City  of  Dur. 
(1824),  103-4;  Hutchinson,  Dur.  ii,  331. 

"  Diet.  Nat.  Biog. 

^'^  Wills  and  Invent.  (Surt.  Soc),  i,  254. 

^^  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  192,  no.  140. 

22  Hist.  Dunelm.  Script.  Tres  (Sun.  Soc),  App. 
p.  ccxix. 

^  Surtees,  Dur.  iv  (2),  123. 

'^^  Leland,  Itin.  (ed.  cit.). 

2*  Exch.  Spec.  Com.,  Dur.,  no.  754. 

"*  Mackenzie  and  Ross,  Dur.  ii,  438. 


Croxdale  form  practically  one  settlement," 
though  the  name  Croxdale  is  now  confined 
to  the  railway  station  and  to  the  hamlet  south 
of  the  London  and  North  Eastern  main  line. 
The  colliery  led  to  the  opening  of  a  Primitive 
Methodist  chapel  here  in  1877,  and  of  a 
Wesleyan  chapel  (1897)  and  a  reading  room. 
The  village  of  Sunderland  Bridge  lies  on  the 
ridge  of  a  steep  hiU  above  the  Wear  and  is 
built  along  a  short  lane  at  right  angles  to  the 
highway,  the  church  of  St.  Bartholomew  lying 
at  the  corner.  In  less  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
the  village  street  turns  abruptly  south,  to 
Hctt,  its  eastern  course  being  stopped  by  the 
deep  and  wooded  heugh  which  encloses  the 
South  Park  of  Croxdale  Hall,  the  main  approach 
to  which  is  through  a  strip  of  park  lying  between 
the  village  and  the  Wear.  Croxdale  Hall  ha  s  been 
in  the  possession  of  the  Salvins  since  the  15th 
century,  and  is  now  the  residence  of  Lieut. -Col. 
Herman  C.  J.  Salvin.  Lady  Oxford  in  1745 
thought  it  '  a  very  pretty  place  by  the  Wear 
side,  with  good  gardens,'  and  added  that  these 
were  '  remarkable  for  early  fruit.'-'  Neither  the 
house  nor  its  chapel  of  St.  Herbert  is  of  any 
great  antiquity,  but  close  by  is  the  ancient 
parochial  chapel.  This  chapel  is  retained  by 
the  Salvins,  who  gave  in  exchange  the  land  on 
which  the  present  church  of  St.  Bartholomew 
is  built.  North  of  Croxdale  Hall  and  beyond 
a  further  stretch  of  park  is  Croxdale  Wood, 
on  the  edge  of  which  is  Croxdale  Wood  House, 
the  residence  of  Mr.  Lewis  Ingham.  The 
high  ground  about  the  house  slopes  rapidly 
down  to  the  Wear,  and  to  a  tract  of  low-lying 
ground  within  a  loop  of  the  stream.  The  old 
manor-house  of  Butterby  lies  close  to  the  river 
side.  There  is  no  church  at  Butterby,-'  hence 
in  the  local  slang  a  man  is  said  '  to  go  to  church 
at  Butterby  '  when  he  neglects  to  attend  church. 
Despite  the  isolated  position  of  Butterby, 
shut  in  by  river  and  hj  wood,  it  was  much 
frequented  in  the  i8th  century  by  patients 
who  came  to  drink  of  the  '  vitrioline  spaw.' 
These  medical  waters  were  described  by  Dr. 
Wilson  in  1675,'"  but  the  spring  has  now  been 
lost  in  consequence  of  mining  operations  in  the 
neighbourhood. 

A  ford  across  the  Wear  gives  access  to  a  bridle 
road  which  leads  across  the  old  Highfield,'^ 
now  the  golf  links,  to  Houghall  and  thence  to 
Durham. 

"  According  to  Surtees  the  vill  of  Sunderland 
Bridge  had  its  separate  common  fields  which  were 
inclosed  in  1669  {Dur.  iv  (2),  122). 

28  Portland  MSS.  (Hist.  MSS.  Com.),  vi,  185. 

29  The  fact  that  Butterby  is  tithe  free  led  Hutchin- 
son to  consider  it  the  site  of  St.  Leonards  {Dur.  ii, 
J 1 6),  but  for  this  see  above. 

^  Spadacrene  Dunelmensis. 

"  Cf.  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  2,  bdle.  95. 


155 


A   HISTORY  OF   DURHAM 


The  ancient  manor-house  of  Houghall  is  said 
to  have  been  built  by  Prior  Hoton  (i  290-1 308), 
but  according  to  the  account  rolls  of  Durham 
Priory,  a  new  house  was  built  here  in  1373.^' 
In  the  i6th  century  it  was  occupied  by  the 
family  of  Booth,  lessees  of  the  Dean  and 
Chapter,^^  and  in  the  Commonwealth  it  is 
said  to  have  been  occupied  by  the  family  of 
Marshall  and  Sir  Arthur  Hazelrigg,^  though  no 
evidence  of  the  latter  occupation  has  been 
found. 

The  house  stands  in  a  low  situation  about 
half  a  mile  from  the  left  bank  of  the  Wear 
'  guarded  by  a  fosse  supplied  by  a  small  runner 
which  falls  from  the  hill ' — the  ground  rising 
close  to  the  building  on  the  west  and  south- 
west. The  present  house,  which  probably 
stands  on  the  site  of  one  of  older  date,  belongs 
apparently  to  the  first  half  of  the  17th  century, 
and  has  been  approached  by  an  avenue  of  trees 
from  High  Houghall  on  the  south  side,  part  of 
which  remains.  The  building  itself  has  been 
very  much  modernised,  and  is  now  a  farm- 
house. It  faces  south,  and  has  a  wing  at  the 
east  end  running  north,  in  which  are  two  four- 
light  mulhoned  and  transomed  windows  and 
a  smaller  mullioned  opening  of  three  lights 
in  the  north  gable.  The  house  is  of  two  stories, 
with  basement  and  attics,  and  the  roofs  are 
covered  with  modern  blue  slates.  On  the  south 
front  all  the  windows,  with  one  exception, 
are  modern,  and  over  the  doorway  is  a  shield 
with  the  arms  of  Marshall  of  Selaby  (a  cheveron 
between  three  crescents),  who  occupied  the 
house  during  the  Commonwealth  period.*'' 
The  interior  is  without  interest,  except  for 
the  staircase,  which  is  built  round  a  small 
central  square  well,  and  has  thick  turned 
balusters  and  square  newels  with  balls.  The 
building  has  been  extended  on  the  west  side, 
the  old  part  being,  perhaps,  only  a  fragment. 

The  modern  settlement  of  Houghall  lies 
north  of  the  old  house,  and  owes  its  existence 
to  the  coalmine  that  was  once  sunk  here,  but 
is  now  disused.  A  hospital  for  infectious 
diseases'*  has  been  built  among  the  fields  here, 
and  was  opened  in  1893.  The  name  of 
Hollinside  Wood,  west  of  Houghall,  must  be 
connected  with  the  close  called  Holensfeld  in 
1551,^''  and    Hollingside  itself  is  mentioned  in 

32  Dur.  Acct.  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  iii,  578. 

33  See  below. 

3*  Hutchinson,  Dur.  ii,  325  ;  Mackenzie  and  Ross, 
DuT.  ii,  435.  According  to  tradition  Oliver  Crom- 
well lived  here  for  some  time. 

3*  Surtees,  Dur.  iv,  94. 

3*  In  1597  patients  suffering  from  the  plague  were 
sent  '  to  a  lodge  built  without  the  .  .  .  citie  '  (Dur. 
Rec.  cl.  2,  no.  l). 

S'  Rec.  of  the  D.  and  C.  of  Dur.  Reg.  A.  (no.  1), 
fol.  201  d. 


1 65 1,  together  with  lands  called  Award  Flatt, 
the  Pooles  and  Weather  Haugh.33 

West  of  Houghall  is  Elvet  Moor,3»  inclosed 
in  1772.'"'  Oswald  House,  as  Mount  St.  Oswald 
was  then  called,  was  built  on  part  of  the  moor 
by  the  family  of  Wilkinson.''*  The  house  was 
rebuilt  shortly  before  1834,  when  the  name 
was  changed  ;*-  it  is  now  the  residence 
of  Mrs.  Rogerson,  widow  of  John  Edwin 
Rogerson,  M.F.H. 

Shincliffe  is  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Wear, 
and  on  the  ridge  between  the  river  and  the 
Whitwell  Beck ;  it  is  reached  by  the  road 
leading  south-east  from  Philipson's  Cross.  The 
old  village  is  built  along  a  wide  lane  running 
down  towards  the  river,  the  main  road  to  Sedge- 
field  making  a  sharp  angle  to  pass  down  the 
village  street.  In  1824  it  was  said  that  a  garden 
lay  nearly  all  round  the  village,''3  but  this  has 
now  disappeared.  The  church  of  St.  Mary 
lies  a  little  back  from  the  road,  and  near  it  is 
the  Wesleyan  chapel,  built  in  1874.  Wesley 
himself  preached  at  Shincliffe  in  May  1780,  when 
stopping  at  Mr.  Parker's."-*  The  congregation 
being  far  too  large  to  get  into  the  house,  Wesley 
stood  near  the  door,  and  it  '  seemed  as  if  the 
whole  village  was  ready  to  receive  the  truth.'"'' 
There  is  also  a  United  Methodist  chapel, 
built  in  1875,  at  the  colliery  settlement  on 
Bank  Top.  This  colliery  is  now  closed  down, 
and  many  of  the  houses  are  deserted,  though  a 
certain  number  are  utilised  as  Aged  Miners' 
Homes.  The  grange  of  Durham  Priory  lay 
at  the  top  of  the  hill,  and  to  the  south  are  the 
race  course,  opened  in  1895,**  and  Shincliffe 
station,  on  the  Newcastle,  Leamside  and  Ferry- 
hill  branch  of  the  North  Eastern  Railway. 
This  station  was  opened  in  1844,  and  took  the 
place  of  an  earlier  station  opened  in  1839 
on  the  Durham  and  Sunderland  Railway."' 
All  the  land  to  the  north  of  the  old  village  lay 
in  the  park  of  the  Priory  of  Durham  ;  which  is 
first  mentioned  in  the  13th  century,"*  and  was 
inclosed  in  1355-6."'  The  park  ran  down  to 
the  river  and  bordered  the  main  road  near 
Shincliffe    Bridge,    for    when    Prior    Richard 

38  Close  R.  1 65 1,  pt.  Ixi,  no.  39. 

3*  For  the  boundary  between  Elvet  and  Houghall 
see  Feod.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc),  203  n. 

"«  Rec.  of  the  D.  and  C.  of  Dur.  Reg.  L.L.  no.  52. 

"1  See  Grange,  Gen.  I'iew  of  the  Agric.  of  Co.  Dur. 
(Bd.  of  Agric.  794),  44. 

42  View  of  the  City  of  Dur.  (i  81 3),  67  ;  Allan,  op.  cit. 
103. 

"3  Allan,  op.  cit.  107. 

*»  Wesley,  ^oMrn.  31  May  1 780. 

"6  Ibid. 

"8  V.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  420. 

"'  Inform,  supplied  by  the  L.  and  N.E.R. 

"8  Hist.  Dunelm.  Script.  Tres  (Surt.  Soc),  57. 

"»  Dur.  Acct.  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  122. 


156 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


escaped  from  the  hands  of  the  Bishop's  servants 
on  the  bridge  in  1300,  the  guards  fled,  thinking 
that  armed  men  were  concealed  in  the  park. 
The  bridge  is  first  mentioned  in  the  13th 
century,  when  land  in  Upper  Elvet  was  given 
for  its  support.'"  It  was  repaired  by  the  Priory 
in  1 361-2,'''  and  John  Ogle  left  100  silver 
shillings  for  its  maintenance  in  March  1372-3.''^ 
After  inquiry  into  its  condition  and  revenues'"^ 
it  was  entirely  rebuilt  by  Bishop  Skirlaw 
(1388-1405).'^  A  flood  in  February  1753  swept 
two  of  its  arches  away,  but  these  were  repaired,*' 
and  it  was  not  until  1824  that  the  bridge  was 
condemned  as  narrow  and  beyond  repair.  The 
present  bridge  was  then  begun,  and  opened  in 
September  i826.'«  Shincliffe  Mill,  on  Old 
Durham  Beck,  lay  within  the  Prior's  fee  and 
is  first  mentioned  in  1303."  The  dam  was  made 
in  1367-8,'*  and  in  1458-9  the  mill  was  entirely 
rebuilt.'*  Richard  Marshall  held  it  on  lease 
from  the  Dean  and  Chapter  when  he  died  in 
1580.'"  The  policy  of  leasing  the  mill  has  been 
followed  to  the  present  day,  and  Miss  Johnson 
is  the  present  occupier. 

North  of  Old  Durham  Beck  and  east  of  the 
Wear  the  land  slopes  gradually  upward  to 
Gilesgate  Moor.  A  single  stone  is  all  that 
remains  of  the  17th-century  manor-house 
of  Old  Durham,  the  successor  of  the  capital 
messuage  that  the  Rector  of  St.  Nicholas  had 
here  in  1268.*'  The  inventory  of  the  goods 
of  Robert  Booth,  who  died  here  in  1586,  speaks 
of  the  chapel  chamber,  the  parlour  with  its 
pair  of  virginalls,  the  '  chambers  in  the 
courtyne,'  the  lower  chamber  and  the  little 
and  great  chambers."-  In  the  17th  century 
the  Heaths  and,  later,  the  Tempests  lived  here. 
Both  families  were  Royalist  in  sympathy.  John 
Tempest  (1710-76)  left  Old  Durham  for 
Wynyard,  and  little  was  done  to  the  property 
until  1849,  when  the  Marquess  of  Londonderry 
sank  a  coal  pit  a  little  south-east  of  the  house. 
The  house  was  then  dismantled,**  and  the 
gardens,  attached  to  a  neighbouring  inn,  became 
a  favourite  public  resort  for  summer  afternoons. 


*"  Surtees,  Dut.  iv  (2),  108  n. 

'1  Dur.  Acct.  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  i,  126. 

'2  Dur.  Wills  and  Invent.  (Surt.  Soc),  i,  34. 

'3  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  30,  m.  3  d.  ;   32,  m.  8. 

'■*  Hist.  Dunelm.  Script.  Tres  (Surt.  Soc),  144. 

"  A'.  Co.  Diaries  (Surt.  Soc),  193. 

"  Surtees,  op.  cit.  109. 

"  Dur.  Acct.  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  i,  113. 

'8  Ibid.  128. 

'*  Ibid,  i,  152. 

«o  Dur.  Wills  and  Invent.  (Surt.  Soc),  ii,  26. 

"  Surtees,  Dur.  iv  (2),  91. 

*2  Dur.  Wills  and  Invent.  (Surt.  Soc),  ii,  207. 

«3  Fordyce,  Dur.  i,  389.  A  sculptured  stone,  sole 
remnant  of  the  house,  is  built  into  the  wall  on  the 
river  bank. 


The  history  of  ALDIN  GRANGE 
MANORS  (Aldingrige,  Aldingrig  xi-xiv 
cent.,  Aldyngrigge,  Aldyngrange 
xvi  cent.,  Aldingrange  xvii  cent.)  is  closely 
connected  with  that  of  the  neighbouring  vill 
of  Broom.  It  was  in  the  hands  of  the  Bishops 
of  Durham  until  the  second  half  of  the  12th 
century,  when  Hugh  de  Pudsey  granted  6  score 
acres  of  waste  on  the  west  bank  of  the  River 
Browney,  and  the  wood  which  stretched  to 
the  cultivated  land  of  Aldin  Grange,  to  his 
kinsman  Henry  de  Pudsey."  Henry  gave  this 
land  to  the  canons  of  Baxter  Wood^  as  the 
endowment  of  his  foundation  there,  and  to  this 
he  added  the  vill  of  Aldin  Grange,"  which 
he  had  obtained  under  a  mortgage  from  Bertram 
de  Hetton  in  1187.*'  On  the  suppression  of  the 
Baxter  Wood  house  these  lands  passed  to  the 
Priory  of  Finchale.**  Somewhat  later  the  manor 
of  Aldin  Grange,  '  with  the  service  of  Broom 
and  Relley,'  was  quitclaimed  by  the  Priory 
to  Bertram  de  Hetton  in  exchange.**  There  may, 
however,  have  been  a  later  conveyance,  for  in 
the  15th  century  the  manor  was  held  by  the 
Priory  of  Durham,"  which  paid  a  '  fee  rent ' 
for  it  to  Finchale.''  The  manor,  with  Aumener- 
halgh  and  Bear  Park  Moor,  was  let  at  farm 
in  1438-9,'^  but  in  1446  all  these  were  in  the 
hands  of  the  Bursar.'*  The  priory  lands  here 
were  granted  by  the  Crown  to  Durham  Cathedral 
in  1541,'''  and  probably  formed  with  Relley 
and  Amner  Barns  part  of  the  endowment  of  the 
9th  stall." 

Aldin  Grange  has  long  been  the  subject 
of  leases.  According  to  Surtees  it  was  held 
in  1609'*  by  Sampson  Lever,  and  followed  the 
descent  of  their  property  at  Scout's  House, 
in  the  parish  of  Brancepeth,  until  17 16,  when  it 
was  sold  by  the  sons  of  Robert  Lever  to  the 
family  of  Bedford."  John  Bedford,  M.D., 
lived  here  until  his  death  in  1776,  and  on  the 
death  of  his  son,  Hilkiah  Bedford,  in  1779, 
Aldin  Grange  passed  with  Old  Burn  Hall  (q.v.) 
to  Alice,  wife  of  John  Hall.'*     She  sold  it  in 


*•'  Charters  of  Endotvment,  etc.,  of  Finchale  (Surt. 
Soc),  8. 

«*  Ibid.  9.  66  Ibid.  54. 

6'  Surtees,  Dur.  i,  213. 

6*  Charters  of  Finchale  (Surt.  Soc),  20. 

68  Surtees,  Dur.  i,  213. 

'"  Feod.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc),  191. 

'1  Dur.  Acct.  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  iii,  705.  Many  small 
parcels  of  land  here  were  acquired  by  Durham 
Priory  in  the  14th  century  (Surtees,  Dur.  iv  (2), 
105  n.). 

'2  Dur.  Acct.  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  i,  66. 

'3  Hist.  Dunelm.  Script.  Tres  (Surt.  Soc),  p.  ccci. 

'•>  L.  and  P.  Hen.  Fill,  .xviii,  g.  878  (33). 

"  Rec  of  the  D.  and  C.  of  Dur.  C.  iv,  33,  fol.  148. 

'6  Surtees,  Dur.  iv  (2),  105. 

"  Ibid.  '*  Ibid. 


157 


A   HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


1781  to  Thomas  Gibbon,  whose  granddaughter 
conveyed  it  before  1824™  to  Mr.  Francis 
Taylor,  the  tenant  in  1840. 

The  property  was  afterwards  acquired  by  a 
member  of  the  Cochrane  family. 

According  to  Surtees  ATKLET  HEADS 
originally  formed  part  of  Crookhall,  and  was 
granted  as  a  quarter  of  that  manor  by  Thomas 
Bellingham  to  Richard  Harrison  in  1651.^ 
Harrison  was  acting  as  trustee  for  Clement 
Reade,  of  Butter  Crambe,  Yorks,  and  he  devised 
it  to  Richard  Reade,  his  son.'*  Clement,  son 
of  Richard  Reade,  conveyed  it  to  George  Dixon 
in  1706,  Dixon  being  trustee  for  Ralph  Bain- 
bridge.*-  By  his  will  of  February  1724-5, 
Ralph  devised  the  estate  to  his  widow,  and  she 
sold  it  to  Thomas  Westgarth  in  1729.**  Later 
in  the  i8th  century  it  came  into  the  possession 
of  George  Dixon,  who  was  succeeded  by  John 
Dixon,  his  son  and  heir.**  John  died  without 
issue,  and  Aykley  Heads  was  inherited  by 
Francis,  son  of  his  sister  Tabitha,  by  her  husband 
Christopher  Johnson.**  Francis,  who  was  living 
at  Aykley  Heads  in  1804,**  died  in  1838,  his 
heir  being  his  son,  Mr.  Francis  Dixon  Johnson.*' 
Mr.  Johnson  was  called  to  the  Bar  in  1833  ; 
he  survived  his  eldest  son,  and  on  his  death 
in  1893  Aykley  Heads  passed  to  his  second  son, 
Cuthbert  Greenwood  Dixon  Johnson.  He  died 
six  years  later,  his  heir  being  his  son,  Capt. 
Cuthbert  Francis  Dixon  Johnson,  the  present 
owner. 

At  the  southern  end  of  South  Street  lies  the 
ground  known  as  THE  BELLASIS  (Belasis 
xiii  cent.,  Bellasis,  Bellasyse 
XV  cent.,  Bellaces  xvi 
cent.).  It  takes  its  name 
from  German  de  Bellasis, 
the  13th-century  tenant, 
whose  daughters  Agnes  and 
Sybil  granted  it  to  the 
Prior  and  Convent  of  Dur- 
ham.** An  orchard  in  Bel- 
lasis, formerly  held  by 
Isabel  Payntour,  was  held 
by  Sir  William  Bowes  of 
the  Prior  in  1430,*'  and  land  here  remained  in 
the  hands  of  the  Bowes  family  until  the   i6th 

'9  Allan,  Hist,  and  Descr.  View  of  the  City  of  Dur. 
119;   Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

**  Surtees,  Dur.  iv  (2),  141. 

*i  Ibid.  82  Ibid.  *»  Ibid. 

**  Burke,  Landed  Gentry. 

*5  Ibid. 

**  An  Acct.  of  DuT.  (1804),  p.  41 ;  of.  Allan,  op.  cit. 
131  ;  Mackenzie  and  Ross,  Dur.  ii,  438. 

*'  Burke,  op.  cit. 

**  Surtees,  Dur.  iv  (2),  135  n.  German's  widow 
Julian  quitclaimed  her  right  to  the  Priory  in  return 
for  a  yearly  payment  of  corn  and  wood. 

«»  Feod.  Prior.  Dun.  (Surt.  Soc),  78. 


Bellasis.  Argent  a 
cbeveron  guUi  between 
three  fieurs  de  lis  azure. 


century.*"  In  the  early  19th  century  the  land 
was  in  the  possession  of  Dr.  Cooke,  professor  of 
anatomy  at  the  University  of  Durham,  but  he 
sold  his  interest  in  1842  to  the  governors  of  the 
grammar  school,''  which  now  stands  on  part  of 
the  site. 

Much  obscurity  has  gathered  round  the  early 
history  of  BROOM  (The  Brome,  Broum  xiv 
cent.),  which  in  1362  was  divided  into  Over 
Broom,  held  of  the  Priory,  and  Nether  Broom, 
held  of  the  Bishop  but  rendering  rent  to  the 
Prior.»2 

Constance  del  Broom  was  holding  a  messuage 
and  30  acres  of  land  here  of  the  Bishop  at  her 
death  about  1336,'^  when  she  was  succeeded  by 
Thomas  her  son.  Thomas  was  a  party  to 
various  recognizances**  and  is  last  mentioned  in 
1348.**  It  seems  possible  that  this  land  was 
that  inherited  by  Margaret  wife  of  Alan  de 
Marton  and  her  sister  Emma  who  married 
Richard  de  Aldwood,  the  manor  of  Broomhall 
being  divided  between  them  in  February 
1357-8.**  At  this  date  a  rent  of  5  marks  yearly 
from  the  manor  was  payable  to  Richard  and 
Emma  de  Aldwood,  and  in  1375  a  similar  sum 
was  still  being  paid  by  Thomas  de  Hexham.*' 
Thomas  was  succeeded  by  his  son  Hugh,  then 
a  minor,**  but  no  further  history  of  this  holding 
is  known  unless  it  be  identified  with  the  land 
obtained  by  the  Prior  and  Convent.** 

In  1464  the  Priory  held  a  waste  and  8  acres  of 
land  with  5/.  free  rent  here,*  and  in  1580  rent 
was  paid  for  free  farm  here  by  Thomas  Bate- 
manson.^ 

'Thomas  Batemanson,  gentleman,  a  man  godlie, 
good  to  the  mentenance  of  the  poore  and  aspecial 
a  verie  honest  man  a  monge  his  nighbors,  beinge 
of  the  aige  of  Ixxx  yeares,'  died  in  1615.^  By  his 
will  he  left  his  leases  from  the  Dean  and  Chapter 
to  Christopher  his  son  and  heir.*  Both  Christo- 
pher and  Eleanor  his  wife  were  Roman  Catholics 

*o  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  ptfl.  166,  no.  26  ;  no.  4,  fol.  54  ; 
no.  3,  fol.  12  ;  ptfl.  173,  no.  37;  cf.  Dur.  Acct.  R. 
(Surt.  Soc),  iii,  705  ;  Dur.  Halmote  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  i, 
192  ;  Surtees,  Dur.  iv  (2),  134. 

»i  V.C.H.  Dur.  i,  384. 

»2  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  65  d. 

*3  Ibid.  no.  2,  fol.  10. 

*•"  Ibid.  no.  29,  m.  19  d.,  30,  m.  4. 

*5  Ibid.  no.  30,  m.  4. 

**  Ibid.  m.  12  d.  Alan  and  Margaret  paid  Richard 
and  Emma  an  additional  10  marks  yearly. 

*'  Ibid.  no.  2,  fol.  92  d. 

»*  Ibid. 

**  Feod.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc),  178  n.  The 
instruments  connected  with  the  transfer  are  to  be 
found  2''*  6""  Spec,  (in  the  Treasury),  but  are  not 
of  sufficient  interest  to  merit  being  printed. 

1  Ibid.  178. 

2  HalmoU  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  i,  205. 

3  Headlam,  St.  OswaWs  Par.  Reg.  55. 
*  Surtees,  Dur.  iv  (2),  104  n. 


158 


CITY  OF   DURHAM 


and  both  chose  Broomhall  as  their  abode.* 
Christopher  died  in  1625'  after  having  by  will 
divided  his  leases  between  his  nephew  Nicholas, 
son  of  Nicholas  Briggs,  and  Edward  and  Thomas, 
the  sons  of  William  Hall  of  Newcastle.' 

Certain  lands  in  Broom  were  held  by  Richard 
de  Hoton,  whose  name  is  found  in  1334.*  In 
1339  Richard,  son  of  WiUiam  de  Hoton,  acknow- 
ledged that  he  owed  ^^20  to  Richard  de  Whyte- 
powys,  who  received  a  similar  recognizance  for 
a  like  amount  from  Richard,  son  of  John  de 
Aldwood.'  The  significance  of  these  transac- 
tions is  not  clear,  but  in  1345  Richard  de  Hoton 
'  of  Aton,'  was  dealing  with  the  manor  of 
Broom  as  in  his  own  hands.^"  though  it  had 
formerly  been  held  of  him  by  Richard  de  Whyte- 
powys,"  the  Bishop's  forester  in  Weardale. 

In  1345  Richard  de  Hoton  conveyed  his 
manor  of  Broom  to  Richard  FitzHugh  chaplain, 
who  in  the  following  year  enfeoffed  Richard  de 
Hoton  and  Cecily  his  wife  and  their  issue.^- 
Alice,  daughter  and  heir  of  Richard  de  Hoton, 
married  Richard  Dawtry  as  his  second  wife  and 
had  by  him  a  son  John  Dawtry  the  younger.^' 
In  1431  this  John  Dawtry  delivered  various 
evidences  relating  to  the  manor  of  Broom  to  his 
nephew  John  Dawtry,  the  son  of  John  Dawtry 
the  eldest  son  of  Richard  by  his  first  wife." 
This  transfer  seems  to  have  been  made  at  the 
sale  of  the  manor  to  Richard  Cowhird,  possibly 
a  trustee.'' 

John  Forcer  died  in  possession  of  the  manor 
in  1432'''  and  Broom  followed  the  descent  of 
Kelloe  (q.v.)  until  1577,"  when  John  Forcer  of 
Harbour  House  conveyed  all  his  lands  here  to 
Mark  Greenwell,  with  whose  possessions  in 
Ushawe   Broom   possibly   descended. 

The  manor  of  BURN  HALL  (Great  Brume, 
Great  Burne ;  Burn  xiv  cent.)  was  held  of 
the  Nevills,  lords  of  Brancepeth  by  service  of 
f  knight's  fee.'* 

Its  earliest  known  tenants  were  members  of 
the  family  of  Brackenbury.  At  the  end  of  the 
13th  century  Robert  de  Neville  released  suit  at 
the    court    of    the    manor    of    Brancepeth    to 

^  Headlam,  op.  cit.  44,  58.  Eleanor  died  in  1635 
and  '  being  excommunicate  and  convicted  of  recu- 
sancy '  was  given  a  clandestine  burial  in  St.  Oswald's 
Church  {Acts  of  the  High  Com.  [Surt.  Soc],  142  j 
Headlam,  op.  cit.  88). 

6  Ibid.  71. 

'  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

*  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  29,  m.  I,  3  d. 

»  See  above.  Ibid.  m.  10.  Thomas  del  Broom 
had  owed  Richard  ^6  in  1 343  (Ibid.  m.  19  d.). 

1*  Ibid.  no.  36,  m.  3. 

'1  Ibid.  no.  29,  m.  13  d. 

^  Ibid.  no.  36,  m.  3. 

13  Ibid.  "  Ibid.  15  Ibid. 

"  Ibid.  no.  2,  fol.  266  ;    37,  m.  6. 

"  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  81  d.,  104  d. 


Brackenbury. 
ginl/retly  sahU. 


Isabella  de  Brakenbury  for  a  moiety  of  the 
vill  of  Little  Burne  as  Nicholas  de  Ture  formerly 
held  it.  Isabella  seems  to  have  married  Peter 
de  Neville  and  a  like  release  was  granted  to 
them  for  a  moiety  of  Little  Burne  by  Ralph 
son  of  Robert  de  Neville."  Maud,  widow  of 
William  de  Brackenbury, 
claimed  dower  in  the 
manors  of  Great  Burn, 
Shipley  and  Crook,  against 
Robert  de  Brackenbury. 
Robert  declared  that  Wil- 
liam de  Brackenbury  had 
conveyed  the  tenements  to 
him,  and  in  warranty  he 
called  Peter,  son  and  heir 
of  WiUiam.2o  Maud  failed 
to  establish  her  claim  and 
Robert  held  this  manor  until  his  death  in  or 
about  1369,  when  it  descended  to  Gilbert  his  son 
and  heir.-'  Gilbert  was  succeeded  by  Alice  his 
daughter,  but  she  died  unmarried  in  1379^  soon 
after  her  father,  her  heir  being  her  sister  Maud, 
born  some  time  after  November  1379.''^  Maud 
grew  up  and  married  Sir  John  Claxton,  Kt., 
but  the  marriage  was  unhappy  and  they  seem 
to  have  separated  in  141 0,  when  arrangements 
were  made  for  Maud's  maintenance.-'  Maud 
survived  her  husband  and  died  in  January 
1422-3,  leaving  a  son  John  Claxton,  a  young  man 
of  22.25  Before  1448  John  _ 
had  been  succeeded  by  his 
son  William  Claxton.-^  He 
was  twice  married  ;"  Wil- 
liam his  eldest  son  and 
successor  died  childless  in 
1481,  his  heir  being  his 
sister  Beatrice,  who  had 
married  Richard  Feather- 
stonehalgh.2*  The  manor  of 
Great  Burn  and  other  lands 
were  claimed,  however,  by 
Richard  Claxton,  stepbrother  of  William,-'  and 
the  succession  seems  to  have  been  disputed 
vehemently.*"     Richard   and   Beatrice   Feather- 

"  Lans.  MS.  902,  fol.  295.    Among  the  witnesses 
are  Thomas,  Robert,  and  WiUiam  de  Brakenbury. 
^o  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  70,  m.  28-9. 

21  Ibid.  no.  2,  fol.  81  d. 

22  Ibid.  fol.  102  d. 

23  Ibid.  13. 

2*  Ibid.  no.  34,  m.  6  d. ;  cf.  35,  m.  16  d.,  20  d. ;  no.  38, 
m.  I. 

2*  Ibid.  no.  2,  fol.  219.  He  obtained  livery  in 
April.      Ibid.  no.  38,  m.  9. 

2«  Ibid.  no.  46,  m.  16  d. 

2'  In  145 1  he  and  Agnes  his  wife  leased  a  waste 
messuage  in  Owengate  to  Richard  Raket.  (Ibid, 
no.  47,  m.  22  d.). 

2»  Ibid.  ptfl.  178,  no.  29. 

29  Ibid. 

30  Ibid.  no.  56,  m.  2  ;  no.  62,  m.  3. 


Claxton-  Gulei  a 
Jesse  betzceen  three 
hedgehogs  argent. 


159 


A  HISTORY   OF  DURHAM 


stonehalgh,  '  in  some  hope  of  loyalty  and 
justice,'  conveyed  these  lands  in  March  1487-8 
to  trustees,  among  the  chief  of  whom  were 
Ralph  Earl  of  Westmorland  and  the  powerful 
Sir  John  Conyers,  kt.,  as  well  as  William  Claxton 
of  Brancepeth.'i  Beatrice  died  before  February 
1 500-1  when  Richard  obtained  a  retrospective 
pardon  to  them  both  for  intrusion  on  the  manor 
of  Great  Burn  and  an  episcopal  mandate  secur- 
ing them  from  molestation.^  Later  Richard 
seems  to  have  taken  Holy  Orders,''  but  before 
doing  so  he  conveyed  his  life  interest  in  the 
manor  to  Eleanor  wife  of  Robert  Layburn** 
in  return  for  a  yearly  rent  of  ;^io.'*  Eleanor 
died  in  1507,  leaving  an  infant  daughter  Joan 
but  35  weeks  old ;  '*  Robert  Layburn  continued 
in  possession  by  the  courtesy  of  England.  In 
151 1  the  elder  branch  of  the  family  of  Bracken- 
bury,  as  represented  by  Ralph  and  Anthony 
Brackenbury,  made  a  determined  effort  to  get 
possession  of  the  manor  and  actually  obtained 
a  judgment  in  their  favour." 

In  spite  of  this  action  the  Brackenburys 
could  not  make  good  their  claim.  Anthony 
Brackenbury  and  others  entered  into  recogniz- 
ances to  keep  the  peace  towards  Robert  Claxton 
of  Framwellgate  in  15 12,'*  and  in  15 18  Robert 
acknowledged  a  debt  of  ;^ioo  to  Anthony  giving 
as  security  the  manor  of  Burn  with  all  lands, 
etc.,  '  which  were  in  the  possession  of  William 
Claxton  of  Burn.'  ^  Robert  was  succeeded  by 
William  his  son,  who  died  in  1540,  leaving  a  son 
William,  a  minor,  whose  wardship  was  claimed 
two  years  later  by  Ralph  Earl  of  Westmorland.'"' 
The  younger  William  Claxton  died  in  December 

'1  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  ptfl.  178,  no.  56,  m.  5  d. 

^  Ibid.  no.  61,  m.  14. 

^  Ibid.  no.  62,  m.  8. 

**  Ibid.  cl.  13,  no.  233. 

'5  Ibid.  no.  66,  m.  2d.  In  1511  Richard  Feather- 
stonehalgh,  chaplain,  sued  Anthony  Brackenbury  and 
another  for  their  forcible  breaking  of  his  houses,  etc. 
(ibid.  13,  233). 

3*  Ibid.  ptfl.  178,  no.  29. 

"  Ibid.  no.  70,  m.  9;  cl.  13,  no.  233.  Anthony 
alleged  that  Piers  Brackenbury  was  enfeoffed  by  cer- 
tain trustees  for  life  with  remainder  in  tail  male  to 
Gilbert  Brackenbury  and  contingent  remainder  to 
Nicholas  Brackenbury  in  tail  male.  He  further  said 
that  Piers  Brackenbury  died  at  Great  Burn  and  that 
the  manor  descended  to  Thomas,  son  and  heir  of 
Nicholas  Brackenbury,  and  to  his  heirs.  No  docu- 
mentary evidence  for  any  of  these  statements  has  been 
found.  Layburn  objected  to  the  panel  as  first  formed 
on  the  ground  that  it  had  been  made  by  Sir  William 
Buhner,  then  sheriff,  and  cousin  of  Anthony  Bracken- 
bury's  wife. 

3«  Ibid.  cl.  8,  no.  78,  fol.  78.        39  Ibid.  fol.  115. 

40  Ibid.  cl.  3,  ptfl.  177  ;  no.  58,  178  ;  no.  6,  29;  cf. 
no.  78,  m.  13  d.,  ptfl.  177,  no.  51.  Ann,  his  widow, 
married  Richard  Thade  (ibid.  ptfl.  177,  no.  49; 
no.  78,  m.  15  d.). 


1560  when  Robert  his  son  was  a  boy  of  13." 
Robert  made  a  settlement  of  the  manor  on  him- 
self, Eleanor  his  wife  and  their  children  in  1 569." 
He  seems,  however,  to  have  got  into  great 
financial  difficulties  and  sold  Burnhall  to  George 
Lawson  of  Little  Usworth,  who  bought  Strother 
house  and  Strotherfield  in  Bowden  parish  from 
him  in  1574.*'  Lawson  seems  to  have  behaved 
with  the  greatest  consideration  towards  the 
Claxtons,"  providing  in  his  will  that  Robert 
should  recover  the  property  on  the  payment  of 
j^2,ooo  within  a  twelvemonth  of  the  testator's 
death,''^  but  Robert  was  unable  to  fulfil  this 
condition.''*  Thomas  Lawson,  son  and  heir  of 
George,  conveyed  the  manor  to  James  Lisle,'" 
and  together  they  and  Dorothy  wife  of  James 
made  a  further  conveyance  to  Sir  Ralph  Lawson 
in  1592.**  Sir  Ralph  sold  it  before  1617"  to 
Henry  Manfield  of  Amerden,  Bucks  ;''*  an 
interest  in  it  also  belonged  to  Dorothy  Fitz- 
William,  widow,  and  Henry  son  and  heir  of  John 
Barker  of  Hurst,  Berks." 

All  these  persons  joined  in  conveying  the 
manor  in  1621  to  Christopher  Peacock  of  Rich- 
mond, mercer,  and  to  Simon  his  son  and  heir.** 
Simon  died  in  his  father's  life-time,"'  but  Simon 
his  son  inherited  the  manor,**  which  formed  the 
marriage  settlement  of  Simon  his  son  in  1683.** 
The  younger  Simon  Peacock  was  living  at 
Burnhall  in  1689*"  and  died  in  January  1707-8." 
Simon  his  son  sold  Old  Burnhall  or  the  eastern 
portion  of  the  estate  to  Posthumous  Smith, 
LL.D.,  and  his  father-in-law  Sir  George  Wheler 
in  1 71 5,**  while  two  years  later  New  Burnhall 
was  purchased  by  George  Smith,  his  nephew.*' 

George  Smith  was   a  non-juror*  and   titular 

"  Ibid,  no.  6,  fol.  56  ;  Wills  and  Invent.  (Surt.  Soc), 
i,  252-4. 

■»2  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  I,  m.  2. 

'"  Surtees,  Dur.  iv  (2),  95  n.  ;  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3, 
no.  88,  m.  3  d. 

*•  The  settlement  of  1 569  may  help  to  explain 
Lawson's  bequest  to  Eleanor  of  ;^I0,  to  be  paid  with- 
out her  husband's  knowledge. 

«  Wills  and  Invent.  (Surt.  Soc),  ii,  322.         '««  Ibid. 

4'  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iv  (2),  95. 

•**  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  I,  m.  3. 

*^  Cal.  S.  P.  Dom.  1611-18,  p.  476. 

so  See  V.C.H.  Bucks,  iii,  243. 

*i  Close,  19  Jas.  I,  pt.  xiii,  no.  21. 

52  Ibid. 

*'  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iv  (2),  99. 

**Cf.  Recov.  R.  Mich.  1650,  122. 

**  Surtees,  op.  cit.  96. 

**  Headlam,  op.  cit.  167. 

*'  Ibid.  209.  His  father  had  died  in  1702  (Surtees, 
op.  cit.  99). 

**  Surtees,  op.  cit.  96 ;  Thoresby,  Ducatus  Leod- 
<'n/!j(ed.  1816),  24.  *9  Ibid. 

^  Hutchinson,  Dur.  ii,  331.  He  married  Christian 
daughter  of  the  well-known  non-juror  Hilkiah  Bed- 
ford, father  of  Dr.  John  Bedford  (see  below).  Surtees, 
Dur.  iv  (2),  99. 


160 


CITY  OF   DURHAM 


bishop  of  Durham ;  he  was,  moreover,  a  dis- 
tinguished scholar  and  edited  an  edition  of 
Bede  that  held  the  field  for  many  years.  He 
died  in  1756,'''  having  survived  his  eldest  son 
John,  that  '  young  phisition '  mentioned  in  one 
of  the  local  diaries."^  George  Smith,  son  of 
John,  was  living  at  (New)  Burnhall  in  1787,  but 
before  1813"^  he  sold  it  to  Bryan  John  Salvin, 
younger  son  of  William  Salvin  of  Croxdale/'' 
Mr.  Salvin  died  in  1842  and  Burn  Hall  then 
passed  to  his  nephew,  Marmaduke  Charles 
Salvin.*^  In  1885  the  property  was  inherited 
by  his  eldest  son,  Mr.  Bryan  John  Francis 
Salvin,  on  whose  death  in  1902  it  came  to  his 
brother  and  heir,  Mr.  Marmaduke  Henry  Salvin. 
Mr.  M.  H.  Salvin  died  in  1924,  and  in  1926  Burn 
Hall  was  sold  to  St.  Joseph's  Society  for  Foreign 
Missions,  which  has  established  a  boys'  school 
there. 

Posthumous  Smith,  registrar  of  the  Dean 
and  Chapter,"^  was  succeeded  at  OLD  BURN 
HALL  by  John  his  son.  John  died  without 
issue  in  1744,*^  his  co-heirs  being  his  sisters 
Grace,  Mary  and  Elizabeth.  EHzabeth,  the 
second  daughter,  married  Dr.  John  Bedford 
and  died  in  childbirth  in  1750,'*  leaving  a  son 
and  heir  Hilkiah  Bedford."*  Hilkiah  Bedford, 
while  thus  inheriting  a  third  of  Burnhall  from  his 
mother,  also  obtained  one-sixth  from  his  aunt 
Grace  Middleton  in  1771.'°  Mary,  the  third 
sister,  married  Braema  Wheler  and  in  the  same 
year  received  one-sixth  of  the  manor  from  her 
sister  Grace.'^  By  her  will  dated  in  that 
year  Mary  devised  this  sixth  to  her  husband's 
kinsman  Charles  Granville  Wheler,  her  own 
third  descending  to  Hilkiah  Bedford.  Hilkiah 
died  unmarried  in  1779,"  ^'^  ^^'i'  being  his 
sister  Alice,  wife  of  John  Hall,  who  purchased 
the  share  of  Charles  Granville  Wheler  in  1801. 
Five  years  later  she  sold  the  property  to  William 
Thomas  Salvin,"  and  it  has  since  followed  the 
descent  of  his  manor  of  Croxdale  (q.v.). 

Very  little  is  known  of  the  early  history  of 
BUTTERBT  (Beautrove  xiii — xv  cent.,  Beau- 
treby,  Butterbey  xvi  cent.),  but  it  appears  to 
have  been  originally  among  the  lands  of  the 
Priory  of  Durham.'* 

«i  M.I.  in  St.  Oswald's. 

62Musgrave,  Obit.  (Harl.  Soc.) ;  A'.  Co.  Diaries 
(Surt.  Soc),  179. 

63  l^ieta  of  the  City  of  Dur.  (181 3),  67  ;  Surtees, 
op.  cit.  96. 

^  Burke,  Landed  Gentry  (1906). 

'^  Younger  son  of  William  Thomas  Salvin  of 
Croxdale  (ibid.). 

**  Chapter  Act.  Bks.  vol.  iv  (1690-1729),  fol.  91. 

"  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iv  (2),  96. 

«8  iV.  Co.  Diaries  (Surt.  Soc),  i,  181. 

°°  Surtees,  Dur.  iv  (2),  99. 

'0  Ibid.  '1  Ibid. 

»2  Ibid.  99.  '3  Ibid.  96.  '■»  Ibid.  109  n. 

3  161 


Its  earliest  known  lords  were  members  of  the 
family  of  Andri.  Roger  de  Andri  held  2  knights' 
fees  of  the  Bishop  of  Durham  in  1166"  and  in 
1 1 89  paid  a  mark  for  having  a  mill  pond  on  the 
demesne  land  of  the  neighbouring  vill  of  Sunder- 
land Bridge."  He  was  probably  the  predecessor 
of  the  Sir  Roger  de  Andri,  kt.,  who  with  Walter 
his  brother  gave  evidence  in  the  action  brought 
by  Bishop  Richard  le  Poor  against  the  Prior 
and  Convent  in  1228."  It  is  also  probable  that 
it  was  this  Sir  Roger  who  built  at  Butterby  a 
chapel  for  which  he  obtained  the  privileges  of 
a  chantry.'*  Walter  de  Andri  was  holding  the 
family  fee  shortly  after  1228,"  but  no  further 
connexion  of  the  family  with  this  place  has  been 
found. 

Before  1381  the  manor  had  passed  into  the 
hands  of  the  family  of  Lumley  of  Lumley 
Castle'"  (q.v.),  with  which  it  descended  until 
1566,  when  John,  Lord  Lumley,  sold  it  to  Chris- 
topher Chaytor."  The  new  owner  was  the 
son  of  John  Chaytor,  a  Newcastle  merchant,'^ 
and  filled  various  responsible  posts  under  the 
Crown  and  Bishopric,  being  Registrar  in  1577 
and  1581.*' 

He  married  Elizabeth  Clervaux,  and  in  view 
of  their  eldest  son's  inheritance  of  the  Clervaux 
estate  in  Croft,  Yorkshire,**  he  settled  Butterby 
on  Thomas,  their  younger  son,  in  or  about 
1589.®-'  Christopher  Chaytor,  'one  of  hyr 
maiestes  Justeces  of  Peace  of  thage  of  Ixxxvij 
years'  died  in  1592,'^  and  Thomas  held  the 
property  until  his  death  in  1618."  Henry 
Chaytor  his  son  and  heir  died  in  1629  **  while 
still  a  minor  and  was  succeeded  by  his  brother 

'5  Red  Bk.  of  the  Exch.  (Surt.  Soc),  i,  416.  His 
name  frequently  appears  among  those  of  witnesses 
to  Pudsey's  charters. 

'«  Boldon  Bk.  (Surt.  Soc),  35. 

"  Feod.  Prior.  Dun.  (Surt.  Soc),  230. 

'*  Surtees,  Dur.  iv  (2),  109  n. 

'9  Ibid,  i,  503. 

*"  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xlv,  229,  xliv,  451,  453,  454  ; 
Chan.  Inq.  p.m.  I  Hen.  IV  (pt.  ii),  no.  2b  ;  ibid, 
(ser.  2),  clxxiii,  44.  Lands  here  and  at  Stranton  were 
assigned  by  Henry  IV  to  Eleanor,  widow  of  Ralph 
de  Lumley,  for  the  sustenance  of  herself  and  her 
twelve  children  {Cal.  Pat.  1 399-1401,  p.  219,  281). 

*i  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12  (1-2) ;  Surtees,  op.  cit.  no. 

8-  Harl.  MS.  1540,  fol.  31  d. ;  Foster,  Dur.  Pedigrees, 
69. 

*3  Injunctions  .  .  .  of  Bp.  Barnes  (Surt.  Soc), 
II,  64,  65-6,  102,  108. 

^  Elizabeth  died  in  1 584  (Headlam,  St.  OstvaWs 
Par.  Reg.  29). 

*5  Surtees,  loc  cit.;  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  86,  m.  16; 
Foster,  loc.  cit. 

*' Headlam,  op.  cit.  36;  cf.  Hutchinson,  Dur.u, 
328,  where  his  age  is  given  as  98. 

*' Headlam,  op.  cit.  60  ;  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  ptfl.  189, 
no.  I. 

88  Ibid. 

21 


A   HISTORY  OF   DURHAM 


Chaytor.         Patty 

bettd'.L'ise  dancetty  argent 
and  azure  Jour  quatre- 
fotU  counter-coloured. 


Nicholas,*'  on  whom  his  cousin  Henry  Chaytor 
settled  Croft  and  the  family  lands  in  Yorkshire.'" 
Nicholas  himself  made  a  settlement  of  Butterby 
in  1630"  and  died  in  February  1 665-6,''- leaving 
as  his  heir  a  son  William.'^  William  was  created 
a  baronet  in  i67i,'''  but  he  got  into  serious 
financial  difficulties  before 
1695,  when  he  obtained  an 
Act  of  Parliament  enabling 
him  to  sell  his  lands  in 
Yorkshire  and  Durham  for 
the  payment  of  his  debts 
and  for  providing  for  his 
younger  children.'^  Under 
this  Act,  Butterby  was  sold 
in  or  about  1697'"  to 
Thomas  and  Humphrey 
Doubleday  as  joint  pur- 
chasers. Thomas  made  his 
home  at  Jarrow,"  but  Humphrey  settled  at 
Butterby,  and  here  his  children  were  born.'* 
Martin,  eldest  surviving  son  of  Humphrey,  died 
unmarried"  and  by  his  will  proved  in  1775 
devised  Butterby  and  his  other  lands  to  his 
mother.^  She  directed  that  the  manor  should 
be  sold  after  her  death,  and  before  1787  it  had 
been  bought  by  —  Ward  of  Sedgefield.- 

Before  1834  Butterby  was  bought  by  Mr. 
W'illiam  Thomas  Salvin  of  Croxdale'  and  from 
that  date  it  has  followed  the  descent  of  the  chief 
Salvin   estate. 

The  origin  of  the  modern  CROOK  HALL 
must  be  sought  in  the  early  manor  of  STDGJTE 
(Suuedegate  xiv  cent.),  of  which  it  seems  to 
have  formed  a  part. 

Gilbert  de  Aikes  granted  his  land  of  Sydegate 
to  Aimery  son  of  Aimery  the  Archdeacon  of 
Durham  at  some  date  before  121  j.*  Richard 
and  Aimery,  sons  of  Aimery  de  Sydgate,  seem  to 
have  conveyed  a  carucate  of  land  here  to  Mar- 
maduke  son  of  Geoffrey  later  in  the  same  cen- 


*'  Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  3,  ptfl.  186,  no.  33  ;    103,  no.  33  ; 
Headlam,  op.  cit.  78. 

'o  F.C.H.  Torks,  N.R.  i,  165. 

'1  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  7,  fol.  103. 

'-  Dugdalc,  Fisit.  of  Torks  (Surt.  See),  302. 

"  G.E.C.  Baronetage,  iv,  49. 

»*  Ibid. 

»5  Private  Act,  6  and  7  Will.  Ill,  cap.  18. 

"  Surtees,  op.  cit.  112  ;   Dur.  Rec.  cl.  2,  bdle.  95. 

"  Ibid. 

'*  Headlam,  op.  cit.  206,  207. 

"  Ibid. ;  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 
1  Ibid. ;  Hutchinson,  Dur.  ii,  327. 
-  Hutchinson,  loc.  cit. 
3  Mackenzie  and  Ross,  Dur.  ii,  440. 
*  Surtees,  Dur.  iv  (2),   137,   quoting    Spearman's 
Abstract  of  the  Early  Endences  of  Crook  HaD,  pre- 
served in  the  Bishop's  library.     Aimery  de  Talboys, 
nephew  of  Bishop  Philip  de  Poitou,  was  archdeacon 
in  1198  and  1214  (Hutchinson,  Dur.  ii,  280). 


tury,*  but  nothing  more  is  known  of  the  history 
of  the  holding  until  the  14th  century.  A 
settlement  of  the  manor  was  made  by  Peter 
del  Crokc  and  Alice  his  wife  ;"  Peter  seems  to 
have  died  before  1343,  when  Alice  del  Croke 
and  Richard  her  son  entered  into  recognizances 
for  debts  due  to  the  Bishop  and  to  Roger  de 
Blakiston,'  whom  Richard  had  wronged  in  some 
way.*  Richard  was  hving  in  September  1346,' 
but  died  within  the  next  three  years  leaving 
daughters  and  co-heirs.^"  One  moiety  of  the 
manor  of  Sydgate  was  granted  to  Gilbert  de 
Elwick  by  William  de  Kirkby  and  Isabel  his 
wife,  all  right  therein  being  quitclaimed  by 
Alice,  daughter  and  one  of  the  heirs  of  Richard.^ 
Agnes,  another  daughter,  married  William  de 
Coxhoe,*-  and  it  seems  probable  that  Joan,  wife 
of  the  valiant  squire  John  de  Copeland,  was 
yet  a  fourth  daughter. 

William  de  Kirkby  conveyed  one  moiety  of 
the  manor  to  Sir  Thomas  Gray,  kt.,  and  in  1360 
Gray  enfeoffed  John  de  Copeland.*^  Copeland 
had  received  a  handsome  royal  pension  and 
other  rewards  for  his  service  in  capturing  the 
King  of  Scots  at  the  Battle  of  Neville's  Cross  and 
was  apparently  in  the  royal  service,  being  after- 
wards constable  of  Roxburgh  Castle.^*  Possibly 
in  view  of  his  recent  appointment  as  Keeper 
of  Berwick'^  and  of  the  fact  that  he  and  his  wife 
were  childless^^  John  de  Copeland  in  1360 
conveyed  this  moiety  of  the  manor  of  Sydgate 
to  William  de  Coxhoe  in  return  for  a  rent 
charge." 

William  de  Coxhoe  was  succeeded  by  John  his 
son,  who  in  1372  granted  his  moiety  of  the  manor 
to  Alan  de  Billingham  and  Agnes  his  wife.*' 
Alan  was  living  in  January  1 390-1,*'  but  he 
died  before  1397.^"    William  de  Billingham  his 

5  Ibid.  6  Ibid. 

'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  29,  m.  13  d.,  19. 

*  R(g.  Palat.  Dun.  (Rolls  Ser.),  iii,  420. 

'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  30,  m.  2. 

10  Ibid.  m.  5  d.  "  Ibid. 

^  Ibid.  no.  1 2,  fol.  43  d. 

*' Surtees,  Dur.  iv  (2),  137;  cf.  Dep.  Keeper's 
Rep.  xxxii,  279. 

"  Froissart's  Chron.  (ed.  Johnes),  i,  344.  Cal.  Pat. 
1340-50,  p.  487;  1350-4,  p.  212;  1354-8,  p.  222; 
1 361-4,  p.  417,  427,  437;  see  also  1364-7,  p.  200,  217  ; 
Feet  of  F.  North.  Mich.  39  Edw.  Ill ;  Exch.  Accts. 
bdle.  28,  no.  4 ;  Exch.  Accts.  Various,  bdle.  482, 
no.  27;  New  Hist,  of  Northbd.  ii,  243  n.;  Chan.  Inq. 
p.  ra.  49  Edw.  Ill  (ist  nos.),  no.  29;  Anct.  Pet. 
file  41,  no.  2016. 

15  Exch.  Accts.  bdle  28,  no.  4;  Cal.  Pat.  1361-4, 
p.  160.     He  was  murdered  on  20  Dec.  1363. 

1*  Chan.  Inq.  p.  m.  49  Edw.  Ill  (ist  nos.),  no.  29  ; 
De  Banco  R.  51  Edw.  Ill,  m.  i8 ;  New  Hist,  of 
Northbd.  iii,  243. 

1'  Surtees,  loc.  cit.  **  Ibid. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  13,  fol.  21. 

20  Ibid.  fol.  226b. 


162 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


;f^ 


BiLLIN'CHAM.  Argent 
three  bars  and  a  quarter 
gules  Kith  a  leopard 
argent  in  the  quarter. 


son'*  is  mentioned  in  1401-2^2  and  in  December 
1416,^  but  was  dead  by  November  141 7  when 
Agnes  his  widow  made  fine  for  certain  lands  at 
the  Bishop's  halmote.^*  Thomas  Billingham 
of  Durham,  his  successor,  was  an  esquire  of  the 
Bishop  and  was  described  in  1425-*  as  of  Crook 
Hall.  He  quarrelled  so 
violently  with  William 
Rakwood  that  in  January 
1428-92*  Robert  Jakson 
of  Sunderland  and  other 
friends  became  bail  for  his 
keeping  the  peace.-'  No 
mention  of  Thomas's  name 
has  been  found  after  1442^* 
and  in  February  1449-50 
Richard  BiUingham  is 
described  as  of  Crook 
Hall.2'  Richard,  who  had 
free  warren  here,'"  seems  to  have  died  shortly 
before  February  1463-4,^^  while  Cuthbert  his 
son  and  heir  was  still  a  minor  and  in  the  custody 
of  the  Prior  of  Durham.^'  Cuthbert  must  have 
attained  his  majority  by  1484,'^  and  in  March 
1508-9  he  and  Ellen  his  wife  obtained  letters  of 
confraternity  from  Durham  Priory,**  while  at 
the  same  time  he  made  preparations  for  a  pil- 
grimage beyond  the  seas  in  company  with 
Robert  Lumley,  the  hermit. 

John  Billingham  was  owner  of  Crook  Hall  in 
1556,^^  though  the  house  was  occupied  by  Eleanor 
his  mother  and  by  her  second  husband  Edward 
Tedforth.'*  On  his  death,  John  Billingham 
entered"  and  died  in  possession  shortly  before 
January   1577-8.^*    Ralph  Billingham,  his   son 

^^  Surtees,  Dur.  iii,  148. 

2-  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xxxiii,  82  ;     of.   Dur.   Rec. 
cl.  3,  no.  14,  fol.  200,  527,  604b,  680. 
23  Ibid.  fol.  821. 
•*  Ibid.  fol.  873b  ;  cf.  926b,  1015,  1041,  1084,  1169. 

25  Ibid.  no.  35,  m.  13  d. 

26  Ibid.  no.  38,  m.  12  d. 

2'  Ibid.  no.  38,  m.  20  d. ;  cf.  no.  37,  m.  I  d. 

28  Ibid.  no.  46,  m.  8  d.  He  was  certainly  dead  by 
1452,  when  Agnes,  his  widow,  received  Papal  dis- 
pensation for  her  marriage  to  William  Raket  though 
spiritually  related  to  him  in  that  Agnes  and  William 
had  previously  acted  as  godfather  and  godmother  to 
one  another's  children  {Cal.  Papal  Reg.  1447-55, 
p.  609).  WiUiam  Raket  was  holding  land  here  in 
1471  (Dai.  Rec.  cl.  19  (i-i),  m.  4). 

2*  Ibid.  cl.  3,  no.  47,  ra.  15  d. ;  no.  50,  m.  4. 

30  Ibid.  cl.  19  (l-l),  m.  4. 

31  Ibid.  cl.  3,  no.  48,  m.  15. 

32  Surtees  {Dur.  iv  (2),  138  n.)  says  that  in  1498 
his  wardship  was  granted  by  the  Priory  to  Sir  Hum- 
phrey Neville.     The  date  is  evidently  a  mistake. 

33  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  56,  m.  I  d. 

3*  Obit.  R.  of  William  Ebchester  (Surt.  Soc),  115  ; 
Hist.  Dun.  Script.  Ires  (Surt.  Soc),  p.  ccccxi. 
35  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  78,  m.  27. 
36Ibid.  cl.  7,  no.  I.  37  Ibid. 

3*  Dur.  Wills  and  Invent.  (Surt.  Soc),  i,  417. 


and  heir,3'  married  Elizabeth  Forcer  in  1582** 
and  died  in  1597,  leaving  a  son  and  heir  Francis, 
a  boy  of  12."  Francis  obtained  livery  of  his 
father's  lands  in  i6o7''2  and  in  February  1613-14 
he  settled  them  on  himself  for  life  with  remainder 
to  Cuthbert  Billingham  his  eldest  son,  and  con- 
tingent remainder  to  his  second  son  John.*3 
Francis  died  in  1615"  and  Cuthbert  attained  his 
majority  in  1630,  obtaining  livery  in  the  fol- 
lowing year.**  Cuthbert  quarrelled  with  his 
mother,**  with  his  only  sister*'  and  with  the 
citizens  of  Durham,  who  complained  that  he 
had  '  violently  cutt  downe  the  pipes '  of  the 
conduit  from  Framwell  meadow  and  '  stepped 
the  course  of  the  said  water  and  cleene  taken  it 
away.'** 

Thomas  Billingham  was  lord  of  the  manor  in 
1655,*'  but  the  property  was  already  mortgaged 
and  in  1667  he  was  compelled  to  sell  it  to 
Christopher  Alickleton,^  an  attorney  of 
Clifford's  Inn.  Christopher  seems  to  have 
settled  Crook  Hall  on  James,  his  eldest  son  by 
his  first  wife,  and  on  Frances  his  wife  in  i668,5i 
but  James  'very  much  disoblidged  his  said  father' 
after  his  marriage,  and  when  Christopher  died  in 
August  166952  he  left  all  his  unsettled  property  to 
his  children  by  his  second  marriage.53  James 
Mickleton,  a  Fellow  of  the  Royal  Society,  and  the 
compiler  of  the  well-known  topographical  col- 
lections, died  in  1 7 1 85*  and  Crook  Hall  descended, 
through  Michael  his  son,  to  his  son  John  Mickle- 


39  Dur.  Rec  cl.  7,  no.  I. 

*"  Reg.  of  St.  Margaret's,  Durham  (Dur.  and  North. 
Par.  Reg.  Soc),  3.  For  a  family  arrangement  made  by 
him,  see  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  2,  no.  7. 

*i  Ibid.  cl.  3,  file  192,  nos.  80,  114  ;  no.  92,  m.  25  d.; 
Dur.  Wills  and  Invent.  (Surt.  Soc),  ii,  277. 

*2  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  94,  m.  16. 

*3  Ibid,  file  183,  no.  78  ;  cf.  no.  94,  m.  48.  John 
died  intestate  beyond  seas  (Chan.  Proc.  [Ser.  2],  bdle. 
441,  no.  4a). 

**  Ibid,  file  183,  no.  78. 

*5  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  7,  fol.  106. 

*"  Ibid.  cl.  4,  no.  I,  fol.  377. 

*'  Chan.  Proc  (Ser.  2),  bdle.  441,  no.  49.  She  was 
Elizabeth,  wife  of  Ralph  Dowthwayte.  William,  the 
third  son  of  Francis,  died  childless. 

**  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  4,  no.  i,  fol.  323.  The  court  ordered 
Cuthbert  to  repair  the  pipes  and  to  be  imprisoned 
until  he  entered  into  a  bond  to  perform  the  order. 
See  also  fol.  368,  369. 

*9  Ibid.  no.  2,  fol.  398  d. 

5"  Ibid.  Thomas  Bilhngham  died  in  1688  and  was 
buried  at  St.  Oswald's  (Headlam,  Reg.  of  St.  Oswald's, 
Durham,  166). 

51  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  4,  no.  2,  fol.  403  d. ;  no.  3,  fol.  808. 

52  Musgrave,  Obit.  (Harl.  Soc),  iv,  192.  His 
widow  and  executrix  Anne,  daughter  of  John  Dodshon 
married  Robert  Smith  before  6  August  1670  (Dur. 
Rec.  cl.  4,  no.  2,  fol.  466  d.  ;   no.  3,  fol.  808). 

53  Ibid.  no.  3,  fol.  808. 

s*  Musgrave,  Obit.  (Harl.  Soc),  iv,  192. 


163 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


ton.**  John  Micklcton  in  his  will  dated  1720 
directed  that  Crook  Hall  should  be  sold  for  the 
payment  of  debts.**  The  manor  was  bought 
by  the  Hoppers  of  Shincliffe  and  in  February 
1736-7,*'  and  again  in  1748,  it  was  the  subject  of 
conveyances  in  favour  of  Henry  Hopper,  the 
entail  being  cut  in  the  later  year.**  Elizabeth 
widow  of  Henry  Hopper  died  in  1793  when  the 
manor  descended  to  her  husband's  nephew 
Robert  Hopper,  William's  son,  who  died  in 
1835.*'  Crook  Hall  was  usually  let  to  tenants,  of 
whom  the  most  distinguished  was  the  Rev. 
James  Raine,  the  antiquary,*"  who  was  living  here 
in  1857  when  the  owner  was  the  Rev.  Robert 
Hopper.*^  The  estate  was  afterwards  bought  by 
the  late  Arthur  Pattison,  Alderman  of  Durham. 
The  earHest  known  lord  of  CROXDALE 
(Crokysdale  xvi  cent.)  was  the  Robert  de 
Whalton  who  in  1362  was  made  steward  of 
Barnard  Castle.*^  Ten  years  later  Robert  had 
licence  to  grant  the  manor  of  Croxdale  to  trustees 
who  should  regrant  it  to  himself  and  his  wife 
Joan  and  their  issue,  a  further  conveyance  of  the 
manor  being  made  in  1383.*^  Croxdale  came  at 
a  later  date  into  the  possession  of  Joan,  wife  of 
William  de  Risby,  and  in  March  1393-4  they 
had  licence  to  grant  the  manor  to  trustees,** 
who  in  1395-6  had  regranted  it  to  Joan,  then  a 
widow.**  On  her  death  in  or  about  1402  Joan 
held  the  manor  of  the  bishop  by  the  service  of 
rendering  suit  at  the  three  principal  courts  of 
Durham  ;  **  she  left  a  daughter  and  heir  Agnes.*' 
Agnes  married  Gerard,  son  of  Gerard  Salvin  of 
Harswell,  one  of  the  most  important  squires  of 

**  He  was  associated  with  his  father  and  mother 
in  a  settlement  of  the  manor  in  1686  (Feet  of  F. 
Dur.  Trin.  3  Jas.  II). 

**  Surtees,  Dur.  iv  (2),  138. 

*'  Ibid. 

*8  Feet  of  F.  Dur.  East.  10  Geo.  I ;  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3, 
no.  121,  m.  43. 

*'  Surtees,  loc.  cit.  ;  Burke,  Landed,  Gentry  (1914). 
He  married  Ann,  daughter  of  Dr.  William  WiUiamson, 
and  assumed  the  additional  name  of  Williamson  by 
royal  licence  in  1829. 

*"  Diet.  Nat.  Biog.  For  other  tenants  see  An  Acct. 
of  Dur.  (1804),  41  ;  Allan,  Hist,  and  Descr.  View  of .  .  . 
Dur.  (1824),  130. 

*i  Fordyce,  Dur.  i,  385. 

*-  Surtees,  Dur.  iv  (2),  116.  He  obtained  land  in 
Northallerton  from  Sir  Robert  de  Hastynges  in 
1363  and  from  Thomas  son  of  Joscelin  Dayvill  in 
Deighton,  in  1370  (ibid.  121  n.).  Both  these  places 
are  within  the  Bishop  of  Durham's  Yorkshire  soke 
of  Northallerton. 

*3  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  31,  m.  4;  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

*■•  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  33,  m.  14  d.  Piers  de  Buckton, 
one  of  these  trustees,  resigned  his  interest  in  1 395. 
Surtees,  loc.  cit.  121. 

*5  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  140. 

**  Ibid.  33,  m.  15. 

*'  Ibid. 


St? 


Salvin  of  Croxdale. 
Argent  a  chief  sable  wilh 
two  moleti  or  therein. 


the  East  Riding,  and  he  in  her  right  had  livery 
of  the  manor  in  1402  ;  **  Agnes  married  secondly 
John  Mauleverer,  and  she  died  in  March 
1449-50  seised  of  Croxdale  Manor.  Her  heir 
was  her  grandson  Gerard,  son  of  Gerard  Salvin.*' 
At  his  death  in  March  1473-4  he  was  succeeded 
by  his  son  Gerard,'"  a  young  man  of  21,  and 
probably  that  Gerard  Salvin  who  in  1498  had 
enfeoffed  his  son  Gerard 
and  the  latter's  wife  of  his 
land."  A  Gerard  Salvin 
'  the  elder  '  in  1533  settled 
the  manor  of  Croxdale  on 
himself  for  life  with 
remainder  of  one  half  to 
his  wife  Joan  for  life  and 
of  the  other  half  to 
Gerard  Salvin  his  son  and 
heir.  This  son  is  the  Gerard 
who  died  in  1563,  when 
Gerard  his  son  and  heir  was 
forty-three  years  of  age.'-  The  latter  died  in 
February  1 570-1  and  left  a  son  and  heir  Gerard  j'^ 
Gerard  was  '  a  gentleman  of  greate  welthe  and 
verie  much  frended  in  the  .  .  .  countrye  by 
reason  of  his  allyance  there,'  his  wife  being 
Joan  daughter  of  Richard  Conyers  of  Norton 
Conyers,  an  important  North  Riding  gentleman, 
while  his  eldest  son  was  married  to  Ann  daughter 
of  Humphrey  Blakiston  of  Blakiston.'*^  He 
died  in  1587,'''  and  his  son  and  heir  Gerard  died 
in  1602.'*  This  last  Gerard  was  succeeded  by 
his  son  Gerard,  a  boy  of  12,  who  had  livery  in 
1 61 2  of  his  father's  lands.'*  His  brother  Ralph, 
at  his  entry  to  the  English  College  in  Rome  in 
1620,  gave  the  following  account  of  himself:" 

I  was  not  born  at  my  father's  house  called  Croxdale 
.  .  .  but  in  a  less  noted  place  called  Chillox,  because 
(as  I  have  been  informed)  the  plague  was  raging 
near  my  father's  house  ;  after  the  pestilence  had 
subsided,  I  was  carried  home,  and  there  brought  up 
both  in  the  Catholic  faith  and  in  such  learning  as  is 
usual  to  boys  of  my  class.  I  made  my  humanity 
course  of  studies  at  Durham,  in  the  greatest  peace  and 

**  Ibid.  m.  27. 

*'  Ibid.  pifl.  164,  no.  104  ;  no.  50,  m.  18. 

">  Ibid.  no.  4,  fol.  28  d. 

'1  Ibid.  ptfl.  169,  no.  54. 

'■-  Ibid.  no.  6,  fol.  13. 

'^  Ibid.  ptfl.  191,  no.  24.  Gerard  is  described  as 
'  agid  '  in  St.  Oswald's  Par.  Reg.  (ed.  Headlam),  19. 

"a  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  ptfl.  193,  no.  16 ;  Chan.  Proc. 
(Ser.  2),  bdle.  173,  no.  38  ;   Foster,  Visit,  of  Dur.  275. 

'■*  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  ptfl.  193,  no.  16. 

'*  Ibid.  no.  22. 

'*  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xl,  511. 

"  Gerard's  brother  Ralph  entered  the  Society  of 
Jesus  (Foley,  Rec.  S.J.  i,  298,  300).  Another  brother 
Francis  was  a  colonel  and  was  killed  at  the  battle  of 
Marston  Moor  in  1644.  The  Salvin  estates  were 
sequestrated  by  the  Commonwealth  {Cal.  of  Com.  for 
Compounding,  513,  2895). 


164 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


liberty  of  conscience  for  three  years,  until  being 
frequently  insulted  [by  two  schoolfellows]  with  the 
opprobrious  name  of  Papist,  a  violent  quarrel  arose 
between  us,  in  which  I  knocked  one  of  them  down, 
and  on  that  account  I  was  expelled.  [He  then  went  to 
St.  Omers  and  Rome,  desiring  to  embrace  the  ecclesi- 
astical state  and  returned  as  a  priest  to  England.] 
I  have  two  brothers,  of  whom  one,  who  is  my  senior 
and  enjoys  the  paternal  inheritance,  nearly  five  years 
ago  married  the  daughter  of  Mr.  Robert  Hodgson, 
a  gentleman  of  family,  he  professes,  defends,  and 
cherishes  the  Catholic  faith  ...  I  have  three  sisters, 
one  married,  the  others  unmarried,  all  of  whom, 
except  the  married  one,  together  with  my  younger 
brother,  were  Catholically  and  poUtely  brought  up 
in  the  house  of  my  mother  called  Butterwick.  The 
majority  of  my  friends,  uncles,  and  paternal  aunts  are 
Catholics. 

Ralph  was  ordained  priest  in  1624  and  entered 
the  Society  of  Jesus  the  following  year,  but  died 
of  consumption  in  1627,  while  still  a  novice. 

The  Salvins  were  both  Roman  Catholic 
Recusants  and  Royalists  and  Gerard,  eldest  son 
of  the  lord  of  Croxdale  by  his  first  wife,  while 
serving  the  King  as  lieutenant-colonel  in  Sir 
John  Tempest's  regiment  of  foot,  was  slain  at 
Northallerton  in  1644.  Bryan,  the  eldest  son 
of  the  second  wife,  having  also  died  in  his  father's 
lifetime,  the  heir  was  Bryan's  son  Gerard,  still 
a  child  at  his  grandfather's  death  in  1663-4.'* 

Gerard  son  of  Bryan  Salvin  registered  his 
estate  as  a  'Papist'  in  1717,'*  but  before  this 
date  he  had  settled  the  family  lands  at  Wolviston 
on  Bryan  his  son  and  heir.**  Gerard  died  in 
February  1722-3  ;**  Bryan,  who  had  similarly 
registered  his  life  estate  of  ^400,*^  died  in  1751, 
when  he  was  succeeded  by  William  his  son.*^ 
William  made  conveyances  of  the  manor  in  1752 
and  in  1758**  and  died  in  1800  having  sur- 
vived Gerard  his  eldest  son.^  His  son  and 
heir  William  Thomas  married  Anna  Maria 
daughter  of  John  Webbe  Weston  and  died  in 
1842.  His  son  Mr.  Gerard  Salvin  inherited  the 
Weston  family  seat  of  Sutton  Place  near  Guild- 
ford and  died  in  1870,  when  Croxdale  passed  to 
his  son  Mr.  Henry  Thomas  Thornton  Salvin. 
He  at  his  death  in  1897  was  succeeded  by  his 
son  Mr.  Gerard  Thornton  Salvin,  on  whose 
death  in  1921  his  brother  Lieut. -Col.  H.  C.  J. 
Salvin  became  lord  of  the  manor. 

'8  5^.  Oswald's  Par.  Reg.  (ed.  Headlam),  124; 
Hutchinson,  Dur.  ii,  329 :  Foster,  Visit,  of  Dur. 
275. 

'*  Estcourt  and  Payne,  Engl.  Cath.  Nonjurors,  54. 

8"  Ibid.  43,  46  ;  Surtees,  Dur.  iv  (2),  119. 

"  St.  Oswald's  Par.  Reg.  (ed.  Headlam),  244. 

8-  Estcourt  and  Payne,  op.  cit.  43. 

8'  Com.  Pleas  Recov.  R.  Hil.  25  Geo.  II,  m.  52. 

8*  Feet  of  F.  Dur.  Mich.  32  Geo.  II  ;  cf.  Com. 
Pleas  Recov.  R.  Hil.  25  Geo.  II,  m.  52. 

^  Foster,  Visit,  of  Dur.  2J^  ;  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iv 
(2),  117-20;   h\it\i.e,  Landed  Gentry  (1904). 


The  known  history  of  DRTBURN  (Dri- 
burgh  houses,  Driburnhouse  xiv  cent.)  begins  in 
January  1352-3,  when  the  free  land  next  Durham 
with  the  messuages  called  Dryburn  houses  was 
granted  by  the  bishop  to  Isabel  daughter  of 
Robert  de  Leicester.'*  Before  1383  it  came  into 
the  hands  of  John  de  Bamborough,  who  then 
held  it  by  rent  and  foreign  service.*'  It  seems 
possible  that  John  died  without  leaving  an  heir, 
for  some  five  years  later  '  the  whole  tenement 
called  Driburn  hous,'  lately  of  John  de  Bam- 
borough, was  granted  to  Peter  Dryng,**  and  from 
this  time  the  tenure  appears  to  have  been  lease- 
hold. Peter  Dryng  died  in  1404  without  issue 
male*'  and  in  141 1  the  holding  was  granted  to 
William  Chancellor.'*  It  afterwards  passed  into 
the  hands  of  William  Bolat,  and  in  1448  it  was 
granted  by  the  lord  to  Robert  Foster  and  John 
and  William  his  sons  for  a  term  of  years."  In 
the  following  year  the  Fosters  surrendered  their 
lease  to  Geoffrey  Bukley,  chaplain,*''^  who  was 
perhaps  acting  as  trustee  for  Thomas  Claxton 
of  Durham,  as  he  obtained  a  lease  for  9  years  in 
1453.'^  In  1470  the  tenement  was  held  by 
William  Plumer'^and  in  1491  the  bishop  granted 
it  for  21  years  to  John  Raket  of  Durham.'* 

Though  nothing  definite  is  known  concerning 
the  history  of  Dryburn  until  1571,  it  must  have 
been  inherited  by  Alice  and  EHzabeth  daughters 
of  Christina  Rawlings  on  her  death  in  1563,** 
for  in  1 571"  Alice  and  her  husband  Robert 
Farrow'*  settled  one  half  of  100  acres  of  land 
and  other  tenements  in  '  Drawden '"  on 
Robert  their  son  and  heir.  Robert  Farrow  and 
Matthew  Fareles,  representative  of  Elizabeth's 
interest,^  sold  the  whole  messuage  to  Richard 
Hutchinson  of  Durham,  tanner,  before  1596 
when  he  received  pardon  for  having  completed 
the  transaction  without  licence.^  Richard,  who 
also  had  two  burgages  in   FramweUgate,'  died 

**  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  12,  fol.  79  d.  Robert's 
name  occurs  in  recognizances  of  1335,  1336  and  1339 
(Ibid.  no.  29,  m.  2,  3  d.,  7  d.). 

*'  Hatfield's  Sur-i'.  (Surt.  Soc),  85. 

**  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  13,  fol.  9. 

*'  Ibid.  fol.  415b,  420b ;  no.  15,  fol.  34. 

'0  Ibid.  no.  14,  fol.  397. 

'1  Ibid.  no.  15,  fol.  425. 

»2  Ibid.  fol.  467. 

«3  Ibid.  fol.  659. 

'*  Ibid.  no.  16,  fol.  216. 

'^  Ibid.  no.  10,  fol.  11. 

'«  Ibid.  no.  6,  fol.  7  d. 

"Ibid.  cl.  12(1-2). 

98  Ibid. 

"  EUzabeth  Danby  (see  Shincliffe)  died  in  possession 
of  I  acre  in  Framwellgate  called  Drawedon  in  March 
1473-4  (ibid.  ptfl.  166,  no.  14). 

*  She  had  married  William  Heighington  (Inq.  p.m. 
on  Christina). 

*  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  92,  m.  9. 
3  Ibid.  m.  23  d. 


[65 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


in    or    about    1604,    and    was    succeeded    by 
Christopher  his  son.* 

In  1 607  Christopher  Hutchinson  and  Elizabeth 
his  wife  conveyed  Dryburn,  in  the  parish  of  St. 
Margaret,  to  Oswald  Baker  and  Mary  his  wife, 
and  that  Mary  married  as  her  second  husband 
William  Smith,^  with  whom  she  conveyed 
Dryburn  to  Nicholas  Hutchinson  in  1612.' 
In  1621  Nicholas  settled  his  lands  in  Bitchburn 
on  Hugh  Hutchinson  his  eldest  son  and  in  the 
following  year  he  demised  his  Plawsworth  lands 
to  his  second  son  Nicholas,  while  Dryburn  fell 
to  the  lot  of  his  third  son  Cuthbert  Hutchinson.' 
Cuthbert  Hutchinson  died  in  1647*  and  was 
succeeded  by  his  son  of  the  same  name,*  who  in 
1 701  sold  Dryburn  to  his  kinsman  John 
Hutchinson.^"  John  died  two  years  later,^^ 
his  heir  being  his  son  John  Hutchinson,  Mayor  of 
Durham  in  17 14,  the  year  before  his  death. 
His  son  and  successor  created  some  scandal  by 
his  reconciliation  with  the  Church  of  Rome, 
though  as  the  local  diarist  expressed  it  '  little 
was  got  or  lost  by  changing  sides. '^*  In  1749 
he  died  and  was  '  buried  in  Crosgate  church 
about  12  a  clock  at  night '  without  any  bearers 
or  ceremony  performed  at  the  grave."  His  son 
the  fourth  John  Hutchinson  was  in  possession  of 
this  property  in  1 760,  but  it  afterwards  came  into 
the  hands  of  the  family  of  Wharton.^*  In  1840 
it  was  the  property  of  Sarah  widow  of  the  Rev. 
Robert  Wharton,  Chancellor  of  Lincoln  Cathe- 
dral and  Archdeacon  of  Stow.*^  Her  son 
William  Lloyd  Wharton^*  succeeded  to  the 
property"  and  lived  here  until  his  death  in 
1871.^*  His  son  and  successor  the  Rt.  Hon. 
John  Lloyd  Wharton,  P.C.,  represented  Durham 
in  Parliament  1871-4  and  was  M.P.  for  Ripon 
1886-96.  He  died  in  1912,  when  the  property 
descended  to  his  only  child  Mary  Dorothea, 
widow  of  Colonel  Charles  Waring  Darwin,  the 
present  owner. 

*  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  ptfl.  182,  no.  6. 
'  Ibid.  cl.  12,  no.  2,  m.  2  ;   Surtees,  Dur.  iv  (2),  143. 
«  Dur.  Rec.  cl.   3,  R.  96,  no.  88  ;    cl.    12   (2-3). 
Surtees  gives  the  date  as  1610. 
'  Ibid.  ptfl.   186,  no.  48  ;     Surtees,  op.  cit.    143, 

155- 

^  Surtees,  op.  cit.  155. 

»  Ibid. 

"  Ibid.  143,  155. 

"  N.  Co.  Diaries  (Surt.  See),  ii,  167.  John  was  J. P. 
and  attorney  at  law. 

12  Ibid,  i,  173.  13  Ibid. 

"  Surtees,  op.  cit.  143. 

1*  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

1"  Ricliard  son  of  Alderman  Wharton  married  in 
1750  Miss  Lloyd,  granddaughter  of  Bishop  Lloyd 
of  Worcester,  '  a  lady  of  ;£s,ooo  fortune  '  {N.  Co. 
Diaries  [Surt.  Soc],  i,  182). 

1'  Fordyce,   Dur.  i,  385. 

1'  Burke,  Landed  Gejitry  (1906).  He  was  living 
here  in  1 834  (Mackenzie  and  Ross,  Dur.  ii,  437). 


The  origin  of  the  name  of  OLD  DURHAM 
(Vctvii  Dunelm  xiii  cent.,  Olduresme  xv  cent., 
Aldurham  xvi  cent.,  Owd  Durm  xviii  cent.)  is 
unknown,  but  that  there  was  a  settlement  here 
at  an  early  date  seems  probable,  as  traces  have 
been  found  of  a  neighbouring  ford  across  the 
Wear.  In  the  14th  century  Old  Durham  was 
part  of  the  glebe  of  St.  Nicholas,  Durham.** 
Bishop  Robert  Neville  impropriated  the  rectory 
to  the  Hospital  of  Kepier^"  and  in  1479^*  Ralph 
Booth,  master  of  the  hospital,  leased  Old 
Durham  for  99  years  to  Richard  his  brother.^^ 

The  Hospital  of  St.  Giles  was  dissolved  in 
January  1545-6^'  ^.nd.  Old  Durham  followed  the 
descent  of  its  site^  until  the  latter  was  sold  in 
1629  to  Ralph  Cole.  Old  Durham  remained 
in  the  hands  of  the  Heath  family  and  in  January 
1629-30  was  settled  on  John  son  of  Thomas 
Heath  and  Margaret  his  wife  for  their  lives  with 
remainder  to  John  Heath  of  Gray's  Inn.^^  John 
Heath  the  elder  was  still,  however,  in  possession 
and  in  February  1630-1  he  made  a  settlement 
of  this  manor  on  himself  for  life."*  He  died  in 
January  1639-40  and  John  Heath  his  nephew 
succeeded  him."  Elizabeth,  John's  only  child,'^ 
married  John,  son  of  Sir  Thomas  Tempest  of 
The  Isle,  in  1642  when  a  settlement  of  the  manor 
was  executed.-'  Old  Durham  does  not  appear 
among  the  estates  for  which  John  Heath  com- 
pounded as  a  delinquent  in  1647,^'  nor  yet  among 
those  of  his  son-in-law  when  he  compounded 
for  his  delinquency  in  the  second  war  in  1649  f- 
both  men  were  among  the  most  notorious 
delinquents    in    the    county.^-       John    Heath, 


I'Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  139,  177  d.,  241.  Court 
rolls  of  the  manor  for  1376  are  transcribed  in  Lans. 
MS.  902. 

20  Mem.  of  St.  Giles  (Surt.  Soc),  App.  A.I,  p.  208. 

21  Cf.  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  ptfl.  177,  no.  70. 

22A/m.  of  St.  Giles  (Surt.  Soc),  App.  D,  260. 
Robert  Booth  of  Old  Durham,  grandson  of  the 
original  lessee  (Foster,  Fisil.  Ped.  31),  bought  a  house 
in  Elvet  for  his  wife  and  left  it  to  her  for  life  or 
widowhood  with  remainder  to  his  sons  (Dur.  Wills 
and  Invent.  [Surt.  Soc],  ii,  207).  For  another  member 
of  the  family  see  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  ptfl.  184,  no.  104  (i). 

^^  F.C.H.Dur.n,  113. 

2*  See  St.  Giles.  The  Crown  leased  it  to  John 
Frankelayne  in  1546  {L.  and  P.  Hen.  Fill,  xxi  [ii], 
p.  439).  See  settlements  between  Ingram  Taylor 
and  John  Franklin  and  John  Heath  in  1600  (Dur. 
Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  2,  m.  l)  and  by  John  Heath,  senior, 
and  Thomas  Heath  in  1619  (ibid.  no.  3,  m.  2). 

25  Ibid.  cl.  3,  no.  109,  m.  z. 

28  Ibid.  no.  106,  m.  12  d. 

2'  Surtees,  loc.  cit.  28  JbJJ. 

29  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  109,  m.  30,  37  ;  cl.  12,  no. 
5,  m.  2  ;  Feet  of  F.  Dur.  Trin.  l8  Chas.  I. 

30  Cal.  of  Com.  for  Compounding,  ii,  1558  ;  Royalist 
Camp.  P.  (Surt.  Soc),  236. 

31  Royalist  Comp.  P.  (Surt.  Soc),  354. 

32  Ibid.  18. 


166 


CITY  OF   DURHAM 


who  died  in  March  1664-5,  was  living  at  Old 
Durham  in  1652.'^  His  son-in-law  John 
Tempest  was  one  of  the  representatives  of  the 
county  in  Parliament  in  1675-8.^  He  died  in 
1697  ;  William  Tempest  his  son  and  successor, 
member  of  Parliament  for  the  City  of  Durham 
in  1678,  1680  and  1689,  died  in  March  1699- 
1700.^^  John,  son  of  William  Tempest,  main- 
tained the  political  tradition  of  the  family  and 
was  M.P.  for  the  county  in  1705.^*  He  married 
Jane  daughter  of  Richard  Wharton  of  Durham 
and  died  in  January  1737-8."  John  Tempest, 
his  son  and  successor,  deserted  Old  Durham  for 
Sherburn  and  subsequently  Wynyard,  while  his 
son  John  Tempest,  who  succeeded  him  in  1776, 
made  his  home  at  Brancepeth  Castle.  John 
Wharton  Tempest,  John  Tempest's  only  child, 
predeceased  him  in  1793  and  Old  Durham 
descended  on  John's  death  in  1794  ^°  ^'^ 
nephew  Sir  Henry  Vane  Tempest.^^  He  died 
in  1813  leaving  an  only  child  Frances  Anne 
Emily.  In  18 19  she  married,  as  his  second 
wife,  Charles  William,  third  Marquess  of 
Londonderry,^^  who  developed  the  coal  at  Old 
Durham  and  constructed  Seaham  Harbour. 
Lady  Londonderry  died  in  1865^"  and  was 
succeeded  by  her  son  George  Henry  Robert 
Charles  William,  who  became  the  fifth  Marquess 
on  the  death  of  his  half-brother  in  1872.*^ 
He  died  in  1884  and  was  succeeded  by  his  son 
Charles  Stewart,  6th  Marquess  of  London- 
derry,*^ who  died  in  191 5,  when  the  manor  passed 
to  his  eldest  son  Charles  Stewart  Vane  Tempest- 
Stewart,  7th  Marquess,  who  sold  it  to  Mr. 
William  Hopps. 

Certain  lands  here  were  held  of  the  Master 
of  Kepier  Hospital  by  Ralph  son  of  William 
Claxton  of  Old  Park,  being  settled  on  him  and 
Elizabeth  his  wife  in  1535.*'  A  messuage  and 
4  acres  of  the  same  fee  were  in  the  hands  of 
Sir  Thomas  Danby  and  in  1599  descended  to  his 
kinsman  Christopher  son  of  Christopher  Danby, 
of  Farnley.^  Christopher  Danby  sold  the 
property  to  John  Hedworth  in  1609  ;**  Hedworth 

33  Ibid.  68  ;  Mem.  of  St.  Gila  (Surt.  Soc),  136. 

3*  Sharpe,  List  of  Knights  and  Burgesses  who  have 
represented  the  City  and  County  of  Dur.  14,  15. 

^  Ibid.  33,  34  ;  Surtees,  op.  cit.  93. 

3*  Sharpe,  op.  cit.  19  ;  see  settlement  in  1717  (Dur. 
Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  20,  m.  2). 

3'  Surtees,  op.  cit.  93. 

38  Son  of  John's  sister  Frances,  who  married  Sir 
Henry  Vane  in  1768  {Par.  Reg.  of  St.  Mary  in  the 
S.  Bailey,  Dur.  [Northbd.  and  Dur.  Par.  Reg.  Soc],  41). 

3*  G.E.C.  Complete  Peerage,  v,  132-3. 

«Ibid.  133. 

*1  Ibid. 

*2Ibid.  134. 

*3  Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  3,  ptfl.  177,  no.  70. 

**  Ibid.  ptfl.  192,  no.  95,  m.  31  d. 

^  Ibid.  no.  95,  m.  31  d.  ;  Chan.  Proc.  (Ser.  2), 
bdle.  319,  no.  13. 


conveyed  it  to  George  Martin  in  161 2  and  ten 
years  later  litigation  ensued  between  Martin 
and  Danby.''*  In  1622  the  premises  were  in 
the  occupation  of  John  Heath,  but  no  further 
history  of  them  has  been  found.'" 

According  to  the  tradition  of  Durham  Priory, 
Bishop  William  of  St.  Calais  gave  to  the 
Priory  all  the  land  between  the  Browney  and 
the  Wear  lying  south  of  the  brook  known  as  the 
Milburn.  The  north-eastern  corner  of  this 
tract  was  occupied  by  the  Prior's  borough  of 
Crossgate,  the  '  Old  Borough  '  of  the  charters.''* 
The  land  lying  within  the  loop  of  the  Wear 
east  of  the  Cathedral  was  ELVET  (Elvete 
xi  cent.). 

Elvet,  with  its  wood,  church  and  chapels  of 
Croxdale  and  Wyton  Gilbert,  was  confirmed 
to  the  Priory  by  Richard  I  in  February  1 194-5  ;"" 
at  the  same  time  confirmation  was  also  obtained 
of  the  Prior's  '  new  borough  '  in  ELVETHALL 
(Elvetehale  xi  cent.)  or  Elvethalghe  as  it  is 
termed  in  a  1 5th  cent,  document.^"  The  mention 
of  the  church  in  connexion  with  the  first  holding 
makes  evident  its  identity  with  what  is  now 
called  New  Elvet,  the  '  newborough '  of  the 
charter  being  part  of  the  Old  Elvet  of  the 
present  day."  The  burghal  area  was  not  large^^ 
and  the  greater  part  of  the  district  lay  within 
the  Prior's  manorial  jurisdiction  and  formed  his 
manors  of  Old  and  New  Elvet,  both  together 
forming  his  Barony  of  Elvet.^^ 

The  manor  or  grange  of  Elvet  called  Eket- 
Hall^  stood  on  the  site  of  the  present  Hall- 
garth.^^  The  manor  was  attached  to  the  office 
of  the  Hostillar'*  and  until  the  dissolution  of  the 
Priory,  and  by  the  arrangement  of  March 
1554-5,  it  was  divided  between  the  prebends  of 
the  first  and  second  stalls."  In  accordance 
with  an  arrangement  usually  followed  by  the 
Chapter  the  manor  was  the  subject  of  numerous 

"•*  Chan.  Proc.  (Ser.  2),  bdle.  319,  no.  13. 

«  Ibid. 

'•*  See  Feod.  Prior.  Dun.  (Surt.  Soc),  192  n.  et  seq. 

■"  Cal.  Chart.  1327-41,  p.  323. 

^  Feod.  Prior.  Dun.  (Surt.  Soc),  194  n. 

"  In  1538-9  repairs  were  done  to  tenements  in 
Old  Elvet  and  the  Borough  {Dur.  Acct.  R.  [Surt.  Soc], 
i,  163). 

S2  Lans.  MS.  902,  fol.  223  d.  This  dispute  as  to 
common  in  1442  shows  how  Uttle  the  boundaries 
were  understood  even  in  the  15  th  century. 

^3  Close  R.  1650,  pt.  xxxix,  no.  8.  The  barony  was 
regarded  as  a  definite  place  and  in  1540  contained  82 
burgages  and  a  toft  (Mins.  Accts.  Hen.  VIII,  no. 
708) ;   cf.  Dur.  Acct.  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  i,  145,  283  ;   ii, 

367.  472- 

M  Rentals  and  Surv.  (Gen.  Ser.),  R.  987. 

^5  This  name  was  applied  to  tlie  two  great  farms  of 
the  two  prebendaries  in  1582  (Eich.  Bills  and  Answers, 
Dur.  Eliz.  no.  22). 

s*  Dur.  Acct.  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  i,  passim. 

"  MS.  of  the  D.  and  C.  of  Dur.  c  iv,  33,  fol.  148. 


167 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


leases,  these  generally  being  to  a  son  or  other 
relative  of  the  prebendary  in  possession.'* 

Before  St.  Godric  built  his  hermitage  here 
early  in  the  12th  century  FINCHALE  (Fin- 
chale  xii  cent.,  Fynchall,  Fynkaloo,  Fynchallaye 
xvi  cent.,  Fencalley  xvii  cent.)  was  part  of  the 
Bishop's  hunting  field.  The  development  of 
the  hermitage  into  a  cell  of  Durham  Priory  and 
its  absorption  of  the  endowments  of  the  Austin 
Canonry  of  Baxterwood  have  been  traced 
elsewhere.^'  Durham  Priory  made  its  surrender 
to  the  Crown  in  1540,^  and  in  the  following 
March  the  manor  of  Finchale,  with  its  demesne 
lands  and  water  mill,  was  leased  to  Avery 
Burnett,  a  member  of  the  Royal  Household." 
In  May  it,  like  other  lands  of  the  Priory,  was 
assigned  to  the  Dean  and  Chapter  of  the 
Cathedral  Church,'-  and  by  Queen  Mary  it  was 
made  the  corpus  of  the  7th  stall  in  March 
1554-5.**  Except  for  the  time  when  it  was  in 
the  hands  of  the  Parliamentary  trustees**  and 
their  assigns  it  has  remained  in  the  possession 
of  the  Dean  and  Chapter  to  the  present  day. 

In  1 31 1  HARBOURHOUSE  (Harbaroes, 
Harbarus,  Harbarowes  xiv  cent.,  Harbarhous 
XV  cent.)  was  part  of  the  waste  on  the 
bishop's  fee,  and  as  such  it  was  then  given  by 
Bishop  Richard  Kellaw  to  Patrick  his  brother.** 
A  settlement  of  the  land  was  made  in  13 13  on 
Patrick  and  Cecily  his  wife**  and  two  years  later 
Patrick  made  a  conveyance  of  '  The  manor  '  to 
John  de  Carlisle,  chaplain.*'  In  1381  it  was 
settled  with  part  of  Kelloe  by  William  de  Kellaw, 
Patrick's  great-nephew,**  and  it  then  descended 
with  his  lands  in  Kelloe  to  the  family  of  Forcer,** 

^*  These  leases  will  be  found  in  the  Act  Books  of 
the  D.  and  C. 

w  V.C.H.  DuT.  ii,  103,  109 ;  cf.  The  Charters  of 
Endo'jjment  .  .  .  of  Finchale  Priory  (Surt.  Sec),  xi ; 
Cal.  Chart.  1327-41,  p.  323. 

^  r.C.H.Dur.'u,  lol. 

*i  L.  and  P.  Hen.  Fill,  xvi,  p.  726.  Burnett  was 
still  in  possession  when  the  Dean  and  Chapter  leased 
it  to  Robert  Dalton  and  Percival  Lambton  in  1 55 1 
(Reg.  A.  of  the  D.  and  C.  fol.  201). 

«2  L.  and  P.  Hen.  Fill,  xvi,  g.  878  (33). 

**  Rec.  of  the  D.  and  C.  of  Durham,  c.  iv,  33, 
fol.  148. 

**  It  was  sold  by  them  to  Adam  Shipperdson  in 
1650  (Close  R.  1650,  pt.  xxxii,  no.  17). 

**  Lans.  MS.  902,  fol.  369. 

**  Kelloe  Deeds  {penes  Rev.  Canon  Greenwell),  Bk. 
D,  no.  38. 

*'  Ibid.  no.  39.  **  Ibid.  no.  59. 

69  Hatfield's  Surv.  (Surt.  Soc.),  77;  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3, 
no.  2,  fol.  180  d.,  266  ;  no.  47,  m.  22  d. ;  ptfl.  166,  no. 
13,31;  no.  4,  fol.  30;  no.  1 1,  fol.  2d. ;  ptfl.  169,  no.  52, 
no.  6,  m.  35  ;  no.  78,  m.  2  ;  ptfl.  177,  no.  7  ;  no.  78, 
m.  2  ;  ptfl.  191,  no.  153  ;  ptfl.  189,  no.  33,  59,  168  ; 
no.  no,  m.  2,  no.  7,  23,  25,  105  d.  ;  ptfl.  190, 
no.  6  ;  Cal.  S.  P.  Dom.  1623-5,  p.  571  ;  Royalist 
Comp.  P.  (Surt.  Soc.),  208 ;  Feet  of  F.  Dur.  Trin. 
18  Chas.  II ;  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12  (i-i). 


FopcER.  Sable  a 
chevcron  engrailed  or 
between  three  leopards* 
heads  argent  tcith  three 
rings  sable  on  the 
cheveron. 


who  held  it  until  the  i8th  century.  The  Forcers 
were  Roman  Catholic  recusants  and  suffered 
accordingly.'*  Basil  Forcer, 
the  last  male  of  his  line, 
died  in  1774,  after  having 
settled  Harbourhouse  on 
his  sister  Barbara  for  her 
life."  Mistress  Barbara 
died  unmarried  at  her 
house  in  Old  Elvet  in 
1776'^  and  the  property 
then  passed  under  her 
brother's  will  to  Thomas 
Waterton,  with  remainder 
to  his  sons  in  tail  male.'* 
Thomas  Waterton  was  suc- 
ceeded by  his  son  Charles 
Waterton  of  Walton  Hall,  Yorks,  and  he,  with 
the  sole  surviving  trustee,  after  breaking  entail 
in  1805,'*  sold  the  estate  in  the  following  year  to 
WiUiam  Donald,  of  Aspatria,  Cumberland.'*  It 
was  inherited  by  his  son,  George  Donald,'*  who 
sold  it  shortly  before  1834  to  Thomas  Fenwick, 
the  Newcastle  banker." 

The  later  descent  of  the  property  has  not  been 
traced.  It  seems  to  have  been  divided  among 
various  holders. 

Beyond  a  chance  reference  to  John  Othehag- 
house  in  1350'*  nothing  is  known  of  the 
earlier  mediaeval  history  of  THE  HAGG  or 
HAG  HOUSE  (Hagge  House,  le  Hagg  house 
xvii  cent.).  It  was  apparently  part  of  lands 
reckoned  as  in  Newton,  for  in  1421  the  Hagfield, 
with  the  Strother  and  Stankhead,  were  held  by 
Maud,  widow  of  William  de  Bowes,  of  the  Bishop 
by  knight  service."  It  must  have  descended 
with  Newton  and  Streatlam  (q.v.),  for  in  1564 
Robert  Bowes  conveyed  the  capital  messuage 
called  the  Hagghouse  and  tenements  in 
'Cadehouse'  field.  West  Wastes  and  Stank 
closes  to  William  Parkinson  and  Christopher 
Atkinson,  yeomen.*"  Parkinson  and  Atkinson 
divided  the  property,  the  former  retaining  the 
northern  portion  of  the  lands  on  which  he  built 
'  the  mansion  called  Hagghouse.'  *^  William 
Parkinson  died  in   1605  and  was  succeeded  by 

'0  Royalist  Comp.  P.  (Surt.  Soc.),  208.  The  manor 
was  sold  in  1653  by  the  ParUamentary  trustees  to 
Gilbert  Crouch  of  Clement's  Inn  and  John  Rushworth 
of  Lincoln's  Inn,  the  historian.  Close  R.  1654, 
pt.  .xii,  no.  17  ;  Diet.  Nat.  Biog. 

'^  Surtees,  Dur.  iv  (2),  148  n. 

'2  A'.  Co.  Diaries  (Surt.  Soc),  228. 

'*  Surtees,  loc.  cit:  '*  Ibid. 

'5  Fordyce,  Dur.  i,  386. 

'*  Mackenzie  and  Ross,  Dur.  ii,  437. 

"  Fordyce,  Dur.  i,  386. 

'*  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  12,  fol.  60. 

'*  Ibid.  no.  2,  fol.  202  d. 

*<•  Surtees,  Dur.  iv  (2),  143. 

*i  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  182,  no.  25. 

68 


CITY   OF  DURHAM 


his  son  George,  then  a  man  of  40,**  whose  claim 
to  bear  arms  was  disallowed  by  the  heralds  in 
161 5.**  He  devised  the  Haghouse  and  various 
closes  to  Edward  Parkinson,  his  son,  in  1631, 
without  obtaining  the  necessary  licence,  which 
was,  however,  granted  in  1636.**  Edward 
Parkinson  died  in  the  following  year,  when  his 
property  descended  to  George,  his  son.** 
George  mortgaged  the  land  in  1685  to  one 
Shipperdson,  and  before  171 1  Haghouse  had 
passed  into  the  hands  of  the  family  of  Liddell 
of  Newton  (q.v.),  with  which  it  was  sold  to 
William  Russell  of  Brancepeth  Castle.**  In 
1857  it  was  the  property  of  the  Hon.  Gustavus 
Frederic  Hamilton  Russell,  of  Brancepeth. 

In  the  division  of  the  Hagg  between  Parkinson 
and  Atkinson  CATER  HOUSE  (Caddenhouse, 
Caterhouse  xvii  cent.)  fell  to  the  share  of 
Christopher  Atkinson.  In  his  time  the  messuage 
was  known  as  '  The  Scite  house,'  though  two 
closes  were  called  Caddenhouse  field.*''  By  his 
will  dated  A'lay  1580  he  left  the  premises  to  his 
wife  Jane  for  life,  with  remainder  divided 
between  his  two  sons  William  and  Christo- 
pher.** Christopher  Atkinson  the  younger  died 
in  March  1596—7,  leaving  a  son  Thomas,  a  boy 
7  years  old.**  Thomas  attained  full  age  in 
1611,'°  and  in  1623  he  settled  the  estate  on 
Catherine  his  wife  for  her  life.*'  He  died  in 
1632,  leaving  three  daughters  Elizabeth,  Ann 
and  Margaret,  all  under  age.°- 

Ann,  the  second  daughter,  married  John 
Richardson,  and  in  1651  they  obtained  the  share 
of  Margaret,  who  had  married  John  Hall;  the 
third  of  Elizabeth,  wife  of  George  Crosyer,  being 
acquired  from  him  in  1667.*'  In  1684  John 
Richardson  'maltman  and  tanner'  died  and, 
being  under  sentence  of  excommunication,  was 
'  buried  in  his  owne  garden  at  Caterhouse,  near 
Durham  ;  being  denyed  by  the  Bishopp  to  bury 
him  in  the  church.'**  Ann  died  in  1690  and 
was  also  buried  in  the  garden.'*  Their  son, 
John  Richardson,  succeeded  to  the  property, 
which  passed  on  his  death  in  1708  to  his  son 

*2  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  182,  no.  25. 

*'  Harl.  MS.  1540  ;  Lans.  NIS.  902,  fol.  37od-37i. 

*>  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  7,  fol.  1 19  d.,  no.  108,  m.  8. 

**  Surtees,  op.  cit.  144. 

*«  Ibid. 

*'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  192,  no.  41  ;  about  1348 
Robert  Bowes  entered  into  certain  free  land  in  the 
common  field  of  Durham  formerly  held  by  Geoffrey 
de  Catden  (ibid.  no.  12,  fol.  32  d.).  In  1465  the  tene- 
ment is  described  as  a  messuage  and  40  ac.  land  in 
Newton  held  of  the  Bishop  by  homage  and  fealty 
(ibid.  no.  4,  fol.  22  d.).    This  must  be  Cater  House. 

**  Ibid.  ;  cf.  no.  92,  m.  27  d. 

*'  Ibid,  file  192,  no.  41. 

^  Ibid.  no.  7,  fol.  8. 

91  Ibid.  ptfl.  188,  m.  38.  »2  Ibid. 

**  Surtees,  Dur.  iv  (2),  145. 

»•»  N.  Co.  Diaries  (Surt.  Soc),  i,  49.  «  Ibid.  54. 


of  the  same  name.**  John  Richardson  survived 
his  father  eight  years  and  Caterhouse  passed 
from  his  son,  who  died  in  1762,  to  a  grandson 
John."  This  John  Richardson  survived  his 
children  and  died  intestate  in  1803.  The  title 
to  Caterhouse  now  passed  to  various  members 
of  the  families  of  Bright  and  Andrews, 
descendants  of  Elizabeth  Hall  and  Anne, 
daughter  of  John  and  Ann  Richardson.'*  The 
co-heirs  conveyed  Caterhouse  to  the  Rev.  John 
Fawcett,  of  Newton  Hall.**  Mr.  Foyle  Fawcett 
is  the  present  owner. 

HOUGHALL  (Houhal,  Howhale,  Hocchale, 
Hochale  xiii  cent.,  Houghale  xiv  cent.) 
lay  among  the  lands  of  the  see  until  Bishop 
Ranulph  Flambard  gave  it  and  lands  in  Herring- 
ton  to  William  son  of  Ranulf  as  two  knights' 
fees.  It  descended  with  Herrington  (q.v.)  to 
Robert  son  of  Thomas  de  Herrington,  who 
gave  4  oxgangs  here  to  his  sister  Emma  on  her 
marriage*  and  4  oxgangs  to  John  his  younger 
son.^  The  rest  of  the  land  here  descended 
to  Thomas  de  Herrington,  son  of  Robert.^  He 
borrowed  200  marks  from  the  Priory  of  Durham 
in  1260*  and  afterwards  he  granted  to  the 
Priory  his  manor  of  Houghall  in  free  alms,*  the 
Priory  in  1291  undertaking  to  maintain  two 
chaplains  and  two  monks  to  pray  for  the  well- 
being  of  Thomas  and  his  ancestors.* 

The  land  granted  to  Emma  on  her  marriage 
with  Alan,  the  Prior's  brother,  was  given  by  her  to 
Richard  de  Kelsey,'  the  transaction  being  con- 
firmed by  Thomas  dc  Herrington.*  This  land 
also  was  acquired  by  the  Priory,  though  its  title 
was  disputed  by  William,  son  of  Thomas 
Blagrys,  who,  however,  gave  a  quitclaim  to  it 
in  1342.'  The  manor  was  at  first  farmed  by  the 
Priory,  but  in  1464  it  was  leased  to  Richard 
Rakett*"  and  this  practice  seems  to  have  been 
generally  followed." 

After  the  Dissolution,  Houghall,  like  other 
lands  of  the  Priory,  was  assigned  to  the  Dean 
and  Chapter.     While  it  may  be  said  that  the 

**  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

"  Ibid.  »*  Ibid. 

99  Ibid. ;  Fordyce,  Dur.  i,  386. 

1  Feod.  Prior.  Dun.  (Surt.  Soc),  202  n.  ;  cf.  203  n. 

2  Ibid.  »  Ibid. 
■•  Ibid.  200  n.  *  Ibid. 

*  Ibid.  The  farms  of  Houghall  appear  on  the 
Bursar's  Roll  for  1292  {Dur.  Acct.  R.  (Surt.  Soc), 
ii,  490. 

'  Feod.  Prior.  Dun.  (Surt.  Soc),  201  n. 

*  Ibid.  202  n. 
9  Ibid. 

'"  Ibid.  199.  In  or  about  1538  livery  was  granted  to 
John  Rakett  son  and  heir  of  William  Rakett  of 
Quarrington  who  was  kinsman  and  heir  of  John 
Rakett  late  of  Houghall  (Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  77,  m.  21). 

11  Feod.  Prior.  Dun.  (Surt.  Soc),  327.  The  leases 
will  be  found  in  the  Act  Books  of  the  Dean  and 
Chapter. 


169 


22 


A   HISTORY  OF   DURHAM 


assignment  of  lands  to  the  various  prebends 
under  Henry  VIII  generally  followed  this 
plan,  there  are  some  indications  that  it  was 
not  done  in  the  case  of  the  nth  stall. ^^  It  is 
certain,  however,  that  in  March  1554-5 
Houghall  was  definitely  assigned  as  the  corpus 
of  the  prebendary  of  this  stall,  an  arrangement 
which  has  been  maintained  until  the  present 
day." 

In  the  1 2th  century  NEJVTON  (Neutona 
xi  cent.,  Newton  near  Durham  xi-xvii 
cent.)  was  among  the  lands  of  the  Bishop 
and  seems  to  have  been  parcelled  out  among 
various  retainers.  Certain  lands  were  granted 
to  Richard  the  engineer,'*  Pudsey's  architect 
in  charge  of  the  work  of  Norham  Castle,  and  a 
man  distinguished  alike  for  piety  and  skill.'* 
Half  of  his  demesne  was  in  11 83''  in  the  hands 
of  William  de  Watervill,  sometime  (1155-75) 
Abbot  of  Peterborough,  to  whom  the  Bishop  had 
granted  it  of  his  good  will  and  alms  apparently 
after  his  ejection  from  his  abbey."  A  further 
holding  of  14  acres  was  in  the  hands  of  the 
Bishop's  servant,  Ralf  the  clerk,  and  was  made 
up  partly  of  land  previously  held  by  Robert 
Tic  and  partly  of  assart.'*  According  to 
Surtees,  Bishop  Hugh  gave  the  vill  to  Roger  of 
Reading,'*  but  nothing  more  of  his  tenure  is 
known.  One  William  was  lord  of  Newton  in 
I3ii.=» 

Surtees  states  that  in  1337  Bishop  Richard  de 
Bury  confirmed  the  manor  to  Adam  de  Bowes 
of  Streatlam,^'  and  it  is  certain  that  in  March 
1354-5  Robert  de  Bowes  made  fine  for  the 
capital  messuage.^-  Before  1384  Robert  de 
Bowes  seems  also  to  have  acquired  the  60  acres 
in  the  Fallowfield  lying  between  the  quarry  of 
Newton  and  '  Aldnewton  '  which  Robert  son 
of  Nicholas  Scriptor  inherited  from  his  father 
in  1335,"'  as  well  as  other  and  smaller  parcels 
totalling  at  least  86  acres. 

In  1383  Sir  John  Heron,  kt.,  was  returned  as 
holding  Newton  by  foreign  service  and  a  yearly 
rent  of  106/.  8i.,  but  it  seems  possible  that  he 
was  merely  acting  as  a  trustee  for  the  Bowes 

^  Rec.  of  the  D.  and  C.  of  Durham,  c.  iv,  33, 
fol.  148. 

"  It  was  sold  by  the  Parliamentary  Trustees  in 
165 1  to  Viscount  Lisle,  being  then  in  the  tenure  of 
Clement  Farrowe. 

n  Boldon  Bk.  (Surt.  Soc.),  2. 

'*  See  Reginaldi  Monachi  Libellui  (Surt.  Soc.), 
94,  1 1 1-2. 

i«  BoUon  Bk.  loc.  cit. 

1'  Ibid. ;  V.C.H.  NoTthants,  ii,  93. 

18  Boldon  Bk.  loc.  cit. 

1'  Surtees,  Dur.  iv  (2),  146. 

2«  Lans.  MS.  902,  fol.  369 ;  Mem.  0/  St.  Giles 
(Surt.  Soc.),  193. 

2'  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

22  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  12,  fol.  145. 

23  Ibid.  no.  2,  fol.  8  d. ;  cf.  fol.  153  d. 


Dowts  of  Streatlam. 
Ermine  three  bent  boxs 
paleu-ise  gules. 

George    died    un- 


family,  since  Sir  William  de  Bowes  was  holding 
the  capital  messuage  and  200  acres  of  land  at  the 
same  rent  when  he  died  in  or  about  1399.^^ 
The  holding^*  followed  the 
descent  of  Streatlam  (q.v.) 
until  1565  when  Sir  George 
Bowes,  kt.,  obtained  licence 
to  grant  it  to  Anthony 
Middleton.'''  In  1577  An- 
thony Middleton  granted  a 
lease  of  the  manor  for  100 
years  toThomas  Middleton 
his  younger  son.^'  Anthony 
died  in  1581,  and  his  in- 
terest descended  to  George 
son  of  his  eldest  son, 
Cuthbert,  a  boy  of  19.^* 
married  in  1596,  his  heir  being  William  Mid- 
dleton his  brother.-*  At  some  time  between 
1596  and  January  1599-1600,  Thomas  and 
George  Middleton  sold  the  manor  to  Thomas 
Blakiston^  and  he  afterwards  conveyed  it  to 
his  brother  Marmaduke  Blakiston,^'  prebendary 
of  the  7th  stall  of  Durham,'^  who  was  described 
as  'of  Newton'  in  1626. ^^  Marmaduke  con- 
veyed the  manor  of  Newton  next  Durham  to  his 
son  Toby  Blakiston  in  1630.**  Toby's  will 
was  proved  in  1646.  He  left  annuities  from  the 
manor  to  his  children  Toby,  Margaret  and 
Dorothy,  the  mansion  house  and  lands  descend- 
ing to  Thomas  Blakiston  the  eldest  son.'* 
Thomas  died  intestate  shortly  after  his  father 
and  left  a  son,  John,**  who  on  coming  of  age  in 
1665  refused  to  execute  the  provisions  of  his 
grandfather's  will.*'  The  consequent  litigation 
came  to  an  end  in  1667,  judgment  being  given 
against  John.**    On  19  February  1670-1  John 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  131  d. ;  cf.  202  d. 

2*  In  1468  William  Bowes  granted  the  manors  of 
'  Barneys,  Clowcroft,  and  Palion  '  with  the  fishery  in 
the  Wear  called  '  Boweswatre  '  and  the  manor  of 
Newton  near  Durham  to  Henry  Gillowe  and  Thomas 
Portyngton,  probably  trustees.  (Lans.  MS.  902,  fol. 
176). 

-*  Ibid.  no.  82,  m.  6.  They  also  sold  a  messuage  and 
land  here  to  Hugh  WTiitfield  in  1 567  (Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12 

[1-2])- 

2'  Ibid.  cl.  3,  file  191,  no.  97  (l). 

2*  Ibid.  cf.  no.  84,  m.  13. 

2*  Ibid,  file  192,  no.  66  ;   no.  92,  m.  15. 

*"  Surtees,  op.  cit. ;  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  92,  ra.  28, 
28  d.  *'  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

*-  Bp.  Cosin's  Corr.  (Surt.  Soc),  ii,  27  n. 

**  Reg.  of  St.  Margarets,  Durham  (Dur.  and  North. 
Par.  Reg.  Soc),  p.  11. 

**  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  7,  fol.  103  d. ;  no.  106,  m.  12 ; 
cl.  12,  no.  4,  m.  2  ;   Surtees,  op.  cit.  162. 

*5  Dur.  Rec  cl.  4,  no.  2,  fol.  317  d. 

36  Ibid.  fol.  333  d. 

*'  Ibid.  Surtees  (op.  cit.  162)  says  that  Thomas 
died  in  his  father's  hfetime,  leaving  an  infant  son 
Thomas  Uving  in  1649.  **  Ibid.  fol.  352  d. 


170 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


L  I  D  D  E  L  L.  Argent 
frctty  gules  and  a  chief 
guUs  uitb  three  leopards' 
beads  or. 


Blakiston  and  Martha  his  wife,  William   Bothell, 

Thomas  Hincks  and  Elizabeth  his   wife,    and 

John  Tempest  and  Elizabeth  his  wife,  conveyed 

the    manor    to    Sir  Thomas   Liddell,   bart.   of 

Ravensworth.''     His   son  Henry    made    it    his 

home  from  1676-94''"  and  represented  Durham 

in  the  Parliament  in   1688-9  ^^^   '^95-''^     ^^ 

succeeded  to  his  father's  baronetcy  in  1697  and 

died   in    1723*^   leaving   a   grandson   and   heir, 

Sir  Henry,  created  Lord  Ravensworth  in  1747.*^ 

On  his  death  in  1784,  the 

peerage  became  extinct,  but 

the    baronetcy  and    lands 

were     inherited     by     his 

nephew  Sir  Henry  George 

Liddell,"  from  whom  they 

passed  in  1791  to  his  son 

Thomas   Henry.**     Sir 

Thomas,    who    was    M.P. 

for    Durham  in   1806-7,** 

sold    Newton   to   William 

Russell,  whose  property  it 

was   in    1824   and    1840.'" 

At  a  later  date  it  was  converted  into  a  branch 

of  the  County  Lunatic  Asylum.     In   1926  the 

house  was  pulled  down. 

From  the  fragments  of  evidence  that  remain 
for  the  early  history  of  RELLEY  (Rylley 
xiv  cent.)  it  is  evident  that  it  was  at  one  time 
in  the  hands  of  the  family  of  Amundevill. 
Robert  de  Amundevill  gave  his  vill  of  Relley  to 
John  de  Hamilton,*'  this  being  possibly  a 
feoffment,  as  the  family  retained  a  yearly  rent  of 
4_f.  from  Brunespittell  until  1322.'"  Richard  de 
Marsh  granted  the  vill  to  Simon  his  brother  and 
he  afterwards  sold  it  to  William  son  of  Richard  ; 
the  new  owner  then  conveyed  it  to  John  de 
Hamilton.^  John  conveyed  his  interest  to 
Gilbert  de  Graystanes,  a  clerk  and  probably  a 
trustee.**       In    1326   William    son   of   William 

3'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  8,  m.  2  ;  Bp.  Cosines  Corr. 
(Surt.  Soc),  ii,  265. 

■"'  Surtees,  loc.  cit.  146  n. 

*^  N.  Co.  Diaries  (Surt.  Soc),  i,  53  ;  Sharpe, 
List  of  Knights  .  .  .  who  have  represented  .  .  .  Durham, 

25- 

*2  It  was  conveyed  to  him  probably  for  the  purpose 
of  a  settlement  under  the  name  of  the  manor  of  High 
Newton  in  the  parish  of  St.  Oswald  by  Robert  Liddell 
and  Thomas  his  son  and  heir  (Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  16, 
m.  3). 

■•'  G.E.C.  Baronetage,  ii,  205. 

"  Hutchinson,  Dur.  ii,  218. 

«  G.E.C.  loc.  cit. 

*«  Ibid. 

*'  Allan,  Hist,  and  Descriptive  View  of  the  City  of 
Dur.  131  ;  Surtees,  op.  cit.  146. 

**  Surtees,  Dur.  iv  (2),  103.  The  charters  from  which 
the  following  particulars  are  derived  are  in  3a  14  Spec. 
in  the  Treasury  of  the  Dean  and  Chapter  of  Durham. 

*'  Surtees,  op.  cit.  103  n. 

«»  Ibid.  "  Ibid. 


Esshe  of  Durham  gave  the  vill  to  Maud  his 
daughter,  who  married  Roger,  son  and  heir  of 
Gilbert  de  Colley,  lord  of  Biddick.  Roger 
granted  it  to  Richard  son  of  Gilbert  de  Durham 
in  1343,*^  and  in  1359  Sir  Thomas  Gray  kt. 
exchanged  it  with  William  Dalden  for  a  moiety 
of  the  manors  of  Felkington  and  Allerden.*' 
In  1365  William  Dalden  granted  the  manor  of 
Relley  to  Richard  de  Barnard  Castle,  clerk,  and 
he  obtained  a  grant  of  free  warren  in  his  demesne 
lands  here  some  two  years  later."  It  was 
conveyed  by  him  to  John  his  brother,  the  rector 
of  Gateshead,  and  in  1378-9  the  Priory  of  Dur- 
ham obtained  licence  for  its  acquisition.**  The 
manor  was  assigned  to  the  department  of  the 
cellarer  for  the  purchase  of  butter  and  cheese,** 
and  since  March  1854-5  has  formed  part  of  the 
corpus  of  the  ninth  stall  of  the  Cathedral  church.*' 
SHINCLIFFE  is  mentioned  among  the 
possessions  of  the  Prior  and  Convent  of  Durham 
in  Henry  H's  confirmation  charter,**  and  it  also 
occurs  in  the  forged  charters  of  Bishop  St. 
Calais.*^  It  was  one  of  the  Prior's  vills*  and 
the  tenants  appeared  at  the  assize  of  weights 
and  measures  held  in  the  borough  of  Elvet." 
In  1305  the  Prior  accused  one  of  the  Bishop's 
servants  of  carrying  off  a  horse  from  the  vill  of 
Shincliffe  toDurhamCastle  and  refusing  to  return 
or  pay  for  it.^  The  villeins  of  Shincliffe  paid  a 
rent  of  hens,"  and  rendered  carrying  services 
which  are  frequently  mentioned  in  the  Account 
Rolls  of  the  Convent.^  In  1355-6  three  bond- 
men there  paid  2s.  instead  of  mowing  and  8^.  for 
autumn  works,  but  they  still  made  and  carted 
the  hay.**  In  1536-7  the  tenants  of  Shincliffe 
leased  a  meadow  from  the  Prior  for  10/.**  The 
vill  formed  part  of  the  endowment  of  Durham 
Cathedral  in  1541,"  and  a  full  list  of  the  lease- 
holders there  is  given  in  a  rental  of  1580.**  On 
7  November  1650  a  farm  in  Shincliffe  was  sold 
by  the  trustees  for  the  sale  of  Dean  and  Chapter 
lands  to  Richard  Marshall,*'  but  after  the 
Restoration  the  whole  returned  to  the  Dean 
and  Chapter,  who  are  the  present  lords  of  the 

*2  Ibid. ;  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  29,  m.  10,  12  d. 

*3  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

**  Ibid. ;  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  31,  m.  4  d. 

**  Ibid.  m.  13. 

**  Dur.  Acct.  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  i,  67  ;  iii,  683. 

*'  Rec.  of  the  D.  and  C.  of  Dur.  c.  iv,  33,  fol.  148. 

**  Feod.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc),  p.  Ixzzui. 

*'  Ibid.  pp.  ih,  Iv. 

60  Dur.  Acct.  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  i,  121. 

*i  Ibid,  ii,  349. 

6^  Reg.  Pal.  Dun.  (R.  Ser.),  iv,  73. 

*3  Dur.  Acct.  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  i,  45. 

**  Ibid,  i,  no,  u6,  152,  241  ;  ii,  296,  297. 

«*Ibid.  i,  121. 

««  Ibid,  iii,  685. 

6'  L.  and  P.  Hen.  fill,  xvi,  g.  878  (33). 

*«  Halmota  Prior.  Dun.  (Surt.  Soc),  207,  216-7. 

*9  Close  R.  1650,  pt.  iiix,  2. 


171 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


manor.  Part  of  Quarrington  moor  was  attached 
to  the  vill  of  Shincliffe,  and  it  was  probably 
grazing  rights  in  this  place  which  Sir  Richard  de 
Routhberry,  lord  of  Croxdale,  and  Peter  of 
Tursdale  released  in  1320  to  the  Prior  of 
Durham.'*  In  1443-4  the  Prior  recovered  his 
right  of  common  pasture  on  this  part  of  the  moor 
by  means  of  a  suit  with  Sir  William  Elmeden, 
then  lord  of  Tursdale.'^ 

There  were  a  few  free  tenements  in  Shincliffe. 
In  the  early  part  of  the  14th  century  Gilbert 
Warde  held  land  in  Shincliffe,  which  descended 
to  his  son  Robert  and  Margery  his  wife.'* 
Robert  dying  childless,  the  land  was  inherited 
by  his  nephew  Robert  Warde,  the  son  of  Gilbert 
Warde's  daughter  Lucy,  Margery  holding  her 
dower  third."  In  1347  Robert  Warde  the 
younger  granted  to  John  de  Elvet  the  reversion 
of  Margery's  dower-land,  and  2/.  rent  out  of  his 
own  land  in  Shincliffe.'*  John  de  Elvet  died  in 
or  about  1382,  when  his  heir  was  his  son  Gilbert, 
aged  23,'*  but  the  history  of  this  holding  cannot 
be  traced  further.  Alice  widow  of  John  Aislaby 
in  1429  died  seised  of  land  in  Shincliffe  held  of 
the  Prior  of  Durham,  John  being  her  son  and 
heir."  John  left  two  daughters  and  co-heirs 
Elizabeth  and  Alice." 

Elizabeth  married  Robert  Danby  of  Thorpe 
Perrow,  Yorks,'*  and  survived  him,  dying  in 
March  1473-4."  Her  son 
Sir  James  Danby  was 
knighted  by  the  Duke  of 
Gloucester  while  serving  in 
Scotland  in  1482*"  and  died 
in  1497."  His  son  Chris- 
topher was  knighted  on 
Flodden  field  ;*^  he  died  in 
March  1 5 1 7-8,  leaving  a  son 
and  heir  Christopher,*^  a 
boy  of  15,  married  to  Eliza- 
beth daughter  of  Richard 
(Nevill)  Lord  Latimer.** 
The  family  connexion  with 
the  Nevills  was  further  strengthened  by  the  mar- 
riage of  Thomas,  son  and  heir  of  Christopher,  to 
Mary  daughter  of  Ralph  Earl  of  Westmorland.** 
It  was  possibly  this  relationship  that  made  the 

"  Surtees,  loc.  cit.  106. 

'^  DuT.  Acct.  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  i,  144-5  ;  see  Tursdale, 
parish  of  Kelloe. 
'-  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  30,  m.  12  d. 
'3  Ibid.  '■«  Ibid. 

'5  Ibid.  no.  32,  fol.  151  d. 
'6  Ibid.  fol.  241. 
"  Ibid.  fol.  267. 

'8  Ibid.  ptfl.  166,  no.  14.  '9  Ibid. 

*<*  Shaw,  Kts.  of  Engl,  ii,  17,  20. 
*i  Test.  Ebor.  (Surt.  Soc),  iv,  122. 
82  Shaw,  Kts.  of  Engl,  ii,  38. 
^  Chan.  Inq.  p.m.  (Ser.  2),  xxxiv,  47. 
"  Ibid,  clvii,  68.  85  Ibid. 


Danby.  Argent 

fretty  sable  and  a  chief 
sable  zcith  three  molets 
argent  therein. 


Government  suspect  him  of  disaffection  in  1565.** 
Sir  Christopher*'  died  in  1 571  and  was  succeeded 
by  Sir  Thomas  Danby,**  who  had  been  knighted 
as  long  ago  as  1 547  when  serving  in  Scotland  with 
Edward  Duke  of  Somerset.**  Sir  Thomas  died 
in  1590  when  Christopher  Danby  his  grandson 
and  heir  was  still  a  minor.*"  Christopher  sold 
Shincliffe  to  John  Hedvvorth  of  Durham  at  some 
date  before  161 2*'  when  Hedworth  conveyed  it 
to  George  Martin  of  the  same  city.*-  He 
suffered  the  sequestration  of  his  lands  as  a 
Royalist  in  1644,**  two  years  after  the  marriage 
of  Mary  his  daughter  and  heir  to  Henry  Eden  of 
Newcastle.**  George  Martin  died  in  1650**  and 
Henry  son  of  Henry  and  Mary  Eden  had 
succeeded  to  the  property  by  1675.**  His  only 
child  Jane  was  baptised  in  this  year*'  and 
presumably  inherited  the  Shincliffe  property  on 
her  father's  death  in  1702,**  though  its  further 
descent  cannot  be  traced. 

The  family  longest  settled  in  Shincliffe  was 
that  of  the  Hoppers.  John  Hopper  was  a  lease- 
holder in  1580  ;**  he  married  Jane  Bell  in  1589^ 
and  died  in  1612.^  The 
lease  seems  to  have  been  re- 
newed to  Sampson  Hopper, 
probably  his  son, to  whom  it 
was  again  renewed  in  1630.^ 
John  son  of  Sampson  Hop- 
per was  baptised  in  April 
1 61 6,*  and  Sampson  him- 
self died  in  1639.*  John 
Hopper  of  Shincliffe  in- 
herited his  father's  lease* 
and  was  appointed  a  se- 
questrator in  1644;'  his 
son  Robert  was  baptised  in  October  1654,*  and 
he  himself  died  in  1677.*  Robert  Hopper  married 

*«  Acts  ofP.C.  1558-70,  pp.  268,  287. 

*'  He  was  knighted  at  the  Coronation  of  Anne 
Boleyn  in  1533  (Shaw,  op.  cit.  49). 

**  Chan.  Inq.  p.m.  (Ser.  2),  clvii,  68. 

»^  S\i3LW,  Kts.  of  Engl,  i'l,  61. 

**  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  192,  no.  95  ;  Chan.  Inq. 
p.m.  (Ser.  2),  ccxxxi,  96.  Thomas  father  of  Chris- 
topher died  in  January  1 581-2  (ibid,  cxcix,  74). 

*■■  Surtees,  Dur.  iv  (2),  106.  ^  Ibid. 

«3  Royalist  Comp.  P.  (Surt.  Soc),  19. 

»■»  Headlam,  Par.  Reg.  of  St.  Oswald's,  99. 

»3  Ibid.  106. 

**  Poll  Sheets  in  the  Library  of  the  Soc.  of  Antiq. 
of  Newcastle.  His  father  died  in  February  1664-5 
(Headlam,  op.  cit.). 

*'  Headlam,  op.  cit.  143.  **  Ibid.  197. 

**  Halmota  Prior.  Dun.  (Surt.  Soc),  216. 

1  Headlam,  op.  cit.  33.  *  Ibid.  51. 

'  Close  R.  1650,  xxix,  2. 

*  Headlam,  op.  cit.  56.  *  Ibid.  94. 

*  Close  R.  1650,  xxix,  2. 

'  Royalist  Comp.  P.  (Surt.  Soc),  8. 

*  Headlam,  op.  cit.  1 1 2. 

*  Ibid.  145. 


Hopper.  Gyronny 
sable  and  ermine  a  castle 
argent. 


172 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


Williamson.     Or  a 

cbeveron    gules   bev^een 
three  trefoils  sable. 


Anne  Hendry  in  1683  -^^  his  son  John  was  bap- 
tised in  August  1684,"  and  marriedMary  Hodgson 
in  1709.'-  He  seems  to  have  had  a  son  John.'^ 
John  Hopper  the  elder  died  in  1743,'*  and  was 
succeeded  by  his  son  John  Hopper,  who  had  a 
son  Robert  Hopper,'^  born  in  1755.^*  Robert 
married  Anne,  daughter 
and  heir  of  Dr.  WilHam- 
son  of  Whickham"  by  his 
wife  Frances,  daughter  of 
Richard  Hendry  of  Durham 
and  widow  of  John  Barras.** 
On  his  marriage  he  as- 
sumed the  name  of  Hopper 
Williamson,  and  as  Robert 
Hopper  Williamson  he  held 
the  offices  of  Recorder  of 
Newcastle  and  Temporal 
Chancellor  of  the  county  of 
Durham.^'  He  died  in  1835,^' and  after  his  death 
the  connexion  of  the  family  with  Shincliffe 
ceased. 

In  1 183  SUNDERLAND  BRIDGE  (Sunder- 
land xi  cent.,  Sunderland  near  Durham  xiv 
cent.,  Sunderland  near  Croxdale  xv-xvii  cent.) 
was  part  of  the  lands  of  the  Bishop  and  was  let 
to  farm  for  looj.-^  At  some  time  between  this 
date  and  the  Bishop's  death  in  1195  Hugh  de 
Pudsey  gave  the  vill  to  Meldred  son  of  Dolfin,-- 
the  ancestor  of  the  NeviUs  of  Raby.  The  manor 
was  afterwards  the  subject  of  a  sub-enfeoffment, 
but  the  overlordship  followed  the  descent  of 
Raby  (q.v.)  until  the  attainder  of  the  sixth  Earl 
of  Westmorland. 

In  the  14th  century  the  tenancy  in  demesne 
appears  to  have  been  divided  between  two 
co-heirs,  of  whom  one  was  Cassandra  wife  of 
William  Daniel  of  Bilton-^  in  York  Ainsty. 
Another  moiety  was  in  the  hands  of  William  de 
Kilkenny  the  younger,'^  whose  widow  Katherine 
in  1382  granted  all  her  right  therein  to  Hugh  de 
Westwyk,  a  clerk,  as  well  as  her  estate  in  Cas- 
sandra's   moiety.-^     Richard    de    Kilkenny   the 

^^  Headlam,  op.  cit.  156. 

"Ibid.  158.  12  Ibid.  211. 

13  iV.  Co.  Diaries  (Surt.  Soc),  183  n. 

I''  Headlam,  op.  cit.  281. 

1*  N.  Co.  Diaries  (Surt.  Soc),  183  n. 

1*  M.I.  St.  Nicholas,  Newcastle. 

"  N.  Co.  Diaries  (Surt.  Soc),  183  n. 

1*  Headlam,  op.  cit.  219,  269. 

1'  M.I.  St.  Nicholas,  Newcastle. 

20  Ibid. 

"  Boldon  Bk.  (Surt.  Soc),  35.  Roger  de  Audin, 
lord  of  Butterby,  rendered  I  mark  for  the  millpond 
made,  apparently  as  an  intrusion,  on  the  demesne  of 
Sunderland  (ibid.). 

22  Lans.  MS.  902,  fol.  67  d.  The  grant  included 
'  Winston,  Winlokest  and  Neuhusam.' 

23  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  32,  m.  4-5. 

2<  He  died  before  1373  (ibid.  no.  2,  fol.  92). 
25  Ibid.  no.  32,  m.  4-5. 


Nevilli.      Gules 
sallire  argent. 


younger,  son  and  heir  of  William  and  Katherine, 
also  released  all  right  in  his  mother's  moiety2' 
and  a  further  release  from  Katherine  was 
executed  two  years  later .2'  In  1385  trustees 
conveyed  the  moiety  '  late  belonging  to  William 
de  Kilkenny  the  younger  to  the  overlord,  John 
de  Nevill '  28  lord  of  Raby. 

It  must  have  been  again  the  subject  of 
enfeoffment,  for  before  1420  it  had  come  into  the 
hands  of  John  Hoton  of  Tudhoe,  being  held  by 
him  of  Richard  (Nevill) 
Earl  of  Westmorland.2' 
On  John's  death  in  this 
year  it  passed  to  William 
his  son  and  heir,^*'  who 
was  described  as  '  of  Hun- 
wick,'  on  his  mother's 
death  in  1444,  when  he 
was  a  man  of  50.^1  He 
died  in  March  1448  ^2  and 
the  name  of  Ralph  Hoton 
occurs  as  tenant  of  the 
family  lands  in  1464.33  A  John  Hoton  died 
in  or  about  1498,  leaving  two  daughters  and 
co-heirs :  Ellen  the  eldest  married  John  Hed- 
worth,  while  Elizabeth  became  the  wife  of 
Richard  Hansard.3*  In  March  1512-3  William 
and  Elizabeth  Hansard  made  a  settlement  of 
their  lands  here  on  themselves  for  life  with 
remainder  in  tail  to  William  their  son  and 
contingent  remainder  to  Thomas  his  brother.** 
William  Hansard  the  elder  died  in  1520  ;3*  his 
nineteen-year-old  son  only  survived  him  a  few 
months  and  the  reversion  of  the  lands  of  the 
elder  Elizabeth  passed  to  his  posthumous 
daughter  of  the  same  name.3^ 

Elizabeth  married  Francis  Ayscough  and 
obtained  livery  of  her  lands  in  1528.3*  Francis 
Ayscough  conveyed  his  lands  in  Sunderland 
Bridge  in  1557  to  Robert  Tempest  and  Ralph 
Hoton,39  lord  of  a  portion  of  the  manor  of 
Woodham  (q.v.).  Sunderland  Bridge  was  held 
by  George  Hulton  of  Sunderland  and  Woodham, 
on  his  death  in  February  1621-2.*"  George,  who 
was  an  old  man  and  childless,  in  161 3  made  a 
settlement  of  the  land  here  on  himself  for  life 
with  remainder  to  his  sister  Mary  Biggins. 
Mary  died  before  her  brother  and  George  then 
granted  all  his  property  in  Sunderland  to  her  son 

«8  Ibid.  2'  Ibid.  28  Ibid. 

29  Ibid.  no.  2,  fol.  196. 

30  Ibid. 

31  Ibid.  ptfl.  164,  no.  58. 

32  Ibid.  no.  88. 

33  Feod.  Prior.  Dun.  (Surt.  Soc),  162. 
3*  Dur.  Rec  cl.  3,  ptfl.  169,  nos.  53,  54. 
3*  Ibid.  ptfl.  173,  no.  20  ;  no.  77,  m.  32. 
36  Ibid.  ptfl.  173,  no.  15. 

3'  Ibid.  ptfl.  173,  no.  6,  15. 

3«  Ibid.  no.  77,  m.  9.  39  Ibid.  cl.  12,  no.  I- 1. 

«  Ibid.  cl.  3,  ptfl.  189,  nos.  67,  68. 


173 


A  HISTORY  OF   DURHAM 


Christopher  Biggins.**  The  moiety  came  into 
the  hands  of  Richard  Lambert  before  1622  when 
he  and  Henry  Biggins,  brother  of  Christopher, 
with  Mary  his  wife  sold  the  estate  to  Ralph 
Younge.''^  Ralph  Younge  died  at  Sunderland  in 
January  1635-6,  his  heir  being  his  sister  Katharine 
Cunningham,*^  an  aged  widow,  whose  heir  was 
George  Cunningham  her  son.**  No  further 
history  of  this  moiety  of  the  manor  has  been 
found. 

The  moiety  inherited  by  Ellen  wife  of  John 
Hedworth  was  probably  identical  with  that 
'  half  of  the  manor  of  Sunderland '  that  Sir 
Reynold  Carnaby  bought  in  1 5  38  from  Sir  Thomas 
Wentworth,  captain  of  Carlisle  Castle.*^  Three 
years  later  Carnaby  sold  the  moiety  to  John 
Swinburne  of  Chopwell,  an  elaborate  settlement 
being  made  on  various  members  of  the  purchaser's 
family.*®  This  settlement  does  not,  however, 
seem  to  have  prevented  the  forfeiture  of  the  land 
by  John  Swinburne  for  his  part  in  the  Rebellion 
of  the  Earls,*'  though  John  Hedworth  made  a 
conveyance  of  two  parcels  of  land  here  to  him  in 
1571.**  In  1571-2  the  Crown  granted  his  lands 
here  to  George  Bowes,  who  in  January  1584-5 
conveyed  them  to  Gerard  Salvin  of  Croxdale.** 

Gerard  Salvin  devised  the  Sunderland  Bridge 
property  in  1587  to  his  younger  sons  Richard 
and  Thomas  Salvin  in  survivorship^  and  it  seems 
possible  that  throughout  the  17th  century  it  was 
employed  in  a  similar  way.  Gerard  Salvin  of 
Croxdale  died  in  1663  ;  he  settled  the  estate  on 
his  eighth  son  Anthony ,5*  who  died  in  1 709*-  and 
was  succeeded  at  Sunderland  Bridge  by  James 
Salvin  his  son."  From  him  it  descended  in  1753 
to  his  son  Anthony,  and  his  son  Lieutenant- 
General  Anthony  Salvin"  sold  it  to  William 
Thomas  Salvin  of  Croxdale  in  the  last  decade  of 
the  1 8th  century."  From  this  time  it  has 
remained  in  the  possession  of  the  senior  branch 
of  the  family. 

The  Exchequer  land  called  WINDY-HILLS 
(Windy  hill,  Wyndy  hill,  Windy  side,  xv  cent., 
Wynoghills,  xvi  cent.)  was  in  the  hands  of  John 
Bowman  at  the  close  of  the  14th  century.**     It 

"■  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  ptfl.  189,  no.  67. 

*2  Ibid. 

*3  Ibid.  no.  loi,  m.  20. 

**  Ibid.  ptfl.  187,  no.  41. 

*5  Close  R.  30  Hen.  VIII,  pt.  iv,  no.  21-2. 

**  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  80,  m.  2,  cl.  12  (i-i). 

*'  Ibid.  ptfl.  193,  no.  16. 

*8Ibid.  cl.  12(1-2). 

*9  Ibid.  cl.  3,  ptfl.  193,  no.  16.  »  Ibid. 

^*  Surtees,  Dur.  iv  (2),  123  ;  Burke,  Landed  Gentry 
(1906). 

s-  S/.  Oswald's  Par.  Reg.  (ed.  Headlam),  213. 

53  Burke,  loc.  cit. 

"  Father  of  Anthony  Salvin,  F.S.A.,  of  Hawksfold, 
the  distinguished  architect  (Diet.  Nat.  Biog.). 

^  Burke,  loc.  cit.  ;  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

**  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  13,  fol.  213. 


passed  through  the  hands  of  Isabel  his  widow 
and  in  1396  Joan  daughter  of  John  took  it 
from  the  Bishop  at  the  ancient  rent  of  3/.  4^." 
The  4i  acres  of  land  called  Windy-hills  and 
Snawdon  were  afterwards  held  by  Thomas 
Copper  but  were  surrendered  by  Agnes  his 
widow  to  Hugh  Boner  in  1419.**  Land  here 
formed  part  of  the  endowment  of  the  chantry 
of  St.  James  in  St.  Nicholas  church  and  rent 
from  it  was  inherited  in  1488  by  Isabel  daughter 
of  Robert  Erne.**  Isabel  died  in  1535  when  the 
reversion  descended  to  Robert  Melot,her  son  by 
her  first  husband,  though  the  rent  was  received 
by  her  second  husband  Roger  Smith  until  his 
death. ^     Robert  Melot  died    in    possession  in 

J  r-2." 

The  church  of  ST.  OSWALD 
CHURCHES  stands  on  an  elevated  and  pic- 
turesque situation  above  the 
wooded  bank  of  the  Wear,  the  churchyard  com- 
manding a  fine  view  of  the  Cathedral  and  city 
to  the  north-west.  The  site  is  an  ancient  one 
and  fragments  of  pre-Conquest  sculptured  stones 
have  been  found,*^  but  the  oldest  part  of  the 
existing  structure  dates  only  from  the  end  of  the 
1 2th  century.  The  building  consists  of  chancel, 
49  ft.  6  in.  by  18  ft.  wide,  north  vestry  and  organ 
chamber,  clearstoried  nave,  81  ft.  6  in.  by  20  ft. 
4  in.,  with  north  and  south  aisles,  and  west  tower 
15  ft.  by  12  ft.,"  all  these  measurements  being 
internal.  There  were  formerly  north  and  south 
porches."  The  aisles  are  the  full  length  of  the 
nave  but  differ  in  width,  that  on  the  north  side 
being  12  ft.  6  in.  and  the  other  15  ft.  8  in. 

A  great  deal  of  alteration  and  rebuilding 
carried  out  in  the  19th  century  has  made  nearly 
the  whole  of  the  outside  of  the  church,  with  the 
e.xception  of  the  tower  and  part  of  the  north 
wall,  of  modern  date,  but  it  still  preserves  to  a 
large  extent  its  ancient  appearance.  The  history 
of  this  later  work  may  be  thus  summarised.  In 
the  first  quarter  of  the  century  the  building  was 
declared  in  danger  owing  to  the  working  of  coal 


"  Ibid. 

'8  Ibid.  fol.  1085,  1 191. 

5»  I  bid.  file  168,  no.  12. 

•*  Ibid,  file  177,  no.  20. 

"  Ibid,  file  178,  no.  17. 

•2  V.C.H.  Dur.  i,  224-5 ;  Reliquary,  new  ser. 
viiij  77 ;  Stuart,  Sculp.  Stones  of  Scotland,  ii,  63-4 ; 
Trans.  Dur.  and  North.  Arch.  Soc.  iii,  32,  and  iv, 
281-5. 

'3  This  is  the  measurement  at  the  ground  floor  level 
inside  the  tower  arch,  where  the  outer  walls  are  about 
5  ft.  6  in.  thick.  The  ringing  chamber  measures 
internally  14  ft.  5  in.  by  14  ft.  11  in.  The  greater 
length  in  each  case  is  from  west  to  east. 

•^  They  are  mentioned  by  Surtees,  Hist,  of  Dur. 
iv,  74,  and  the  south  porch  is  shown  in  his  view  of  the 
building.  They  were  pulled  down  on  the  rebuilding 
of  the  aisles  and  not  re-erected. 


174 


Durham  :    Kepier  Hospital 


Durham  :    St.  Oswald's  Church.    The  Nave,  looking  East 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


mines  beneath,**  and  in  1834  '^  underwent  a 
somewhat  drastic  restoration.  Tlie  chancel, 
south  aisle  and  the  greater  part  of  the  north  aisle 
were  taken  down  and  rebuilt,  a  vestry  added  on 
the  north  side  of  the  chancel,  the  clearstory 
windows  were  renewed  in  an  inferior  style,  the 
nave  roof  destroyed  and  a  new  one  erected,  an 
embattled  parapet  substituted  for  one  of  open 
work  of  very  graceful  design  which  then  existed, 
and  a  new  west  window  inserted  in  the  tower. 
There  was  a  second  restoration  in  1864,  when  the 
east  end  of  the  chancel  was  again  rebuilt,  an 
organ  chamber  added  between  the  vestry  and 
the  north  aisle,  and  the  tower  restored,  all  the 
windows  being  renewed.*^  The  interior  was 
restored  in  1883  and  a  second  vestry  added  to 
the  east  of  the  former  one. 


10     5     O 


walling  belonging  to  the  older  church.  A  new 
chancel  was  probably  built  round  the  old  one 
at  the  same  time  or  early  in  the  1 3th  century,  but 
was  superseded  a  century  later  by  the  structure 
which  subsisted  down  to  1834.  "^^^  '4'^^  century 
also  saw  the  rebuilding  of  the  north  aisle  wall, 
but  no  further  change  was  made  in  the  plan  of 
the  church  till  some  time  in  the  15th  century, 
probably  about  141 2,  when  the  nave  was 
extended  westward  two  bays  and  a  west  tower 
added.  The  impost  mouldings  of  the  tower 
arch  are  apparently  of  late  12th-century  date 
and  are  probably  portions  of  the  west  end  of  the 
fabric  then  pulled  down  and  used  again  in  this 
position.*' 

The    chancel    being    entirely    new    is    of    no 
antiquarian    interest    except    as    it    reproduces 


□cII95 

I42J  Century 
1521  Century 
Ei3  Modern 


DuRH.\M  City  :  Plan  of   St.  Oswald's  Church 


The  earliest  parts  of  the  building  are  the 
chancel  arch  and  the  four  easternmost  bays  of 
the  nave  arcades,  which  date  from  about  1195  ; 
the  former  chancel  seems  to  have  been  of  14th- 
century  date,  to  which  period  the  old  part  of  the 
north  aisle  wall  with  two  of  its  windows  belongs ; 
the  two  westernmost  bays  of  the  nave,  the  clear- 
story, and  the  tower  date  from  the  15th  century. 

Nothing  definite  can  be  stated  about  the  early 
church  on  the  same  site  as  there  is  no  evidence 
in  the  existing  masonry  of  any  work  older  than 
c.  1 195,  but  it  is  possible  that  the  north-east  and 
south-west    angles    of    the    nave    may    contain 

**  '  The  church  ...  is  now  so  shaken  by  coal  mines 
that  it  is  shut  up  and  must  be  taken  down  ' :  T.  Rick- 
man,  Gothic  Architecture  (4th  ed.  1835),  162. 

**  A  large  number  of  mediaeval  grave  slabs  and  other 
fragments  were  found  at  this  time,  mostly  in  the  tower 
walls  and  at  the  east  end.  One  of  the  fragments  is 
a  13th-century  corbel  with  dog-tooth  moulding.  They 
are  described  and  figured  in  Trans.  Dur.  and  North. 
Arch.  Soc.  i,  loi,  152. 


ancient  features.  The  plan  of  course  follows 
the  old  lines,  but  little  else  can  be  said  to  be  even 
a  'restoration.'**  The  east  wall  is  faced  with 
ashlar,  but  the  north  and  south  walls,  like  those 
of  the  rest  of  the  building,  are  of  rubble.**  There 
are  diagonal  buttresses  at  the  external  angles,  but 
the  side  walls  are  unbroken  and  terminate  in 
straight  parapets.  The  roof  is  of  low  pitch  and 
lead  covered.  The  east  window  is  of  four  lights 
with  reticulated  tracery,  and  on  the  south  side 
are  three  two-light  windows  with  quatrefoils 
in  the  heads  and  a  string  at  the  side  level.  On 
the  north  side  is  a  similar  window  at  the  east  end 

*'  It  is,  of  course,  possible  that  there  was  a  tower 
to  the  12th-century  church,  but  there  is  no  evidence 
of  this. 

*«  The  windows  in  a  general  way  reproduce  the  old 
ones.  There  were  originally  three  on  the  north  side. 

«3  Hutchinson,  writing  about  1787,  says:  'Being 
built  of  stone  subject  to  decay  [the  church]  is  in  most 
parts  covered  with  rough  cast  and  lime'  {Hist,  of 
Dur.  ii,  312). 


175 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


now  opening  into  the  vestry,  the  western  part 
of  the  wall  being  open  to  the  organ  chamber. 
There  was  originally  a  tall  square-headed 
opening  of  two  lights  with  low  transom  in  the 
south-west  corner,  the  bottom  lights  of  which 
formed  a  low-side  window,  and  a  priest's  doorway 
below  the  middle  window,  but  neither  of  these 
features  was  reproduced  in  the  rebuilding." 
No  ancient  ritual  arrangements  have  been  pre- 
served and  all  the  walls  are  plastered  internally. 
Some  oak  stall  work  of  15th-century  date  with 
traceried  panels  remains ;  but  the  chancel 
screen  is  a  modern  one  of  poor  design  erected  in 


and  bases.  The  eastern  responds  are  keel-shaped 
and  those  at  the  west  end  half-octagonal.  All 
the  arches  are  of  two  chamfered  orders  with 
hood  moulds  towards  the  nave  and  spring  from 
a  height  12  ft.  above  the  floor  level.  On  the 
north  side  there  is  a  transverse  arch  across  the 
aisle  opposite  the  first  octagonal  pier,  with  a 
buttress  on  the  external  wall,  in  line  with  the 
west  end  of  the  12th-century  nave.  The  two 
easternmost  windows  of  the  north  aisle  are  old, 
though  the  muUions  and  tracery  have  been 
renewed  ;  they  are  of  two  cinquef oiled  lights  and 
have  segmental  heads  with  hood  moulds,  and 


Church  of  St.  Oswald  :  Exterior  from  the  South 


1834.  The  chancel  arch  is  pointed  and  of  two 
chamfered  orders  to  the  nave,  springing  from 
half-round  responds  with  carved  capitals  of  late 
transitional  type.  On  the  chancel  side  the  outer 
order  is  square  and  dies  into  the  wall,  and  there 
is  a  hood  mould  on  the  nave  side  only. 

The  nave  is  of  six  bays,  the  arcades  consisting 
of  three  semicircular  and  three  pointed  arches 
on  each  side,  the  round  arch  of  the  original  fourth 
bay  having  been  taken  down  when  the  nave  was 
extended  westward.  The  arcades  are  similar 
in  character  on  both  sides,  the  round  arches 
springing  from  circular  and  the  late  pointed  ones 
from  octagonal  piers,  all  with  moulded  capitals 

'"  They  are  shown  in  Surtees'  view  of  the  church 
{Hist,  of  Dtir.  iv,  74). 


double  chamfered  jambs.  A  square-headed 
aumbry  with  rebated  jambs  remains  at  the  east 
end  of  the  north  aisle  wall :  the  door  has  gone. 

The  clearstory  has  five  three-light  windows  on 
each  side  with  four-centred  heads  and  external 
hood  moulds,  separated  by  buttresses  running  up 
to  the  full  height  of  the  embattled  parapet.  The 
aisles  have  modern  lean-to  leaded  roofs  behind 
straight  parapets  and  the  nave  roof  is  a  flat 
pitched  one  of  five  bays  corresponding  with  the 
clearstory  windows.  The  roof  destroyed  in  1834 
appears  to  have  been  a  handsome  one  of  hammer- 
beam  type  erected  by  William  Catten,  vicar  in  the 
early  years  of  the  1 5th  century.  It  was  described 
by  Surtees  as  a  fine  vaulted  roof  of  wood,  the 
rafters  springing  from  brackets  ornamented  with 
angels  bearing  blank  shields  and  joined  with  rose 


CITY  OF   DURHAM 


knots.  On  the  centre  knot  was  an  inscription  in 
gold  letters  on  a  blue  ground  '  Orate  pro  W. 
Catten,  Vicr.' " 

The  north  and  south  doorways  are  modern, 
that  on  the  south  side  being  in  the  13th-century 
style,  but  in  the  wall  above  is  a  15th-century 
niche  with  cinquefoiled  ogee  head  and  tracery 
over.  Suttees  mentions  four  arches  in  the  south 
aisle  '  apparently  intended  as  sepulchral,  but 
without  effigy  or  inscription,''-  and  Sir  Stephen 
Glynne  in  1825"  noted  an  arch  in  the  wall  at 
the  west  end  of  the  south  aisle  '  under  which 
apparently  was  once  a  tomb.'  All  these  dis- 
appeared when  the  aisle  walls  were  destroyed, 
or  before.  The  new  walls  were  reduced  in 
thickness. 

The  tower  is  of  four  stages  with  embattled 
parapet  and  diagonal  buttresses,  carried  up  its 
full  height  as  angle  pinnacles.  It  has  been  very 
much  restored  and  all  the  windows  and  other 
external  architectural  features  are  modern.  The 
belfry  windows  are  pointed  openings  of  two  Hghts 
and  the  west  window  is  of  three  lights.  With  the 
exception  of  a  small  single  light  opening  in  the 
second  stage  the  north  and  south  sides  are  blank 
below  the  belfry.  The  tower  arch  is  a  lofty 
pointed  one  of  two  chamfered  orders  without 
hood  mould  springing  from  the  early  impost 
mouldings  already  referred  to,  below  which  the 
chamfers  are  carried  down  the  jambs.  The  first 
floor  is  carried  by  a  ribbed  vault  with  large 
circular  well  hole,  but  without  wall  ribs,  and  is 
approached  by  a  staircase  in  the  thickness  of  the 
wall  starting  in  the  south-east  corner  and 
returned  along  the  west  wall  to  the  north-west 
angle.  Many  of  the  steps  consist  of  mediaeval 
grave  covers  with  crosses  and  various  symbols, 
no  fewer  than  twenty-four  being  used  in  the 
construction  of  the  stairway.'*  Some  of  the 
grave  slabs  discovered  in  1864  are  now  in  the 
churchyard  on  the  north  side  of  the  tower. 

The  font  is  modern  and  stands  below  the 
tower.  Above  the  tower  arch  are  the  Royal 
Arms  of  the  Stuart  Sovereigns.  The  pulpit  and 
all  the  other  fittings  are  also  modern.  In  the 
north  aisle  is  a  good  renaissance  mural  monument 
to  Christopher  Chayter  of  Butterby  (d.  1592) 
and  at  the  east  end  of  the  south  aisle  others  to 
Jarrardus  Salvinof  Croxdale(d.  1663)  with  arms, 
helm,  and  crest,'*  and  to  George  Smith  of 
Burnhall  (d.  1756). 

'I  Surtees,  Hist,  of  Dur.  iv,  74.  ^^  Ibid. 

^3  Glynne's  account  of  the  building  at  this  date  is 
in  Pro.  Soc.  Ant.  {Nezuc),  3rd  ser.  iii,  283.  He  visited 
the  church  again  in  1869  and  noted  that  it  had  been 
'  much  improved  and  put  into  good  state.' 

'^  Boyle,  Co.  Durham,  380.  One  stone  shows  a  line 
of  small  nail-headed  ornament. 

'5  It  was  formerly  on  the  north  side  of  the  chancel. 
The  inscriptions  in  the  church  are  given  in  Surtees, 
op.  cit.  iv,  75-7,  and  in  the  churchyard,  77-80. 


There  is  no  ancient  glass,  but  Surtees  mentions 
'  some  remains '  in  the  windows  of  the  north 
aisle,  including  the  arms  of  Nevill,  and  a  roundel 
with  its  sacred  monogram.  A  perfect  shield 
with  the  arms  of  Lumley  had  been  destroyed  a 
few  years  before.'" 

There  is  a  ring  of  six  bells,  five  of  which  were 
cast  by  Christopher  Hodgson  in  1694.  The 
second  is  a  recasting  of  a  similar  bell  by  GiUett 
&Co.  in  1885.  All  the  old  bells  bear  inscriptions 
in  Roman  characters  with  coins  of  different  sizes 
between  the  words." 

The  plate'*  consists  of  a  small  silver-gilt  cup 
with  domed  cover,  originally  a  secular  drinking 
vessel,  without  marks,  but  probably  of  16th- 
century  date,  inscribed  '  Haec  Calix  est  novum 
Testamentum  in  Sanguine  meo  pro  vobis 
funditur  et  pro  multis  in  remissio'em  peccato- 
rum  ' ;  a  silver-gilt  paten  of  1699,  inscribed 
'  Hoc  est  corpus  meum  quod  pro  vobis  frangitur,' 
and  on  the  back  '  G.  Brown,'  with  the  maker's 
mark  R.M  ;  a  silver-gilt  alms  dish  of  1701,  with 
the  mark  of  John  Bodington,  inscribed  '  The 
Gift  of  John  Sedgwicke  Esq.  A.D.  1699  to  St. 
Oswald's  Church  in  Durham '  ;  two  silver 
collecting  basins  of  1736,  the  first  made  at 
Newcastle  and  inscribed  '  The  Gift  of  E. 
Lambton,'  and  the  second  '  The  Gift  of  David 
Dixon '  ;  and  two  silver-gilt  chalices  and  patens 
of  1865. 

The  head  of  a  mediaeval  processional  cross, 
probably  of  late  15th-century  date,  found  about 
the  middle  of  the  last  century  in  a  mail  coach  in 
an  hotel  yard  in  Durham,  belongs  to  St.  Oswald's.'* 
The  figure  of  Our  Lord,  and  those  of  the  Blessed 
Virgin  and  St.  John,  together  with  four  angels 
at  the  ends  of  the  arms,  are  of  white  metal,  the 
cross  and  arms  being  gilded. 

The  registers  begin  in  1538,  but  there  is  a  gap 

■"  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iv,  74. 

"  Pro.  Soc.  Ant.  {Newc),  new  ser.  iii,  194.  The 
inscriptions  are  (l)  Glovia  [sic]  in  Altissimis  Deo 
Pex  Forster  A.M.  Vic.  Christo.  Hodson  me  fecit 
1694;  (2)  Gillett  &  Co.  made  me  1885.  Pax  hom- 
inibus.  Arthur  Headlam,  W.k.  Vic.  (and  names  of 
churchwardens)  ;  (3)  Deum  Timete  Pex  Forster 
A.M.  Vic.  I.  Evans,  C.  Warden.  Christo  Hodson  me 
fecit ;  (4)  Regem  Honorate  Pex  Forster  A.M.  Vic. 
1694.  Christop''  Hodson  made  me  I.  Evans  IS. 
WH.  RW.  ;  (5)  Ibimus  in  Domum  Domini  Pex 
Forster  A.M.  Vic.  Christoper  Hodson  made  me  1694. 
I.  Evans  Ch.  W. ;  (6)  Oswaldus  Florem  Meleor  Quia 
Gesto  Tenorem  Pex  Forster,  A.M.  Vic.  I.  Evans  IS. 
WH.  RW.  CW.  94.  The  original  second  bell  was 
inscribed  '  Pax  Hominibus  Pex  Forster  A.M.  Vic. 
I.  Evans.  Christopher  Hodson  made  me  1694.  IS. 
WH.  RW.  CW.' 

'«  Pro.  Soc.  Ant.  (AVar.),  iii,  428-9. 

■"  Ibid,  v,  196.  It  was  sold  to  a  Mr.  Caldcleugh, 
whose  widow  subsequently  presented  it  to  St. 
Oswald's.  It  is  mounted  on  an  ebony  staff  with 
silver  knobs,  and  is  used  for  its  original  purpose. 


U7 


23 


A   HISTORY   OF  DURHAM 


of  six  years  between  1592  and  1598.  They  have 
been  printed  down  to  1 75 1.*** 

The  churchyard,  which  is  very  extensive,  lies 
chiefly  on  the  north  and  south  sides  of  the 
building,  with  entrances  from  the  road,  which 
bounds  it  on  the  cast  side,  at  the  north-east  and 
south-east  corners.  A  new  detached  burial 
ground  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  road  further 
south  was  consecrated  in  1889. 

The  church  of  ST.  MARGARET  stands  on 
high  ground  near  the  bottom  of  Crossgate,  above 
the  left  bank  of  the  river,  immediately  opposite 
the  castle,  and  consists  of  a  chancel  25  ft.  by 
22  ft.,  with  north  vestry  and  organ  chamber,  and 
south  chapel  13  ft.  6  in.  wide,  clearstoried  nave 
46  ft.  by  24  ft.,  with  north  and   south  aisles, 

■I  121!!  Cl-NTURY 

■dig  5 
^141!!  Cent. 
^l5Il!Cb-NT. 
E3  Modern 


the  westernmost  arch  of  the  arcade.  The  detail 
of  the  arcade  itself  is  fairly  late  in  style,  and  the 
date  of  the  erection  of  the  building  may  have 
been  about  11 50.  The  church  was  enlarged 
c.  1 195  by  the  addition  of  a  north  aisle  and  the 
rebuilding  of  the  chancel  on  a  larger  scale,  the 
present  north  arcade  and  chancel  arch  dating 
from  this  period.  The  south  aisle  was  rebuilt 
in  the  14th  century  during  the  episcopate  of 
Richard  de  Bury,  and  the  clearstory  windows  on 
this  side,  recently  renewed,  are  said  to  have  been 
of  this  date.  Those  on  the  north  side,  which 
still  remain,  are,  however,  of  the  15th  century, 
when  either  they  were  inserted  or  the  clear- 
story wall  rebuilt,  the  church  at  the  same  time 
undergoing     alterations     and     additions.     The 


Scale  of  Feet 

Durham  City  :   Plan  of  St.  Margaret's  Church 


north  and  south  porches,  and  west  tower  11  ft. 
square,  all  these  measurements  being  internal. 

The  oldest  parts  of  the  building  are  the  south 
arcade  of  the  nave  and  parts  of  the  west  wall  to 
the  north  and  south  of  the  tower,  which  date 
from  the  12th  century  and  are  all  that  remains  of 
the  original  church  of  that  period.  This  early 
church  consisted  of  a  nave  of  the  same  size  as  at 
present,  a  south  aisle,  short  chancel,  and  possibly 
a  small  west  tower.  There  was  also  a  nave 
clearstory,  one  of  the  windows  of  which  still 
remains  on  the   south  side  immediately  above 

80  Edited  by  Rev.  A.  W.  Headlam,  M.A.,  Vicar, 
1891  (T.  Caldcleugh,  Durham).  After  1680  the 
burials,  including  a  repetition  of  those  from  22  Aug. 
1678  to  the  end  of  1679,  are  in  a  separate  register. 
There  is  a  duplicate  register  beginning  May  1695 
and  ending  July  1706,  the  entries  varying  occasionally 
in  fulness  of  detail.  In  June  1672  was  buried  'Jane 
Sym,  sexton  of  this  parish  and  wife  of  John  Sym  sexton 
deceased.' 


chapel*'  or  aisle  on  the  south  side  of  the  chancel, 
which  is  slightly  wider  than  the  south  aisle  of 
the  nave,  is  of  15th-century  date,  and  an  arch  on 
the  west  end  of  the  north  wall  of  the  chancel 
suggests  that  the  north  aisle  of  the  nave  was 
extended  eastward  to  half  the  length  of  the 
quire  at  the  same  time.  The  existing  tower, 
whether  an  addition  or  a  rebuilding,  belongs  also 
to  the  15th  century,  and  probably  a  porch  or 
porches  were  also  built.  The  plan  then  assumed 
more  or  less  its  present  shape,  with  the  exception 
of  the  buildings  north  of  the  chancel,  which  are 
entirely  modern.  Some  repairs  appear  to  have 
been  done  in  1699,  that  date  occurring  on  a  spout 
head  on  the  south  side,*^  but  no  structural 
changes  of  any  importance  seem  to  have  been 
made  till  the  latter  half  of  the  19th  century. 
The  building,  however,  experienced  the  usual 


81  Possibly  the  chantry  of  the  Blessed  Virgin. 

82  Another  has  the  initials  I.  W. 


178 


CITY   OF   DURHAM 


internal  vicissitudes  of  the  i8th  and  early  19th 
centuries,  galleries  being  erected  at  the  west  end 
and  in  the  north  aisle,  the  latter  in  1824  with  a 
separate  external  entrance.*^  The  east  window 
was '  a  modern  sash,'  and  the  rest  of  the  windows 
on  the  north  and  south  of  the  church  had  been 
renewed  about  the  middle  of  the  last  century.** 
In  1880  the  building  underwent  an  extensive 
restoration,  the  whole  of  the  north  aisle  being 
taken  down  and  widened,  and  the  vestry  and 
organ  chamber  added  at  its  east  end.  New 
porches  were  erected,  new  windows  inserted, 
except  in  the  north  side  of  the  clearstory,  the 
galleries  removed,  and  the  interior  generally 
renovated.  The  interior  of  the  tower  was 
repaired  in  1897. 

The  old  walling  is  all  of  rubble,  and  the  roofs 
are  of  flat  pitch  covered  with  lead  behind 
straight  parapets.  The  east  window  of  the 
chancel  is  modern  and  of  five  lights  with  per- 
pendicular tracery,  and  there  are  two  modern 
square-headed  clearstory  windows  on  the  south 
side.  Internally  the  chancel  is  open  to  the  aisle 
on  the  south  by  a  wide  pointed  arch  of  two 
hollow  chamfered  orders  dying  into  the  wall  at 
the  springing,  and  the  lower  half  of  the  wall  is 
reduced  in  thickness.  The  aisle  is  the  full  length 
of  the  chancel,  the  east  walls  being  flush  out- 
side, and  is  lighted  by  two  modern  windows  on 
the  south  and  one  at  the  east  end.  The  north 
wall  of  the  chancel  is  pierced  at  its  west  end 
by  the  arch  already  referred  to,  which  is  of  two 
hollow  chamfered  orders,  and  now  opens  to  the 
organ  chamber.  The  east  end  of  the  wall  con- 
tains two  aumbries,  one  oblong  in  shape,  above 
which,  at  a  height  of  about  7  ft.  from  the 
sanctuary  floor,  is  a  plain  round-headed  window, 
now  built  up,  with  wide  internal  splay,  the  only 
architectural  feature  of  the  late  12th-century 
chancel  now  remaining  with  the  exception  of  the 
chancel  arch.  The  roof  is  a  modern  one  of  three 
bays,  and  the  fittings  are  all  modern. 

The  chancel  arch  is  very  lofty  and  elliptical  in 
form,  and  consists  of  two  orders  slightly  cham- 
fered on  the  edge,  with  hood  mould  towards 
the  nave  continued  north  and  south  along  the 
waU.  The  opening  is  15  ft.  wide,  and  the  inner 
order  springs  from  corbelled  shafts  with  cushion 
capitals,  the  outer  order  going  down  to  the 
ground.  The  shafts  are  modern  restorations, 
and  the  jambs,  along  with  much  of  the  walling 
on  either  side,  including  the  two  squints,  have 
also  been  renewed.  The  squint  on  the  south 
side  of  the  arch  is  so  contrived  as  to  afford  a  view 
not  only  of  the  high  altar  from  the  south  aisle, 
but  also  of  that  of  the  chantry  altar  from  the 

^  Surtees,  Hist.  Dur.  iv,  128.  It  is  stated  that 
'  the  whole  fabric  has  been  placed  in  complete  repair.' 
An  organ  was  placed  in  the  north  gallery  in  1828. 

M  Fordyce,  Hist.  Dur.  (1857), ».  3^3- 


nave.  The  chancel  arch,  having  been  weakened 
by  the  alterations  in  the  15th  century,  conse- 
quent, no  doubt,  on  its  excessive  height  and 
extreme  flatness,  was  strengthened  by  squinch 
work  on  either  side  and  by  the  erection  of  a 
pointed  relieving  arch  above  it  which  shows  on 
the  east  side  towards  the  chancel. 

The  south  arcade  of  the  nave  consists  of  four 
semicircular  arches  of  a  single  order,  square  to 
the  aisle  but  slightly  chamfered  towards  the 
nave,  springing  at  a  height  of  8  ft.  10  in.  from 
circular  piers  and  half-round  responds.  The  first 
and  second  piers  from  the  east  and  the  western 
respond  have  scalloped  capitals  and  chamfered 
abaci ;  the  capital  of  the  third  pier  is  plain,  and 
that  of  the  eastern  respond  has  an  incipient 
volute  ornament  with  a  head  facing  west.  The 
piers  are  27  in.  in  diameter,  and  have  been 
renewed  in  places,  the  moulded  bases  being  all 
modern  restorations.  The  arches  have  hood 
moulds  on  the  nave  side  only.  The  aisle  is 
10  ft.  3  in.  wide,  and  is  lighted  by  three  modern 
two-light  windows. 

The  north  arcade  consists  of  four  semi- 
circular arches  of  two  chamfered  orders,  spring- 
ing at  a  height  of  13  ft.  from  circular  piers  and 
keel-shaped  responds,  all  with  moulded  capitals 
and  bases.  There  is  a  hood  mould  towards  the 
nave,  and  the  piers,  which  are  22  in.  in  diameter, 
have  been  a  good  deal  restored,  all  the  bases, 
like  those  on  the  south  side,  being  new.  The 
eastern  respond  has  been  entirely  rebuilt.  The 
greater  height  and  light  proportions  of  the  north 
arcade  are  in  strong  contrast  to  the  older  work. 
The  north  aisle  is  described  as  being  originally 
'  very  narrow  but  having  no  ancient  work  in 
it.'^  As  rebuilt,  it  is  13  ft.  wide,  with  three 
windows  on  the  north  side  and  one  at  the  west 
end. 

The  nave  roof  is  a  modern  one  of  six  bays,  and 
the  clearstory  has  three  new  windows  of  two 
trefoiled  lights  on  the  south  side,  with  four- 
centred  heads  and  hood  moulds.  The  western 
12th-century  clearstory  window  is  at  a  very 
much  lower  level,  its  sill  being  immediately 
above  the  crown  of  the  arch  of  the  arcade  and  its 
head  externally  about  half  the  height  of  the  later 
openings.  It  has  no  hood  mould,  and  the  head  is 
in  three  stones.  A  portion  of  weathering  above 
the  opening  apparently  shows  the  height  of  the 
original  wall.  On  the  north  side  there  are  two 
unrestored  clearstory  windows,  each  of  two 
plain  lights  with  four-centred  heads,  but  without 
hood  moulds.  The  walls  internally  are  all  plas- 
tered except  at  the  west  end,  where  the  masonry 
is  left  bare. 

The  tower  is  of  four  stages,  each  slightly 
setting  back,  and  terminates  in  an  embattled 


^  Informauon  of  the  late  Mr.  C.  Hodgson  Fowler, 
architect  of  the  restoration. 


179 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


parapet  with  angle  pinnacles.  It  is  built  of 
coursed  rough  stones  with  quoins  at  the  angles, 
and  has  a  projecting  vice  in  the  south-east 
corner,  sloping  back  below  the  belfry  stage. 
The  west  window  is  a  pointed  one  of  two 
cinquefoiled  lights  cutting  into  the  string 
between  the  first  and  second  stages,  the  sill 
being  lo  ft.  above  the  ground.  On  the  north 
and  south  sides  the  two  lower  stages  are  blank, 
the  third  having  a  small  square-headed  opening. 
The  belfry  windows  are  pointed  openings  of  two 
lights.  The  tower  arch  is  a  lofty  one  of  two 
hollow  chamfered  orders  dying  into  the  wall  at 
the  springing,  and  is  the  full  width  of  the  tower. 
The  first  floor  is  carried  on  a  groined  vault  with 
hollow  chamfered  ribs,  at  the  intersection  of 
which  is  a  blank  shield. 

The  font  stands  below  the  tower  and  consists 
of  a  circular  bowl  of  Frosterley  marble  on  a 
cylindrical  shaft.  It  is  lined  with  lead  and  may 
be  of  late  12th-century  date.  The  pulpit  and 
seating  are  of  oak  and  date  from  the  time  of 
the  last  restoration. 

In  the  floor  of  the  nave  is  a  blue  stone  slab  to 
Sir  John  Duck,  bart.  (d.  1691),  with  arms,  helm, 
crest  and  mantling  ;  and  in  the  chancel  floor  is 
an  armorial  slab  in  memory  of  Mary,  widow  of 
Thomas  Mascall  (d.  1736).  The  chancel  also 
contains  various  1 8th  and  early  19th  century 
mural  monuments.^ 

There  is  a  ring  of  three  bells,  two  of  which  are 
probably  of  15th-century  date.  The  third  was 
cast  in  1624.  The  inscriptions  are  :  (i)  '  Vox 
Agustini  Sonet  in  Aure  Dei';  (2)  'Sauncta  Mer- 
gareta  Ora  Pro  Nobis ' ;  (3)  '  Jesus  be  our 
Speed  Anno  Domini  1624.'*' 

The  plate^  consists  of  a  chalice  and  cover, 
the  former  being  inscribed  '  Calix  Benedicttionis 
Sanctae  Margaretae  Dunelmensis  Anno  Domini 
1675,'  and  the  latter  'Anno  Domini  1675'*'; 
a  paten  of  three  feet  made  by  Isaac  Cookson,  of 
Newcastle,  without  date  letter,  but  inscribed 
'  1753,  Given  to  the  Chapel  of  Saint  Margaret  in 

**  The  inscriptions  are  given  in  Surtees,  op.  cit. 
iv,  128-30. 

*'  The  inscriptions  on  the  two  mediaeval  bells  are 
in  Gothic  characters  with  Lombardic  capitals.  They 
bear  the  same  founder's  stamp  and  initial  cross,  and 
a  shield  with  the  Royal  Arms  (i  and  4  France,  2  and  3 
England).  They  maybe  by  John  Danyell,  of  London, 
c.  1450.  The  third  bell  is  probably  by  Thomas 
Bartlett,  of  Durham.  Below  the  inscription  are  the 
initials  AT,  IP,  RG,  IR,  at  intervals.  Pro.  Soc.  Ant. 
{Nezvc),  new  ser.  iii,  195. 

*8  Ibid,  iii,  431. 

*'  The  vestry  book  records  (Easter  Tuesday  1676) 
that  Mr.  Samuel  Martyn,  minister,  has  presented 
a  silver  chaUce  with  cover  '  in  lieu  of  the  old  chaUce 
formerly  used  and  the  said  Mr.  Martyn  hath  desired 
that  two  new  patens  for  y*  bread  may  be  p'vided 
by  the  Chappelry  to  be  used  therewith.'  The  chahce 
has  three  hall  marks,  one  illegible,  but  no  date  letter. 


Crossgate  for  ever';  and  two  chalices, two  patens, 
and  a  flagon  of  1849,  all  inscribed  '  Sanctae 
Margaritae  Capella  Dunelmii  MDCCCL.' 

The  registers  begin  in  1558.  The  marriage 
entries  have  been  printed  down  to  181 2.'" 
There  is  a  complete  set  of  vestry  books  in  seven 
volumes,  beginning  in  1665. 

The  church  stands  high  above  the  road, 
which  passes  close  to  it  on  the  north  side,  the 
churchyard  being  chiefly  to  the  south.  The 
churchyard  was  extended  in  1820  by  the  purchase 
of  a  large  orchard  in  South  Street,**  and  in  1845 
the  Dean  and  Chapter  gave  about  two  acres 
attached  to  the  church  for  a  further  enlarge- 
ment.*^ 

The  church  of  ST. 
ADVOWSONS  OSWALD,  Elvet,  with  its 
chapels,**  was  granted  by 
Bishop  Hugh  Pudsey,  subject  to  the  incum- 
bent's life  interest,  to  the  Prior  and  Convent 
on  condition  that  they  should  maintain  priests 
at  the  mother  church  and  at  the  chapels  of 
Witton  and  Croxdale.  In  1359  Bishop  Hat- 
field ordered  that  the  vicar  of  St.  Oswald's 
should  have  the  manse  by  the  churchyard 
which  he  occupied,  16  marks  of  silver  a  year, 
two  wainloads  of  hay,  various  minor  profits  and 
the  offerings,  baptismal  and  other,  except  from 
the  vills  of  Croxdale,  Sunderland  and  Beautrove. 
After  the  Dissolution  the  patronage  was  vested 
in  the  Dean  and  Chapter  of  Durham. 

The  earliest  chantry  in  this  church  was  that 
of  Our  Lady,  founded**  and  endowed  by  Ralph, 
chaplain  of  St.  Oswald,  at  the  altar  of  the  B.V. 
Mary  at  the  south  of  the  church,  probably  in 
the  13th  century.  The  patronage  of  the  chantry 
after  the  founder's  death  was  vested  in  the 
Prior  and  Convent  of  Durham.  There  were 
later  augmentations**  in  1360  and  1392.  The 
gross  annual  value**  at  the  Dissolution  was 
£6  T,s.  ^d.,  the  net  about  ^^5  gs. 

The  second  chantry  in  this  church  was  that 
of  St.  John  the  Baptist  and  St.  John  the  Evan- 
gelist, founded  by  a  member  of  the  Elvet  family 
in  1404,  as  appears  from  a  licence  from  Bishop 
Skirlaw  to  Richard  de  Elvet,  clerk,  John  de 
Elvet,  clerk,  and  Gilbert  Elvet.  The  endowment 
included  the  manor  of  Edderacres  in  Easington 

•0  Dur.  and  North.  Par.  Reg.  Soc.  vol.  ix  ;  transcribed 
by  the  Rev.  H.  Roberson,  M.A.  (1904). 

^^  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iv,  128.  The  new  burial  ground 
was  consecrated  23  Sept.  1820. 

**  Fordyce,  op.  cit.  i,  383.  Consecrated  7  Nov. 
1845. 

**  Surtees,  Hist.  Dur.  iv,  81. 

^  Ibid.  80. 

**  Ibid. ;  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  33,  m.  9. 

**  Injunctions  and  Eccl.  Proc.  Bp.  Barnes  (Surt. 
Soc),  App.  vi,  p.  Ix.  Cf.  Harl.  R.  D  36.  There  is, 
however,  a  somewhat  different  estimate  of  the  value  in 
Surtees,  op.  cit.  iv,  81. 


180 


CITY  OF   DURHAM 


parish,  and  messuages  in  Elvet,  'Flesshewergate' 
and  elsewhere.*'  The  patronage  was  vested  in 
the  heirs  of  the  founder,  Gilbert  de  Elvet.  The 
clear  value'*  at  the  Dissolution,  less  reprises,  was 
estimated  at  ^^ii  8/.  lod.  In  1608  the  King 
granted  to  Simon  Wiseman  and  Richard  Mare 
the  lands  of  this  chantry. 

A  third  foundation  was  that  of  the  Rood  Mass 
priest,  the  clear  yearly  value^  of  which  at  the 
Dissolution,  less  reprises,  was  £'i  ys.  Sd.  There 
were  also  two  gilds  attached  to  this  church,  one 
of  St.  Oswald,-  and  the  other  of  the  Holy 
Trinity,  and  in  1472  the  Prior  of  Durham 
demised  to  John  Tange,  alderman,  and  Thomas 
Wade  and  Thomas  Watson,  brethren  of  the 
gild  of  the  Holy  Trinity,  three  waste  burgages  in 
New  Elvet,  on  which  the  alderman  and  brethren 
of  the  gild  proposed  to  build  their  new  gild 
house.  In  this  gild  house  the  hostiller  of  the 
Priory  of  Durham  should  have  full  liberty  to 
hold  his  borough  court  of  Elvet.^ 

The  Anchorage  near  St.  Oswald's  church- 
yard has  already  been  mentioned.*  After  the 
Dissolution  its  possession  led  to  an  entertaining 
quarreP  between  rival  grantees. 

The  chapel  of  ST.  MARGARET,  originally 
dependent  on  the  Church  of  St.  Oswald,  was 
probably  founded  in  the  12th  century.  In  1384 
the  Prior  and  Convent  authorised  the  perform- 
ance of  all  sacramental  rites  in  the  chapel, 
except  marriage  and  burial,  and  in  143 1  these 
exceptions  were  removed  and  a  commission 
issued  for  the  consecration  of  the  chapel  and 
cemetery.*  For  all  practical  purposes  St.  Mar- 
garet's thus  became  a  separate  parish,  though  a 
reminder  of  its  old  status  was  found  in  the  small 
dues  paid  to  the  mother  church,  as,  for  example, 
'  hoUy  bread  silver  '  and  in  the  attendance  of 
one  of  the  churchwardens  of  St.  Margaret's  at 
St.  Oswald's  on  occasions  of  special  ceremony.' 
The  patronage  after  the  Dissolution  was  vested 
in  the  Dean  and  Chapter  of  Durham. 

Within  this  chapel  was  a  chantry  of  Our  Lady, 
founded*  by  one  Ralph  before  1343.  In  1338  a 
tenement  in  Crossgate  was  charged  with  the 
provision  of  two  lbs.  of  wax  for  two  lights  to 
burn  before  the  altar  of  St.  Mary,  and  in  1355  a 

*'  Pat.  6  Hen.  IV,  pt.  i,  m.  30. 
'*  Injunctions   and   Ecd.    Proc.    Bp.  Barnes   (Surt. 
Soc),  App.  vi,  p.  Ix. 

*  Injunctions  and  Eccl.  Proc.  Bp.  Barnes  (Surt.  Soc), 
App.  vi,  p.  Ix  ;  Harl.  R.  D  36. 

2  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iv,  81. 

*  Ibid.  n.  c. 
*F.C.H.Dur.u,  130. 

6  Depos.  and  Other  Eccl.  Proc.  (Surt.  Soc),  296 
et  seq. 

'  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iv,  127. 

'  Depos.  and  Other  Eccl.  Proc.  (Surt.  Soc),  iii, 
276  et  seq. 

*  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iv,  130. 


burgage  in  South  Street  was  charged  with  izd. 
due  to  the  chaplain  of  St.  Mary's  altar.  At  the 
Dissolution  the  gross  revenue' of  the  chantry  of 
Our  Lady  was  £j  13;.  ^d.,  and  the  clear  value, 
less  reprises,  £^  p.  jid.  Benefactions***  to  the 
lights  in  St.  Margaret's  chapel  are  found  in 
1327  and  1328,  and  in  the  i6th  century  several 
foundations  for  obits"  and  anniversaries  existed 
here.  The  curates  of  this  chapel  were  at  one 
time  almost  dependent  on  the  offerings  and  dues 
of  the  parishioners,  but  by  the  action  of  the 
Dean  and  Chapter  of  Durham  and  the  Governors 
of  Queen  Anne's  Bounty  the  value  of  the 
chapelry  has  been  considerably  increased.  There 
was  in  Framwellgate  before  the  Reformation  a 
Gild  of  St.  Margaret^  probably  connected 
with  this  church,  and  as  early  as  1 3 16  we  hear 
of  a  burgage  in  Framwellgate  called  the  '  Gyld- 
hous.'  This  was  probably  the  burgage  some- 
time belonging  to  the  Gild  of  St.  Margaret 
which  in  1574  lay  to  the  north  of  the  burgage 
called  Paynter's  Place.*^ 

The  division  of  the  ecclesiastical  parish  was 
foreshadowed  in  1826  by  the  building  of  a  chapel 
of  ease  at  Shincliffe,'*  dedicated  to  the  honour  of 
St.  Mary  the  Virgin,  the  parish  of  Shincliffe 
being  created  five  years  later.**  Sunderland 
Bridge  and  Hett  (from  the  parish  of  Merring- 
ton)  were  next  formed  into  the  district  chapelry 
of  Croxdale  in  1843,"  and  in  1858  part  of  the 
chapelry  of  St.  Margaret's  was  assigned  to  the 
new  district  of  St.  Cuthbert,"  the  church  of 
which  was  built  in  1862.  A  still  further  altera- 
tion was  made  in  St.  Margaret's  in  1871  by  the 
building  of  the  chapel  of  ease  of  St.  Aidan,  and 
in  1896,  when  a  chapel  of  ease  was  built  and 
dedicated  to  St.  John  the  Evangelist.**  At 
Broom,  the  church  of  St.  Edmund,  king  and 
martyr,  was  built  in  1879,  when  a  parish  was 
formed,  and  a  further  mission  chapel  of  St. 
Katherine  was  set  up  in  1883. 

The  Church  estate  in  the 
CHARITIES  parish  of  ST.  OSWALD  origi- 
nally consisted  of  allotments  on 
Elvet  Moor,  containing  4^  acres,  and  four 
burgage  tenements  in  Hallgarth  Street,  which 
were  sold  in  1877  and  the  proceeds  invested  in 
jf  1,029  J^-^-  9^-  consols,  with  the  official  trustees. 
The  annual  dividends,  amounting  to  j^25  14J.  %d., 

»  Injunctions  and  Eccl.  Proc.  Bp.  Barnes  (Surt.  Soc), 
App.  vi,  p.  be ;  Harl.  R.  D  36. 

**  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iv,  127  n.  c. 

"  Harl.  R.  D  36. 

*2  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iv,  136. 

13  Ibid.  61. 

**  Mackenzie  and  Ross,  Dur.  ii,  440. 

15  Lotid.  Gaz.  2  Aug.  1831,  p.  1563. 

*«  Ibid.  5  Sept.  1843,  p.  2950. 

1'  Ibid.  10  Sept.  1858,  p.  4096. 

w  Reg.  of  St.  Margaret's,  Dur.  (Dur.  and  North. 
Par.  Reg.  Soc),  p.  vi. 


181 


A   HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


are  applied  in  the  payment  of  the  salary  of  the 
sexton  and  church  expenses. 

In  1 701  the  Rev.  John  Cock,  by  his  will, 
directed  ^600  to  be  invested  in  land,  the 
income  arising  therefrom  to  be  spent  in  teach- 
ing poor  girls,  in  apprenticing  boys,  in  medi- 
cal aid,  in  clothes  and  money  to  poor,  and 
in  distribution  of  bibles  and  other  religious 
books. 

The  property  consisted  of  a  farm,  known  as 
Elvet  Farm,  containing  44  a.  2  r.,  of  the  annual 
rental  value  of  ^jo.  The  farm  was  sold  in  192 1 
and  the  proceeds  invested  in  £6, 115  5/.  2d. 
2j  per  cent,  consols,  with  the  official  receivers, 
producing  j^iS2  i-s.  id.  yearly.  In  1925  the  net 
income  was  applied  in  the  paj-ment  of  ^^5  5/.  to 
the  Durham  County  Hospital;  of  ^^lo  to  St. 
Oswald's  Schools;  £z  10s.  in  books;  £1^  for 
medical  purposes,  and  the  balance,  in  money  and 
clothing,  to  the  poor. 

Township  of  Elvet.  In  1837  George  Ashton, 
by  will,  proved  at  Durham  28  January, 
directed  that  stock  producing  ;^ioo  a  year  should 
be  transferred  to  trustees,  the  income  to  be 
divided  annually  among  eight  poor  women. 
The  endowment  now  consists  of  £l,'J'i'i  \s. 
consols,  in  the  names  of  the  administrating 
trustees.  The  annual  dividends,  amounting  to 
^^92  16s.  \d.,  are  divided  equally  among  eight 
poor  and  aged  widows. 

Croxdale  St.  Bartholomew.  The  charity  of 
Charles  Attwood,  founded  by  will,  proved 
London,  31  March  1875,  is  regulated  by  a 
scheme  of  the  Charity  Commissioners,  7  April 
1909.  The  endowment,  originally  an  annuity  of 
^£25,  is  now  represented,  with  accumulations, 
by  /i,25i  14/.  %d.  consols,  with  the  official 
trustees,  producing  ^^31  5;.  id.  yearly.  The 
income  is  applied  for  the  benefit  of  poor  of 
Croxdale  St.  Bartholomew,  as  follows :  Sub- 
scriptions to  any  dispensary,  hospital,  etc. ; 
any    provident    club    for    the    supply    of    coal, 


clothing,  etc.  ;  contributions  towards  provision 
of  nurses  for  sick  and  infirm  ;  and  in  supply  of 
clothes,  linen,  bedding,  fuel,  tools,  medical  aid, 
food,  and  other  articles  in  kind. 

The  St.  Margaret  Church  estate  is  derived 
from  ancient  tenements,  and  allotments  of  land 
made  in  respect  thereof,  on  the  inclosure  of 
Crossgate  and  Framwellgate  Moors. 

The  property  now  consists  of  12  a.  3  r.  33  p. 
of  land  situate  in  Crossgate  and  Framwellgate 
Moors,  producing  £\6  3/.,  and  ;^5,387  10/.  c,d. 
5  per  cent.  War  Stock,  producing  ;^269  7/.  6d. 
yearly,  with  the  official  trustees,  arising  from 
sales  of  land  from  time  to  time,  representing  a 
gift,  in  1885,  by  James  John  Wilkinson. 

The  income  of  the  charity  is  applied  in  the 
maintenance  and  repair  of  the  church. 

In  1704  John  Hutchinson,  by  will,  proved  at 
Durham,  gave  52J.  yearly  to  be  distributed  in 
bread  to  12  poor  people  every  Sunday  attending 
divine  service.  This  charge  issued  out  of  two 
houses  in  Framwellgate  Street.  £z  zs.  is  received 
from  the  owners  in  respect  of  two  houses  in 
Framwellgate  Street,  los.  has  for  many  years 
been  paid  by  the  churchwardens. 

The  poor  also  receive  a  rent  charge  of  20/., 
mentioned  in  the  parUamentary  returns  of  1786 
as  charged  upon  an  estate  at  Alwent.  The 
annuity  is  paid  by  the  Earl  of  Strathmore. 

In  1782  Catherine  Andrews,  by  her  will,  gave 
j^ioo  for  the  poor.  The  legacy  was,  with  a  sum 
of  j^i2  12/.,  given  in  1739  by  the  Rev.  John 
Simon,  invested  in  ;^200  consols,  now  held  by 
the  official  trustees,  producing  ^^5  yearly.  The 
income  is  distributed  monthly  in  small  sums  to 
the  poor. 

In  1799  Robert  White,  by  his  will,  bequeathed 
j^io,  the  interest  to  be  distributed  to  the  poor 
of  South  Street.  The  principal  sum  is  in  the 
hands  of  the  rector  and  churchwardens  of  St. 
Margaret's,  by  whom  10/.  a  year  is  distributed 
in  respect  of  this  charity. 


ST.  GILES 


The  ancient  parish  of  St.  Giles  contained  1,853 
acres  exclusive  of  the  extra-parochial  district  of 
Magdalen's  Place  that  covered  26  acres.  The 
northern  and  much  of  the  eastern  portions  of  the 
parish  have  been  formed  into  the  modern  parish 
of  Belmont,^  containing  the  settlements  at 
Belmont,  Broomside,  Carr  Ville,  Kepier  Grange, 
Old  Grange,  New  Durham,  and  the  greater  part 
of  Gilesgate  Moor.  The  parish  lies  for  the  most 
part  on  the  coal  measures,  though  patches  of 

^  Under  the  provisions  of  the  Local  Government 
Act,  1894.  The  ecclesiastical  parish  of  Belmont  was 
formed  in  1852  {Land.  Gaz.  10  Feb.  1852,  p.  370). 


alluvium  occur  along  the  banks  of  the  Wear, 
which  for  some  way  forms  the  southern  and 
western  boundary. 

The  most  westerly  portion  of  the  parish  occu- 
pies the  ridge  connecting  the  moorland  north  of 
Sherburn  with  the  promontory  on  which  stand 
the  castle  and  cathedral  church  of  Durham.  The 
main  road  eastwards  from  the  city  runs  along 
the  ridge,  dips,  rises  again  to  the  church  of  St. 
Giles,  and  then  makes  its  divided  way  to  Sher- 
burn and  Sunderland.  The  older  houses  in  the 
parish  lie  along  this  road  of  GiUigate,  and  the 
whole  history  of  the  parish  is  centred  round  the 
hospital  of  St.  Giles  founded  here  by  Bishop 


182 


CITY  OF   DURHAM 


^HS  Cent. 
^152!  Cent. 
ED  Modern 


K) 


Ralph  Flambard  in  1112.^  The  earliest  hospital 
stood  near  the  church'  which  served  as  its 
chapel,  but  the  site  proved  unsuitable,  and  at  some 
time  in  the  latter  half  of  the  12th  century  the 
house  was  removed  to  Kepier  by  the  river  bank, 
north  of  the  main  road.  The  position  of  the 
earlier  settlement  by  the  church  is  still  marked 
by  the  existence  of  the  back  lane  that  now  serves 
as  an  approach  to  the  Diocesan  training  college 
for  women  teachers.  Just  south  of  the  church  was 
the  holy  well,  the  well  house  of  which  was  newly 
decorated  with  a  cross  in  1755.* 

Houses  gradually  grew  up  between  this  hamlet 
and  the  city  and  these  were  afterwards  erected 
into  a  mesne  borough  under  the  master  of  St. 
Giles. ^  The  western  boundary  of  the  parish  was 
marked  by  a  leaden  cross  standing  in  the  middle 
of  the  street  until  at 
least  1754  ;  *  irom  this 
point  the  boundary  fol- 
lowed Tinkler's  Lane 
southward  to  the  Wear. 
A  certain  amount  of 
meadow  land  still  re- 
mains here,  traces  of 
those  fields  that  in 
the  17th  century  were 
subject  to  rights  of 
common.'  Further  east 
a  large  close  belonged 

to  the  Cordwainers'  Company  and  was  still 
unbuilt  upon  in  1754.*  Bede  College,  for  training 
masters  for  elementary  schools,  stands  on  what 
was  Felloe  Leazes,  the  modern  curved  road  fol- 
lowing the  line  of  the  ancient  hedge. 

In  1754  there  were  not  many  houses  on  the 
north  side  of  Gilligate'  and  the  ground  in  front 
of  the  North  Eastern  Railway  goods  station  was 
still  fields.  The  modern  approach  to  the 
station  represents  the  old  lane  to  the  hospital  of 
St.  Mary  Magdalene,  founded  here  in  the  13th 
century. 1"  The  hospital  stood  near  the  river,  the 
ruins  of  its  chapel  being  enclosed  within  a  garden. 
The  building  was  in  plan  a  plain  rectangle, 
measuring  internally  43  ft.  by  16  ft.  6  in.,  with 
walls  3  ft.  thick,  constructed  of  yellow  sandstone 
in  coursed  blocks  and  with  chamfered  plinth.  It 
has  long  been  roofless  and  the  upper  part  of  the 
walling  is  broken,  the  height  of  the  side  walls  being 
from  5  ft.  to  9  ft.  An  earlier  chapel  which  stood  a 

2  F.C.H.Dur.  ii.  III. 

'  Simeon  of  Dur.  Hist.  Cont.  (Rolls  Ser.),  1 5 1-9. 

*  Mem.  of  St.  Giles  (Surt.  Soc),  iii  and  n. 

*  See  above,  under  Durham  City. 

'  Forster,  Map  of  Dur.  It  is  marked  on  the  maps  of 
the  17th  century. 

'  Mem.  of  St.  Giles  (Surt.  Soc),  1-2,  40  n. 

*  Forster,  op.  cit.  This  was  also  subject  to  common 
rights  {Mem.  0/ St.  Giles  [Surt.  Soc],  99  and  n.). 

'  Forster,  op.  cit. 

^°  r.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  119. 


Scale  of  Feet 

Durham  Citi'  :  Plan  of  St.  Mary  Magdalene's  Chapel 


little  to  the  east  of  the  present  one  was  practically 
rebuilt  in  1370,^*  but  in  1448  it  was  found  to  be 
in  so  ruinous  a  condition  from  the  weakness  of 
its  foundations  that  the  Prior  and  Convent 
obtained  a  licence  from  Bishop  Nevill  in  Feb- 
ruary 1449  to  puU  it  down  and  remove  it  to 
another  site  within  the  territory  of  the  hospital.^ 
The  existing  ruins  are  all  there  is  left  of  the 
building  then  erected,  which  was  consecrated 
on  16  May  145 1.*'  Portions  of  the  older  chapel 
were  reused  in  the  new  building,  the  east  window 
being  a  pointed  14th-century  opening  of  three 
trefoiled  lights  and  geometrical  tracery,*'*  pro- 
bably part  of  the  work  of  1370.  A  13th-century 
gable  cross,  discovered  on  the  site  of  the  first 
chapel,  is  now  in  the  cathedral  library.*^  The 
ancient  churchyard,  then  unfenced  and  overrun 

with  weeds,  was  con- 
verted into  a  garden 
in  1822.1*  Only  the 
jambs  and  head  of  the 
east  window  are  now 
standing,  and  there 
are  remains  of  win- 
dows in  the  north 
and  south  walls,  but 
the  masonry  is  very 
much  broken,  and  ex- 
amination is  rendered 
difficult  by  the  cover- 
ing of  ivy  and  the  presence  of  a  greenhouse 
within  the  walls,  which  takes  up  a  large  portion 
of  the  inner  space  towards  the  east  end. 
At  the  extreme  west  end  of  the  side  walls 
are  north  and  south  doorways,  the  walls 
themselves  being  strengthened  at  the  angles 
by  boldly  projecting  buttresses  westward.  The 
south  doorway  is  now  built  up  and  the  head 
gone,  but  that  on  the  north  has  a  round-headed 
arch  in  two  stones,  chamfered  joints  and  hood 
mould  and  an  inner  segmented  head.  '  Within 
the  ruin  there  is  at  least  one  arch  stone  with  a 
roll-moulding  on  each  angle  and  the  base  of  an 
early  English  font  of  Frosterley  marble.'" 

Immediately  to  the  north  of  Magdalene  Place 
is  the  site  of  Kepier  Hospital,  of  which  there 
remains  only  the  gatehouse,  a  picturesque 
structure  in  a  state  of  partial  decay  facing  west 
to  the  river.  The  gateway  has  a  late  pointed 
arch  on  either  side  and  one  midway  between, 

^  Trans.  Dur.  and  North,  .-irch.  Soc.  ii,  140-6.  The 
extent  of  the  repairs  is  shown  by  quotations  from  the 
almoner's  accounts. 

12  Ibid. 

13  Ibid.  The  almoner's  accounts,  1449-51,  give  many 
items  for  the  building  of  the  present  chapel. 

1*  It  is  shown  in  Billings'  Antiq.  oj  Dur.  plate  I. 
It  was  then  apparently  intact  except  for  one  mullion. 
1*  Trans.  Dur.  and  North.  Arch.  Soc.  ii,  140. 
"  Fordyce,  Hist,  of  Dur.  i,  378. 
1'  Pro.  Soc.  Ant.  (Newc),  1889,  iv,  139. 


183 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


the  passage  way  being  divided  into  two  rectangu- 
lar vaulted  compartments  each  measuring  about 
l6  ft.  by  13  ft.,  the  total  length  of  the  passage 
being  33  ft.  6  in.  The  building  belongs  to  the 
first  part  of  the  14th  century,  having  been 
erected  during  the  episcopate  of  Richard  de 
Bury  (1333-45),  whose  arms  are  on  one  of  two 
shields  on  either  side  of  the  window  above  the 
west  gateway.  The  other  shield  is  said  to  have 
borne  the  arms  of  Edmund  Howard,  master  of 
the  hospital  in  1341,  but  is  now  obliterated. 
The  west  elevation  is  of  some  architectural 
merit,  the  archway  being  flanked  on  either  side 
by  a  buttress  of  three  stages,  between  which 
runs  a  band  of  quatrefoil  ornament  immediately 
over  the  crown  of  the  arch.  Above  is  a  pointed 
window  with  external  hood  mould,  the  head  and 
jambs  of  which  now  alone  remain,  with  the 
shields  already  mentioned  on  either  side,  and 
the  wall  terminates  in  a  gable  rising  well  above 
the  roof.  The  walling  is  of  rubble  and  the 
roofs  are  now  covered  with  red  pantiles,  but  the 
building  has  been  much  neglected,  no  adequate 
renovation  having  been  carried  out.  It  is 
now  used  as  a  tenement,  and  approach  to  the 
upper  rooms  is  by  means  of  an  external  stone 
staircase  on  the  north-east.  The  original  newel 
stair  on  the  inner,  or  east,  side  of  the  gateway  is 
partly  broken  away.  On  each  side  of  the  passage 
way  are  the  porter's  rooms,  the  whole  extent 
of  the  present  west  front  being  about  62  ft. 
The  two  outer  arches  are  each  of  two  chamfered 
orders,  that  on  the  west  side  having  an  external 
hood  mould,  and  its  inner  order  springing  from 
moulded  caps,  below  which  the  chamfer  is  con- 
tinued to  the  ground.  The  vaulting  ribs  of  the 
western  compartment  have  a  wave  moulding,  the 
others  being  chamfered,  but  in  both  cases  they 
meet  in  a  carved  boss.  The  middle  arch  is 
chamfered  only  on  the  west  side  and  the  staples 
of  the  door  hinges  remain  in  the  walls.  The 
eastern,  or  back,  elevation  is  very  plain,  but 
derives  a  good  deal  of  picturesqueness  from  its 
being  well  broken  up,  the  north  part  of  the 
building  standing  back  about  15  ft.  The 
gateway  on  this  side  has  been  a  good  deal 
mutilated,  the  upper  part  of  the  newel 
staircase,  which  probably  finished  as  a  turret, 
having  been  destroyed  and  the  window  over 
the  archway  provided  with  a  wooden  sash. 

About  twenty  yards  to  the  south-east  of  the 
gatehouse  are  the  ruins  of  the  residence  of  the 
Heath  family,  a  brick  building  with  an  open 
stone  arcade  of  three  round  arches  on  the  ground 
floor  facing  south.  The  house  was  long  used 
as  an  inn,  and  was  only  dismantled  in  the  last 
decade  of  the  19th  century.  Only  the  ground 
floor  now  remains,  including  the  arcade  and  a 
portion  of  the  brick  walling  above,  the  height  at 
the  highest  point  being  only  14  ft.  Too  little  is 
left  to  form  an  adequate  idea  of  the  original 


appearance  of  the  building,  but  it  seems  to  have 
been  of  late  i6th  or  early  17th  century  date.  It 
formerly  contained  a  broad  balustered  oak  stair- 
case and  some  carved  oak  panelling,  but  this  was 
in  a  dilapidated  condition  before  the  house 
was  dismantled.** 

East  of  Kepier  is  the  High  Grange,  or  Hither 
or  West  Grange  as  it  was  called  in  1629.*'  A 
little  to  the  east  of  this  is  the  modern  settlement 
of  Carr  Ville  that  owes  its  existence  to  the 
Grange  Iron  Works,  established  here  in  1866. 
This  hamlet  is  almost  one  with  Broomside,  and 
both  are  served  by  the  church  of  St.  Mary 
Magdalene,  built  in  1857.  In  1869  a  Primitive 
Methodist  chapel  was  built  at  Carr  Ville,  and 
this  was  followed  by  a  chapel  of  the  Wesleyans  in 
1881. 

The  Low  Grange  lies  north  of  Carr  Ville, 
and  a  track  leads  hence  westward  through  the 
fields  to  Woodvvell  House  by  the  river  side.  There 
is  a  considerable  amount  of  wood  in  this  neigh- 
bourhood, and  a  large  park  surrounds  Belmont 
Hall,  the  17th-century  Ramside. 

Gilesgate  Moor  lies  between  the  Sherburn  and 
Sunderland  roads.  It  was  inclosed  under  an  Act 
of  18 16,^*'  and  the  hamlet  of  New  Durham  has 
been  built  in  the  angle  between  the  two  roads. 
The  Primitive  Methodists  built  a  chapel  here  in 
1852,  and  a  chapel  has  also  been  established  by 
the  Wesleyans. 

When  Bishop  Ralph  Flam- 
MANORS,  ETC.  bard  founded  the  Hospital 
of  St.  Giles  in  U12  he  gave 
as  part  of  its  endowment  the  episcopal 
vill  of  CALDECOTES"^^  (Caldcotes,  xv  cent.), 
which  in  1430  was  identified  with  KEPIER 
GRANGE.^  This  '  manor '  would  seem  to  have 
included  the  site  of  Kepier,  as  no  further  grant 
of  this  appears  among  the  muniments  of  the 
hospital."' 

The  hospital  was  surrendered  to  the  Crown  in 
January  1545-6,^*  and  in  the  following  month  it 
was  bought  by  Sir  William  Paget. ^*    Sir  William 

18  Pro.  Soc.  Ant.  {Newc),  iv,  1 39. 

19  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  106,  m.  4  d. 

20  Priv.  Act,  56  Geo.  Ill,  cap.  58. 

21  Mem.  of  St.  Giles  (Surt.  Soc),  194. 

22  Feod.  Prior.  Dun.  (Surt.  Soc),  77. 

23  The  muniment  room  was  burnt  in  an  attack 
by  the  Scots  in  1306,  but  exemplifications  of  the  most 
important  deeds  were  allowed  in  1445,  and  these  are 
printed  in  Mem.  oj  St.  Giles  (Surt.  Soc),  192  et  seq. 
At  some  time  in  the  episcopate  of  Hugh  Pudsey 
(1153-95)  Gilbert  the  Chamberlain  gave  the  hospital 
leave  to  make  a  mill  pond  on  his  land,  but  this  does  not 
necessarily  mean  in  Kepier  (ibid.  202-3).  Gilbert  was 
holding  I  and  -I'.-s  knight  fees  of  the  Bishop  in  1 166 
{Red  Bk.  oj  the  Exch.  [Rolls  Ser.],  i,  416). 

21F.C.//.  £)«r.  ii,  113. 

25  I.  and  P.  Hen.  VIII,  xxi  (l),  g.  282  (14).  With  him 
was  associated  Richard  Cokkes,  S.T.P.,  chaplain  to 
the  King. 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


l^Al^ 


Heath.  Party  cbtve- 
ron:vise  or  and  sable  xcitb 
tzio  mohts  tn  tbe  cbief 
and  a  beathcock  in  tbe 
foot  all  counter-coloured. 


quitclaimed  it  to  the  King  a  few  months  later,^' 
and  it  was  immediately  afterwards  leased  to 
John  Frankeleyne  for  a  term  of  years.-'  In  1552 
the  hospital  with  the  manors  of  Gilligate  and 
Old  Durham  was  granted  to  John  Cockburn,-' 
lord  of  Ormiston,  who  sold  them  to  John  Heath 
merchant  and  Warden  of  the  Fleet,  in  1568.-' 

John  Heath  and  his  family  settled  at  Kepier, 
and  on  his  death  in  1590  he  was  buried  at  St. 
Giles.'"  By  his  will  he 
divided  the  Kepier  pro- 
perty among  his  sons,  the 
hospital,  the  East  Grange, 
Gilligate  and  Old  Durham 
being  left  to  John  Heath, 
the  eldest  son,  while  Ram- 
side  was  bequeathed  to  the 
younger  son  Edward.^^  A 
settlement  of  the  manors  of 
Kepier  and  Old  Durham 
was  made  in  1604,^-  and  in 
August  161 7  John  settled 
the  manor  of  Kepier  on 
himself  for  life  with  remainder  to  his  sons  John 
and  Thomas  in  tail  male.^^  John  Heath  died  in 
January  1617-18,  John,  his  eldest  son  and  suc- 
cessor, being  then  a  man  of  49.^  Thomas,  the 
only  son  of  the  younger  John,  had  died  in  1594, 
and  the  title  to  Kepier  was  vested  in  John's 
brother  Thomas  Heath  of  Far  Grange.^* 

In  1629  Thomas  Heath  and  John,  his  son  and 
heir,  sold  the  reversion  of  the  capital  messuage  of 
Kepier  with  the  Hither,  or  West,  Grange  and 
certain  other  tenements  to  Ralph  Cole,^  but 
John  Heath  continued  to  live  at  Kepier  until  his 
death  in  January  1639-40." 

Ralph  Cole,  a  merchant  of  Newcastle,  also 
bought  Brancepeth  Castle  (q.v.),  but  his  eldest 
son  Ralph  seems  to  have  been  living  here  in  1651 
and  1654.^8  Kepier  followed  the  descent  of 
Brancepeth  until  1674,  when  Sir  Ralph  Cole, 
bart.,  sold  it  to  Sir  Christopher  Musgrave,  of 
Carlisle,  forj^4,8oo.^'   Sir  Christopher  succeeded 


«•  Feet  of  F.  Dur.  Trin.  38  Hen.  VIII. 
"  L.  and  P.  Hen.  VIII,  xxi  (2),  p.  439. 

28  Pat.  6  Edvv.  VI,  pt.  vii.  Printed  by  Surtees  (Dur. 
iv(2),65). 

29  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12  (1-2) ;   Foster,  Visit.  Ped.  31. 

^  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  191,  no.  150  (i)  ;  Mem.  of 
St.  Giles  (Surt.  See),  132.  Printed  by  Surtees,  Dur. 
iv(2),  71. 

'1  Ibid.    See  below. 

^  Feet  of  F.  Dur.  Trin.  2  Jas.  I. 

33  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  ptfl.  184,  no.  94.  3*  Ibid. 

35  Mem.  of  St.  Giles  (Sun.  Sec),  133. 

3*  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  106,  m.  4  d.  ;  cf .  m.  1 2  d. 

3'  Mem.  of  St.  Giles  (Surt.  See),  136.    He  was  aged 

71.  38  JbiJ     J2g 

39  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  118,  no.  12.  Certain  portions 
of  the  estate  were  sold  to  the  families  of  Tempest  and 
Carr  (Mackenzie  and  Ross,  Dur.  ii,  435).  G.E.C. 
Baronetage,  i,  32. 


MUSGRAVE. 

six  rings  or. 


Azure 


3 


to  his  brother's  baronetcy  and  Edenhall  estates 

in  or  about  1687.   He  died  in  1704,  when  he  was 

succeeded    by    Christopher    his    grandson    and 

heir."     Sir  Christopher  was  M.P.  for  Carlisle 

in  1713-15,  and  for  Cumberland  in  1722-7.    He 

died  in  January  1735-6.    His  son  and  successor, 

Sir  Philip  Musgrave,  sat  as 

M.P.   for  Westmorland  in 

1 741-7,  and  on  his  death  in 

1795  was  succeeded  by  Sir 

John    Chardin    Musgrave. 

Sir    Philip    Musgrave,    his 

son,  succeeded  him  in  1806. 

He  represented  Petersfield 

in    Parliament    in    1820-5, 

and    Carlisle    in    the    two 

following  years.     He  died 

without  issue  male  in  1827, 

and  the  baronetcy  and  estates  were  inherited  by 

Christopher  John  Musgrave,  his  brother.     He 

also  died  without  leaving   a   son,   and    Kepier 

passed  to  his  brother  Sir  George.    On  his  death 

in  1872  the  estate  passed  to  his  son  Sir  Richard 

Courtenay  Musgrave,  on  whose  death  in  1881  it 

was  inherited  by  his  son  Sir  Richard  George 

Musgrave,  bart.,  the  present  owner. 

In  1 1 12  the  viU  of  CLIFTON  (Clyvedone, 
Clyftone,  xi  cent.,  Clifton  xvii  cent.)  was 
within  the  Bishop's  demesne.*^  Bishop  Hugh 
Pudsey  gave  it  to  the  hospital  by  his  second 
charter,*^  and  in  1301  it  was  accounted  a  manor 
and  was  said  to  lie  to  the  east  of  Kepier.** 
Clifton  was  no  longer  accounted  a  manor  in 
1552,  but  the  name  still  occurs  in  1642  as  applied 
to  closes  attached  to  the  East  Grange.'" 

The  EJST,  FAR,  OR  POH'DEN,  GRJXGE 
(Poulton,  Powlton  grange,  xvii  cent.)  is  first 
mentioned  in  the  i6th  century  ;  it  was  apparently 
given  by  John  Heath,  the  second  of  that  name,  to 
Thomas,  his  son,  who  was  living  here  in  1607.** 
It  followed  the  descent  of  Old  Durham**  (q.v.), 
and  is  now  in  the  possession  of  the  Marquess  of 
Londonderry. 

By  his  will  of  August  1589  John  Heath  the 
elder  left  his  grange  of  RJMSIDE  to  his 
youngest  son  Edward*'  in  tail  male.     Edward 

*«  Ibid. 

*i  Mem.  oJSt.  Giles  (Surt.  See),  195.       *2  Ibid.  196. 

*3  Ibid.  216.  The  hospital  granted  a  rent  charge  of 
6o.f.  from  the  manors  of  Caldecotes  and  Clifton  to 
Durham  Priory  in  exchange  for  the  advovvson  of 
Hunstanworth  church. 

**  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  109,  m.  30 ;  cf.  m.  2  ;  no.  106, 
m.  12  d.  See  also  cl.  12,  no.  2,  m.  I. 

«  Mem.  of  St.  Giles  (Surt.  See),  125. 

**  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  129,  m.  12.  It  was  leased  for 
21  years  to  Henry  Smith  and  George  Middleton  in 
1642  (Ibid.  no.  9,  m.  38  d.). 

*'  Surtees,  Dur.  iv  (2),  71.  With  contingent  re- 
mainders to  John  Heath,  the  eldest  son  in  tail  male  ; 
to  Nicholas,  the  second  son  in  tall  male  ;  and  to  the 
right  heirs  of  John  the  elder. 

85  24 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


Heath  died  in  1599,*'  when  this  land  passed  to 
John,  his  son.*'  Edward,  son  of  John  Heath  of 
Ramside,  was  christened  in  1607,^  and  John  was 
still  living  here  in  the  third  decade  of  the  17th 
century." 

Nothing  more  is  known  of  the  history  of  this 
holding  until  1679,  ^vhen,  according  to  Surtees, 
a  settlement  of  Ramside  was  made  by  Anthony 
Smith  on  the  marriage  of  Richard  his  son  with 
Ann  Crosier.^^  Richard,  whose  son  Crosier  was 
born  here  in  1695,''  inherited  the  estate  under 
his  father's  will  of  1698.^  In  1709  Richard  Smith 
conveyed  it  to  Eleanor,  his  mother,**  but  the 
family  circumstances  became  embarrassed  and 
various  mortgages  were  effected,*'  '  the  equity 
of  redemption  '  at  one  time  belonging  to  Joseph 
Martin  husband  of  Eleanor,  a  daughter  of  the 
elder  Richard  Smith.*'  According  to  Surtees  the 
estate  was  vested  in  John  Hutton  of  Marske, 
by  a  Chancery  decree  of 
1737,**  and  he  in  1746  con- 
veyed Ramside  to  Ralph 
Gowland.**  Ralph  died  in- 
testate and  the  property 
descended  to  his  nephew 
Ralph  Gowland,  who  in 
1769  conveyed  it  to  John 
Pemberton.  The  estate  was 
sold  by  Stephen  Pember- 
ton, M.D.,  son  of  the  new 
owner,  to  Walter  Charles 
Hopper,  but  again  passed 
to  the  family  of  Pemberton 
in  1820,  when  Thomas  Pemberton  pulled  down 
the  old  grange  and  built  in  its  place  the  house 
he  called  Belmont.'"  The  present  owner  is  Mr. 
John  Stapylton  Grey  Pemberton  of  Hawthorn 
Tower,  Seaham  Harbour. 

The    church    of    ST.     GILES 

CHURCH      stands  in  a  fine  situation  at  the  top 

of   Gilesgate,   the   ground   falling 

rapidly  on  the  south  side  to  the  river  Wear.     It 

«  Mem.  of  St.  Giles  (Surt.  Soc),  33. 

^'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  ptfl.  192,  no.  129. 

*o  Mem.  of  St.  Giles  (Surt.  See),  125. 

*i  Surtees,  Dur.  iv  (2),  68  n.  In  1625  John  Heath 
gent,  and  Isabel  his  wife  conveyed  by  fine  about 
210  acres  of  land  in  Ramside  to  Isabel  Shawdforth 
and  Thomas  Shawdforth  (Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  4, 
m.  2). 

*2  Surtees,  Dur.  iv  (2),  68  n. 

*3  Mem.  of  St.  Giles  (Surt.  See),  159. 

**  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

**  She  was  still  living  in  1719  (Dur.  Rec.  cl.  5,  no. 
98).  *«  Ibid.  cl.  4,  no.  4,  fol.  442,  etc. 

*'  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

**  No  trace  of  this  has  been  found  among  the  records 
of  the  Palatinate  of  Durham. 

*'  George  Vane  and  Anne  his  wife  in  1746  quit- 
claimed property  here  to  John  Hutton,  with  a  war- 
ranty against  the  heirs  of  Anne  (Dur.  Rec.  cl.  1 1  [22-3] ). 

*••  Surtees,  op.  cit.  69 


PlMBEBTON.  Argent 
a  cheveron  ermine  be- 
ttueen  three  griffons* 
heads    sable. 


forms  a  prominent  landmark  in  all  views  of 
the  city,  its  tower  rising  above  the  trees  which 
clothe  the  hillside.  The  building  consists  of 
chancel,  34  ft.  6  in.  by  20  ft.,  with  organ  chamber 
on  the  south  side,  nave  73  ft.  6  in.  by  20  ft., 
south  aisle  20  ft.  9  in.  wide,  north  porch  and 
west  tower  14  ft.  6  in.  by  14  ft.,  all  these  measure- 
ments being  internal.  There  is  also  a  vestry 
on  the  south  side  of  the  organ  chamber. 

The  oldest  part  of  the  building  is  the  north 
wall  of  the  nave,  which  dates  from  the  time  of 
Flambard,  c.  11 14;  the  chancel  is  of  Pudsey's 
period,  c.  1 190-5,  and  the  lower  part  of  the  tower 
is  of  early  13th-century  date.  The  upper  stages 
of  the  tower  belong  to  the  first  quarter  of  the 
15th  century,  and  the  remainder  of  the  building 
is  modern. 

Flambard's  church  consisted  of  a  chancel 
and  nave  of  equal  width,  the  total  length  of  which 
was  about  equal  to  that  of  the  present  nave, 
which  practically  represents  the  early  12th- 
century  building  with  the  chancel  arch  removed. 
The  arch  stood  between  the  first  and  second 
windows  (from  the  east)  on  the  north  side,  the 
length  of  the  original  chancel  having  been 
19  ft.  and  of  the  nave  52  ft.  This  building  was 
lighted  by  small  round-headed  windows  placed 
high  up  in  the  walls,  and  had  north  and  south 
doorways.  It  remained  unaltered  till  the  end  of 
Pudsey's  episcopate,  when  it  was  lengthened 
eastward,  theold  chancel  arch  being  taken  down,'* 
and  a  new  one  erected  just  outside  the  line  of 
the  old  east  wall.  The  old  chancel  space  was 
thus  thrown  into  the  nave  and  a  new  chancel 
formed.  The  addition  of  the  tower  in  the  early 
part  of  the  13th  century  caused  the  destruction 
of  Flambard's  west  wall.  In  1414  Bishop 
Langley  rebuilt  the  upper  stage  of  the  tower  and 
inserted  the  window  in  the  remaining  lower 
stage.  The  side  walls  of  the  nave  were  raised 
at  some  period,  but  whether  before  or  during 
the  15th  century  is  uncertain.  '  Two  or  three 
clearstory  windows''^  with  square  heads  in  the 
upper  part  of  the  old  south  wall  appear  to  have 
been  of  15th-century  date,  but  they  may  have 
been  insertions.  In  the  18th  century,  ap- 
parently,   sash    windows    were    inserted.**     In 

'i  '  When  the  old  north  wall  was  first  stripped  of 
plaster  the  point  of  junction  between  it  and  the 
transverse  wall  of  the  original  Norman  chancel  in 
which  the  arch  was  situate  was  very  clearly  defined  ' : 
Trans.  Dur.  and  North.  Arch.  Soc.  v,  5.  See  also 
Pro.  Soc.  Ant.  {Newc),  new  ser.  iii,  431  :  '  It  pushed 
out  the  wall  and  ensured  its  demohtion  down  to 
within  a  few  feet  of  the  ground.' 

«2  Trans.  Dur.  and  North.  Arch.  Soc.  i,  130.  The  wall 
now,  of  course,  no  longer  exists. 

*3  Sir  Stephen  Glynne,  who  visited  the  church  in 
1825,  wrote  :  '  Modern  taste  has  not  allowed  one  of  the 
original  windows  to  remain  in  its  primitive  state — some 
have  been  stopped  up  and  others  altered  into  sashes  . .  . 


186 


CITY  OF  DURHAM 


1828  there  was  a  'restoration  '  by  VVyatt,  who 
introduced  '  three  large  and  pretentious  would-be 
perpendicular  windows,'**  in  the  south  wall, 
and  another  at  the  east  end  in  place  of  the  then 
existing  sashes.  He  also  erected  a  west  gallery, 
and  other  alterations,  in  the  taste  of  the  time, 
were  effected.**  Pudsey's  chancel  arch,  having 
been  set  at  a  great  height  from  the  ground  and 
not  properly  abutted,  had  in  course  of  time 
pushed  the  whole  of  the  side  wall  outwards, 
which  led  at  this  time  to  its  entire  removal  and 
the  erection  of  a  lath  and  plaster  substitute.** 
Some  alterations  were  made  internally  in  1843, 
but  about  a  quarter  of  a  century  later  the  build- 
ing seems  to  have  been  condemned  to  demoli- 
tion.*'  Efforts,  however,  having  been  made  in 


doorway  in  the  Norman  style  had  previously 
been  inserted.**  The  work  of  restoration  and 
enlargement  was  completed  in  1876. 

The  chancel  is  faced  with  squared  ashlar,  the 
stones  being  placed  '  bed-ways,  edge-ways,  and 
face  ways  indiscriminately,'**  but  the  walling  of 
the  nave  and  tower  is  of  roughly  coursed  rubble. 
The  roofs  are  of  flat  pitch  and  lead-covered 
behind  new  embattled  parapets  to  both  chancel 
and  nave.  The  east  window  is  of  five  lights 
with  perpendicular  tracery  inserted  in  1875  in 
place  of  Wyatt's.™  Traces  were  then  found  of 
the  orip-inal  east  window,  consisting  of  three 
round-headed  lights.  A  moulded  plinth  runs 
round  the  chancel  and  at  the  siU  level  is  a  plain 
double  chamfered    string-course,    which    breaks 


IC.11I2 
□  €(195 
'A3l^  Cem. 

EARLY 

^15111  Cent. 
ii3c.lS73-6 


Scale  of  Feet 


Durham  City  :  Plan  of  St.  Giles's  Church 


1873  for  its  preservation,  the  church  was  restored 
and  enlarged.  The  aisle,  north  porch,  organ 
chamber,  and  vestry  were  then  added,  which 
necessitated  the  destruction  of  Flambard's  south 
wall  and  of  some  portion  of  the  south  side  of 
Pudsey's  chancel.  The  old  south  doorway  was 
transferred  to  the  north  side,  where  a  modern 

the  whole  of  those  on  the  north  side  being  closed  up. 
The  church  within  is  of  singular  appearance,  being 
very  long,  narrow  and  lofty  ;  the  pews  are  of  ancient 
fashion  and  most  of  the  chancel  furniture  of  a  very 
homely  and  humble  character.'  Pro.  Soc.  Ant.  (Neuic), 
3rd  ser.  iii,  284. 

*^  Trans.  Dur.  and  North.  Arch.  Soc.  i,  130. 

65  Fordyce,  Iliit.  of  Dur.  i,  377. 

«*  Trans.  Dur.  and  North.  Arch.  Soc.  v,  5,  and  i, 
132. 

*'  It  is  so  mentioned  in  April  1868.  See  ibid,  i, 
129. 


round  the  buttresses.  At  the  north-west  corner 
is  a  plain  semicircular-headed  priest's  doorway, 
now  built  up,  round  which  the  string  is  taken 
as  a  hood  mould.  A  similar  string  runs  round 
the  inside  of  the  chancel  below  the  windows. 
There  are  two  tall  round-headed  windows,  one 

**  When  inserting  this  doorway  the  arch  of  a  former 
opening  of  '  very  rude  description  '  was  found 
exactly  opposite  the  doorway  on  the  south  side  ; 
ibid,  i,  130.  An  old  drawing  of  the  south  side  of 
the  church  previous  to  the  insertion  of  the  modern 
windows  shows  two  windows  to  the  aisle,  one  square- 
headed  of  three  Ughts  and  the  other,  near  the  east 
end,  a  pointed  one  of  two  Ughts.  There  was  also  a 
plain  porch  with  square-headed  opening. 

*9  Ibid,  i,  131. 

"The  tracery  of  Wyatt's  window  was  in  1911 
in  the  back  garden  of  a  house  on  the  north  side  of 
Gilesgate  near  to  the  church. 


187 


A   HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


on  the  north  and  the  other  on  the  south  side  of 
the  chancel  towards  the  east  end,  both  restored, 
but  preserving  a  good  deal  of  their  original 
detail."  The  arches  are  of  two  orders,  the 
outer  moulded  on  the  edge  and  carried  both 
internally  and  externally  on  angle  shafts  with 
moulded  capitals  and  bases.  The  indented 
hood  mould  is  continued  as  a  string  along  the 
wall  inside  at  the  height  of  the  springing  and 
may  have  been  so  originally  on  the  exterior,  a 
portion  remaining  on  either  side  of  the  south 
window  and  on  the  south-east  buttress.  There 
were  originally  two  windows  on  the  south  side, 
but  one  was  maltreated  in  1828  and  disappeared 
when  the  western  part  of  the  wall  was  pulled 
down.  In  the  north  wall,  5  ft.  from  the  east 
end,  is  a  square-headed  aumbry,  but  no  other 
ancient  ritual  arrangements  are  visible.  The 
east  and  south  walls,  however,  are  plastered, 
the  ashlar  being  exposed  only  on  the  north  side. 
On  the  south  the  chancel  is  open  to  the  organ 
chamber  by  a  modern  pointed  arch,  the  opening 
of  which  is  filled  with  an  oak  screen.  On  the 
north  side  the  springing  of  the  Transitional 
chancel  arch  is  still  in  situ  high  up  in  the  wall. 
The  arch  consisted  of  two  chamfered  orders 
springing  from  coupled  shafts  set  against  the 
walls,  the  capitals  of  which  remain.  The  inner 
order  has  entirely  gone,  but  five  voussoirs  of  the 
outer  order  remain  in  position.  The  modern 
chancel  arch  is  of  two  moulded  orders  springing 
from  shafts  with  moulded  capitals  and  bases. 
The  roof  is  of  five  bays.  The  floor  is  raised 
above  that  of  the  nave  by  two  steps  below  the 
arch  and  two  others  further  eastward. 

The  old  north  wall  of  the  nave  is  of  bare 
rubble  internally,  having  been  stripped  of  its 
plaster  during  the  restoration.  Externally  the 
later  upper  portion  sets  back  about  3  ft.  above 
the  windows.  The  easternmost  of  the  three 
windows  is  entirely  new,  with  a  cinquefoiled 
head,  and  is  in  that  portion  of  the  wall  belonging 
to  the  original  chancel.  The  two  ancient 
openings  had  been  long  blocked  up,  but  were 
opened  out  and  restored  in  1873-5.  Externally 
the  heads  are  in  one  stone  and  the  glass  is  about 
2  in.  from  the  face  of  the  wall.  The  sills  are 
new  and  slope  internally.  At  the  north-east 
end  of  the  nave  is  a  built-up  square-headed  low 
side  window,  the  sill  of  which  is  3  ft.  above  the 
ground  outside,  an  insertion  probably  after  the 
chancel  had  been  pushed  eastward. 

The  old  north  doorway  was  slightly  to  the 
east  of  the  present  one,  which  has  a  lintel  and 
plain  tympanum  with  inclosing  semicircular 
arch  springing  from  angle  shafts  with  cushion 
capitals    and    chamfered    imposts.     The    lintel 

'*  The  window  on  the  south  side  was  originally 
further  to  the  west  in  that  portion  of  the  wall 
destroyed  in  1873. 


and  tympanum  are  new.  On  the  south  side 
the  nave  is  open  to  the  aisle  by  an  arcade  of 
five  pointed  arches. 

The  tower  is  of  four  unequal  stages  and  ter- 
minates in  an  embattled  parapet  with  angle 
pinnacles.  The  outer  angles  have  flat  double 
buttresses  of  three  stages.  The  pointed  west 
window  is  of  three  cinquefoiled  lights  with 
perpendicular  tracery  and  hood  mould,  much 
restored.  The  tower  arch  is  of  13th-century 
date  and  of  two  orders,  the  outer  square  and 
the  inner  chamfered  springing  from  moulded 
corbels  with  large  dog-tooth  ornament  in  the 
hollows.  In  one  of  the  members  of  the  north 
corbel  a  small  nail-headed  ornament  also  occurs. 
The  two  lower  stages  of  the  tower  are  now 
blank  on  the  north  and  south  sides,  but  on  the 
south  side  there  was  formerly  a  window  now 
blocked.  The  low  third  stage  has  a  small 
square-headed  window,  and  the  belfry  windows 
are  pointed  openings  of  two  cinquefoiled  lights 
except  on  the  east  side,  where  the  heads  of  the 
lights  are  plain.  There  is  no  vice,  access  to  the 
upper  stages  being  gained  by  a  ladder. 

The  baptistery  is  in  the  tower,  the  font  con- 
sisting of  a  rough  circular  sandstone  bowl, 
2  ft.  9  in.  in  diameter,  of  13th-century  date,  on 
a  circular  shaft  and  square  base. 

In  the  south-east  corner  of  the  chancel  is  a 
wooden  effigy,  on  a  modern  wood  tomb,  repre- 
senting John  Heath  of  Kcpier,  who  died  in  1591 
and  was  buried  in  the  chancel.  The  figure, 
which  suffered  much  in  1843,  is  in  armour,  with 
the  head  uncovered  but  resting  on  a  tilting 
helmet,  with  the  crest  (a  cock's  head)  attached 
by  a  wreath.  The  hands  are  in  prayer  and  the 
feet  rest  on  a  scroll  enfolding  two  skulls  and 
inscribed  '  Hodie  michi.     Cras  tibi.''- 

Below  the  tower  is  a  fragment  of  a  coped 
gravestone  with  tegulated  ornament,  but  another 
more  interesting  slab  with  floriated  calvary  cross 
and  the  symbol  of  a  large  pair  of  shears  across 
the  stem  has  disappeared.'^ 

There  is  a  ring  of  three  bells.  The  oldest  is 
probably  of  14th-century  date  and  is  inscribed 
in  Lombardic  letters  '  Campana  Sancti  Egidii.' 
The  second  dates  perhaps  from  the  i6th  century 
and  bears  the  inscription  in  Gothic  characters, 

'^  The  figure  is  illustrated  and  described  in  detail 
in  Fryer,  Wooden  Monumental  Effigies,  32  and  42  ; 
also  Jrchaologia,  Lxi,  518,  528.  'This  effigy  is  truly 
wooden  in  every  sense  of  the  word.  .  .  .  We  are  at  once 
reminded  of  Don  Quixote  when  we  behold  it.' 

'^  It  is  figured  in  Trans.  Dur.  and  North.  Arch.  Soc. 
i,  132.  In  the  same  place  it  is  recorded  that  '  a  very 
interesting  vesica,  representing  in  low  relief  the 
Saviour  sitting  in  judgment,  was  in  the  church  but 
...  in  1829  the  rector  of  St.  Mary-the-Less  carried  it 
off  and  stuck  it  over  the  vestry  door  of  that  church. 
.  .  .  The  stone  was  found  face  downwards  doing  duty 
as  the  lowest  step  of  the  pulpit  of  St.  Giles.' 

88 


CITY  OF   DURHAM 


*  4  Sancta  Maria  ora  pro  nobis.  IHC  The 
third  is  dated  1640  and  is  inscribed  '  Soli  Deo 
Gloria  '  and  with  various  initials.'* 

The  plate'*  consists  of  a  chalice  and  cover 
paten  of  1638  with  the  maker's  mark  W  W, 
the  chalice  inscribed  round  the  bottom  '  Remem- 
ber John  Hethe  Esq  the  third  and  last  of 
Keepeyre  :  1638'  and  the  cover  '  Desember 
the  25th  1638  ' ;  a  standing  paten  made  by  Eli 
Bilton  of  Newcastle  in  1728,  inscribed  '  The  Gift 
of  Mrs.  Jane  Lightley  to  Gilleygate  Church  ' ; 
a  flagon  made  by  John  Langlands  of  Newcastle, 
1772,  inscribed  '  Presented  to  the  Ancient 
Parish  Church  of  St.  Giles,  Durham,  by  Frances 
Anne  Vane,  Marchioness  of  Londonderry, 
heiress  of  Heath,  Sept.  1845  '  ;  and  a  chalice  of 
1889  'Presented  by  R.  J.  P.,  Easter  1889  St. 
Giles  Church  Durham,'  a  copy,  but  smaller, 
of  that  of  1638." 

The  registers  begin  in  1584,"  and  the  church- 
wardens' accounts  in  1664. 

The  Church  of  ST.  GILES 
ADVOWSON  was  founded  by  Ranulph 
Flambard  in  1 114,  and  appro- 
priated to  the  Hospital  of  Kepier.  No  vicarage 
was  ordained  and  probably  the  church  was 
served  by  one  of  the  priests  of  the  hospital. 
At  the  Dissolution  the  church  passed  with  other 
property  of  this  foundation  to  the  Crown.  In 
1553  the  church  and  rectory  were  sold'*  to 
John  Cockburn,  lord  of  Ormiston,  who  conveyed 
it  to  John  Heath,  and  thus  the  advowson  passed 
by  the  marriage  of  Elizabeth,  daughter  and  heir 
of  John  Heath,  in  1642  to  the  Tempest  family, 
in  which  it  descended  to  the  Marquess  of  Lon- 
donderry. On  6  December  191 3  the  patronage 
was  conveyed  by  the  Marquess  of  Londonderry 
to  the  Dean  and  Chapter  of  Durham. 

In  connection  with  the  church  there  existed 
a  Gild  of  St.  Giles,  the  gross  yearly  value  '• 
at  the  Dissolution  being  estimated  at  £j  js.  2d. 
and  the  clear  value,  less  reprises,  at  ^^5  14/.  \id. 
There  was  also  an  obit  of  John  Smith  of  the 
yearly  value  of  4/.  gross  and  3/.  less  reprises. 

Some  account  of  the  Hospital  of  St.  Mary 
Magdalene  has  been  given  elsewhere.  The 
chapel  here  was  accounted  a  parochial  church, 

'■•  Proc.  Soc.  Ant.  {Ntwc),  iii,  196.  The  initials  on 
the  third  bell  are  AE,  RT,  RO,  MD.  In  1552  there 
were  '  three  bells  in  the  steeple.'  Inv.  of  Ch.  Gds. 
(Surt.  Soc.)  142. 

'°  Proc.  Soc.  Ant.  {Newc),  iii,  432. 

"  The  donor  was  Mr.  R.  J.  Pearce. 

"  Extracts  are  printed  in  Mem.  of  St.  Giles 
(Sun.  Soc.  xcv),  123-160. 

"  Pat.  6  Edw.  VI,  pt.  7,  no.  24. 

"  Injunctions  and  Eccl.  Proc.  Bp.  Barnes  (Surt.  Soc), 
App.  vi,  p.  Ixiij.  A  slightly  earUer  survey  gives  a 
gross  value  of  ^6  15/.  od.  and  a  clear  value  of 
X4  11^.  8|i.  Chantry  Certificate,  Durham  Roll  18, 
no.  6s. 


for  it  was  so  described  in  a  licence  of  Bishop 
Nevill  to  the  Prior  and  Convent  in  1449  to 
remove  and  rebuild  the  church  on  a  safer  and 
more  convenient  site.  The  new  church  was 
consecrated*"  in  1451.  After  the  dissolution 
of  the  monastery  of  Durham  the  Dean  and 
Chapter  provided  the  stipend  of  the  incumbent. 
Institutions  to  the  rectory  are  found  to  the  17th 
century,*^  but  after  the  Restoration  service  was 
discontinued  owing  to  the  ruinous  state  of  the 
church,  the  rector's  stipend  being  transferred 
to  the  librarian  of  the  Chapter.  The  old  church- 
yard was  turned  into  a  garden  in  1822. 

In  1448  we  hear  of  a  plot  near  the  castle  wall 
and  possibly  in  the  parish  of  St.  Mary  le  Bow, 
where  had  been  lately  built  '  a  house  called 
"  Mawdelyngyldhous."  '^ 

The  ecclesiastical  parish  of  Belmont  was 
formed  in  1852**  and  the  advowson  of  the 
vicarage  is  in  the  alternate  gift  of  the  Crown 
and  of  the  Dean  and  Chapter  of  Durham. 

The  origin  of  the  GiUigate 
CHARITIES  Church  Estate  is  unknown, 
except  that  some  portion  of 
the  property  would  appear  to  be  derived  from 
the  Hospital  of  St.  Giles  or  Kepyer.  It  consists 
of  15  a.  3  r.  33  p.  of  land  with  houses  thereon, 
situate  at  Gilesgate,  and  of  the  annual  rental 
value  of  about  X^oo,  and  £5,090  gs.  lod.  consols, 
producing  £127  f,s.  4^.  yearly,  and  £495  13/.  ^d. 
5  per  cent.  War  Stock,  producing  £24  15/.  id. 
yearly.  The  income  is  applicable  under  a 
scheme  of  the  Court  of  Chancery,  28  February 
1866,  and  later  became  regulated  by  a  scheme  of 
the  Charity  Commissioners  of  6  October  1922. 
Out  of  the  income  of  this  estate  fund  ;^I50  is 
paid  yearly  to  the  official  receivers  for  investment 
to  form  the  Estate  Improvement  Fund.  The  re- 
maining income  of  this  estate  fund  is  applicable  as 
to  one  part  to  the  trustees  of  the  St.  Giles  School 
Fund,  one  part  to  the  Belmont  School  Fund, 
four  parts  to  the  parish  church  of  St.  Giles  and 
two  parts  to  the  parish  church  of  St.  Mary  Mag- 
dalene, Belmont.  This  charity  is  also  possessed 
of  a  fund  called  the  Chantry  Fund,  consisting  of 
^^5,633  8/.  id.  2i  per  cent,  consols,  representing 
the  proceeds  of  sale  of  a  property  known  as  the 
Legge's  Tenement,  otherwise  '  The  Woodman  ' 
public  house,  the  net  income  of  which  is  appHc- 
able,  in  equal  moieties,  in  the  parish  of  St.  Giles 
and  district  of  Belmont,  towards  providing  a 
curate  to  assist  the  respective  incumbents.  The 
charity  further  has  a  fund  called  St.  Giles' 
Income,  which  comprises  the  sums  of  ^^400 
5  per  cent.  National  War  Bonds  (1928)  and 
2^240  lOJ.  lod.  5  per  cent.  War  Stock,  standing 
to  an  account  with  the  official  trustees  entitled 


**>  Surtees,  Dur.  iv,  69. 

82  Surtees,  Dur.  iv,  37  n.f. 

**  Lond.  Gaz.  10  Feb.  1852,  p.  370. 


81  Ibid. 


189 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


the  '  St.  Giles  Fabric  Fund.'  The  income,  which 
includes  the  dividends  on  the  stocks  standing  to 
the  Fabric  Fund  and  the  four  parts  from  the 
Estate  Fund,  is  applicable  in  the  maintenance 
and  repairs  of  the  fabric  and  internal  fittings  of 
the  church,  upkeep  of  churchyard  and  in  warm- 
ing and  cleaning  the  church.  Under  another 
fund  of  this  charity  the  official  trustees  hold  ;^250 
5  per  cent.  National  War  Bonds  (1928)  and 
^^546  Ss.  yd.  5  per  cent.  War  Stock  to  an  account 
entitled  '  Belmont  Church  Repair  Fund,'  the 
income  from  which,  with  the  two  parts  from  the 
Estate  Fund,  is  applicable  in  the  maintenance 
and  repairs  of  the  fabric  and  internal  fittings  of 
the  church  and  in  warming  and  cleaning  the 
church.  In  1572  John  Frankelyn  by  his  will 
gave  8/.  4(i.  yearly  to  the  poor  of  Belmont :  this 
sum  is  received  from  the  Corporation  of  New- 
castle. In  1675  Francis  Callaghan  by  his  will 
gave  igs.  yearly  in  sums  of  is.  to  the  poor  of 
St.  Giles,  charged  upon  premises  in  Sadler  Street. 
The  annuities  are  distributed  to  the  poor  at 
Christmas.  The  charity  of  Jane  Finney,  founded 
by  will  dated  14  November  1728,  and  proved  at 
Durham,  gave  ^^830  17/.  11^.  consols,  produc- 
ing j^20  15/.  j^d.  yearly.  The  income  is  applied 
in  moieties  for  the  benefit  of  the  poor  of  St. 
Giles  and  Belmont,  by  providing  them  with 
clothes,  bedding,  fuel,  medical  or  other  aid  in 
sickness,  food,  and  other  articles  in  kind. 

The  charity  of  Jane  Smith,  founded  by 
will  14  July  1785,  and  proved  at  Durham,  is 
regulated  by  scheme  of  Charity  Commissioners 
dated    17   March    1903.      The  original  bequest 


of  £60  was  invested  in  £75  consols,  which  has 
been  increased  to  ;^492  js.  iid.  consols  by 
investment  of  accumulations  from  time  to  time. 
The  income  amounting  to  j{^i2  6s.  yearly  is 
applicable  under  the  scheme  in  prizes  to 
children  attending  Public  Elementary  Schools, 
and  in  exhibitions  for  pupil  teachers  in  Public 
Elementary  Schools. 

In  1882  William  Cassidi,  by  his  will,  proved 
at  Durham,  gave  ^40,  the  interest  arising  there- 
from to  be  applied  in  tracts  for  circulation 
in  the  p.irish.  The  endowment  consists  of 
;^3S  41.  4<i.  consols,  producing  ijs.  ^d.  yearly. 
The  sums  of  stock  are  held  by  the  official 
trustees. 

The  Ecclesiastical  District  of  Belmont  is 
entitled  to  ^th  of  the  income  from  the  Gilligate 
Church  Estate  applicable  for  church  purposes. 
The  official  trustees  also  hold  a  sum  of 
;^594  6s.  gd.  consols,  producing  ^14  17/.  yearly, 
in  trust  for  this  branch  of  the  trust. 

The  National  School,  founded  by  deed 
5  November  1870,  is  also  entitled  to  Jth  of  the 
income  of  the  same  estate. 

One  moiety  of  the  income  of  the  property 
known  as  the  Legge's  Tenement  (see  under  St. 
Giles'  Parish)  is  payable  to  the  curate  of  this 
district. 

By  her  will  proved  25  April  1919  Margaret 
Brown  gave  X^oo,  the  income  to  be  applied  in 
augmentation  of  the  stipend  of  the  curate  of 
St.  Giles  Church.  The  money  was  invested  in 
;£i,i98  6s.  lid.  2i  per  cent,  consols,  with  the 
official  trustees,  producing  ;^29  19/.  yearly. 


190 


TOPOGRAPHY 

STOCKTON  WARD 


The  ward  of  Stockton  included  in  1831  the  parishes  of 


BILLINGHAM 

BISHOP  MIDDLEHAM 

BISHOPTON 

CRAYKE 

LOW  DINSDALE 

EGGLESCLIFFE 

ELTON 

ELWICK  HALL 


GREATHAM 

GRINDON 

HART 

HARTLEPOOL 

HURWORTH 

MIDDLETON  ST.  GEORGE 

LONG  NEWTON 


NORTON 

REDMARSHALL 

SEDGEFIELD 

SOCKBURN 

STAINTON 

STOCKTON 

STRANTON 


The  townships  of  Coatham  Mundeville  and  Sadberge  in  the  parish  of 
Haughton  le  Skerne  (which  is  in  Darlington  Ward)  are  also  part  of  Stockton. 
The  parish  of  Crayke  is  locally  in  Yorkshire,  and  has  been  united  to  that 
county  for  all  purposes  since  1844.^  The  townships  of  Girsby  and  Over 
Dinsdale  in  Sockburn  parish  are  in  Yorkshire. 

Stockton  Ward  seems  to  have  been  formed  late  in  the  thirteenth  or  early 
in  the  fourteenth  century.  In  1293  the  bishop  had  only  three  wards  in  the 
liberty  of  Durham,^  and  it  has  been  pointed  out  elsewhere  that  these  were 
probably  Darlington,  Chester  and  Easington.^  In  1303  the  four  coroners 
of  the  bishop  are  mentioned.*  If,  as  seems  probable,  one  of  these  belonged 
to  the  wapentake  of  Sadberge,  Stockton  Ward  was  not  then  provided  with 
its  principal  officer.  In  1308  the  'quarter'  of  Stockton  appears  in  the 
accounts  of  the  bishopric,^  and  in  January  1343-4  an  inquiry  took  place 
before  the  coroner  of  the  ward  of  Stockton.^  At  that  date  the  ward  included 
the  parishes  of  Bishop  Middleham,  Billingham,  Bishopton,'  Grindon,  Norton, 
Redmarshall,  Sedgefield,  Sockburn  and  Stockton.  The  remaining  parishes, 
lying  in  two  blocks,  one  in  the  north-east  and  the  other  in  the  south-west  of 
the  modern  ward,  belonged  to  the  wapentake  of  Sadberge,  which  till  1189 
was  part  of  the  county  of  Northumberland. ^  The  wapentake  included 
the  parishes  of  Hart,  Hartlepool,  Greatham,^  Stranton,  Elwick  Hall,  Stainton, 

1  Stat.  7  &  8  Vict.  cap.  61. 

2  Plac.  de  Quo  JVarr.  (Rec.  Com.),  604. 

'  Spearman  {Inquiry  into  the  State  of  the  County  Palatine,  48)  states  this  as  a  fact. 

*  Reg.  Palat.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  iii,  558-9. 

*  Boldon  Bk.  (Surt.  Soc),  App.  p.  x.xvi. 

"  Reg.  Palat.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  iii,  370. 

'  The  township  of  Nevvbiggin  in  Bishopton  belonged  to  Sadberge. 

8  Testa  de  Nevill  (Rec.  Com.),  395  ;   Northumb.  Assize  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  354. 

*  Except  the  township  of  Claxton  (q.v.). 

191 


A   HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 

Elton,  Long  Newton,  EgglesclifFe,  Middleton  St.  George,  Low  Dinsdale, 
Hurworth  with  the  townships  of  Coatham  Mundeville  and  Sadberge.^"  The 
parish  of  Coniscliffe,"  now  in  Darlington  Ward,  also  belonged  to  it,  as  did 
Gainford  with  its  barony,  though  the  latter  developed  an  organization  of  its 
own  which  rendered  it  independent  of  wards  and  wapentakes.^^ 

When  Sadberge  was  purchased  from  Richard  I  by  Bishop  Hugh  Pudsey 


i     H     „ 


\.*  ^ 


.V 


t- 


V 


•  'mi^'-imf  *•••■ 


SEDCfFIELD 


•.       ELWICK 
*•  HALL 


•;vrAISTON'.     X?     '.      . 
'  .♦^,/le  STREEJ.',"*^^'.** 

*«llf  •  ^••'*  *  ^^  KEP  / 

/,  ^ •'  .'   MARSHALL/' 

',  BISHOPTON         •,  ,•*         , 

4.  *^V  ••■■":'""  '■•"         STOCKTON     ^^ 

*     ./'         •••.elt„n\  ™         --^ 

K  r  '••5i  ••        .•••■•.  ■f"^ 

i  •••••• .' 

.      LONG     NEWTON        I 

-•'••••..  .•••"■■  ', 

.'•  MIDOLETON  ;  •  ^ 

•  ^        •!■?:«    .   I.EORGE     ;  ECCLESCLlTfl    '*;    » 

.#  :.••-•••..      :  ^*'*'»- 

'  :2;  ;        •       ••  » 

I-  '"     HURWORTH     '.%*     '•       \  :  «•         / 

**.   1  •  ^   •       '-'r.     ■  ■     • 

■^      V      *»*'*»**!  socsburn/" 


J';--.^f^^^^^ 


r 


Index  Map  to  the  Ward  of  Stockton 


nearly  all  the  land  in  the  wapentake  was  held  by  free  tenants.^^  It  did  not 
therefore  fit  easily  into  the  organization  of  the  palatinate.  For  some  time 
it  was  regarded  as  a  separate  county,  in  which  the  bishop  had  the  same  regal 
authority  as  he  had  in  his  county  of  Durham.     There  seems  to  have  been 


*•  This  list  is  compiled  from  the  Inquisitions  post  mortem  {Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xliv-v).     See 
also  Testa  de  Nevill  (Rec.  Com.),  395. 
^  Ibid. 

'^  Cf.  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xxxvi,  App.  i,  48. 
"  Cal.  Chart.  1300-26,  pp.  393-4.     See  under  the  different  vills. 

192 


STOCKTON   WARD 

a  separate  sheriff  for  Sadberge  at  least  till  131 1/*  and  after  that  date,  though 
only  a  single  sheriff  was  appointed  for  Durham  and  Sadberge,  he  was  regarded 
as  holding  two  offices.^^  The  escheator  had  similarly  a  double  office,  and 
separate  inquisitions  were  held  at  Sadberge  for  lands  within  the  wapentake 
down  to  the  late  fifteenth  century. i"  Places  were  described  as  *  in  the  county 
of  Sadberge  '  as  late  as  1435,^''  and  there  are  references  to  the  county  court  of 
Sadberge  down  to  1576.^^  The  bishop's  justices  in  Eyre  sat  at  Sadberge  as 
well  as  at  Durham  till  about  the  same  date,i^  but  both  the  county  court  and  the 
assize  court  at  Sadberge  had  lost  their  importance  in  the  sixteenth  century.^o 
After  1 576  the  separate  county  organization  disappeared,  though  the  whole 
county  was  officially  .known  as  'Durham  and  Sadberge'  till  1836,  when 
the  double  name  was  abolished  oy  Act  of  Parliament. ^i 

While  Sadberge  was  thus  in  some  aspects  a  separate  county,  in  others 
it  was  on  a  level  with  the  wards.  In  1344  commissioners  were  appointed  for 
the  levying  of  an  assessment  in  the  wards  of  Darlington,  Stockton,  Chester 
and  Easington  and  the  east  and  west  wards  of  Sadberge.--  This  division 
of  the  wapentake  into  two  wards  seems  to  have  ceased  after  the  fourteenth 
century.  It  had  from  the  thirteenth  century  its  own  coroner,  whose  functions 
corresponded  in  most  respects  to  those  of  the  coroners  of  the  wards,-^  though 
the  financial  duties  of  the  coroner  ^^  seem  to  have  been  performed  by  the 
bailiff  of  the  wapentake.^^  Separate  commissions  of  array  for  Sadberge  were 
issued  down  to  the  late  fifteenth  century  at  least. ^^  In  1497  it  was  called  a  ward, 
and  its  coroner  acted  with  those  of  the  other  four  wards  and  the  bailiff  of 
Barnard  Castle  and  Gainford  in  the  arrangements  for  the  passage  of  the  king's 
army. 2' 

The  connexion  of  Sadberge  with  Stockton  Ward  began  on  the  financial 
side.  As  early  as  1 4 1 3  the  account  of  the  bailiff  of  the  wapentake  was  attached 
to  the  collector's  accounts  for  Stockton  Ward,^^  and  this  plan  was  followed  down 
to  I  543  ^^  at  least. ^"^     For  military  purposes  Hart  and  Hartlepool  and  probably 

"  Reg.  Palat.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  iii,  46-7  ;    Cal.  Pat.  1272-81,  p.  70;    Cal.  Close,  1307-13, 

P-  3+5- 

**  See  references  to  the  Sheriff  in  Chancery  Enrolments  piissim. 

"  Inquisitions  post  mortem  in  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xliv-v. 

"  Cal.  Pat.  1429-36,  p.  478. 

18  Reg.  Palat.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  iv,  281  ;   Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  3,  R.  92,  m.  16  d.  ;   cl.  20,  no.  76. 

18  Ibid.  cl.  3,  R.  92,  m.  16  d.,  cl.  20  ;  Assize  R.  224,  225  ;  Reg.  Palat.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  iii, 
557-8,  iv,  88  ;   Surtees,  Hist,  and  Antiq.  of  Co.  Palat.  oj  Dur.  iii,  266. 

^^  They  produced  no  revenue  in  the  last  years  of  their  existence  (Dur.  Rec.  cl.  20,  no.  74~7)- 
An  act  of  5  Eliz.  regulating  the  levying  of  fines  in  the  county  provides  that  they  should  be  levied 
before  the  justices  of  assize  at  Durham  (Stat.  5  Eliz.  cap.  27).  Sadberge  is  not  mentioned  though 
fines  had  formerly  been  levied  there  (Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  92,  m.  16  d.). 

"  Stat.  6  &  7  Will.  IV,  cap.  19. 

22  Reg.  Palat.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  iv,  273-6  ;   see  also  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  x.\xi,  159. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  92,  m.  16  d. ;  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xxxvi,  App.  i,  22,  48  ;  xxxiv,  219;  Plac. 
lie  Quo  If'arr.  (Rec.  Com.),  604. 

^*  The  duties  of  the  coroner  will  be  found  in  the  Introduction  to  Chester  Ward. 

^  Eccl.  Com.  Rec.  188799-813. 

2^  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xxxii,  App.  i,  302  ;  xxxiii,  102,  143  ;  xxxiv,  182,  219 ;  xxxvi,  App.  i,  22,  26, 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  62,  m.  4  d. 

^8  Eccl.  Com.  Rec.  188799.     Cf.  the  position  of  Sadberge  in  Hatfield's  Survey. 

^'  This  is  the  date  of  the  last  existing  collector's  roll. 

so  Eccl.  Com.  Rec.  188799-813. 

3  193  ^5 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 

most  of  the  wapentake  were  in  Stockton  Ward  about  1570.31  All  that  part 
of  Sadberge  which  is  in  the  present  ward  of  Stockton  was  popularly  considered 
as  in  Stockton  Ward  at  that  date.32  There  appears  to  have  been  no  coroner 
for  Sadberge  in  the  reign  of  James  I,^^  and  for  rating  purposes  the  ward  of 
Stockton  had  its  present  extent  early  in  the  seventeenth  century.^*  Mickleton, 
writing  soon  after  the  Restoration,  speaks  of  Sadberge  as  *  formerly  a  county 
of  itself  and  now  in  Stockton  Ward.'  ^^  The  barony  of  Gainford  and  the 
parish  of  Coniscliffe  were  probably  incorporated  in  Darlington  Ward  when 
the  rest  of  the  wapentake  became  part  of  Stockton.'" 

31  Exch.  Dep.  Mich.  28  &  29  Eliz.  no.  13. 
3-  Sharp,  Mem.  of  Rebellion  of  1569,  250-1. 

^  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  143.     This  is  a  bundle  of  inquisitions  taken  before  the  coroners  of  the 
four  wards.     An  inquisition  at  Greatham  in  Sadberge  was  tai:en  before  the  Stockton  coroner. 
3*  Egerton  MS.  2877  ;  Add.  MS.  24096. 
^  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  265  n. 
^*  Sharp,  loc.  cit. ;  of.  Spearman,  op.  cit.  49,  51. 


194 


STOCKTON    WARD 


DILLINGHAM 


BILLINGHAM 


The  parish  of  Billingham  included  in  183 1  the 
townships  of  Billingham,  Cowpen  Bewley  and  New- 
ton Bcwlcy,  and  the  chapelry  of  Wolviston,  and  had 
an  area  of  8,970  acres.  Wolviston  and  Newton 
Bewley  were  assigned  as  a  district  chapelry  in  1859 
to  the  church  of  St.  Peter  at  Wolviston,'  and  in 
1862  a  considerable  area  in  the  south  and  east  of  the 
parish,  including  Haverton  Hill,  Port  Clarence,  and 
Salt  Holme,  was  formed  into  the  ecclesiastical  district 
of  Haverton  Hill.-  An  Urban  District  Council  of 
sixteen  members  was  formed  in  1923  and  the  parish 
divided  into  four  wards.  In  1920  a  War  Memorial 
Hall  was  erected. 

The  old  parish  had  3  miles  of  foreshore  on  the 
Tees  Haven,  and  much  of  the  land  is  low-lying  and 
marshy.  In  1623  the  tenants  of  Billingham  complained 
that  their  pastures  on  this  low  land,  called  '  The 
Checkers,'  'The  Cow-marsh,'  and  'Hors-marsh,'  were 
constantly  inundated  by  the  tide,  and  in  consequence 
had  much  deteriorated.'  On  the  higher  ground  both 
arable  and  pasture  land  is  very  good.  About  3,106  acres 
are  under  cultivation,''  and  cereal  crops,  turnips,  beans, 
and  peas  are  r.iised.  The  soil  is  various  on  a  subsoil 
of  keuper  marl  and  alluvium. 

The  township  of  Billingham,  which  is  the  most 
westerly  in  the  parish,  is  separated  from  Norton  and 
Stockton  parishes  by  the  Billingham  Beck  flowing 
through  low-lying  meadows.  In  I  3  14  the  Bishop  of 
Durham  granted  a  special  indulgence  to  those  who 
contributed  to  the  building  and  repair  of  the  bridge 
and  causevv.i)-  between  Billingham  and  Norton.'  This 
was  probably  on  the  high  road  from  Stockton  to  Sun- 
derland, which  passes  through  the  two  villages.  There 
is  an  old  road,  however,  which  runs  south-west  from 
Billingham  village  to  the  stream  and  is  continued  on 
the  other  side  as  a  lane  leading  to  Norton.  An  arm 
of  Billingham  Beck,  diverted  to  form  a  millrace, 
flows  close  by  the  village.  This  was  presumably  the 
water-course  which  in  1366  the  inhabitants  were  re- 
quired to  narrow  between  '  le  Resschiters '  and  '  Flo- 
therkere  '  (Flotter  Carr,  I  580),'  so  that  it  might  keep 
to  its  old  channel.' 

The  village  is  a  group  of  houses  round  the  cross- 
roads ;  the  highway  sends  one  branch  north  from  this 
point  to  Sunderland,  the  other  north-east  to  West 
Hartlepool.  The  old  street-names  include  the 
'  Pekeshers '  and  '  Balyerawe.'  '  The  church  of  St. 
Cuthbert  stands  on  high  ground  to  the  north-west  of 
the  village,  and  forms  a  conspicuous  landmark  in  the 
low-lying  country  near  the  mouth  of  the  Tees.  In  a 
space  before  it  is  a  cross,  and  here,  no  doubt,  was  the 
pillory  set  up  by  the  prior  in  1418-19.'  In  the  15th 
century  an  unauthorized  market  used  to  be  held  against 
the  wall  of  the  churchyard  on  Sundays  and  feast  days.'" 
The  vicar  was  ordered  to  admonish  his  parishioners 


on  the  subject  in  1497."  Billingham  made  a  stand 
for  the  old  religion  in  the  1 6th  century.  A  witness 
at  the  inquiry  into  the  rebellion  of  the  north  in  1  569 
deposed  that  '  the  hye  alter  stone  is  buried  in  the 
quier  there,  and  one  read  cope  is  also  remaining  in 
the  said  church  as  yet  undefaced.'  '-  The  trades  of  the 
village  included  in  the  14th  century  the  making  of 
fish  oil  in  the  '  Pekeshers' and  brewing."  In  1618 
William  and  Robert  Gibson  sold  a  smeltin;»  house  to 
Richard  Apelbye  i*-'' and  in  1720  Mary  Bushe  con- 
veyed a  brass  furnace  and  corn-mill  to  Thomas 
Corney.i^''  In  1857  the  village  contained  a  brewery, 
a  malting,  and  a  large  skinnery.'*  There  is  still  a 
brewery  here.  The  Synthetic  Ammonia  and  Nitrates 
Co.  have  extensive  works  in  the  parish,  and  the 
Clarence  Brickworks  are  a  short  distance  to  the  north- 
east. A  lane  runs  south  from  the  village  to  Billing- 
ham Mill,'^  and  another,  formerly  the  '  Kerrygait,'^* 
eastward  to  the  old  landing  stage  from  which  the 
ferry  crossed  the  Tees. 

North-east  of  Billingham  is  the  group  of  farm- 
houses called  High,  Middle,  and  Low  Bellasis,  and 
near  the  second  the  manor-house  of  Bellasis  with  the 
remains  of  a  moat.  In  1649  the  manor-house  was 
described  as  consisting  of  '  a  hall,  a  parlour,  a  larder  or 
milke  house  with  chambers  over  them  being  very 
ruinous,'  one  barn,  one  stable,  and  other  out-houses." 
A  garden  city  has  lately  been  built  by  Lord  Furness 
at  Bellasis  for  the  employees  of  his  shipyard.  More 
important  than  Bellasis  at  the  present  day  is  the 
modern  settlement  of  Haverton  Hill  on  the  banks  of 
the  Tees  to  the  south-east.  It  stands  in  the  middle 
of  a  ring  of  saltworks  and  has  a  station  on  the  North 
Eastern  railway.  The  church  of  St.  John  is  at  the  west 
end,  and  there  are  Wesleyan,  Primitive  Methodist, 
and  United  Methodist  chapels.  At  Port  Clarence,  a 
group  of  ironworks  further  east  which  is  an  outpost 
of  Middlesbrough,  there  is  a  Roman  Catholic  church, 
built  in  I  879. 

The  Stockton  to  Sunderland  road  running  north 
from  Billingham  passes  Billingham  station  on  the 
North  Eastern  railway  and  a  pottery  and  brickworks 
before  it  reaches  Wolviston.  Wolviston  is  a  fair-sized 
village,  roughly  square  in  shape,  approached  at  its 
corners  by  four  roads.  The  site  of  the  old  church 
is  in  the  centre  of  the  vilLage  in  a  street  formerly 
known  as  'Northkevyll.'"  The  modern  church  stands 
a  short  distance  to  the  east.  The  village  has  Wesleyan 
and  United  Methodist  chapels.  Wolviston  Hall,  on 
its  south  side,  is  the  residence  of  Mrs.  Webster. 
Mill  Lane  runs  south-west  to  Wolviston  Mill  on  the 
banks  of  Billingham  Beck,  probably  on  the  site  of  the 
'  Snawedon  '  or  Wolviston  Mill  of  the  1  5th  and  l6th 
centuries." 

North-east   of  Wolviston  on  the   road   from    that 


43- 


'  I.ond.  Gaz.  17  June  1859,  p.  2361. 

'  Ibid.  4  Nov.  1862,  p.  5230. 

'  Chan.  Proc.  (Ser.  2),  bdle.  3  3  3,  no.  3. 

*  Statistics  trom  Bd.  of  Agric.  (1905). 

'  Rrg.  PdUi.  Dunclm.  (RoU»  Ser.),  i,  642. 

•  Halmori  Rolls  [Sun.  Soc),  240. 
'  Ibid.  57. 

'  FeoJ.  Prior,  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc),  41, 

»  Dur.  Acct.  R.  (Surt.  Soc.),  ii,  302. 
'«  Dep.  and  Eal.  Proc.  from  Ci.  0/ Dur. 


(Surt.  Soc.),  32 ;  Hiti.  Dunclm.  Script. 
Trri  (Surt.  Soc.),  App.  p.  ccclxxxlx. 

^'  Hisr.  Dunelm.  Script.  Trei  (Surt.  Soc), 
App.  p.  ccclxxxix. 

"  Dtp.  and  Eccl.  Proc.  from  Cl.  of  Dur. 
(Surt.  Soc),  197. 

"  Hiilmote  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  25,  39,  76, 
i6<;.  "^  Dur.  Rcc  cl.  I2,  no.  3  (z). 

"b  Ibid.  no.  20  (4). 

"  Fordyce,  Hist,  of  Co.  Palm,  of  Dur. 
ii,  J07. 

195 


**  Generally  so  called  in  the  records, 
but  3  *  Brantmyln '  is  mentioned  in  1366 
{Halmoii  R.  [Surt.  Soc],  57). 

"  Halmoir  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  t2i. 

"  Close,  1649,  pt-  *■>  °°'  34- 

**  Feod,   Prior.    Dunelm.    (Surt.    Soc), 

33- 

"  Hist.  Dunelm.  Script.  Trei  (Surt.  Soc), 
App.  p.  ccxcvii  i  Feod.  Prior,  Dunelm. 
(Surt.  Soc),  142  J  Dur.  Household  Bk. 
(Surt.  Soc),  172. 


A  HISTORY  OF   DURHAM 


village  to  West  Hartlepool  is  the  little  village  of 
Newton  Bewley.  The  present  corn-mill  at  its  east 
end  has  replaced  the  old  windmill.  The  site  of  the 
manor-house  of  Bewley,  from  which  the  village  is 
named,  is  not  certainly  known,  but  there  are  traces  of 
a  moat  at  Low  Grange,  a  farm  midway  between 
Newton  and  Cowpen,-'"  and  a  tiny  stream  near  by 
would  supply  the  necessary  power  for  the  water-mill 
attached  to  the  manor.-' 

The  remaining  township  of  Cowpen  Bewley  occu- 
pies the  marshy  ground  on  the  banks  of  the  Tees  to 
the  north  of  Havcrton  Hill.  The  village,  which 
consists  of  one  wide  street  with  a  narrow  green  in  the 
middle,  is  just  above  the  marshes.  On  Cowpen 
marsh  were  the  old  saltworks  of  the  township,  now 
disused.  Salt  Holme,  a  large  and  important  farm 
between  Cowpen  Marsh  and  Haverton  Hill,  existed 
in  1338,  as  part  of  the  estate  of  the  priory  of 
Durham.  It  was  leased  by  Henry  VIII  in  154.1  to 
Roger  Lascelles,  and  was  granted  in  the  same  year  to 
the  dean  and  chapter  of  Durham. ^^  In  164.9  'twas 
sold  with  the  manor  of  Billingham  (q.v.)  by  the 
trustees  of  church  lands.-'  It  subsequently  reverted 
to  the  dean  and  chapter,  and  was  part  of  the  cathedral 
estate  in  1823.-*  It  now  belongs  to  Durham 
University. 

The  inclosure  of  Billingham  took  place  in  about 
1620.2* 

BILLINGHAM  was  given  to  the 
MANORS  congregation  of  St.  Cuthbert  by  Bishop 
Ecgred  (830-46),  described  as  the 
founder  of  the  vill.^*  It  was  seized  about  thirty  years 
later  by  Ella,  King  of  the  Northumbrians,  but  seems 
to  have  been  recovered  at  his  death.-'  Bishop  Cutheard 
granted  it  about  901  to  Elfred  son  of  Birchtulfinc, 
who  was  seeking  a  settlement 
out  of  reach  of  the  Danes,  and 
became  the  bishop's  vassal.-* 
Afterwards,  however,  Regen- 
wald.  King  of  the  Danes, 
ravaged  that  part  of  the 
country,  and  gave  the  lands  of 
St.  Cuthbert,  from  Billingham 
to  (Castle)  Eden,  to  his  knight 
Scula.^*  Billingham  was  re- 
stored to  the  servants  of  St. 
Cuthbert  by  William  the  Con- 
queror, who  granted  it  in  aid 
of  their  maintenance.^  It  was 
subsequently  part  of  the  possessions  of  the  priory  of 
Durham,  and  appears  in  the  forged  charters  of  Bishop 


Priory  of  Durham. 
Azure  a  crois  paty  ht- 
rwten  four  liont  argent. 


William  de  St.  Calais/**  A  charter  of  William  II  is 
in  existence  granting  Billingham  to  the  monks,  with 
all  the  privileges  they  had  in  their  lands  between 
Tyne  and  Tees.*^  There  are  also  confirmations  by 
Henry  II,  Richard  I,  and  John.*^ 

These  grants  included  the  whole  of  Billingham, 
which  in  the  14th  century  was  held  in  three  parts. 
The  prior  had  a  grange  or  manor-house  with  a 
garden,  dove-house,  and  fish-pond.**  There  were  a 
few  freeholds,**  and  the  rest  of  the  township  was  held 
in  '  husbandries '  of  nearly  uniform  size.**  The  farmers 
of  these  husbandries  had  the  usual  organization  of 
tenants  in  the  prior's  vills,  electing  their  officers  and 
allotting  to  each  tenant  his  common  of  pasture  in 
their  assembly  or  '  bicrlawe.'  *'  The  men  of  Billing- 
ham, however,  were  specially  favoured  by  the  priors 
in  being  allowed  a  'gild  hous,' **  in  which  probably 
these  meetings  were  held.  They  ground  their  corn 
either  at  Billingham  Mill  or  one  of  the  other  mills 
within  the  parish*^  and  owed  services  to  the  manor  of 
Bellasis  as  well  as  to  Billingham. 

An  important  appurtenance  of  the  manor  was  the 
ferry  over  the  Tees,  which  appears  to  have  existed 
from  the  12th  century.''*'  It  seems  that  only  half  the 
responsibility  and  profit  of  the  ferry  belonged  to  the 
prior,*!  t[^g  other  half  belonging  to  the  lords  of  the 
Yorkshire  land  across  the  river.  In  1  379-80  the  prior 
made  a  payment  to  Sir  Thomas  Boynton,  then  owner 
of  land  on  the  opposite  bank,*- for  half  a  ferryboat.** 
The  ferry  existed  till  the  1 6th  century,  but  was 
'  decayed'  in  i  580.** 

On  the  Dissolution  the  manor  of  Billingham,  with 
the  sixteen  villeinage  holdings,**  and  all  its  rents  and 
profits  except  the  water-mill,  was  leased  to  John 
Leigh  of  the  Household.*'  In  the  same  year  (1541) 
the  possessions  of  St.  Cuthbert  here  were  granted  to 
the  dean  and  chapter  of  Durham.*'  The  manor  was 
seized  under  the  Commonwealth  by  the  Commis- 
sioners for  Church  Lands,  and  in  1649  was  sold  to 
James  Clement  and  John  Pickersgill.**  At  about  the 
same  date  the  water-mill  of  Billingham  and  a  wind- 
mill there  *^  were  sequestered  for  the  delinquency  of 
Captain  Gascoigne  Eden,  then  lessee.*"  After  the 
Restoration  Billingham  remained  in  the  possession  of 
the  dean  and  chapter  till  1872,  when  part  of  the 
manor  was  vested  in  the  Ecclesiastical  Commis- 
sioners.** 

In  the  early  13th  century  the  priors  claimed  the 
privilege  of  taking  customs  from  ships  landing  at  or 
taking  cargo  from  their  land  along  the  Tees  bank.*^ 
The  claim  was  opposed  by  the  Bishop  of  Durham, 


'"  In  1435  a  payment  was  made  for  the 
clearing  out  of  Me  Goters '  round  the 
manor  of  Bewley  [Dur.  Acct.  R,  [Surt. 
Soc. ],  624). 

»'  Dur.  Acci.  R.  (Surt.  Soc.),'i,  31. 

=2  L.  and   P.    Hen.  nil,   xvi,    p.    725  ; 

g- 878  (33)- 

^  Close,  1649,  pt.  vili,  no.  35. 

**  Surtees,  Hhf.  af  Dur.  iii,  150. 

**  Sec  below  ;  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  145. 

"  Simeon  of  Dur.   Of>era  (Rolls  Ser.), 

i.  53- 

"Ibid.  55.  "Ibid.  208. 

•*  Ibid.  209.  30  Ibid,  ,og_ 

"  FeoJ.  Prior.  Dune/m.  (Surt.  Soc), 
pp.  xli,  Iv. 

"  Ibid.  138. 

"  Ibid.  p.  Ixxiiii,  94  ;  Cn!.  Chan.  R. 
'3^7-4'.  P-  324- 


"  Halmoie  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  i,  6,  133, 
179,  241  ;  Dur.  Acci.  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  i, 
46  i    ii,  536. 

'^  The  manor-house  is  not  mentioned 
after  the  14th  century. 

3«  See  below. 

3^  Hatmote  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  i,  patiim  ; 
Chan.  Proc.  (Ser.  2),  bdle.  333,  no.  3. 

^^  Mentioned  \^'io{Feoii. Prior.  Dunelm. 
[Surt.  Soc],  44). 

"  Halmoie  R.{S,n^t.  Soc),  6%,  121,  166. 

*o  FeoJ.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc),  144, 
215;  Hill.  Dunelm.  Script.  Trei  (Surt. 
Soc),  App.  p.  ccxcvii  ;  Dur.  Acct.  R. 
(Surt.  Soc),  iii,  645. 

^*  FeoJ.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc), 
318  ;  Dur.  Acci.  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  645. 

"  r.C.H.  Yorh.  N.R.  ii,  271. 

■"  Dur.  Acct.  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  iii,  589. 


"  L.  and  P.  Hen.  VIII,  nvi,  p.  728  ; 
Halmote  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  241. 

*^  The  services  of  sixteen  bondage  or 
villeinage  tenants  were  leased  in  1373 
(sec  below). 

«  L.  and  P.  Hen.  VIII,  xvi,  p.  728. 

«  Ibid.  g.  878  (J3). 

"  Close,  1649,  pt.  viii,  no.  35.  Farm- 
holds not  included  in  this  sale  were  pur- 
chased in  the  next  year  from  the  trustees 
by  Adam  Baynes  of  Knowlesthorpe  (Add. 
Chart.  12628). 

*'  Perhaps  the  Newton  Mill. 

^  Royalist  Comp.  Papers  Dur.  and  North. 
(Surt.  Soc),  II,  23,  184. 

"  Lond.  Caz.  10  Dec.  1872,  p.  6199 
et  seq. 

"  Feod.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc), 
220-301. 


196 


STOCKTON  WARD 


BILLINGHAM 


who  maintained  that  he  haJ  the  sole  right  of  taking 
custom  on  the  north  banic  as  Peter  Brus  had  on  the 
south.^^  Several  witnesses  testified  that  the  priors  had 
in  the  past  taken  toll,^**  but  by  the  final  agreement  or 
'convenit'  made  with  Bishop  Poor  in  1229  this 
right  was  reserved  to  the  bishop,  leaving  to  the  prior 
only  his  ferry. ^^  Robert  of  Holy  Island,  Bishop  of 
Durham  (1274-83),  granted  the  prior  and  convent 
warren  in  Billinghamshire."'  An  unexplained  grant 
of  view  of  frankpledge  in  Billinghani,  Newton,  Bewley, 
Cowpen,  Wolviston  and  other  places  was  made  to 
Ralph  Fetherstonhaugh  in  June  1617,"  while  the  see 
was  vacant. 

The  freeholds  created  here  by  various  priors  are 
not  of  great  importance.  Gilbert  son  of  Reginald  de 
Billingham  surrendered  his  land  here  in  the  late 
I  2th  century  for  land  In  Wolviston.^*  A  messuage 
and  72  acres  belonged  in  the  early  13th  century  to 
John  son  of  Geoffrey,  whose  daughters  and  co-heirs 
Agnes,  Alice,  and  Margaret  married  respectively  Henry 
del  Hay,  Alexander  de  Klrkynsolagh,  and  William  son 
of  William  de  Herle.^^  Alice  and  Alexander  enfeoffed 
of  their  share  William  de  Herle,  who  added  to  his 
48  acres  a  messuage  and  6  acres  purchased  from 
William  Champenays.  The  holding,  having  passed 
in  turn  to  his  son  William  and  daughter  Joan,  finally 
reverted  to  his  sisters  Sibil  and  Isabella,  whose  sons 
David  de  Bicheburn  and  Roger  de  Herle  were  tenants 
in  1336.*'  A  third  part  of  this  freehold  was  granted 
in  mortmain  to  the  prior  and  convent  in  or  shortly 
after  1379  as  part  of  the  endowment  of  John  Fossor's 
chantry." 

The  most  important  freehold  was  that  granted  by 
Thomas  Melsanby  (prior  1233-44)  ^°  Robert  son 
of  Robert  Rekelott,*^  to  hold  as  his  father  had  held  it. 
It  consisted  of  72  acres  and  a  capital  messuage,  and 
was  next  held  by  John  son  of  Robert,*^  evidently  the 
John  the  Cowherd  of  Billingham  who  married  the 
sister  of  Richard  Kellaw,  Bishop  of  Durham,  and  was 
treated  with  special  favour  in  consequence  by  the 
prior.**  John's  son  William  unsuccessfully  claimed 
common  of  pasture  in  '  Saltcroke  '  and  '  Wylycroke  ' 
in  1343.*^  He  had  a  son  Alan,  who  paid  relief  for 
his  lands  in  Billingham  in  1349*^  ^"'^  made  an 
agreement  with  the  prior  in  1361.*'  Alan  died 
between  1390  and  1397."*  A  dispute  with  William 
de  Billingham,  son  of  Alan,  was  settled  in  1 410.** 
This  William  was  succeeded  by  Thomas,  who  lived 
till  about  1442.*'  Before  1430,  however,  his 
land  at  Billingham  had  passed  to  Robert  Jakson.'" 
Robert  paid  a  yearly  rent  of  I  3/.  4</.  for  his  capital 
messuage  and   72    acres,  and   owed  military  service, 


suit  of  court  every  fortnight,  and  works  at  the  mill 
and  at  the  manor  of  Billingham.  Most  of  these 
services  were  redeemed  in  1430  bya  payment  of  10/.^ 
The  heir  of  Robert  Jakson  is  not  known,  but  it  was 
apparently  his  freehold  for  which  the  heirs  of  John 
Hewetjone  paid  a  rent  of  20/.  in  1539.''^  Thomas 
Bainbridge  held  it  in  I  580,"  and  in  1 61  2  this  or  a 
later  Thomas  Bainbridge,  with  his  son  and  heir  John, 
conveyed  three  messuages  and  360  acres  of  arable 
land,  meadow  and  pasture  in  Billingham  to  Sir  Henry 
Anderson.^''  About  five  years  later  Sir  Henry  claimed 
that  this  tenement,  which  was  known  as '  Billinghams 
or  Bainbridges,'  carried  with  it  a  share  in  the 
manorial  rights  of  the  dean  and  chapter,  against 
whom  he  brought  a  writ  of  partition.  He  succeeded 
in  securing  the  inclosure  of  the  common  lands,  a 
measure  which  caused  great  discontent  among  the 
other  tenants.  There  are  records  of  their  proceed- 
ings against  him,  the  ground  of  which  was  that  he 
had  no  right  to  the  soil  of  the  pasture  lands,  but 
only  a  right  of  common  like  themselves,  and  that  his 
claim  to  a  ninth  of  the  whole  was  in  any  case  exces- 
sive.'^ The  dispute  dragged  on  for  several  years,  and 
the  result  was  apparently  unfivourable  to  Sir  Henry.'* 
He  was  succeeded  at  Billingham  by  his  son  Henry, 
but  the  later  history  of  the  estate  is  uncertain." 

BELLJSIS  (Belasyse,  xv  cent.;  Bellces,  Belsis,  xvi 
cent.;  Belsis,  xviii  cent.)  gave  its  name  to  a  local  family 
subsequently  of  Henknowle.  According  to  tradition 
this  family  came  into  possession  of  BelL'sis  soon  after 
the  Conquest,"*  but  nothing  is  known  of  it  earlier. 
Henry  and  Roger  de  Belasis  witnessed  12th-century 
charters  of  the  Prior  of  Durham,'^  and  a  grant 
of  the  vill  by  Willi.im  de 
Belasis  to  William  son  of 
Robert  is  quoted  in  the  family 
pedigrees.""  Sir  Rowland  de 
Belasis,  who  lived  at  Bsvvley, 
was  among  the  knights  of  the 
bishopric  in  1 264.*"^  The 
John  de  Bela:is  who  held  l.ind 
in  Wolviston  between  1270 
and  1280**'  may  have  been 
lord  of  Bellasis,  but  it  is  pos- 
sible that  his  family  had 
already  alienated  the  manor  to 
the  prior)' of  Durham,  to  which 

it  certainly  belonged  in  i  296. **-  The  fact  that  certain 
freehold  tenants  in  Billingham  holding  under  Prior 
Thom.is  (1233-44)  o"'ed  labour  at  the  manor  of 
Bellasis"'  seems  to  indicate  that  it  was  acquired  by  the 
priory  considerably  before  that  date.     The  tradition. 


Bellasis.  Argent  a 
chfveron  gulei  bet'zveen 
three  jleurt  de  Us  azure. 


57- 


*•  FeoJ,  Prior,  Dunelm,  (Surt.  Soc),  253. 
"  Ibid.  270,  276.  "Ibid.  215. 

*«  Hilt.  Dunelm.  Serif  r.  Tres  (Surt.  Soc), 

7- 

"  Pat.  I  5  Jas.  I,  pt.  XV,  no.  9.  There 
wai  a  lay  dean,  who  was  careless  of  the 
cathedral  righn  [I'.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  43). 

**  FeoJ.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc),  3 1  n. 

"  Richard  D' .lungeri-ille  of  Bury  (Surt. 
Soc),  123-5. 

»»  Ibid. 

**  Dep,  Keeper^i  Rep.  xxxii,  App.  i,  275  ; 
Cal.  Pjt.  1 38 1-;,  pp.  lo-ii  ;  cf.  FeoJ. 
Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc),  29. 

**  FeoJ.  Prior.  Dunelm,  (Surt.  Soc),  40  n. 

"  Ibid.  40. 

^  Surtccs,  op.  cit.  iii,  144-5. 

"  Ibid. 


«Ibid.     14 
(Surt.  Soc),  So. 

*^  Surtees,  op.  cit. 

''a  Dur.   Rec    cl. 
228A. 

*®  Surtccs,  op.  cit 


8  :     FeoJ.     Prior.     Dunelm. 


,  148. 
no.    13,   fol.   21, 

145. 


*'  FeoJ.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc),  40  ; 
Hutchinson,  fiiit.  anJ  .'Inri-^.  oj" Dur.  iii, 
108.      See  Crook  Hall. 

'"  FeoJ.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Snc),  40, 
88.  The  Billinghams  of  Crook  Hall 
made  a  general  release  to  the  prior  in 
1498  of  land  in  Billingham  (Surtees, 
op.  cit.  iii,  145). 

"  FeoJ.  Prior,  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc),  40, 
88.  "Ibid.  317. 

"  Halmoli  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  241. 

'*  Dur.  Rec  cl.  12,  no.  2  (3). 

197 


'^  Chan.  Proc  (Ser.  2),  bdle.  333, 
no.  3  J  Exch.  Dep.  Hil.  2  A  3  Chas.  I, 
no.  lo;  East.   3   Chas.  I,   no.  15  ;  Trin. 

3  Chas.  1,  no.  4. 

'*  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  145. 

'"  Chan.  Enr.  Dec  1209,  no.  3. 

"  Surtccs,  op.  cit.  iii,  148. 

"  FeoJ.  Pr:or.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc), 
32  n.,  64  n.,  670.,  128  n.,  173  n. 

*"  Ibid.  143  n. 

*"•  far.  Coll.  (Hist.  MSS.  Com.),  ii,  8S. 
He  does  not  appear  in  the  list  printed  in 
HatJielJ's  Surv.  (Surt.  Soc),  p.  xiy-xvi. 

**  Sec  below. 

»  Halmote  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  i,  8. 

*>  FeoJ.    Prior,    Dunelm.    (Surt.     Soc), 

4  I  ;  cf.  Halmote  R.  (Surt.    Soc),  i,   17  ; 
Dur.  Acct.  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  676. 


A  HISTORY  OF   DURHAM 


supported  by  a  couplet  formerly  in  a  window  of  the 
church  of  St.  Andrew  Auckland,  that  Bcliasis  was 
exchanged  by  a  John  de  Belasis  for  Henlcnowle,"  is 
curious,  in  view  of  the  fact  that  Henknowle  was 
granted  to  John  de  Belasis  as  late  as  1380  for 
land  at  Wolviston.*^ 

In  1296  the  manor  was  farmed  by  William  son  of 
John.*'  It  seems,  however,  that  during  most  of  the 
next  century  the  priors  held  it  in  their  own  hands.*' 
It  was  among  the  manors  of  which  Prior  Richard  de 
Hoton  declared  in  1305  that  Bishop  Antony  had 
disseised  him.*^^  In  1373  a  lease  for  fifteen  years  was 
granted  to  William  Jakson  of  Cowpen,  with  pro- 
visions to  protect  the  prior  from  loss  if  the  value  of 
the  arable  land  should  have  fallen  at  the  end  of  his 
term.  He  leased  at  the  same  time  the  services  of 
the  sixteen  bondage  tenants  of  Billingham  who  owed 
work  at  Bellasis.  The  rent  was  fixed  at  £6  I  3/.  \d.^^ 
William  Dicon  held  a  similar  lease  in  1439  and 
1446.'"  Eighteen  years  later  the  tenant  was  Ralph 
Holtby.'i  By  l  500  it  had  come  into  the  possession  of 
Percival  Lambton,'-  whose  descendants  held  the 
lease  for  300  years.  He  died  in  1 501,''  when 
the   rest    of   his    lease    for  seventy   years    seems    to 


Lambton.  SahU  a 
fine  bemjeen  three  Iambi 
argent. 


Eden.  G  u I  e  t  a 
cheveron  argent  betiveen 
three  thea'ves  or  ivith 
three  scal/ops  sable  en 
the  cheveron. 


have  passed  to  his  son  William.^^  The  rent  was 
raised  before  1539  to  £()  6s.  Sd.^^  William's  son 
Marmaduke,  known  as  '  Blind  Lambton,'  died  with- 
out issue,^"  leaving  three  sisters  and  co-heirs,  Elizabeth, 
Frances,  and  Alice,  married  respectively  to  John  Eden 
of  Durham,  William  Skelton  of  Armswell,  and  Robert 
Claxton.^'  The  lease  of  Bellasis  came  by  arrange- 
ment into  the  hands  of  John  Eden,'*  to  whose 
descendants  of  West  Auckland  (q.v.)  it  was  subse- 
quently renewed.^'  At  the  sale  of  church  lands 
in  1649    Robert   Eden,   then   the   tenant,   purchased 


the  manor  from  the  trustees,  thereby  losing  a  sum  of 
j(^l,320  5/.  when  the  sale  was  set  aside. "^''  His 
descendants  continued  to  lease  it  till  the  early  years -of 
the  19th  century,  when  Sir  John  Eden,  bart.,  sold 
his  interest.^  Bellasis  House  was  among  the  possessions 
in  Billingham  retained  by  the  dean  and  chapter  after 
the  settlement  of  1872.' 

BEIf^LEY  (Beaulou,  Beulu,  xiii  cent.  ;  Bieuloue, 
Beaulieu,  xv  cent.;  Bewley,  xvi,  xvii  cent.)  probably 
came  to  the  priory  of  Durham  by  the  grant  of 
Billingham  (q.v.).  The  grange  of  the  prior  here  is 
mentioned  in  the  time  of  Prior  Thomas  Melsanby 
(1233-44),'  and  a  manor-house  was  built  by  Prior 
Hugh  de  Darlington  between  I  258  and  1273.''  This 
manor-house  was  the  headquarters  of  the  prior  and 
other  officers  of  the  priory  when  they  stayed  in  this 
neighbourhood.'  They  farmed  the  demesne  during 
the  13th  and  14th  centuries,  and  tenants  of  Blaxton 
and  Wolviston  owed  services  here.*  A  water-mill,  a 
dove-house  and  a  park  were  attached  to  the  manor  ; 
the  two  former  are  mentioned  in  the  14th  century 
and  the  latter  in  the  15th  and  17th.'  In  1446 
Bewley  was  said  to  be  in  the  hand  of  the  lord  only 
for  lack  of  tenants,*  and  in  1464  it  was  held  by 
William  Thorp  for  a  term  of  years.  He  paid  a  rent 
oi  £\o  3 J.  4</.'  The  prior  stayed  here  with  the 
Prior  of  Guisborough  in  1501-2,'"  and  in  1532-3 
the  bursar  made  a  payment  for  repairs  to  the  hall 
and  the  steward's  chamber."  George  Davyson 
was  the  farmer  in  1536-7'-  and  Ralph  Davyson, 
perhaps  his  heir,  in  1539.'' 

After  the  Dissolution  Bewley  and  the  demesne 
lands  were  annexed  to  the  1 2th  stall  of  Durham 
Cathedral.'*  They  were  described  as  parcel  of  the 
possessions  of  the  cathedral  in  1649,  when  they  were 
sold  by  the  trustees  for  church  lands  with  the  manor 
of  Billingham  to  James  Clement  and  John  Pickersgill." 
The  manor-house  seems  to  have  fallen  into  decay 
during  the  17th  century,  for  it  is  not  mentioned 
after  this  sale.  No  remains  of  it  appear  to  have 
existed  in  Hutchinson's  day.  The  demesnes  were 
probably  then  included  in  the  manor  of  Newton. 

COirPEN BEirLEr(Cupam,  xii  cent.;  Coupon, 
xiv  cent.)  may  be  supposed  to  have  been  included  in 
the  charter  of  William  the  Conqueror  granting 
Billingham  to  the  priory  of  Durham.  It  is  speci- 
fically mentioned  in  confirmations  of  Henry  II  and 
Richard  I.'*  It  was  held  in  bondage  or  villeinage 
tenements,  the  tenants  of  which  elected  their  reeve 
{praepositus)  and  made  rules  for  the  government  of 


*•  'Bellysit,  Bcllpis,  daft  was  thy  sowcU 
When  exchanged  Bcllysis  for  Hen- 
knoweir  (Surtees,  loc.  cit,). 

"  See  below. 

^  Halmote  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  i,  8. 

"  Dur.  Acer.  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  pamm. 

^  Reg.  Palat.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  iv, 
•5- 

'^  Halmote  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  i,  120-1. 

*>  Finchale  Priory  Chart.  (Surt.  Soc), 
p.  ccx«  ;  Hist.  Dunelm.  Script.  Ires 
(Surt.  Soc),  p.  ccxcvii. 

"  Feod.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc),  143. 

"  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  ixivi  (l),  47  ; 
Dur.  Acct.  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  676. 

"  M.I.  quoted  in  Surtee8,  op.  cit.  iii, 
146.  In  an  account  of  1536  [Dur. 
Acct.  R.  loc.  cit.)  Percival  is  mentioned 
as  though  he  was  still  alive.  This  is 
apparently  a  mistake. 


J'  Dur.  Acct.  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  iii,  676  ; 
FeoJ,  Prior,  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc),  316  ; 
Foster,  Dur,  Fed.  205. 

'*  Feod.  Prior,  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc), 
316. 

^  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xxxvii,  54 ;  Foster, 
loc.  cit. 

^'  Foster,  loc.  cit. 

"  Halmote  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  i,  200  ; 
Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  149. 

"  Surtees,  loc  cit.  ;  Close,  1649,  pt.  xi, 
m.  34. 

""'  Close,  1649,  pt.  xi,  no.  34. 

*  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

'  Lond.  Gaz.  10  Dec.  1872,  p.  6199 
et  seq. 

'  Feod.  Prior,  Dunelm,  (Surt.  Soc),  26  n. 

*  Hist.  Dunelm,  Script,  Tret  (Surt.  Soc), 
4*. 

'  Dur,  Acct.  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  ii,  497,  507, 


522  ;  Coldingham  Priory  (Surt.  Soc),  14  ; 
Hist.  Dunelm.  Script.  Trw  (Surt.  Soc),  no. 

'  Feod.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc),  35, 
44  ;  Reg.  Palat.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  iv, 
16,  30  ;  Dur.  Acct.  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  passim. 

'  Dur.  Acct.  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  i,  51,  121  ; 
ii,  319;  iii,  638;  Close,  1649,  pt.  viii, 
m.  35. 

»  Hist.  Dunelm,  Script,  Tres  (Surt.  Soc), 
App.  p.  ccxcvi. 

'  Feod.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc),  139. 

I"  Dur,  Acct.  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  iii,  657. 

"  Dur.  Household  Bk.  (Surt.  Soc),  177. 

"  Dur.  Acct.  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  iii,  675. 

"  Feod.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc),  3 1 5. 

'*  Hutchinson,  op,  cit.  ii,  128  j 
Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  150. 

'*  Close,  1649,  pt.  viii,  no.  35. 

1'  Feod.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc), 
p.  Ixxxiii  ;  Cat.  Chart.  R.  1327-41,  p.  324. 


198 


STOCKTON   WARD 


DILLINGHAM 


the  vill."  They  ground  their  corn  at  the  mill  of 
Newton. 1"  There  were  fifteen  bond  tenants  in  1300, 
and  the  same  number  in  1536.'^  In  1539,  however, 
only  ten  are  mentioned,  the  remainder  of  the  land 
being  held  by  cottiers. ^'^  In  the  13th  and  14th 
centuries  the  saltworks  from  which  the  priors  derived 
a  large  part  of  their  revenues  in  Covvpen  were 
attached  to  various  tenements  and  held  on  lease  by 
the  tenants,  a  rent  of  salt  being  paid  to  the  prior.-'^ 
In  1432-3  the  tenants  of  the  vill  are  first  found  hold- 
ing the  saltworks  in  common  and  paying  [^1  3/.  ^d. 
as  an  equivalent  for  a  salt  rent  of  35  quarters 
6  bushels  2  pecks."'  This  arrangement  continued 
throughout  the  15th  and  i6th  centuries.--  In  1536 
and  I  580,  however,  the  rent  was  £"]  6s.,  the  price  of 
36  quarters  4  bushels.-''  In  I  539  the  tenants  of  the 
vill  similarly  leased  the  common  bake-house.-* 

Six  cottier  tenants  in  Cowpen  paid  a  rent  called 
Candlewick  silver.-* 

The  land  of  this  township  was  divided  in  1872 
between  the  dean  and  chapter  of  Durham  and  the 
Ecclesiastical  Commissioners.^'' 

The  whole  of  NEIITON  5£/AX£r  belonged  from 
an  early  date  to  the  Priors  of  Durham,  probably  as 
part  of  Blllingham  -'  (q.v.).  It  was  held  under  them 
in  nine  'husbandries'  or  villeinage  holdings,  the  rent 
of  which  in  1539  was  ^4  o/.  ohd.  each  and  three 
cottier  holdings.-'*  The  windmill  was  leased  separ- 
ately,-^ and  there  were  no  freeholds  of  any  importance. 
In  1358  an  order  was  made  that  no  tenant  was  to 
exchange  his  land  with  another  without  licence.'"-' 

The  vill  was  granted  to  the  dean  and  chapter  in 
1541,-'"  and  was  anne.xed  to  the  cathedral  till  1872, 
when  portions  of  it  were  vested  in  the  Ecclesiastical 
Commissioners.^-  The  abolition  of  customary  tenant 
right  in  1576  '^  caused  some  friction  here.  There  are 
two  suits  of  the  late  1 6th  century  setting  forth  the 
grievances  of  tenants  who  could  not  obtain  from  the 
dean  and  chapter  new  leases  of  what  they  claimed 
were  their  ancestral  holdings.''*  Two  farms  here  were 
sold  by  the  trustees  for  church  lands  to  Henry  Barker 
in  1650.-'* 

Some  land  in  irOLFISTON  (Wlveston,  Olvestona, 
xi  cent.  ;  Wolston,  Wolveston,  xvi  cent.)  probably 
passed  to  the  church  of  St.  Cuthbert  by  the  grant  of 
Billingham.  This  did  not  include  the  whole  vill, 
however,    for    Wolviston    occurs    among    the    places 


released  to  Bishop  William  de  St.  Calais  by  Robert, 
Earl  of  Northumberland.-''  Bishop  William  perhaps 
made  a  grant  of  it  to  the  convent  ;  the  vill  of  Wol- 
viston is  introduced  into  the  forged  charters  attributed 
to  him.''  One  carucate  in  Wolviston  was  'restored' 
to  St.  Cuthbert  by  Bishop  Ranulf  Flambard  (1099- 
1128).'*  It  was  then  in  the  tenure  of  a  certain 
Clibert  de  Hetton.''  Geoffrey  Rufus,  successor  of 
Ranulf  Flambard,  gave  half  a  carucate  here  held  by 
Clibert  son  of  Aelstan,  probably  the  same  tenant,  to 
buy  a  light  in  the  chapter.'"^  Finally,  in  I  185, 
Roger  de  Kibblesworth,  son  of  Clibert  de  Helton, 
surrendered  to  Prior  German  his  tenancy  in  drcngage  ^' 
in  return  for  the  vill  of  Cocken.*'- 

Another  holding  bought  in  by  the  prior  and  con- 
vent during  the  I  2th  century  was  a  freehold  created 
by  themselves.  Richard  '  the  engineer '  quitclaimed  to 
Prior  German  all  the  land  he  held  of  him  in  VVoIviston 
in  return  for  a  carucate  in  Pittington.'"  Richard  had 
a  tenant,  Ralph  son  of  Gamel  son  of  Aelsi  son  of 
Arkil,  who  held  in  drengage,  a  tenure  dating  from 
before  the  Conquest.*''  He  was  perhaps  the  ancestor 
of  the  William  and  Henry  de  Wolviston  who  quit- 
claimed land  here  to  the  prior  in  the  13th  century.'" 

There  still  remained  a  large  freehold  in  Wolviston 
held  by  the  Belasis  family.  Between  1270  and  1280 
John  de  Billingham  released  to  John  de  Belasis  of 
Wolviston  and  Alice  his  wife  all  the  lands  and  tene- 
ments which  he  had  in  Wolviston  by  gift  of  John.""' 
Alice  widow  of  John  made  a  release  to  William  de 
Belasis  in  1316.'^  In  1380  the  whole  estate  of  the 
Belasis  family,  amounting  to  seven  messuages,  1 60  acres 
of  land,  and  8  acres  of  meadow,  held  of  the  prior 
per  ccrta  servitia,  was  granted  to  the  prior  and  convent 
in  exchange  for  the  manor  of  Henknowle.*'  At  the 
same  time  the  prior  acquired  land  here  late  of  John 
de  Wolviston,  Richard  de  Aske,  Robert  de  Masham, 
and  others,  tenants  of  the  priory.*" 

About  1384  some  500  acres  in  Wolviston  were 
held  of  the  prior  by  free  tenants. °''  The  rest  of  the 
vill  was  divided  between  bond  tenants,  of  whom 
in  the  1 6th  century  there  were  thirteen,  and 
cottiers-^o^  A  water-mill  was  attached  to  it.^'"' 
The  possessions  of  the  priory  were  granted  to  the 
dean  and  chapter  in  1541.*'  One  of  their  tenants 
here,  a  certain  William  Thorpe,  was  among  the 
leaders   in   the   agitation   for  tenant  right  settled   in 


*'  Halmote  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  passim  ;  see 
especially  pp.  58,  79. 

"  Halmote  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  40.  The 
park  mentioned  la  1375  and  i;j8o  (ibid. 
127,  165)  was  probably  that  attached  to 
the  manor  of  Bewley  (q.v.). 

^^  Halmote  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  12.  Dur. 
Acct.  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  iii,  674. 

"» Feod.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc), 
314.  See  also  Halmote  R.  (Surt.  Soc), 
242-3.  The  ten  holders  of  the  hus- 
bandries paid  in  1539  a  uniform  rent  of 
60J.  2./.  [Feod.  Prior.  Dunelm.  [Surt.  Soc], 
314)  ;  those  in  Billingham  paid  751,  yd. 
(ibid.  316). 

'"  Halmote  R.  7,  79,  133. 

"  Dur.  Aat.  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  iil,  622. 

"  Ibid,  i,  66  ;  iii,  623. 

"  Ibid,  iii,  675  ;  Halmote R.  (Surt.  Soc), 
243.  In  1580  the  tenants  of  Cowpen 
petitioned  against  the  sale  of  salt  at  Yarm 
by  the  Scots  free  of  custom  {Cal.  S.  P. 
Dom.  1547-80,  p.  695). 

"  Feod.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc),  314. 


"  Dur.  Acer.  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  674  ; 
Feod.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc),  314; 
Halmote  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  243. 

^^  Lond.  Gav.  10  Dec.  1872,  p.  6199 
et  scq. 

''  No  grant  mentioning  Newton  separ- 
ately has  been  found. 

"  Feod.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc),  31  5. 

"  Ibid.  ;  Hist.  Dunelm.  Script.  Tres 
(Surt.  Soc),  App.  p.  ccxcvi ;  Dur.  Acct.  R. 
(Surt.  Soc),  iii,  675. 

'»  Halmote  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  25. 

"  L.  and  P.  Hen.  nil,  xtI,  g.  878  (35). 

'^  Land.  Ga'z.  10  Dec.  1872,  p.  6199 
ct  seq. 

^  See  below,  Wolviston. 

'<  Chan.  Proc  (Ser.  2),  bd'.e.  214, 
no.  47  ;  Cl.  of  Rcq.  bdle.  6s,  no.  i. 

"  Close,  1650,  pt.  xxiit,  no.  46. 

'«  Fe^d.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc), 
p.  Ixxxii. 

"  Ibid.  p.  Iv.  as  n,ij.  ,^5. 

"  Ibid.  141,  145. 

•»  Ibid.  140.  "  See  below. 

199 


*'  Feod.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc),  20, 
141-2  n.  "  Ibid.  140-1. 

**  F.C.H.  Dur.x,  314. 

*'  Feod.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc),  I43. 

<«  far.  Coll.  (Hist.  MSS.  Com.),  ii,  14. 

"  Ibid.  15. 

*'  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xxxii,  App.  i, 
275  ;  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  148. 

*^  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xxxii,  App,  i, 
274;  Cal.  Pat.  1381-5,  pp.  lo-ll.  It  il 
possible  that  John  de  Wolviston  is  to  be 
identified  with  John  de  Belasyse. 

'"  For  the  history  of  the  freeholds  see 
Feod.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc),  27-40, 
315-16  ;  Halmote  R.  (Surt  Soc),  246-7  ; 
Rentals  and  Surv.  (Gen.  Ser.),  R.  987  ; 
Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  3,  file  166,  no.  37  ;  file 
169,  no.  16  ;  file  174,  no.  5  ;  file  182, 
no.  46;  file  183,  no.  42;  file  iSS, 
no.  I II. 

♦"a  Rentals  and  Surv.  (Gen.  Ser.),  R. 
987. 

"b  Halmote  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  i  82. 

■■■I  L.  and  P.  Hen.  nil,  xvi,  g.  878  (33). 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


1576.'''-  Part  of  Wolviston  nas  sold  by  the  trustees 
for  church  lands  in  1654.''''  Since  i  872  the  cathedral 
land  in  the  township  has  been  divided  between  the 
dean  and  chapter  an  J  the  Ecclesiastical  Commissioners.*' 
The  Marquess  of  Londonderry  also  has  land  here. 

The  church  of  ST.  CUTHBERT 
CHURCHES  consistsofachancel4oft.  by  15  ft.  8in., 
with  organ  chamber  on  the  north  side, 
clearstoried  nave  63  ft.  4  in.  by  I  3  ft.,  north  and  south 
aisles  each  10  ft.  wide,  south  porch,  and  west  tower 
I  2  ft.  square,"  all  these  measurements  being  internal. 
The  earliest  parts  of  the  building  are  the  tower 
and  the  greater  part  of  the  nave  walls,  which  are  of 
the  pre-Conquest  period,  probably  about  the  middle 
of  the  1 1  th  century,  though  an  earlier  date  is  quite 
possible.  There  are  several  pieces  of  sculptured  cross- 
shafts  built  into  the  walls  of  the  tower.'^  Six  of  these 
fragments  are  on  the  south  side  of  the  tower  at  different 
levels,  some  near  the  ground  and  some  in  the  upper 
st.ages,  which  seems  to  indicate  that  the  stone  crosses 
then  standing   on   the  site  were  collected   and   used 


i 


the  chancel  arch  built,  a  new  arch  similar  to  the  old 
being  erected  at  the  east  end  of  the  north  arcade.  The 
addition  of  a  new  chancel  followed,  tl.e  Transitional 
character  of  the  south  arcade  giving  way  to  the  fully 
developed  style  of  the  13th  century.  No  further 
alterations  to  the  plan  have  since  been  made,  with  the 
exception  of  the  addition  of  the  organ  chamber  in 
modern  times,  though  the  building  has  undergone 
many  alterations  and  reconstructions.  No  evidence 
remains  as  to  the  date  of  the  original  porch,  and  it 
may  therefore  have  been  of  late  date.  In  the  15th 
century  the  top  of  the  tower  was  reconstructed,  and 
probably  the  north  aisle  wall  raised  and  the  buttresses 
added.  The  nave  roof  and  the  south  clearstory 
windows  were  also  apparently  of  15th-century  date, 
but  the  latter  have  been  restored.  The  building 
underwent  some  changes  in  the  1 8th  century,  sash 
windows  being  inserted  in  the  south  aisle,  but  no 
structural  alterations  of  importance  appear  to  have 
been  made.  Sir  Stephen  Glynne,  who  visited  the 
church  in  1843,  describes  the  chancel  as  of  '  excellent 


OWER 

illi: 

I 


MMliUJ 


North  Aisle 

Nave 


South  Aisle 


liiil  liil 


10    5    o 


10 


20 


30 


ScAL£  OF  Feet 

Plan  of  Billingham  Church 


mn  Pk  I  ■-Conquest 
■  c.1193 

[nic.1200 
J^  ^15111  Century 
EH  Modern 


when  the  tower  was  erected.*'  The  extreme  narrow- 
ness of  the  nave  in  comparison  with  its  height  marks 
it  as  contemporary  with  the  tower.  Some  pre-Con- 
quest fragments  have  been  found  here  also,  one,  now 
at  Durham,  '  exhibiting  two  seated  figures  in  which 
the  knees  are  treated  in  a  conspicuous  and  unusual 
manner.'"'  The  original  nave,  however,  does  not  ap- 
pear to  have  extended  so  far  eastward  as  at  present,  the 
long  masonry  pier  at  the  east  end  of  the  north  arcade, 
marking  its  extent  in  that  direction,  showing  it  to  have 
been  about  48  ft.  in  length.  The  original  square- 
ended  chancel  would  therefore  occupy  approximately 
the  easternmost  bay  of  the  existing  nave. 

The  first  change  in  the  plan  occurred  at  the  end  of 
the  12th  century,  when  a  north  aisle  was  added,  the 
arcade  being  broken  through  the  wall,  leaving  large 
masses  of  the  early  masonry  between  the  arches,  with 
'  responds '  on  either  side,  the  piers  thus  being  on  plan 
a  short-limbed  cross.  About  1200  the  south  arcade 
was  added,  the  nave  extended  eastward  one  bay,  and 


plain  Early  English  work,'  having  'four  plain  lancets 
with  rather  obtuse  heads '  on  either  side.  The  clear- 
story windows  were  then  closed  and  the  exterior  of 
the  building  was '  patched  and  ragged.'  '  The  chancel,' 
he  proceeds,  '  is  long  and  of  fine  proportions,  the 
parapet  moulded,  with  a  corbel  table  below  and  a 
string  under  the  windows.  The  east  end  has  the 
parapet  in  an  uncommon  form  :  a  kind  of  ellipse  with 
toothed  ornaments.  .  .  .  The  chancel  is  rather  neat 
within,  and  fitted  up  with  stalls  and  desks  before  them, 
and  the  wainscoting  is  not  quite  in  character  with  the 
ancient  church.  The  roof  of  the  chancel  has  plain 
timbers,  the  rest  of  the  church  is  ceiled  within.'*' 
In  1846  the  chancel  (which  is  described  as  'having 
shrunk  ' )  ^^  was  taken  down  and  rebuilt  in  the  follow- 
ing year  on  the  old  foundations.  The  plaster  ceiling 
of  the  nave,  which  had  only  been  put  up  a  few  years 
before,  was  removed  at  the  same  time,  and  a  fine  old 
oak  roof  revealed.  The  arches  and  piers  of  the  nave 
arcades  were  chiselled  over.^^     There  were  restorations 


»-'  Halmoit  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  246. 

^^  Close,  1654,  pt.  xxxi,  no.  8. 

''*  LanJ.  Gnx.  lo  Dec.  1872,  p.  6199 
et  seq. 

^^  Externally  the  tower  is  17  ft.  6  in. 
square.        Compare    other     pre-Conquest 


towers  :  Norton,  20  ft.  9  in.;  Ovingham, 
I  8  ft.  6  In.;  Monkwearmouth,  11  ft.  9  in. 
"  C.  C.  Hodges,  in  T/ie  Rrhj.  (New 
Ser.),  viii,  11-12.  For  fragments  sec 
Stuart,  Sculpt,  Stones  of  Scot/and,  ii,  64 
(plate  cxi). 

200 


"  Hodges,  op.  cit.  viii,  12.         '*  Ibid. 

*'  Proc.  Soc.  Antiq.  NeivcastU  (Ser.  3), 
iii,  179. 

«»  Fordyce,  Hhi.  of  Co.  Palm,  of  Dur. 
(1857),  ii,  308. 

"  Ibid.      Fordyce  «ay»,  'in  the   south 


liiLLiNGiiAM  Church  from  the  South-west 


STOCKTON   WARD 


BILUNGHAM 


in  1864-5,  1882-3,  and  '"  1890,  the  whole  of  the 
south  aisle  wall  and  the  porch  being  taken  down  and 
rebuilt  and  tlie  nave  roof  and  clearstory  windows 
reconstructed. 

The  chancel  is  of  no  antiquarian  interest,  except  in 
so  far  as  it  reproduces  the  older  work.  It  is  in  the 
13th-century  style,  with  an  east  window  of  three 
lancets,  and  is  divided  externally  into  four  bays  by 
flat  buttresses.  There  are  four  lancets  on  the  south 
side  and  three  on  the  north,  the  westernmost  bay 
on  that  side  being  occupied  by  the  organ  chamber. 
No  ancient  features  have  been  retained,  with  the 
exception  of  the  pointed  chancel  arch,  which  is  of 
two  slightly  chamfered  orders  and  springs  from  semi- 
circular responds  with  moulded  capitals  and  bases. 
The  capit.ils    of  the    responds  differ  in  detail,  that 


the  larger  middle  one.  The  base  mouldings  follow 
the  plan  of  the  piers,  but  the  capitals  have  square 
moulded  abaci  with  separate  bell-shaped  necks  to 
the  piers  and  shafts  with  a  fillet  below.  The 
responds  arc  similar  in  detail,  but  the  small  shafts  of 
that  at  the  east  end  are  octagonal  in  section,  all  the 
others  being  circular.  The  arches  are  of  two  orders, 
the  outer  order  moulded  on  the  nave  side  with  an 
edge  roll  and  the  inner  with  a  pointed  bowtel. 
Towards  the  aisle  the  outer  order  is  simply  cham- 
fered, and  the  inner  order  is  moulded  with  two  rolls. 
The  arches  are  inclosed  by  indented  labels  on  the  nave 
face  of  the  wall.''^  The  nave  walls  above  the  arcades 
and  at  the  west  end  retain  their  ancient  masonry, 
but  terminate  externally  in  embattled  parapets  above 
the  clearstory  and  have  gargoyles  and  grotesque  heads 


ki^v^w* """"';  ''"""'■. 


<?^^ 


(jn^iqtv 


BiLLINGHAM    CllURCH     FROM    THE    SoUTH 


on  the  north  side  having  a  scmi-octagonal  abacus. 
Externally  the  chancel  has  a  straight  parapet  and 
high-pitched  green-slated  roof. 

The  north  arcade  of  the  nave  consists  of  five 
pointed  arches  of  two  slightly  chamfered  orders 
springing  from  masonry  piers,  the  imposts  of  which 
are  chamfered  on  the  underside  with  a  triangular 
groove  above.  The  piers,  as  already  stated,  are  each, 
in  section,  a  short-limbed  cross  slightly  chamfered  on 
each  angle,  and  the  responds  correspond.  The 
angles  of  the  abaci  are  cut  off  and  are  ornamented  on 
the  underside  with  a  pellet  ornament,  some  of  which 
are  missing.  The  south  arcade  is  much  richer  in 
character,  and  consists  of  five  pointed  arches  spring- 
ing from  circular  piers  with  square  plinths,  on  the 
four  corners  of  which  are  slender  shafts  attached  to 


at  the  eastern  angles.  There  are  four  clearstory 
windows  on  the  north  and  five  on  the  south  side, 
those  on  the  north  being  old  square-headed  openings 
with  splayed  internal  jambs  and  sloping  sills.  The 
westernmost  window  on  the  south  side  is  similar, 
but  the  others  are  later  adaptations  of  the  older 
openings,  two  of  which  have  been  widened  and 
made  of  two  lights  each.  They  are  all  square- 
headed  with  trefoiled  lights  and  stepped  internal 
sills,  but  outside  are  modern  restorations.  The  roof 
is  of  nine  bays  covered  with  slates,  and  over  the  east 
gable  arc  the  remains  of  a  sanctus  bellcote. 

The  modern  south  aisle  offers  no  features  of  interest, 
except  that  some  original  detail  is  reproduced  in  a 
double  square  buttress  and  lancet  window  at  the  east 
end.     The  easternmost  window  in  the  south  wall  is 


aisle  are  three  plain  square  windows 
with  sashes.  A  new  window  has 
been  placed  in  the  north  aisle,  and  it 
is    intended  the    others    shall    be    made 


uniform  with  it.*  A  stained-glass  win- 
dow was  erected  in  the  church  by  the 
parishioners  in  memory  of  those  who 
Icll  in  the  Great  War. 

201 


"  For  details  of  the  arcade  see  Perry 
and  Henman,  Ultmratior.s  of  Midiae  ■ 
val  Antiquititi  in  Co.  Durham  (1S62), 
plate  6. 

26 


A   HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


of  three  lights  ;  the  others  are  of  two  lights.  The 
aisle  is  under  a  Ican-to  leaded  roof  behind  a  straight 
parapet.  The  porch  has  a  slated  roof  with  overhang- 
ing caves,  and  built  into  its  walls  are  several  fragments 
of  mediaeval  grave  slabs  and  a  piscina,  the  bowl  of 
which  has  been  cut  aw.iy.  The  windows  of  the 
north  aisle  are  all  modern,  but  the  walling  is  old. 
The  aisle  is  divided  externally  into  four  bays  by 
buttresses,  those  at  the  angles  being  diagonal.  The 
north  doorway,  which  is  now  blocked,  has  a  plain 
pointed  arch  of  a  single  chamfered  order  without 
impost  or  hood  mould,  and  at  the  east  end  is  a 
pointed  recess  high  up  in  the  wall  with  corbelled 
sill. 

The  tower,  which  is  about  70  ft.  in  height,  is  the 
most  interesting  feature  of  the  building.  Externally 
it  is  marked  horizontally  by  two  strings  immediately 
below  and  above  the  belfry  stage,  the  lower  part,  which 
internally  consists  of  three  stages,  being  quite  plain. 
The  bottom  story  opens  to  the  nave  by  a  tall 
narrow  round-headed  doorway  with  a  plain  arch  in 
two  stones  resting  on  chamfered  imposts.  The  opening 
is  2  ft.  9  in.  wide  at  the  bottom,  slightly  narrowing  to 
the  top,  and  is  8  ft.  3  in.  in  height  to  the  crown. 
The  chamber  is  roofed  with  a  groined  vault  with 
chamfered  ribs,  introduced  probably  in  the  13th 
century.  The  ribs  spring  at  each  angle  from  plain 
corbels  4  ft.  5  in.  above  the  floor,  and  the  vault  has 
been  cut  through  at  a  later  period  to  give  access  to 
the  upper  floors.  A  modern  single-light  window 
has  been  inserted  in  the  south  wall.  The  second 
internal  stage  has  a  narrow  loop  on  the  west  side  and 
had  formerly  an  opening  to  the  nave,  but  the  north 
and  south  walls  are  blank.  The  third  stage  has  a 
large  round-headed  window  on  the  south  side  which 
is  treated  with  a  band  of  stripwork  to  the  jambs 
and  round  the  extrados  of  the  arch  connected  with 
the  opening  by  projecting  impost  stones.  Above 
this  window  is  the  first  string-course,  which  is  a 
plain  square  projecting  band  of  stone.  In  the  stage 
above  are  four  round-headed  belfry  windows,  one  on 
each  face.  The  belfry  is  loftier  than  the  other 
internal  stages,  and  the  windows  consist  each  of  two 
round-headed  openings  separated  by  a  mid-wall 
shaft  in  one  stone,  within  an  inclosing  arch.  The 
windows  are  treated  with  stripwork  to  the  jambs 
and  arches,  and  in  the  spandrel  formed  by  the  strips 
to  the  outer  and  inner  arches  is  a  pierced  hole,  those 
on  the  east  and  west  sides  being  circular  and  the 
others  in  the  form  of  an  eight-rayed  star  or  octofoil 
with  pointed  ends.  The  string-course  above  the 
belfry  windows  is  quite  plain,  like  the  one  below, 
but  is  probably,  together  with  the  short  bit  of  walling 
above  it  and  the  embattled  parapet,  of  i  ;th-century 
date.  The  whole  of  the  walling  is  of  rubble,  and 
there  is  a  clock  dial  on  the  east  side  towards  the 
village.  The  lower  stage  is  used  as  a  clergy 
vestry. 

The  font,  which  stands  at  the  west  end  of  the 
nave,  is  contemporary  with  the  south  arcade,  and 
consists  of  a  circular  stcne  bowl  on  a  moulded  circular 
shaft  and  base  and  octagonal  plinth  with  corner 
ornaments.  The  lower  part  of  the  bowl  immediately 
above  the  shaft  and  the  upper  part  of  the  base  are 


carved    with    conventional    flat    leaf-ornament,    and 
there  is  a  17th-century  carved  oak  pyramidal  cover. 

Tlie  oak  chancel  screen  is  of  late  17th-century 
date,  and  has  a  central  doorway  with  gates  and  two 
openings  on  each  side  divided  by  thick  turned 
balusters.  The  detail  is  simple  and  substantial,  but 
has  been  a  good  deal  patched  and  restored.  Near 
the  south  doorway  is  an  oak  poor-box  on  a  turned 
baluiter  shaft  inscribed  '  Remember  ye  poore  afio 
DoiS  1673.'  The  pulpit  and  all  the  other  fittings 
are  modern.  At  the  west  end  of  the  nave,  high  up 
on  the  wall  above  the  tower  doorway,  is  a  clock  dial. 

The  church  contains  three  brasses.  The  first 
bears  the  figure  of  a  priest  vested  in  surplice  with  full 
long  sleeves,  through  which  appear  the  sleeves  of  the 
cassock,  almuce,  and  a  tippet  of  squirrel  fur  with  a 
fringe  of  pendant  tails.  The  head  is  missing.  The 
inscription,  which  is  a  good  deal  worn,  reads  :  '  Hie 
iacet  dfis  Robert  Brerley  nup  prcbcndarius  siue 
porconarius  i  ecciia  |  pochiali  de  Norton  ac  vicari 
ecctie  pochialis  de  Bcllnghm  Dunelm'  dioc  qui  |  obiit 
....  die  .  .  .  a°  dni  m'cccc"  Ixxx  ....  cui  aie 
ppicietur  deus  amen.'  The  second  brass  is  inscribed  : 
'  Orate  pro  aia  Dfii  Johis  Necehm  captii  ac  vicarij 
qnSm  istius  ecctie  qui  obijt  in  flx:sto  Sci  Nicholai 
Epi  Anno  dui  miHmo  cccc°  vj'° cuius  anime  ppicietur 
deus  Amen.'  The  inscription  on  the  third,  which 
is  very  much  worn,  reads  :  '  Hie  jacet  WiHm'  Dyson 
de  Bellasys  yoma  q'  obiit  .  .  .  die  mens  Maij  Anno 
Dni  MCCCC   .   .   .   cui'  aie  .   .   .  Ss  Ame.' 

There  is  a  ring  of  three  bells,  two  cast  by  Lester 
&  Pack  of  London  in  1759  and  the  third  by  John 
Warner  &  Sons  in  1857.*^ 

The  plate  consists  of  a  chalice  of  1 637  with  the 
mark  of  James  Plummer  of  York  ;  a  paten  of  1 70 1 
made  by  Seth  Lofthouse  of  London  and  inscribed  on 
the  back  with  the  initials  of  Thomas  and  Margery 
Davison,  who  presented  it  in  1 71 2;  a  flagon  of 
1757  made  by  John  Langlands  of  Newcastle,  in- 
scribed on  the  bottom  '  Donum  Ricardi  Dongworth 
Vicarii  de  Dillingham  1761  '  ;  and  another  flagon  of 
1757  with  the  mark  of  Thomas  Whipham  and 
Charles  Wright  of  London,  inscribed,  '  Given  to  ye 
Parish  of  Billingham  A.D.  1758  By  Tho'  Chapman, 
D.D.  Prebendary  of  Durham.'  " 

The  registers  begin  in  I  570. 

The  churchyard  is  entered  at  the  south-east  end 
from  the  village  through  a  mo.lern  lych-gate. 

The  church  of  ST.  JOHN  THE  EVANGELIST, 
HAVERTON  HILL,  built  in  1865,  is  of  brick  with 
stone  dressings,  in  the  1 3th-century  style,  and  consists 
of  a  chancel,  nave,  and  western  bell-turret.  The  living 
is  a  vicarage  in  the  gift  of  the  Dean  and  Chapter  of 
Durham. 

The  church  of  ST.  PETER,  (f'OLVlSTON,  was 
built  in  1876,  replacing  an  earlier  building.  It  con- 
sists of  a  chancel,  nave,  north  porch,  and  bell-turret. 
The  registers  date  from  1759. 

The  church  of  Billingham  seems 
ADFOIVSON  to  be  first  mentioned  in  the  con- 
firmatory charter  of  Henry  II,  by 
which  it  was  granted  to  the  prior  and  convent.** 
In  the  late  I  2th  century  it  was  the  subject  of  dispute 
between  the  prior  and  the  bishop.     A  witness  in  the 


"In    1552-3    there   were    '  thre   grct 
belli  in  the  stepell.' 

"  Proc.    Soc.    Attliq.     Newcastle,     ill, 


188.  In  1687  there  were  four  pewter 
flagons,  two  pewter  plates,  and  two 
silver    chalices.      All    these,    with     the 

202 


exception  of  one  chalice,  have  disappeared. 
«  FeoJ.    Prior.    Dunelm.    (Surt.    Soc), 
p.  Ixxxiii. 


0 


u 


STOCKTON   WARD 


BILLINGHAM 


case  stated  in  1228  that  when  Simon  the  Chamber- 
lain, an  incumbent  of  Billingham,  was  dying  he  (the 
witness)  was  sent  by  Simon's  son  Henry  to  Prior 
Bertram  (11 88-1 2 12)  asking  him  to  defend  the 
church  against  any  encroachment  on  the  part  of 
the  bishop.  Henry  held  it  for  life,  and  it  was 
afterwards  served  by  a  monk  of  Durham.''''  The 
rectory  must,  therefore,  have  been  impropriated  to 
the  priory.  The  right  of  the  prior  and  convent  to 
the  church  was  fully  acknowledged  by  Bishop  Richard 
de  Bury  in  1343.'''  A  vicarage  had  then  been  in 
existence  for  at  least  fifty-two  years. "^^  In  1314  the 
parish  chaplains  of  Norton,  Billingham,  and  Grindon 
were  ordered  to  admonish  their  parishioners  to  deliver 
money  left  for  the  repair  of  bridges  between  Norton 
and  Billingham  to  the  perpetual  vicar  of  Billingham. "^^ 
The  existence  of  the  parochial  chaplain  may  indicate 
that  the  vicar  was  non-resident.  This  was  the  case  in 
1577-87,  when  John  Magbray  or  Mackbrey  was 
vicar.  A  curate  was  in  charge,  and  in  1587  the 
parishioners  complained  that  the  sacraments  had 
sometimes  been  performed  by  strange  curates,  and 
that  one  couple  had  had  to  go  to  Wolviston  to  be 
married."*  The  advowson  was  granted  in  1541  to 
the  dean  and  chapter,  whose  successors  are  now 
patrons. 

The  rectory  was  leased  in  I  541  by  Henry  VIII  to 
John  Leigh  for  twenty-one  years,"  but  was  shortly 
afterwards  granted  to  the  dean  and  chapter,'^  and  in 
1555  it  was  annexed  to  the  deanery.'' 

Rent  was  paid  by  free  tenants  in  Billingham  in 
1430  to  the  light  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  in  the  church.'^ 

A  chapel  dependent  on  Billingham  Church  existed 
at  Wolviston  from  the  time  of  Richard  I.^^  It  was 
dedicated  to  St.  Mary  Magdalene,  and  in  the  1 6th 
century  was  said  to  belong  to  the  gild  of  St.  Mary 
Magdalene."''  It  was  granted  by  Elizabeth  in  1572 
to  Percival  Gunston  and  his  heirs,"'  but  seems  to  have 
continued  in  use  as  late  as  1634."'  It  was  in  ruins, 
however,  for  some  time  before  I  716,  when  the  church- 
wardens by  legal  process  freed  it  from  the  control  of 
the  vicar  of  Billingham,  and  then  rebuilt  it  with  a 
dedication  in  honour  of  St.  Peter."'  The  living  was 
declared  a  rectory  in  1866.*''  It  is  in  the  gift  of  the 
dean  and  chapter. 

Richard  de  Hoton,  prior  i  289-1  308,  built  a  chapel 
at  Bewley,"'  which  is  mentioned  several  times  in  the 
14th  and  1 6th  centuries. "- 

The  Poor's  Land,  the  origin  of 
CHJRITIES  which  is  unknown,  consists  of  two 
houses  and  4  acres,  producing  together 
j^24  yearly;  the  net  income  is  distributed  in  small 
money  doles  by  the  incumbents  and  churchwardens 
of  the  several  ecclesiastical  districts  in  the  ancient 
parish  of  Billingham. 

In  1725  Ann  Chapman  by  her  will  gave  to  the 
poor  ;^20,  now  represented  by  ;^20  4/.  iJ.  consols. 

In  1790  Alice  Gardner  by  her  will  gave  £20  for 


the  poor.     The  legacy  was  augmented  by  accumu- 
lations to  j^6o  consols. 

In  1846  Robert  Baiston  by  his  will,  proved  at 
York,  gave  ;^20  for  the  benefit  of  poor  widows,  now- 
represented  hy  £ij  los.  consols. 

In  1894  Lawrence  Featonby  Holwell  Shortt  by 
will,  proved  at  London,  gave  £30  to  the  poor.  The 
legacy,  less  duty,  was  invested  in  £25  19/.  8/  consols. 

The  several  sums  of  stock  are  held  by  the  official 
trustees,  producing  together  £i  I/.  8</.  yearly,  which 
is  distributed  in  small  money  doles  to  the  poor,  prin- 
cipally to  widows. 

The  charity  of  Thomas  Newton,  founded  by  will 
dated  29  July  1820,  is  regulated  by  a  scheme  of  the 
Charity  Commissioners  of  20  January  1920.  The 
endowment  consists  of  a  sum  of  j^'108  zi.  ^d.  consols, 
with  the  official  trustees,  which  is  applicable  for  the 
benefit  of  deserving  poor  in  the  following  proportions, 
namely,  two-fifths  to  the  township  of  Newton  B«wley 
and  one-fifth  to  each  of  the  parishes  of  Norton, 
Wolviston,  and  Billingham. 

Church  Lands. — There  are  certain  lands  in  the 
parish,  the  rents  of  which  have  been  applied  to  the 
support  of  the  church  at  least  from  the  year  1676. 
The  property  consists  of  two  grass  fields  containing 
8  acres,  '  The  Half  Moon,'  formerly  a  public-house,  a 
field  containing  4  acres,  and  a  cottage,  the  whole 
producing  about  £60  yearly.  A  sum  of  ^^17  ^s.  ^d. 
consols  with  the  official  trustees  represents  proceeds  of 
sale  of  land  to  the  Durham  County  Council.  The 
income  is  applied  for  the  general  purposes  of  the 
parish  church. 

Site  for  a  SunJay  school  and  mission  room,  being 
half  an  acre  of  land  at  Nelson  Avenue,  Haverton  Hill, 
conveyed  by  deed  of  27  March  1922  from  the  Furness 
Shipbuilding  Co.  and  Marmadu'-;e  Viscount  Furness 
and  others  to  Robert  Boardnian  and  others. 

The  Mary  Trotter  Charity  is  comprised  in  a 
declaration  of  trust  dated  24  November  1923.  The 
endowment  consists  of  ^^398  9;.  id.  5  per  cent.  War 
Stock  with  the  official  trustees,  and  the  dividends, 
amounting  to  /19  18/.  6d.  yearly,  are  applicable  by 
the  vicar  and  churchwardens  for  the  benefit  of  the 
poor  of  the  ecclesiastical  parish  of  Billingham  St. 
Cuthbert. 

For  the  schools  see  article  on  schools.**' 

CowpEN  Bewley. — There  is  a  field  at  Cowpen 
Bewley,  known  as  the  Poor's  Field,  containing 
3  a.  I  r.  26  p.,  the  rent  whereof,  amounting  to  £8  a 
year,  is  applied  in  support  of  the  National  school. 
(See  article  on  schools.**'') 

Wolviston. — In  1876  Lydia  Wilson  by  her  will, 
proved  at  Durham,  gave  j^^ioo,  the  income  to  be 
distributed  to  the  poor  of  Wolviston  and  Newton 
Bewley.  The  legacy  was  invested  in  X'°+  ^'-  9'^- 
consols,  with  the  official  trustees,  the  annual  dividends 
of  which,  amounting  to  £i  1  is.,  are  distributed  in 
money  doles. 


««  FioJ.  Prior.  Dunclm.  (Surt.  Soc), 
249,  271. 

"  Richard  D' Autigtrvillt  of  Bury  (Surt. 
Soc),  1 8 1. 

"  Po/'f  Nich.  Tax.  (Rec.  Com.),  329. 
The  ordination  ii  attributed  by  Surtees 
to  Prior  William  de  Cowton  (i  323-43) 
(Surtecs,  op.  cit.  iii,  147).  This  must 
have  been  a  second  settlement. 

«'  Reg.  Palat.  Duntlm.  (Rolls  Set.),  ii, 
683. 


'"  Bp.   Barms'   Injunction:    (Surt.    Soc), 

'  3  ';-7- 

"  L.  and  P.  Hen.  rill,  xvi,  p.  72S. 
"Ibid.  6.878(33). 
^^  Hutchinson,  op.    cit.  ii,    126  j     cJ. 
Halmoie  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  210. 

"  Fnd.    Prior.     Dunelm.    (Surt.    Soc), 

43- 

'•  Cal.  dart.  R.  1327-41,  p.  324. 
"  Pat.  14  Eliz.  pt.  i,  m.  13. 
"  Ibid. 

20J 


'»  yffO  0/  High  Com.  (Surt.  Soc),  79. 

"•  Fordyce,  op.  cit.  ii,  313;  Bacon, 
Liter  Regis,  1268. 

•»  Lond.  Gaz.  30  Nov.  1866,  p.  6654. 

"'  Hist.  Dunelm.  Scrift.  Tret  (Surt. 
Soc),  73. 

"  Dur.  Acci.  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  ii,  575  ; 
iii,  586  ;  Dur.  Household  Bk.  (Surt.  Soc), 
170,   183. 

"  r.C.H.  Dur.  i,  404. 

"<  Ibid.  40?. 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


BISHOP  MIDDLEHAM 


The  parish  of  Bishop  Middleham  included  in  1831 
the  townships  of  Bishop  Middleham,  Cornforth, 
Garmondsway  Moor,  Mainsforth,  and  Thrislington, 
and  had  an  area  of  5,940  acres.  These  townships 
constituted  the  ancient  parish,'  but  for  some  reason 
Garmondsway  Moor  was  regarded  in  1865  as  an 
extra-parochial  place,  and  has  since  been  treated 
separately. 

The  old  parish  area  occupies  the  north-west  corner 
of  Stockton  Ward,  and,  except  for  part  of  Garmonds- 
way Moor,  lies  on  the  west  of  the  main  high  road 
from  Stockton  to  Durham.  It  is  bounded  by  Croxdale, 
Ferry  Hill,  and  Aycliffe  on  the  west,  Sedgefield  on 
the  south,  Trimdon  on  the  east,  and  Kelloe  on  the 
north.  It  lies  almost  entirely  on  magneiian  lime- 
stone, and  the  surface  of  the  parish  is  widely  diversified 
by  limestone  hills  and  marshes.  There  are  numerous 
quarries,  some  disused,  in  all  the  townships.  In  the 
16th  and  17th  centuries  lime-working  was  apparently 
confined  to  Cornforth.  A  payment  for  '  4  futher  of 
lyrae '  was  made  to  the  tenants  of  that  vill  by  an 
official  of  Durham  Priory  between  1541  and  1548,- 
and  in  1649  the  limestone  quarry  of  Cornforth  is 
mentioned.''  A  coal-mine  in  Cornforth  is  mentioned 
in  1401  and  1454.''  At  the  present  day  there  is  a 
colliery  in  Thrislington  township  on  the  borders  of 
Cornforth  and  another  in  Bishop  Middleham.  Of 
the  whole  area,  2,297  acres  are  arable  land,  2,906 
acres  permanent  grass,  and  2  i  3  acres  are  woodland.' 

The  south-east  part  of  the  parish  is  occupied  by  the 
large  township  of  Bishop  Middleham.  The  village, 
in  the  centre  of  the  township,  has  two  streets  at  right 
angles.  The  first  runs  east  and  west  along  a  limestone 
hill.  The  second  runs  south  from  the  west  end  of  the 
first  into  the  valley  and  up  a  second  hill,  on  the 
highest  point  of  which  stands  the  church  of  St. 
Michael.  South  of  the  church  the  hill  forms  a 
triangular  promontory,  from  which  there  is  a  sharp 
fall  to  the  marsh  below.  On  this  height  stood  the 
manor-house  of  the  bishops  of  Durham.  Surtees  has 
pointed  out  ^  that  for  purposes  of  defence  the  whole 
hill  on  which  it  stood  could  have  been  cut  off  by 
water.  The  building  was  probably  used  as  the 
bishops'  residence  from  the  12th  century  to  the  14th. 
Bishop  Pudsey  may  have  had  a  house  there  about 
I  183,  when  the  demesne  of  the  manor  was  in  his 
own  hands';  Bishop  Philip  de  Poitou  (1197-1208) 
certainly  stayed  at  Middleham,*  and  charters  and 
letters  were  frequently  dated  here  from  1  24 1  onwards.' 
Two  bishops  died  at  their  manor-house  of  Middleham — 
Robert    of   Holy    Island    in     1283,'"    and    Richard 


Kellaw  in  1316."  Bishop  Louis  Beaumont,  successor 
of  Kellaw,  built  a  kitchen  here  and  began  a  new  and 
fine  hall  and  chapel,'-  and  from  an  account  roll  of 
1349-50  it  seems  that  Bishop  Hatfield  was  at  that 
date  executing  extensive  repairs."  In  1384  the 
manor-house  was  worth  nothing  beyond  reprises,'' 
and  after  that  date  the  references  to  the  bishops' 
occupation  of  it  cease.  It  seems  probable  that  they 
gave  up  using  it  as  a  residence  at  the  end  of  this 
century.  'The  manor-house  or  site  of  the  manor' 
was  sold  by  the  Trustees  for  Church  Lands  in  1649." 
Probably  the  house  was  then  in  ruins.  The  remains 
now  consist  of  the  grass-grown  lines  of  the  walls  and 
a  few  fragments  of  masonry  showing  here  and  there 
above  the  turf"  Surtees,  writing  about  1820,  says, 
'  the  last  remaining  portion  of  the  building,  a  low, 
oblong,  arched  room,  was  removed  several  years  ago.' " 
The  house  stood  within  the  park." 

The  bishops  had  a  fish-pond  at  Middleham,  pro- 
bably on  the  marshy  ground  immediately  below  the 
house  to  the  south.  In  1313  Bishop  Kellaw  ordered 
his  bailiff  to  deliver  to  Robert  de  Hilton  two  cygnets 
from  his  vivary  here."'  The  '  Viver  banks'  are 
mentioned  in  i  349-50.-"  The  park,  which  existed 
at  least  as  early  as  1349,-'  ''^*  ^°  ^^^  south  of  the 
village.  Its  extent  in  1 649  was  about  70  acres,^^ 
and  it  was  still  a  walled  inclosure  in  Surtees'  day.^' 
There  are  still  some  fragments  of  walls  and  an  entrance- 
gate.-' 

Bishop  Middleham  Hall,  a  manor-house  attached 
to  the  rectory,  is  on  the  east  side  of  the  churchyard. 
The  freehold  successively  helJ  by  the  Freville  and 
Surtees  families  had  a  capital  messuage  attached  to  it  -^ 
which  was  known  in  the  18th  century  as  the  Old 
Hall.  It  was  taken  down  in  about  176 1,  when 
George  Surtees  lost  the  lease  of  the  park  and  demesnes. 
A  new  house  was  built  on  the  site,  and  within  its 
inclosure  there  still  stood  about  1820  an  old  stone 
dovecot.-''  It  is  now  occupied  by  Mr.  Thomas  F. 
Smith.  Among  the  field  names  of  the  demesne  of 
Bishop  Middleham  mentioned  in  1384  are  '  Grew- 
hondes  place,'  -'  '  Edmundesmedow,'  '  Spornlawos- 
medow,'  '  Redkar,'  '  Horseker,'  and  '  VVylowker.'-* 
Several  of  these  are  mentioned  again  in  the  15th  and 
16th-century  leases,-^  and  there  are  frequent  references 
to  a  meadow  called  '  Eland,'  ^^  perhaps  the  farm  called 
the  '  Island  '  in  Surtees'  time." 

From  Bishop  Middleham  a  road  runs  west  for 
three-quarters  of  a  mile  to  the  little  village  of  Mains- 
forth. Mainsforth  Hall,  the  seat  of  the  Surtees 
family,  is  at  its  west  end.      Here  Robert  Surtees  spent 


'  Finchdle  Priory  (Surt.  Soc),  pasum. 

'  Dur.  Acct.  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  iii,  722. 

'  Close,  1649,  pt.  zii,  no.  15. 

*  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  13,  fol.  364; 
1 5,  fol.  706. 

'  Statistics  from  Bd.  of  Agric.  (1905). 

^  Hist,  and  Antiq.  of  Dur.  iii,  3. 

'  BolJan  Bk.  (Surt.  Soc),  12,  51. 

^  Feod.   Prior,    Dunelm.  250,  301. 

'  Finchale  Priory  (Surt.  Soc),  170,  179, 
190;  Hisl.  Dunelm.  Script.  Tret  (Surt. 
Soc),  70,  App.  p.  cxxv ;  Feod.  Prior. 
Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc),  iSzn.  ;  Reg.  Palat. 
Dunelm.  (Rolls  Scr.),  paisim. 

'"  Hist.  Dunelm.  Script.  Tres  (Surt. 
Soc),  63. 


834. 

13 

Soc) 

13 


16 

i; 

18 
19 

4S0. 

10 


Reg.  Palat.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Scr.),  ii, 
He  died  in  the  *  small  chamber.' 

Hist.  Dunelm.  Script.  Tres  (Surt. 
119. 

Hatjield's  Surv.  (Surt.  Soc),  239. 

Ibid.  183. 

Close,  1649,  pt.  xii,  no.  15. 

Proc.  Soc.  Antiij.  Netucastle,  x,  89. 

Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  3. 

Proc.  Soc.  Antip  Neivcastle^  X,  89. 

Reg.   Palat.   Dunelm.   (Rolls   Ser.),  i, 

Hatfield's  Surv.  (Surt.  Soc),  237. 

Ibid. 

Close,  1649,  pt.  xii,  no.  15. 

Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  3. 

204 


-*  Inform,  kindly  supplied  by  Gen. 
Surtees. 

^  It  may  have  been  the  capital  mes- 
suage sold  to  George  Freville  by  Richard 
Heighington  (Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  4),  or 
a  messuage  with  a  dovecote  attached 
which  he  bought  from  William  Jackson 
(Dur.  Rec  cl.  3,  R.  94,  no.  26). 

•'^  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  4  n.     •'  See  below. 

"  Hatfield's  Surz,.  (Surt.  Soc),  180, 
183-4. 

>'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  14,  fol.  351, 
590;  17,  fol.  34;  18,  fol.  21  ;  19,  fol. 
27  d. 

'"  Ibid.  no.  14,  fol.  590  ;  18,  fol.  21. 

8'  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  9. 


STOCKTON   WARD 


BISHOP  MIDDLEHAM 


the  years  between  1802  and  1834  on  his  H'utory  of 
Durham,^"-  to  which  all  later  accounts  of  the  county  arc 
so  much  indebted.  Robert  Surtees  was  a  brilliant 
conversationalist,  and  at  Mainsforth  Hall  he  collected 
round  him  the  members  of  that  famous  school  of 
northern  antiquaries  which  he  himself  had  founded 
and  which,  after  his  death,  established  in  his  memory 
the  society  which  bears  his  name.  He  was  a  friend 
and  correspondent  of  Sir  Walter  Scott. ^-' 

The  older  portions  of  Mainsforth  Hall  probably  date 
from  the  time  of  Ralph  Hutton,  about  1 62  5,  but  the 
house  was  almost  entirely  rebuilt  shortly  after  1720  by 
Edward  Surtees,  who  added  a  large  square  block  of 
three  stories  at  the  south-east  end.  Internal  altera- 
tions were  afterwards  made,  chiefly  by  Robert  Surtees 
in  1772,  and  quite  recently  by  Gen.  H.  Conyers 
Surtees,  the  present  owner.  The  entrance  gate-piers 
were  brought  from  Embleton  Hall,  and  some  heraldic 
glass  in  the  house  shows  amongst  others  the  arms  of 
Claxton  and  a  coat  with  three  scythe  blades  (for 
Kempley  ?)  brought  from  an  old  house  at  Chilton, 
and  some  more  modern  glass  from  Hardwick  Hall, 
Sedgefield,  about  the  middle  of  the  i8th  century. 
Over  the  main  entrance  to  the  garden  is  a  shield  of 
arms,  formerly  in  Robert  Surtees'  (d.  1 61 7)  house  in 
Durham  market  place.'^  To  the  west  of  it  is  Narbal 
Hill,  a  curious  sand-hill  with  a  hollow  summit.  The 
name  is  more  correctly  Nab  Hill.^''  A  Wesleyan 
chapel  was  built  at  Mainsforth  in  1913. 

Thrislington  is  immediately  north  of  Mainsforth, 
and  to  the  west  of  both  these  townships  the  ground 
slopes  steeply  down  to  the  marshy  ground  called 
the  Carrs.  The  paved  pathway  leading  across  the 
marsh  from  Thrislington  Hall  to  Ferry  Hill  is  men- 
tioned in  an  agreement  of  1262,  by  which  the  owners 
of  Thrislington  agreed  to  grant  to  the  Prior  of  Durham, 
in  return  for  pasture  on  Ferry  Hill  Moor,  all  their 
marsh  '  from  the  causeway  which  leads  from  Fery  to 
Thurstanton  as  far  as  the  causeway  to  Mainsworth.'  ^^ 
There  is  no  village  of  Thrislington. 

Cornforth,  the  township  to  the  north  and  east  of 
Thrislington,  has  an  old  village  built  round  a  green 
roughly  square  in  shape,  with  the  church  of  Holy 
Trinity  on  its  west  side,  and  a  new  settlement  called 
West  Cornforth,  which  has  sprung  up  since  1857  and 
is  occupied  chiefly  by  colliery  workers  and  railway 
men.  West  Cornforth  has  a  station  on  the  Hartlepool 
and  Ferry  Hill  branch  of  the  North  Eastern  railway, 
which  here  leaves  the  Newcastle  line  and  runs  east. 
The  Ferryhill  and  Co.xhoe  branch  also  cuts  across  the 
township.  West  Cornforth  has  a  Roman  Catholic 
church  dating  from  i  87 5,'^  and  dedicated  to  SS.  Joseph, 
Patrick,  and  Cuthbert. 

The  mill  of  Cornforth  is  north-east  of  the  village, 
on  a  little  stream  called  Cornforth  Beck.  The  mill  of 
Thinford  (Thynford,Thynforth,  in  the  15  th  century. 


when  the  Forcer  family  had  meadow  land  here)  ^'  is 
worked  by  the  same  stream.  It  stands  near  the  western 
boundary,  and  is  not  mentioned  before  1857.'" 
Brandon  House,  a  large  farm,^'  is  near  Thinford  Mill. 
A  messuage  called  Me  Peile,'  in  Cornforth,  perhaps  a 
fortified  tower,  is  frequently  mentioned  in  15th- 
century  leases,''*'  and  '  Colynson  meadow '  occurs 
several  times.'" 

The  tract  of  land  called  Garmondsway  Moor,  east 
of  Cornforth,  is  the  highest  ground  in  the  parish  ;  in 
places  it  rises  to  500  ft.  above  the  ordnance  datum. 
There  is  no  village.  On  Raisby  Hill,  in  the  north  of 
the  township,  are  quarries  and  limekilns. 

The  common  fields  of  Middleham  were  inclosed  in 
i693.''2 

In  the  purchase  of  Sedgefield 
MANORS,  ye.  and  its  appurtenances  for  St.  Cuth- 
bert by  Bishop  Cutheard^'  (900- 
15)  MIDDLEHAM  was  probably  included.  Never- 
theless Bishop  Ranulf  Flambard  ( 1 099-1 128),  treating 
it  as  his  personal  possession,  made  a  grant  of  it  to  his 
nephew  Osbert  the  Sheriff,  who  was  still  in  possession 
in  I  146.^"'  From  him  it  seems  to  have  passed  to 
Jordan  de  Escoland  of  Seaham,  of  whom  land  herc*^ 
was  held  in  the  second  half  of  the  12th  century  by 
Ralph  Basset.  Bishop  Pudsey 
restored  it  to  the  see  before 
1  I  80  bygranting  Ralph  land  in 
Painshaw  (q.v.)  in  exchange.''^ 
He  also  recovered  2  oxgangs 
from  Ralph  the  clerk,  who  re- 
ceived in  return  land  in  New- 
ton, near  Durham.''"  The  vill 
remained  a  part  of  the  endow- 
ment of  the  bishopric,  except 
from  1 649  to  1 660,^*  down  to 
1856,  when  it  was  vested  in 
the  Ecclesiastical  Commis- 
sioners.^' The  land  is  held  for 
the  most  part  by  leasehold  or  copyhold.'* 

In  1 183  there  were  in  Middleham  and  Cornforth, 
which  were  surveyed  together,  twenty-six  villeins, 
whose  tenure  was  similar  to  that  of  the  villeins  of 
Boldon.*'  Seven  cottiers  held  6  acres  each.  Four 
bordars  had  four  tofts  and  crofts.'-  The  demesne, 
which  was  common  to  both  vills,  and  perhaps  to 
Sedgefield  also,  was  in  the  bishop's  hands."  In  1349 
it  was  farmed  by  the  bishop's  bailiff;  the  services  of 
the  bondmen  were  commuted  for  a  money  payment. 
The  grass  of  Sprowes  lawe,'  a  meadow  in  Middleham, 
was  sold  for  1  2/.  to  the  bondmen  of  Middleham,  that 
of  '  Corneforth  medowe '  was  sold  similarly  to  the 
men  of  Cornforth,  and  that  of  '  Seggefel  medowe  '  to 
the  men  of  Sedgefield.'''  Both  Cornforth  and  Sedge- 
field were  part  of  Middleham  Manor,  and  did  suit  at 
the  halmotes  held  at  Middleham  or  Sedgefield." 


Bishopric  of  Dur- 
ham. A-zure  a  cross  or 
benutcnfour  lions  ardent. 


"  Diet.  Nai.  Biog. 

»2a  The  'Old  Northumbrian  ballad' 
pivcn  in  Alarmion  was  a  literary  hoax 
perpetrated  by  Surteea  and  accepted  as 
genuine  by  Sir  Walter  Scott  (App.  to 
Marmion,  note  M  ;  Xlem,  of  Surtees 
[Surt.  Soc],  13,  237). 

''  The  Autijuary  (New  Scr.),  i,  loi. 

•*  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  20. 

"  Ibid.  1 6. 

5«  Caih.  Dir. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  4,  fol.  39,  59. 

"  Fordyce,  Hist,  of  Co.  Pjlai.  of  Dur.  i, 
399,  ^^  See  below. 


*»  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  16,  fol.  263  ; 
17,  fol.  34  ;    18,  fol.  107. 

<' Ibid.  no.  16,  fol.  56  d.  ;  Hatfield's 
Surr:  (Surt.  Soc),  184. 

"  Char.  Com.  Ref.  xxiii,  85. 

"  Simeon  of  Dur.  Ofera  (Rolls  Ser.), 
i,  208. 

"  Charter  printed  in  Surtees,  op.  cit. 
iii,  3 85. 

*'  Evidently  a  considerable  amount,  as 
Ralph  Basset  received  most  of  Painshaw 
in  exchange. 

««  r.C.H.  Dur.  i,  328  i  BolJon  Bk.  (Surt. 
Soc),  App.  p.  xlii. 

205 


*'  r.C.H.Dur.i,  327. 

**  It  was  sold  in  1649  by  the  trustees 
for  church  lands  to  Thomas  Heselrigg 
(Close,  1649,  pt.  xii,  no.  1;). 

"  UnJ.  Gaz.  22  Apr.  1856,  p.  1505. 

***  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  3. 

"  r.C.H.  Dur.  i,   330. 

"  Ibid. 

»  Ibid. 

"  Hatfield's  Surv.  (Surt.  Soc),  236-7. 

"Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  12-17.  Th' 
court  about  1820  was  held  at  Middleham, 
Sedgefield  and  Cornforth  in  rotation  (Sur- 
tees, op.  cit.  iii,  3). 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


The  survey  of  about  1384  gives  the  extent  of  the 
arable  land  attached  to  the  manor-house  of  Middleham 
as  3  carucatcs  or  270  acres."'  There  were  also  90  acres 
of  meadow. '^  A  messuage  called  '  Grewhondes  place,' 
on  the  demesne,  was  held  in  1384  by  Robert 
Reginald,  who  also  held  10  acres  of  demesne  land. 
John  Atthegate  had  41  acres  and  half  a  rood  of 
demesne."*  There  were  only  six  bondage  or  villeinage 
tenements  in  Middleham,''  each  consisting  of  a  mes- 
suage and  2  oxgangs  of  I  5  acres,  the  tenants  paying 
6/.  for  cornage.  The  vicar  had  two  of  these 
villeinage  holdings.^"  Thirty-two  tenants  held 
'  exchequer  land  '  generally  in  small  holdings  of  6  or 
7  acres,  some  of  which  are  described  as  newly-inclosed 
from  the  waste.*'  Under  this  heading  Is  placed  the 
common  bakehouse,  which  was  held  by  John  Atthegate 
at  a  rent  of  4^.  6i^.'- 

In  1406  the  whole  of  the  demesne,  with  the 
customary  works,  was  leased  to  Thomas  Randson  for 
six  years  at  a  rent  of /lo."  A  similar  lease,  with 
the  exception  of  certain  meadows  retained  by  the 
bishop,  was  made  to  William  Wright  in  141  3.''*  The 
vicar  had  a  lease  of  the  demesne  in  1 478.'^'  In  the  late 
15th  and  early  i6th  century  the  demesne  was  leased 
to  the  bishop's  bailiff,''*  and  from  the  end  of  the 
1 6th  century  till  the  later  part  of  the  I  8  th  century  the 
leasehold  tenure  was  continuous.  In  1564  Henry 
Eure  was  in  possession  of  the  park  and  demesnes,*' 
and  in  l  594  his  son  William  released  certain  demesne 
meadows  to  George  Freville.**  He  must  also  have 
released  the  rest  to  him,  for  the  leasehold  of  the  park 
passed  with  the  freehold  land  of  George  Freville 
through  the  hands  of  the  Bradshaws  and  the  Halls  to 
George  Surtees.*^  About  I  761,  however,  one  of  the 
lives  on  which  the  lease  depended  expired,  and  before 
George  Surtees  had  renewed  it  the  other  two  expired 
also,  so  terminating  the  lease.  It  was  not  renewed 
to  the  Surtees  family,  but  was  granted  to  Nicholas 
Halhead,  their  steward,""  whose  daughters,  Katherine 
wife  of  Francis  Burton  and  Elizabeth  Halhead,  held 
it  in  1823.^'  It  was  subsequently  held  by  the  Russell 
family.'^ 

There  were  two  free  tenants  in  Middleham  in 
1183,  Arkell,  who  held  4  oxgangs  and  paid  14/.,  and 
Ralph,  who  held  2  oxgangs  for  10/.  and  five  cartloads 
of  wood.''  There  is  no  evidence  as  to  the  descent  of 
their  holdings  between  that  date  and  1359,  when 
Thomas  de  Coxside  and  Alice  his  wife  received  licence 
to  grant  a  messuage  and  100  acres  here"*  to  Richard 
de  Hett.''  Richard  died  in  or  before  1373'* 
seised  of  this  estate,  which  was  held  in  chief  for  one- 
eighth  of  a   knight's   fee  and  a  rent  of  24/.   at  the 


exchequer.''  His  son  John,  who  succeeded  him,'* 
was  said  about  1384  to  hold  89  acres  in  Middleham 
and  to  pay  26/."  John's  daughter  and  heir  I'^lifot 
married  John  Webster,  and  had  a  daughter  and  heir 
Alice,  wife  of  Hugh  Chambre.*"  John  Chambre  son 
of  Hugh"'  died  in  possession  of  this  holding  (100  acres) 
in  1462,  leaving  daughters  and  co-heirs  Agnes,  Maud, 
and  Isabella."^  His  lands  were  evidently  divided 
among  them,  and  cannot  be  certainly  traced.  Between 
1588  and  1619,  however,  George  Freville  united  by 
purchase  several  freeholds  in  the  vill.  Richard  Heigh- 
ington  conveyed  to  him  in  1588  his  capital  messuage 
in  Middleham.*'  John  Shawe  of  Thrislington  released 
to  him  in  1599  a  messuage  here,  evidently  that  mes- 
suage with  22  acres  attached  which  belonged  about 
1384  and  1420  to  Roger  Washington  or  Usher,  and 
was  acquired  by  the  Shawes  with  land  in  Thrisling- 
ton "■*  and  Cornforth.  Another  messuage,  called  '  le 
front  in  the  feilde,'  with  a  dovecote  and  garden,  was 
purchased  by  Sir  George  Fre- 
ville of  Old  Park  from  William 
Jackson  in  1 609,*'  and  a  fourth 
from  Thomas  Lawson  at  a  date 
unspecified."*  He  bequeathed 
all  the  premises  to  Elizabeth 
his  wife  for  life,  with  remainder 
to  his  nephew  Nicholas  Fre- 
ville, and  died  in  1619.*"  In 
1668  Nicholas  conveyed  his 
estate  in  Bishop  Middleham  to 
William  Bradshaw,*'  who  with 
Troth  his  wife  and  Troth  and 

Mary  his  daughters  sold  it  in  i  704  to  Nicholas  Hall.*' 
Guise  Hall  son  of  Nicholas  and  Annabella  widow  of 
Nicholas  sold  it  in  1734  to  George  Surtees,  who  settled 
it  in  1 76 1  on  the  marriage  of  his  nephew  Robert 
Surtees  of  Mainsforth  (q.v.).'"  General  Surtees  of 
Mainsfbrth  holds  a  freehold  in  Middleham  at  the 
present  day. 

CORNFORTH  (Cornford,  xii  cent.),  which  may 
have  been  included  in  the  grant  of  the  manor  of 
Middleham  to  the  Sheriff  Osbert,'"  was  claimed  in 
the  late  12th  century  by  Alan  de  Chilton. '^  Before 
1 1 80,  however,  he  surrendered  all  right  in  it  to 
Bishop  Hugh  Pudsey  in  return  for  the  vill  of  Healey." 
In  1 1  83  Cornforth  was  surveyed  with  Middleham,  and 
the  reeve  of  the  manor  of  Middleham  held  2  oxgangs 
here  for  his  service."''  Except  for  a  few  freeholds 
the  vill  remained  part  of  the  episcopal  estate.  Here 
was  the  manorial  water  corn-mill,  to  which  the  tenants 
of  Mainsforth  and  Middleham  owed  suit.  At  the 
beginning  of  the  14th  century   the   mill  was  worth 


Frevillk.      Gulei 
three  creuenli  ermine. 


'«  HatficU'i  Surv.  (Surt.  Soc),  183. 

"  Ibid. 

"  Ibid.  180. 

"  There  were  twenty  in  Cornforth, 
giving  the  total  of  the  earlier  survey. 

«"  UatfieU'i  Suri,.  (Surt.  Soc),  183. 

«  Ibid.  180-2. 

"Ibid.  182. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  14,  fol.  87. 

"  Ibid.  fol.  590. 

•^  Ibid.  no.  17,  fol.  34. 

"  Ibid.  no.  18,  fol.  21  ;  Dep.  Keeper's 
Rep.  xxxvi,  App.  i,  104  ;  Surtees,  op.  cit. 
iii,  3-4. 

"  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  4. 

««  Ibid,  (from  title  deeds). 

«»  Ibid.     See  below. 

">  Ibid.  "  Ibid. 


'*  Fordyce,  op.  cit.  i,  395. 

"  y.C.H.  Dur.  i,  330. 

'*  They  were  said  in  the  licence  to  be 
in  Middleham,  Sedgeficld  and  Mainsforth, 
but  it  is  cyident  from  later  documents 
that  they  were  nearly  all  in  Middleham. 

'*  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  30,  m.  12. 

"'  His  inquisition  was  dated  Feb.:  373— 4. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  92. 

'8  Ibid. 

"  Hatfield's  Surv.  (Surt.  Soc),  180. 

^  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  50,  m.  8  d. 

*'  Ibid. 

*-  Ibid.  R.  50,  m.  8  d.  ;  no.  4,  fol.  21. 

^  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  4  (from  title 
deeds).  Richard  Heighington  did  homage 
for  land  here  in  1577  {Dep,  Keeper's  Rep. 
xxxvii,  App.  i,  96). 

206 


'*  Hatfield's  Sur'v.  (Surt.  Soc),  i8o  ; 
Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  210  ;  Ale  191, 
no.  127. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  94,  m.  26. 

**  Ibid.  R.  107,  no.  41. 

*'  Ibid.  R.  107,  no.  41,  file  189,  no.  25. 

^  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  4. 

«'  Ibid.  ;  cf.  Reg.  of  Bp.  Middleham 
(Dur.  and  Northumb.  Par.  Reg.  Soc),  41. 
Troth,  the  daughter,  married  John  Ingleby 
(Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  16  (4)). 

">  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

"  See  above. 

"  A'.C.«.Z)Br.i,3  35  ;  Cj/. Par.  1 46 1 -7, 
p.  393  ;  Boldon  Bk.  (Surt.  Soc),  App. 
p.  xlv. 

»  Ibid. 

"  y.CH.  Dur.i,  330. 


STOCKTON   WARD 


BISHOP  MIDDLEHAM 


£zo  a  year.''  About  1384,  when  it  was  held  by  the 
tenants  in  common,  the  rent  was  only  ^^13  6s.  %J. 
The  extent  of  a  villein  tenement  in  Cornforth — 
namely,  2  oxgangs — was  the  same  as  that  in  Middle- 
ham.  There  were  twenty  such  tenements,  according 
to  the  14th-century  survey.'^  Most  of  the  villein 
tenants  then  held  two  tenements  or  one  and  a  half. 
In  addition  to  the  obligations  of  the  Middleham 
bond-tenants  they  were  bound  to  do  carriage  for  the 
bishop  and  his  steward.  They  paid  a  sum  of  zo/.  in 
cornage.  The  kiln  and  bake-house  of  the  vill  were 
held  in  common,  like  the  corn-mill.'"  The  fulling-mill 
of  Cornforth,  which  is  mentioned  in  1358  and  1361,^** 
was  ruinous  about  1384.'-''  References  to  Cornforth 
in  the  bishop's  halmote  rolls  are  concerned  chiefly 
with  leases  of  the  mill  or  grants  of  copyhold  land.'"'' 
The  whole  vill  was  leased  to  Robert  Crounde  and 
others  in  February  1459-60.'  The  Ecclesiastical 
Commissioners,  in  whom  the  episcopal  lands  are 
vested,  are  the  chief  landowners  at  the  present  day. 

There  were  several  freeholds  in  Cornforth  in  the 
14th  century."  A  free  tenement  of  a  messuage  and 
60  acres,  held  at  a  rent  of  22;.,  belonged  to  Roger  de 
Washington,  who  was  succeeded  in  or  before  1370 
by  his  son  William.'  Roger  son  of  William  Usher,  who 
held  this  freehold  about  1  384,  was  apparently  identical 
with  Roger  son  of  William  de  Washington,  who 
had  land  in  Middleham  at  the  same  date.*  Roger 
Usher  died  seised  of  both  the  Cornforth  and  Middle- 
ham land  in  1420.^  His  son  and  heir  John  died 
two  years  later,  his  heir  being  his  sister  Alice."  The 
freehold  is  nut  mentioned  again  till  it  appears  in  the 
possession  of  William  Shawe,  who  did  homage  for 
land  in  Cornforth  in  1577  or  1578.' 

William  Shawe  died  in  1587*  seised  of  this  and 
another  small  freehold.'  His  son  and  heir  Thomas, 
who  died  in  1590,  was  succeeded  by  his  brother 
John,'*'  tenant  at  his  death  in  or  before  163  I  "  of  a 
capital  messuage,  three  other  messuages,  and  160  acres 
of  arable  land,  meadow  and  pasture.'^  John  left  three 
daughters  and  co-heirs,  Elizabeth,  Alice,  and  Anne, 
who  married  respectively  William  Eden,  George 
Guye,  and  William  Emerson."  William  Emerson 
and  Anne  made  a  grant  of  120  acres  of  arable 
land  here  with  meadow  and  pasture  to  Thomas 
Richardson  in  1632.'^'*  To  Alice  and  her  husband 
George  Guye  livery  was  granted  in  1633,'^  and  in 
the  same  year  they  had  licence  to  alienate  land  in 


Cornforth  to  Rich,ird  Slinger  and  William  Stoddart." 
The  estate  was  found  split  up  into  thirds  about  ten 
years  later,  and  was  never  reunited.  The  tenants  in 
1644  were  William  Eden  of  Whitton,  husband  of 
Elizabeth  Shawe,  Mrs.  Howard,  and  Matthew  Smith. '* 
Brandon  House,  which  seems  to  have  been  the  capital 
messuage  of  the  Shawes,'^  came  into  the  hands  of  the 
Woodhouse  family,"  and  was  subsequently  purchased 
first  by  the  Whites  and  then  by  the  Haswells." 
In  1684  the  freeholders  were  Robert  Cooper, 
Robert  Haswell,  William  Hutchinson,  Thomas 
Waugh,  Robert  Hutchinson,  William  Woodhouse, 
William  Wilkinson,  Thomas  Garthorne,  and  Thomas 
Hutchinson.-"  The  Haswells  and  Garthornes  held 
land  here  till  the  middle  of  the  19th  century.^' 

The  township  of  GJRMONDSirjrMUOR  must 
be  identified  with  the  '  place  called  t'ia  Garmundi' 
from  which  King  Cnut  walked  barefoot  to  the  shrine 
of  St.  Cuthbert.-'  About  1183  the  bishop  held  4 
oxgangs  here  by  purchase  and  5  by  escheat  of  Ralph 
Haget.-^  The  first  holding  was  lying  waste.-*  Very 
shortly  after  the  survey  of  1 1 83  Bishop  Pudsey  granted 
the  whole  vill  as  part  of  the  endowment  of  his  hospital 
for  lepers  at  Sherburn.^'  The  brethren  and  sisters  were 
to  pay  to  Ralph  son  of  Paul  of  York  and  his  heirs 
4  marks  a  year  as  an  equivalent  of  service  from  a  third 
part  of  the  vilL^*^  Ralph  son  of  Paul  also  granted 
them  a  charter.-'  In  1204  the  master  of  the  hospital 
released  to  the  rector  of  Middleham  all  claims  on  the 
tithe  of  Garmondsway.2*  Free  warren  in  the  demesne 
lands  of  the  hospital  here  and  elsewhere  was  granted 
by  Bishop  Fordham  in  1384.-^  In  1580  Ralph 
Lever,  then  master,  protested  against  the  assessment 
of  Garmondsway  as  temporal  land  of  the  hospital. 
He  described  it  as  ancient  demesne  of  the  house, 
'  always  employed  with  a  stocke  of  cattell  for  the  main- 
tenance thereof,' '"  and  was  successful  in  having  the 
.assessment  altered.  The  township  still  forms  part  of 
the  endowment  of  the  hospital. 

A  carucate  of  land  in  R^ISBV  (Raceby,  xii  cent.) 
was  granted  with  Garmondsway  to  the  hospital  by 
Bishop  Pudsey,  who  had  purchased  it  from  Bare, 
its  first  cultivator."  This  land  was  burdened  with 
a  rent-charge  of  I  5/.  to  the  lord  of  Great  Kelloe,  5/. 
of  which  were  released  to  the  hospital  by  Alexander 
de  Kellaw  in  the  13th  century.'^ 

About  1 1 83  the  bishop  had  1 7  oxgangs  in  MJINS- 
FORTH  (Maynesford,  xii  cent.)  which  had  come  into 


«  Boldon  Bk.  (Surt.  Soc),  App.  p. 
xxviii ;  Hatfield's  Surv.  (Surt.  Soc),  186. 

96  Cf.  Middleh,im. 

^^  Hatfield'!  Surt'.  (Surt.  Soc),  18+-6. 

•'  Dur.  Rec  cl.  3,  no.  12,  fol.  205  d., 
282. 

99  Half  (Id's  Surij.  (Surt.  Soc),  192. 

'""  Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  3,  no.  12-17. 

1  Ibid.  no.  16,  fol.  56  d. 

9  A  freehold  of  1 8  acres  apparently  es- 
cheated in  the  1 4th  century  and  was  granted 
to  the  tenants  of  all  the  vill  to  hold  in 
common  (Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  2;  ; 
Rtg.  Palat.  Dumlm.  [Rolls  Ser.],  iv,  307  j 
Hatfield's  Sur'v.  [Surt.  Soc],  184). 

9  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  87  d. 

*  Hatfield's  Siirv.  (Surt.  Soc),  1 80,  i  84. 

*  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  210. 
«  Ibid.  fol.  217  d. 

'  Def>.  Keeper's  Rep.  xxxvii,  App.  i,  97. 
9  Dur.  Rec  cl.  3,  file  191,  no.  i  27. 
'  For  the  early  history  of  the  second 
holding,  which  belonged  to   the    K.elUw 


and  Forcer  families,  see  HatJIeld'i  Surz: 
(Surt.  Soc),  1 84  ;  De/>.  Keeper's  Rep. 
xxxiii,  114;  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  files  166, 
no.  31;  177,  no.  7.  The  holding  is  gener- 
ally described  in  the  inquisitions  on  its 
early  tenants  as  one  capital  messuage,  two 
other  messuages,  9!  acres  of  land,  2  J  acres 
of  meadow  and  i  acre  of  meadow  in  Turs- 
dale  (Dur.  Rec  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  180  d., 
267),  and  it  is  so  extended  in  the  inquisi- 
tion on  William  Shawe.  The  'one  mes- 
suage and  40  teres*  given  in  file  177, 
no.  ",  may  include  pasture. 

'"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  192,  no.  131. 

"  The  exact  date  of  his  death  is  illegible, 
but  the  inquisition  was  taken  on  14  Jan. 
163 1-2. 

"  Dur.  Rec  cl.  3,  file  186,  no.  72. 

'9  Ibid.  cl.  1 2,  no.  4  (2)  ;  cl.  3,  R.  107, 
no.  86. 

"3  Ibid.  cl.  12,  no.  4  (2). 

"  Ibid.  cl.  3,  R.  107,  no.  86. 

"  Ibid.  no.  87. 

207 


"  Rec.   Com.  far   Comp.  (Surt.  Soc),  8 

33- 

"  Dur.  Rcc  cl.  3,  file  186,  no.  72. 

'*  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  15.  NichoU* 
Woodhouse  compounded  for  his  estate 
here  in  1649  {Ree.  Com,  for  Comp.  [Surt. 
Soc],  385). 

'9  Surtees,  loc  cit, 

»»  Ibid. 

9*  Ibid.  \  Fordyce,  op.  cil.  I,  399. 

"  Simeon  of  Dur.  Opera  (Rolls  Ser.), 
i,  90. 

'9  r.C.H.  Dur.  I,  330. 

'<  Ibid. 

99  Allan,  Coll.  rel.  to  Sherhum  Hospital. 
The  date  of  the  foundation  is  generally 
said  to  be  1 18 1,  but  it  was  evidently  later 
than  Boldon  Book. 

9*  Allan,  op.  cit. 

9'  Ibid.  9S  ibij. 

99  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xxxii,  .\pp.  i,  329. 

^  AettofP.C.  1580-1,  p.  351. 

9'  Allan,  op.  cit.  9i  i(,ij. 


A  HISTORY   OF  DURHAM 


his  hands  by  escheat  or  purchase.  Eight  of  these 
were  arable  and  held  for  rent  and  for  customary 
works,  rendered  doubtless  on  Middleham  demesne. 
The  other  9  lay  in  pasture  with  the  moor.''  With 
the  exception  of  these  I  7  oxgangs  the  whole  vill  was 
the  freehold  of  Robert  de  Mainsforth." 

During  the  14th  century  there  is  evidence  of  the 
existence  of  bondage  tenements  in  Mainsforth,'*  but 
before  the  survey  of  1384  the  villeinage  land  seems 
to  have  been  for  the  most  part  converted  into  free- 
hold. At  that  date  two  tenements  were  in  the 
bishop's  hands  for  lack  of  tenants.  The  whole  of  the 
rest  of  the  vill  was  held  by  freeholders.^^  It  was 
stated  that  the  ancient  *  free  rent' of  the  vill  was 
36/.  SJ.,  but  that  in  1384  the  tenants,  'by  the 
collection  of  John  de  Hardwick  and  his  fellows,' 
rendered  34/.  io</."  The  latter  sum  appears  in 
later  accounts  as  a  free  rent  due  from  land  '  formerly 
of  John  de  Hardwick  and  his  fellows.''*  It  seems 
probable  that  this  holding  represented  most  of  the 
17  oxgangs  originally  held  by  the  bishop's  bondmen, 
and  that  the  other  free  tenants  mentioned  about 
1384'"  derived  their  interest  from  Robert  de 
Mainsforth. 

There  is  no  evidence  as  to  the  heirs  of  Robert  de 
Mainsforth,  and  freeholds  held  in  the  14th  century*" 
by  persons  bearing  the  local  name  were  not  important. 
The  chief  part  of  his  holding  seems  to  have  been 
acquired  by  Peter  Dautry.  In  1349  John  de  Parys 
had  licence  to  enter  on  a  carucate  of  land  in  Mains- 
forth of  the  gift  of  Peter  Dautry,  and  immediately 
afterwards  he  granted  it  to  Nicholas  de  Kellaw  and 
his  daughter.""  About  i  360  Peter  himself  died  seised 
of  two  tofts,  two  crofts,  85  i  acres  of  arable  land,  and 
an  acre  of  meadow  which  he  held  for  a  rent  of  8/.  4a'. 
His  heir  was  Ralph  son  of  Rowland  Bart,  a  minor,^^ 
whose  lands  here  as  in  Middleton  St.  George  (q.v.) 
passed  to  William  de  Walworth.  Walworth  was  the 
famous  mayor  of  London  who  in  1 38 1  killed  the 
rebel  leader  Wat  Tyler.  Thomas  de  Walworth, 
William's  brother,  paid  8/.  6d.  rent  about  1384.*' 
He  seems  to  have  sold  his  holding  to  John  Lord 
Nevill  of  Raby,  who  died  in  1388  seised  of  two 
messuages  in  Mainsforth  and  100  acres  of  land."*^ 
About  1 414  Ralph  Earl  of  Westmorland  paid  8/.  6J. 
rent  for  the  lands  late  of  Thomas  de  Walworth.''' 
He  sold  them  with  the  manors  of  Edmondsley  and 
Hunwick  (q.v.)  to  John  de  Hoton,^*  and  this  part  of 
Mainsforth  descended  with  Hunwick  till  1575,*' 
when  Anthony  Hoton  sold  it  to  Henry  Hcighington.^' 
The  estate  of  John  de  Hardwick,  one  of  the  other 


free  tenants  of  1384,  was  found  at  his  death  in  or 
before  1396  to  include  a  capital  messuage  with  a 
garden,  toft  and  croft,  and  24  acres  called  '  Boxhou^,' 
a  toft  and  6  acres  called  '  Kellawhous '  (possibly  part 
of  the  holding  granted  by  John  de  Parys  to  the 
Kellaws),  a  messuage  and  18  acres  called  '  Waytes- 
place,'  a  messuage  and  an  oxgang  called  '  Wattesplace,' 
a  messuage  and  an  oxgang  called  '  Castelhous,'  and 
finally  16  acres  of  the  estate  of  Peter  Dautry."" 
This  holding  descended  with  John  de  Hardwick's 
part  of  the  manor  of  Hardwick  (q.v.)  till  the  for- 
feiture of  Anthony  Hebborne  in  1569.*" 

Thirty  acres'^'  of  Hebborne's  land  were  granted  by 
the  Crown  to  George  Walters  and  John  Williams, 
who  about  1609  sold  them  to  Sir  William  Hewet  and 
John  Hewet  *^  ;  they  in  1611  conveyed  this  holding 
to  Henry  Warde,  who  sold  it  to  George  Warde  and 
Felix  Wilson  in  the  next  year.''  George  and  Mary 
his  wife  and  Henry  Warde  convej  ed  a  messuage  and 
30  acres  of  arable  land  with  40  of  meadow,  moor 
and  pasture,  apparently  the  same  estate,  to  George 
Wardell  and  George  his  son  and  heir  in  1614.^'" 
George  Wardell  sold  it  ten  years  later  to  Francis  son 
and  heir  of  John  Bainbridge,  who  in  1625  conveyed 
it  to  Ralph  Hutton  and  William  Chaytor.*''  Ralph 
Hutton  also  bought  up  several  other  freeholds  in 
Mainsforth,  including  that  formerly  held  by  the 
Hotons  of  Hunwick.  In  1577  a  messuage,  with  44. 
acres  of  arable  land,  3  acres  of  meadow,  and  20  acres 
of  pasture,  was  granted  by   Henry   Hcighington   of 


Hutton.      ^ert    an 
eagle  or. 


SuBTf.ES.  Ermine  a 
quarter  gules  'with  a 
•u  0  i  d  e  d  scutcheon  or 
therein. 


Fishburn  to  William   Heighley  of  Woodham  and  his 

son  Thomas. '*  They  in  1581  conveyed  this  holding 
to  Ninian  Heighley  of  Whorlton,''  who  sold  it  in  i  598 
to  Robert  Robson  of  Little  Chilton.*'  From  Robson 
it  was  purchased  by  Ralph  Hutton  in  1628.'*'  Two 
oxgangs  of  land  in  Mainsforth  which  in  the  13th 
century  had  been  granted  to  the  chantry  of  St.  Mary, 


^  KC.H.  Dur.  i,  330. 

"  Ibid. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  12,  fol.  61  d., 
I49d. 

'«  Hatfield's  Surv.  (Surt.  Soc),  178-9. 
Mainsforth  was  not  represented  at  the 
Middleham  halmotcs   after   1384. 

"  Ibid.   178-9  ;  cf.  ibid.  236. 

»*  Eccl.  Com.  Rec.  188880,  18S895. 

''  Hatfield's  Sur'v.  loc.  cit. 

'"  Margaret  widow  of  Robert  son  of 
Thomas  de  Mainsforth  died  about  two 
years  later  seised  of  two  tofts  and  18  acres, 
of  which  she  held  one  toft  and  6  acres  of 
Thomas  de  Mainsforth  and  the  rest  in 
chief  (Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  lod.). 
Sec  also  ibid.  fol.  1 1  d.  Thomas  de  Mid- 
dleham, who  died  in  or  about  1334,  had 
two  messuages  and  39  acres.  His  heir 
was  Julia,  his  daughter  (ibid.  fol.  5  d.). 


"  Ibid.  no.  12,  fol.  31,  31  d. 

"  Ibid.  no.  2,  fol.  65. 

"  Hatfield's  Sur-v.  (Surt.  Soc),  178. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  1 10. 

"  Eccl.  Com.  Rec.  188880. 

*^  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  3;,  m.  14.  d. 

*'  Ibid.  R.  58,  m.  5  ;  files  174,  no.  6  ; 
'77.  no.  52. 

"Ibid.  R.  157. 

"  Ibid.  no.  2,  fol.  126. 

«>  Ibid.  fol.  133,  files  16+,  no.  88  ; 
169,  no.  51  ;  no.  6,  fol.  54  ;  Eich.  K.R. 
Misc.  Bks.  ixiviii,  fol.  228-30. 

^'  This  probably  represents  the  arable 
land  only. 

^*  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iil,  18. 

"  Ibid. 

"■>  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  2  (3). 

"  Surtees,  Inc.  cit. ;  cf.  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3, 
R.  101,  no.  I  39.    In  1628  Robert  Robson 

208 


and  Elizabeth  his  wife,  George  Wardell 
sen.  and  Christian  his  wife  and  George 
his  ion  conveyed  four  messuages  and 
some  400  acres  of  land  in  Mainsforth  to 
Ralph  Hutton  and  Sir  William  Chaytor, 
kt.  (Dur,  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  41  [2]). 

"  Surtees,  loc.  cit.  ;  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3, 
file  191,  no.  143. 

''  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  191,  no.  143. 

*'  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

'"  Surtees  lays  in  1625  (ibid.),  but 
there  is  a  conveyance  in  1628  to  Ralph 
Huttnn  and  Henry  Chaytor  from  Robert 
Robson  and  Elizabeth  his  wife,  George 
Wardell,  sen.,  and  Christiana  his  wife, 
and  his  son  George  Wardell,  jun.,  of  four 
messuages,  two  tofts,  one  dove-houie, 
380  acres  of  arable  land,  meadow,  pasture 
and  moor  in  Mainsforth  (Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3, 
R.  106,  no.  17). 


STOCKTON    WARD 


BISHOP  MIDDLEHAM 


in  the  church  of  St.  Oswald,  by  its  founder  Ralph, 
were  sold  in  1606  by  John  Halsey  and  Robert 
Morgan  to  Robert  Robson.''  These  also  were  pur- 
chased by  Ralph  Hutton  in  1628.^" 

The  Muttons  held  an  estate  in  Mainsfurth  for  three 
generations,  Ralph  Hutton  being  succeeded  by  a 
son  and  grandson  of  the  same  name.'''  The  last 
Ralph  sold  it  in  1 708  to  Robert  Surtees  of  Ryton  and 
his  son  Edward  of  Crawcrook.*-  Edward  Surtees 
gave  Mainsforth  to  his  second  son  George,  who  died 
unmarried  in  1769,  leaving  it  to  his  nephew  Robert, 
son  of  his  brother  Hauxley.*^  Robert  was  the 
father  of  the  historian  Robert  Surtees,  who  held  the 
estate  till  his  death  in  1834,  after  which  his  widow 
Anne  held  a  life  interest  till  1868.''*  On  her  death 
it  reverted  to  Charles  Freville  Surtees,  great-grandson 
of  Robert  eldest  son  of  Edward  Surtees,*^'  who  held 
the  reversion  by  devise  of  his  elder  brother  Robert 
Lambton.  General  Herbert  Conyers  Surtees,  C.B., 
C.M.G.,  D.S.O.,  M.V^O.,  D.L.,  J. P.,  son  and  heir 
of  Charles  Freville,  is  the  present  owner. 

A  smaller  freehold  belonged  in  the  1 6th  century 
to  the  Farrer  family.  John  Farrer  died  in  1569-70 
seised  of  fjur  tofts  and  36  acres 
of  arable  land  in  Mainsforth. ••■'■' 
His  son  and  heir  John  Farrer 
did  homage  for  land  here  in 
1578-9,"^  and  died  in  1586 
seised  of  two  messuages  with 
32  acres,  one  toft  with  i  2  acres, 
and  another  toft  with  26  acres, 
leaving  a  son  John.""'  The  latter 
was  probably  the  John  Farrer 
the  elder  who  in  1627  pur- 
ch.ased  land  here  formerly  of 
Robert  Robson  from  Ralph 
Hutton     and     Sir     William 

Chaytor,  and  in  1641  granted  his  Mainsforth  lands  to 
his  sonjohn.  They  were  settled  in  the  next  year  on  the 
marriage  of  John,  jun.,  with  Mary  Smith,  and  were 
sold  by  the  same  John  in  1653  to  Samuel  Disbrowe. 
In  1673  Disbrowe  joined  with  Richard  Saltonstall, 
John  Farrer,  and  others  in  a  conveyance  to  Robert 
Lynn  of  Shotton.  Robert  Lynn,  son  of  Robert,  died 
in  174+.  His  son  and  heir,  also  called  Robert,  left 
three  daughters  and  co-heirs  :  Mary,  who  died  un- 
married, Jane  wife  of  Christopher  Mawer,  and 
Dorothy  wife  of  John  Smart.** 

The  Prior  ,md  convent  of  Durham  had  an  estate 
in  Mainsforth,  probably  acquired  under  tiic  grant  of 
marsh  land  by  the  freeholders  of  Thrislington  in 
1261.**"     In    1539    it    was   held,    apparently    by   a 


K  A  R  R  1  K.        .-irgent 
three  /toi'te-ihoei  sable. 


with  the  other  possessions  of  the  priory  to  the  dean 
and  chapter.**'' 

The  vill  of  THRISLINGTON  (Thurstanton, 
xiii-xv  cent.  ;  Thorstanton,  xv  cent.  ;  Thrustanton, 
Thrustyngton,  Thruslington,  Thrislington,  xvi-xvii 
cent.)  is  first  mentioned  in  i  262,  when  the  Prior  and 
convent  of  Durham  made  an  agreement  with  Adam 
son  of  Roger  de  Fulthorpe,  Nicholas  son  of  Thomas 
de  Thurstanton,  Roger  son  of  VVilliam  de  Thurstanton, 
Thomas  the  Drenge,  John  de  Skyrburne  and  Alice  his 
wife,  and  Adam  Paris  and  Beatrix  his  wife,  as  its 
owners  and  tenants.'''  The  family  of  Fulthorpe  of 
F'ulthorpe  (q.v.)  was  probably  already  in  possession  of 
the  greater  part  of  the  vill,  the  '  lordship  '  of  which  in 
I  336  belonged  to  Roger  Fulthorpe.'"  It  ivas  granted, 
probably  by  his  grandson  Alan,  to  the  younger  branch 
of  the  family,"' who  also  acquired  Tunstall  (q.v.),  and 
the  manor  followed  the  descent  of  Tunstall  down  to 
the  17th  century. '- 

The  family  bearing  the  local  name  had,  however, 
an  independent  holding.  Bernard  de  Thurstanton, 
probably  the  heir  of  Nicholas,  made  an  agreement 
with  the  Prior  of  Durham  in  1309,'^  and  died  in  or 
before  1340  seised  of  a  messuage,  70  acres  of  land, 
and  3  acres  of  meadow  in  Thrislington,  held  in  chief 
for  a  twentieth  part  of  a  knight's  fee.'*  He  left  a 
son  and  heir  Bernard,"'  whose  holding  was  evidently 
acquired  by  the  Fulthorpe  family  before  1430."'' 

Two  important  freeholds  were  held  under  the 
Fulthorpes  by  sub-tenants  till  1614,  when  the  sub- 
tenants became  lords  of  the  manor.  In  or  before  i  344 
Richard  de  Kelloe  died  seised  of  a  rent  of  20;.  from  a 
messuage  and  3  oxgangs  in  Thrislington,  then  held 
by  John  Mareschal."  Agnes,  widow  of  his  heir 
William, had  this  messuage  and 
3  oxgangs  in  her  own  hands,"'* 
and  her  descendants,  the 
Forcer  family,  continued  to 
hold  them  ""  of  the  lords  of 
Thrislington  till  1531,  when 
John  Forcer  died  seised.*"^  The 
holding  must  have  been  pur- 
chased from  his  heirs  by 
VVilliam  Shawe,  who  was  seised 
of  it  at  his  death  in  1587."' 
He  then  also  held  the  second 
freehold,  a  messuage  and  land 
which  in  142  i  had  been  held 
of  the  Fulthorpes  by  Roger 
Usher  and  Joan  his  wife.*- 
William  Shawe's  son  Thomas  died  in  1  590,  and  was 
succeeded    by    his    brother  John    Shawe,    sen.*'      A 


Forcer,  ^ahle  a 
ckeveron  engrailed  or 
henveen  three  leopardi* 
heaJi  argent  %vitk  three 
rings  iahle  on  the 
chevertn. 


copyhold  tenant,  for  a  rent  of  20/.  \d.      It   passed      younger   brother  William   purchased    from    John   his 


"  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  17  ;  cf.  Rentals 
and  Surv.  (Gen.  Ser.),  portf.  7,  no.  26, 
fol.  4. 

•"  Surteei,  loc   cit.     See  above. 

'''  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  18. 

*»  Ibid.  ;  Burke,  Com.  ii,  657. 

"  Burlie,  loc.  cit. 

'•^  Ibid.  ;   Burke,  Landed  Gentry. 

*'  Burke,  Landed  Gentry. 

"a  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  191,  no.  -4. 

*'  Ibid.  ;     Dtp.    Keeper's    Re[>.    xxxvii, 

.\rp.  i,  97- 

"  Dur.  Ric.  cl.  3,  R.  96,  no.  +6  ;  file 
184,  no.  4. 

'*  The  whole  of  this  descent  from  John 
Farrer  the  elder  is  taken  from  Surtees,  op. 
cit.  iii,  20. 

3 


'»a  Ibid.  1 6  ;  Feod.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt. 
Soc.'',  171  n. 

"b  Feod.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc), 
321  ;  Rentals  and  Surt.  (Gen.  Ser.),  R. 
987  ;  Halmata  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc), 
202. 

"'  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  16. 

">  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  I2d. 

"'Ibid.  fol.  161,  180  d.;  FeoJ.  Prior. 
Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc),  66. 

'•  Def.  Keeper's  Rep.  xxxiv,  203  ;  xxxv, 
133;  see  below. 

''  Feod.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc), 
66  n.-67  n. 

"'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  ;i. 

■•■■  Ibid. 

"  Feod,  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc),  66, 

209 


"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  26. 

■»  Ibid.  fol.  i8od. 

"  Dc^.  Keeper's  Rep.  xxxiii,  154; 
xxxvi,  App.  i,  85  ;  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3, 
file  166,  no.  31.  For  descent  see 
Kelloe. 

*•  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  177,  no.  7. 

"  Ibid,  file  191,  no.  127. 

"  Ibid.  no.  2,  fol.  210.  Roger  Usher's 
holding  was  described  as  a  messuage  and 
60  acres,  William  Shawe's  as  a  messuage 
and  80  acres,  but  there  seems  no  doubt 
that  the  second  included  the  first.  Cf. 
Cornforth  for  the  acquisition  by  the 
Shawes  of  land  formerly  held  by  the 
Forcer  and  Usher  families. 

''^  Ibid,  file  192,  no.  131. 

27 


A   HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


whole  estate  in  Thrislington,  and  with  his  son  John 
Shawe,  jun.,  acquired  the  manor  of  Thrislington  in 
1 6 14  from  Nicholas  and  Christopher  Kulthorpe."'  He 
made  a  settlement  of  half  of  it  in  1632  on  his  third 
son  Thomas,  and  died  in  the  same  ycar.**^  Both  John 
Shawe,  jun.,  and  Thomas  appear  to  have  died  with- 
out issue,  and  Robert,  a  fourth  son  of  William, 
inherited  the  manor. "^  Robert's  three  elder  sons 
Robert,  Thomas,  and  John  "'  died  without  issue.** 
His  fourth  son  William*'  died  in  1709,  leaving 
daughters  and  co-heirs.""  Thrislington  was  alienated 
between  173  I  and  1750  by  the  heirs  of  the  Shawe 
family  to  Sir  Thomas  Robinson  of  Rokeby,  bart.," 
who  sold  it  to  Hendry  Hopper  of  Durham."-  Hendry 
Hopper  died  in  1750."''     His  grand-nephew  Robert 


Hopper.  Gyronny 
table  and  ermine  a  caitle 
argent. 


WiLLIANtSON.        Or     a 

cheveron    gitlet   between 
three  treJoiU  sable. 


Hopper  Williamson  was  lord  of  the  manor  in  1823.'^ 
William  Hopper  Williamson  of  Whickham,  Robert's 
great-grandson,  is  the  present  owner. 

The  church  of  ST.  MICHAEL 
CHURCHES  stands  on  high  ground  on  the  south- 
west side  of  the  village  and  consists  of 
a  chancel  42  ft.  by  17  ft.  with  small  north  vestry, 
clearstoried  nave  57  ft.  by  22  ft.  with  north  and  south 
aisles  each  9  ft.  wide,  and  north  porch  9  ft.  4.  in.  by 
8  ft.  6  in.,  all  these  measurements  being  internal. 
There  is  a  bellcote  over  the  west  gable  containing 
two  bells. 

With  the  exception  of  the  vestry,  which  is  a  modern 
addition,  the  whole  of  the  building  is  of  early  13th- 
century  date,  and  though  successive  alterations  and 
restorations  have  destroyed  many  of  its  ancient  features 
it  still  retains  intact  its  original  plan  and  in  the  main 
its  mediaeval  aspect.  Externally  the  building  is  of 
very  plain  character,  the  walls  being  of  rubble 
masonry  and  the  roofs  covered  with  modern  blue 
slates.  The  original  windows  were  all  lancet  open- 
ings, but  they  only  remain  in  the  north  and  south 
sides  of  the  chancel  and  at  the  ends  of  the  aisles. 
All  the  rest  of  the  windows  are  modern.  The 
outer  wall  of  the  north  aisle  was  taken  down  in 
1802"*  and  rebuilt  without  buttresses,  and  to  this 
date  probably  belonged  the  sash  windows  on   both 


sides  of  the  nave  which  existed  in  Surtees's  time.  At 
a  later  period  the  three  lancet  lights  of  the  east 
window  were  replaced  by  a  large  pointed  opening."* 
In  1843-6  the  church  was  restored  by  Mrs.  Surtecs 
in  memor)'  of  her  husband,  when  the  original  lancet 
lights,  many  of  which  had  been  built  up,"^  were 
opened  out,  the  sash  windows  of  the  aisles  replaced  by 
the  existing  double  lancets,  new  roofs  erected,  and 
the  building  generally  put  in  a  state  of  repair."*  There 
was  a  further  restoration  in  1905-6."" 

The  chancel  is  externally  of  two  bays,  having  a 

flat    double    buttress    at     e.ich    of   its   outer    angles. 

The  intermediate  buttresses  of  the  north  and  south 

walls  are  of  similar  type,  and  the  roof  is  considerably 

lower  than  that  of  the  nave.     The  e.i3t  window  is  a 

modern  one  of  three  lancet  lights,  replacing  the  former 

insertion.     On  the  north  side  are  two  original  lancets 

and  on  the  south  three,  with  a  smaller  round-headed 

opening  towards  the  west  end.  The  heads  of  the  lancets 

are  all  cut  from  single  stones  and  are  without  hood 

moulds,  two  on  the  south  side  and  one  on  the  north 

having  shouldered  inner  heads.     The  sills  are  6  ft. 

above  the  ground  outside,  but  the  westernmost  of  the 

three  lancets  on  the  south  side  has  been  lengthened 

by  2  ft.  at  the  bottom,  forming  a  low-side  window. 

The  round-headed  window  is  shouldered  on  the  inside, 

but  its  sill  is  considerably  higher  than  those  of  the 

lancets.     Internally  the  chancel  walls  are  plastered, 

but  no  ancient  ritual  arrangements  remain  except  a 

recess  at  the  east  end  of  the  north  wall.     The  chancel 

arch  is  pointed  and  of  two  chamfered  orders  the  full 

width  of  the  chancel,  with  a  hood-mould  towards  the 

nave.     The  outer  order  is  square  on  the  east  side  and 

dies  into  the  wall,  but  on  the  west  it  runs  down  to 

the  ground.     The  inner  order  springs  from   moulded 

corbels  and  the  chamfered  hood  mould  terminates  in 

carved  heads.     All  the  chancel  fittings  are  modern. 

In  the  floor  in  front  of  the  altar  rails  is  a  grave  slab 

with  cross  and  chalice,  now  very  much  worn. 

The  nave  consists  of  four  bays  with  north  and 
south  arcades  composed  of  pointed  arches  of  two 
chamfered  orders  springing  from  circular  piers  and 
keel-shaped  responds,  all  with  moulded  capitals  and 
bases.  Towards  the  aisles  the  outer  order  is  square, 
and  there  is  a  hood  mould  on  the  nave  side  only.  On 
the  south  the  capitals  are  simply  moulded,  but  on  the 
north  side  those  of  the  two  responds  have  a  small 
nail-head  ornament.  The  stops  of  the  hood  moulds 
on  both  sides  are  all  carved,  some  with  plain  masks, 
others  with  grotesque  heads  and  ornamenial  bosses. 
The  old  lancet  windows  at  the  ends  of  the  aisles  have 
all  shouldered  inner  heads  except  that  at  the  east  of  the 
south  aisle,  and  there  is  a  modern  lancet  at  the  west  end 
of  the  nave.  The  clearstory  has  three  square-headed 
two-light  windows  with  segmental  rear  arches  on  the 
south  side,  but  is  blank  on  the  north.     The  windows 


■"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  2  (3)  ;  cl.  3, 
R.  95,  no.  5;  ;  107,  no.  26  ;  file  188, 
no.  13. 

*^  Dur.  Rc'C.  cl.  3,  R.  107,  no.  a6  ; 
tile  188,  no.  I  3  J  Surteei,  op.  cit.  iii,  16  n. 

^*  Surtecs,  op.  cit.  iii,  16  n.  In  1638 
John  Shawe  and  Mary  his  wife  conveyed 
the  manor  to  Christopher  Byerlcy  and 
Thomas  Shawe  and  the  heirs  of  Chris- 
topher, possibly  for  the  purpose  of  a 
settlement  (Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  5  (i)). 

^"  Reg.  of  Bp.  MiJJIeham  (Dur.  and 
Novthiimb.  Par.  Reg.  Soc),  33,  36, 


**  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

*'  Ibid.  J  Reg.  of  Bp.  Mi.UUham  (Dur. 
and  Northumb.  Par.  Reg.  Soc),  37. 

^  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

*'  Surrecs,  op.  cit.  iii,  16  ;  G.E.C. 
Baronetage^  v,  68. 

^  Surtees,  Inc.  cit.  ;  Hutchinion,  Hitt. 
ttnd  Anttp  of  Dur.  iii,  85. 

"  Burke,  Landed  Gentry. 

^*  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

'-■  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  5.  "  Ibid. 

*'  Surtees,  writing  about  1820,  says, 
'three  are  closed  up  in  the  southern  wall 

210 


of  the  chancel  and  one  in  the  north  wall. 
One  small  lancet  light  still  remains  at 
the  east  end  of  the  south  aisle  and  two 
arc  half  closed  at  the  west  end  of  the 
nave  '  (ibid.). 

'*  Sir  Stephen  Glynne  visited  the  church 
in  1862.  He  records  that  it  had  'lately 
undergone  a  considerable  restoration  ' 
{Proe.  Soc.  Antirj.  Neivcaitle  [Scr.  3],  iii, 

22,). 

^  A  brass  plate  in  the  chancel  records 
the  reopening  of  the  church  after  restora- 
tion on  5  May  1906. 


Bishop  AIiddleham  Church  from   the  South-west 


STOCKTON    WARD 


BISHOP  MIDDLEHAM 


are  apparently  modern  restorations  of  comparatively 
late  work,  a  clearstory  being  in  all  probability  no  part 
of  the  13th-century  building.  Above  the  windows 
outside  is  a  hollowed  string-course  the  full  length  of 
the  nave. 

The  north  and  south  doorways  are  in  the 
second  bay  from  the  west,  the  porch  being  on  the 
north  side  owing  to  the  position  of  the  church  in 
relation  to  the  village.  The  porch,  though  restored, 
is  interesting  as  retaining  nearly  all  its  13th-century 
detail,  although  the  side  walh  have  been  heightened 
about  3  ft.  6  in.  and  the  original  pitch  of  the  gable 
has  thus  been  reduced.  The  roof  is  covered  with 
modern  slates.  The  outer  arch  is  of  two  orders,  the 
chamfer  of  the  inner  being  continued  down  the 
jambs.  The  outer  order  is  moulded  and  springs  from 
angle  shafts  with  moulded  capitals  and  bases.  The 
arch  itself  is  a  restoration,  together  with  the  capital  of 
the  west  shaft  in  which  the  nail-head  ornament  occurs  ; 
the  hood  mould  terminates  in  two  original  heads, 
one  of  which  is  mitred.  There  is  a  windovv  on  each 
side  of  the  porch,  moulded  round  the  head,  jambs,  and 
sill,  and  fragments  of  several  mediaeval  grave  slabs  are 
built  into  the  walls  and  gable  or  are  preserved  inside 
the  porch.  The  inner  doorway  is  quite  plain,  with  a 
chamfered  pointed  arch.  The  south  doorway  is  similar 
in  character  to  that  of  the  porch,  but  is  smaller  and 
less  restored.  The  shafts  are  very  much  worn  away 
in  the  lower  part  and  the  bases  are  gone  or  are  covered 
up.  The  nail-head  ornament  occurs  in  the  capital  of 
the  east  shaft  and  the  mitred  head  is  on  the  opposite 
side  to  that  in  the  porch  doorway.  In  the  wall  above 
is  a  stone  sundial  with  the  motto  '  Memento  mori  ' 
and  the  date  1 7-1-1.  The  bell-turret  has  been  rebuilt, 
but  with  the  old  stones.  It  has  a  pointed  gable  and 
stands  on  a  rectangular  base. 

At  the  west  end  of  the  nave  are  two  fiat  buttresses 
of  three  stages  at  the  ends  of  the  arcadewallsandadwarf 
buttress  below  the  window,  and  the  wall  is  set  back 
slightly  at  a  height  of  10  ft.  above  the  ground.  Built 
into  the  wall  above  the  window  is  a  circular  moulded 
stone  carved  with  a  cross  moline.'*"  The  south 
wall  is  divided  externally  into  four  bays  by  flat 
buttresses,  three  of  which  have  been  rebuilt.  Internally 
all  the  walls  are  plastered  and  the  nave  has  a  modern 
boarded  roof  of  eight  bays,  the  aisles  being  under 
lean-to  plastered  roofs.  At  the  east  end  of  the  south 
aisle  in  the  usual  position  is  a  piscina  with  pointed 
head  and  a  square  aumbry. 

The  font  consists  of  a  circular  bowl  of  Frosterley 
m.irble  29  in.  in  diameter  on  a  circular  shaft  and  is 
probably  of  the  same  date  as  the  building.  The  bowl 
of  a  smaller  font  lies  on  the  floor  at  the  west  end  of  the 
north  aisle. 

The  pulpit'  and  seating  are  modern,  and  a  choir 
vestry,  inclosed  by  a  modern  wooden  screen,  has  been 


formed  at  the  west  end  of  the  south  aisle.  The 
organ,  which  formerly  stood  within  the  chancel, 
blocking  the  view  of  the  altar,  is  now  at  the  east  end 
of  the  north  aisle.  There  are  memorials  in  the 
chancel  to  Robert  Surtees,  the  historian  of  the  county, 
who  died  in  183-f,'"  his  wife  Anne  (d.  1868),  Colonel 
Charles  Freville  Surtees  (d.  1906),  and  others.- 

Over  the  north  doorway  is  a  hatchment  with 
the  arms  of  Thomas  Bedford,  vicar  (d.  1660),  and  a 
long  inscription  recording  his  death  and  that  of  his 
wife  in  1686  ;  'She  was  mother,  grandmother,  and 
great-grandmother  to  74  children.'  Over  the  south 
doorway  is  the  hatchment  of  '  Ralph  Hutton  of 
Mensforth  Batch''  of  Lawes  Advocate  of  Durham.' 

In  1553  there  were  two  bells  in  the  steeple,^  one 
of  which  probably  remains.  It  bears  the  inscription 
'Ave  Maria  gra  Plena  Dns  tecv  H.F.'  and  may  be  of 
14th-century  date.  The  second  bell  is  by  Samuel 
Smith  of  York  and  is  inscribed  '  Voco  veni  precare 
1723.'^ 

The  plate  consists  of  a  chalice,  two  patens,  and  a 
flagon,  all  made  by  Butler  &  Whitwell  of  York  in 
1818-19.* 

The  registers  begin  in  1559.  They  have  been 
printed  down  to  1812.^ 

The  church  of  the  HOW  TRIMTi',  CORN- 
FORTH,  was  built  in  1868  from  the  designs  of 
J.  P.  Pritchett.  It  is  a  building  in  the  Gothic  style, 
consisting  of  chancel,  nave,  south  porch,  and  belfry  at 
the  east  end  of  the  nave.  The  district  was  formed 
in  1865  from  Cornforth  and  Thrislington."  The 
living  is  a  vicarage  in  the  gift  of  the  Crown  and  the 
Bishop  of  Durham  alternately. 

The  church  of  Middleham  was 
ADFOH'SON  given  to  the  priory  of  Durham  in 
1 146  by  Osbert  the  sheriff,  then  in 
possession  of  the  manor  by  gift  of  Ranulf  Flambard." 
Bishop  William  de  Ste.  B.irbe  consented  to  the  gift 
and  confirmed  it  by  his  own  charter,  and  Ralph  son 
of  Ranulf  Flambard,  then  parson,  surrendered  his 
rectorial  rights.'  The  church  is  mentioned  in  the 
confirmatory  charters  to  the  priory  of  Henry  II, 
Richard  I,  and  John.'*  In  spite  of  the  grants  of  the 
bishop  and  rector  about  1 146,  no  formal  appro- 
priation seems  to  have  been  made,  and  the  priors 
continued  to  present  rectors  to  the  church  for  more 
than  a  century.  At  the  end  of  the  i  2th  and  beginning 
of  the  13th  century  its  custody  during  a  vacancy 
was  the  subject  of  dispute  between  the  Bishop  of 
Durham  and  the  prior.  Both  sent  representatives  to 
take  possession,  and  two  monks  of  Durham  and  two 
of  the  bishop's  men  occupied  the  church  for  a  week. 
The  struggle  ended  with  tlie  presentation  of  Philip 
de  Balliol  to  the  living  by  the  prior  and  convent." 
In  1278  Bishop  Robert  of  Holy  Island  appropriated 
the  church  to  Finchale  Priory,  a  cell  of  Durham,  for 


'*  This  may  represent  the  arms  of 
Bishop  Bek.  Surtees  says  that  '  popular 
tradition  attributes  the  building  to  Anthony 
Bek'  (op.  cit.  iii,  ;).  Whetlier  this  stone 
is  the  cause  of  the  *  tradition,'  or  its  con- 
sequence, cannot  be  stated.  The  evidence 
of  the  architecture  is,  however,  decisive, 
and  proves  the  building  older  than  Bek's 
time. 

*  The  pulpit  was  presented  by  Col.  C. 
Frevillo  Surtees  in  1906  and  the  quire 
benches  were  placed  in  1910,  those  on  the 


south   side  being   the  gift  of  Brig.  Gen. 
Conyers  Surtees. 

'a    He  is  buried  in   the  south-west   of 
the  churchyard. 

*  The  inscriptions  on  the  older  monu- 
ments are  given  in  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii, 

^  Bf>.  Barnti   ln]unc,  (Surt.  Soc),  p.  Ivi. 

*  Pror.     Soc.      .^nrij,      Neivcastlf,      iii, 
414. 

*  Ibid.    In  I  ^53  there  was  'one  chalice 
with  a  paten  weighing  1 ;(  oz.' 

21  I 


*  Dur.  atiJ  Xorthumh.  Far.  Reg.  Soc,  xiii. 
Transcribed  and  edited  by  Reginald  Pea- 
cock (1906}, 

'  LtnJ.  Gjz.  4  Apr.  1S6;,  p.  1861. 

"  Charter  printed  in  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii, 
38  V     See  above.  '  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

'"  FtoJ.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc), 
p.  Ixxxiii  ;  Cj/.  Chart.  R.  1527-41, 
p.  525;  CaL  Rot.  Chart.  1199-1216 
(Rec.  Com.\  n8. 

"  FrJ.  Prior.  Duntlm.  (Surt.  Soc), 
2?o,  268,  501. 


A   HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


thesupport  of  five'- monks."  A  vicarage  was  ordained 
at  the  same  time,  the  vicar  receiving  5  marks  annually 
from  the  tithe  corn  of  Garmondsway.  The  Prior  and 
convent  of  Durham  retained  the  right  of  presentation, 
and  a  pension  of  40;.  was  paid  to  the  sacrist.'*  From 
1423  the  tithe  of  Garmondsway  was  .issigned  entirely 
to  the  vicar.''' 

On  the  surrender  of  the  priory  of  Durham  the 
aJvowson  came  into  the  king's  hands,  and  has  since 
remained  in  the  Crown."'  The  Lord  Chancellor 
presents  at  the  present  day.  The  rectory  was  leased 
in  1541  for  twenty-one  years  to  Avery  Burnett,  who 
assigned  his  interest  to  Christopher  Lascelles."  After 
an  intervening  lease  it  was  granted  by  Elizabeth  in 
1576  to  John  Ward  for  twenty-one  years."  He 
surrendered  his  lease  nine  years  later  in  exchange  for 
another  to  his  wife  Winifred  and  his  sons  John  and 
Samuel  for  their  lives."  John  Ward  bequeathed  his 
interest  in  1596  to  his  younger  sons  Peter  and  Henry 
for  four  years  with  remainder  to  his  son  John.-"  In 
161  I  a  grant  in  fee  of  the  rectory  was  made  to 
Francis  Morice  and  Francis  Philips  at  the  petition  of 
various  persons,  including  William  Cockayne.-'  Morice 
and  Philips  conveyed  it  eight  years  later  to  William 
Cockayne,  then  a  knight,  and  James  Price.^^  Sir 
William's  son  Charles  with  James  Price  leased  it  in  1 640 
with  a  considerable  estate  to  Humphrey  Morton, 
whose  possession  was  disputed  by  the  Ward  family.--' 
Charles  was  created  Viscount  Cullen  in  1642-^  and 
was  in  sole  possession  of  the  rectory  in  1644,  when  his 
farmer  was  John  Ward.^*  His  son  Brian,  second 
viscount,-^  settled  it  in  1679  on  the  marriage  of 
Mary,  his  daughter  or  sister,  with  Robert  Peirson.-' 
Mary's  daughter  and  heir  Margaret  married  Gilbert 
Spearman-*  and  died  in  \y^i-^;  Gilbert  died  in 
1738,'"  leaving  a  son  George."  The  daughteri  and 
heirs  of  George,  Elizabeth  Honoria  and  Anna 
Susanna,^^  conveyed  the  rectory  in  1 769  to  Ralph 
Hopper,^^  younger  nephew  of  Hendry  Hopper  of 
Thrislington.'*  At  the  death  of  Ralph  Hopper  in 
1780^^  it  passed  to  his  son  John  Thomas  Hendry 
Hopper,  who  sold  it  in  parcels.^''  The  greater  part 
was  purchased  by  William  Russell  of  Brancepeth 
Castle,^'  and  has  followed  the  descent  of  Brancepeth 
into  the  hands  of  the  present  Viscount  Boyne.  The 
tithes  of  Mainsforth  and  Thrislington  were  respectively 
bought  by  Robert  Surtees  and  Robert  Hopper 
Williamson.'* 


A  chapel  was  confirmed  with  the  church  of  Middle- 
ham  to  the  Prior  and  convent  of  Durham  by  Henry 
II.-"*  It  was  perhaps  in  Thrislington.  Roger  the 
cleik  of  Thrislington  is  mentioned  twice  in  the  13th 
century.'*^ 

The  light  of  the  Blessed  Mary  in  the  church  of 
Bishop  Middleham  is  mentioned  in  1341.''" 

For  the  parochial  school  see  article 
CHARITIES     on  schools.-" 

For  the  charity  of  Dame  Elizabeth 
Freville  see  under  parish  of  Sedgefield.  About  ^^3  5  is 
received  yearly,  of  which  two  thirds  is  distributed  in 
Cornforth  and  one  third  in  mone}'  to  about  1 5 
recipients  in  Bishop  Middleham. 

The  Pellaw's  Leazes  charity  was  founded  by 
an  indenture  of  27  and  28  September  1742,  whereby 
I  acre  in  a  field  called  Pellaw's  Leazes  was  conveyed  in 
trust  for  the  poor.  The  land  was  sold  in  1856  and 
the  proceeds  invested  in  ^^397  J  ^i.  Sr/.  consols  with 
the  official  trustees.  The  dividends,  amounting  to 
£<)  18/.  8(/.  yearly,  are  distributed  in  money  doles, 
half  to  the  poor  of  Middleham  and  half  to  the  poor 
of  Cornforth. 

The  Hope  and  Clerk's  Acre. — At  a  court  held  for 
the  manor  of  Middleham  on  26  January  1 724  certain 
persons  were  admitted  tenants  of  an  acre  of  land  called 
the  Hope,  adjoining  the  Clerk's  Acre,  in  trust  for  the 
poor  of  the  townshipsof  Bishop  Middleham,  Cornforth, 
Mainsforth  and  Thrislington.  Both  pieces  of  land 
were  sold  in  191  i  in  consideration  of  the  transfer  of 
j^302  I  3/.  4rf'.  consols  to  the  ofiicial  trustees,  of  which 
j^l2l  I/.  4^'.  stock,  producing  £3  o;.  ^d.  yearly,  was 
apportioned  in  respect  of  the  Hope  charity  and 
j^lSl  12s.  stock,  producing  ^^4  10/.  Si/,  yearly,  in 
respect  of  the  Clerk's  Acre.  The  income  of  the 
Hope  charity  is  distributed  in  money  doles  and  that 
of  the  Clerk's  Acre  is  applied  towards  church  ex- 
penses. 

Quit-rents. — The  poor  also  receive  the  sums  of 
20/.  and  10/.  6J.  from  the  owner  of  Brancepeth 
Castle  in  respect  of  a  piece  of  waste  land  called  Brick 
Dyke  and  a  piece  of  land  near  Pinfold,  together 
with  the  sum  of  1 21.  id.,  being  the  dividends  on 
£2:,  fs.  \d.  consols  with  the  official  trustees,  repre- 
senting the  investment  in  1882  of  arrears  of  the  said 
quit-rents. 

Cornforth. — For  Old  Cornforth  National  school 
see  article  on  schools." 


"  Or  six  [Hut.  Dimtlm.  Scrifl.  Trts 
[Surt.  Soc],  57). 

'»  Finckale  Pnory  (Surt.  Soc),  148. 

'*  Ibid. 

'^  Ibid.  App.  p.  cUxxvi  et  acq. 

'«  Inst.  Bks.  (P.R.O.). 

'■'  L.  and  P.  Htn.  riU,  xvi,  p.  726  ; 
Star  Cfiamb.  Proc.  Hen.  VIII,  bdlc.  31, 
no.  J3  ;  Memo.  R.  (Excfi.  K.R.)  Trin.  7 
Eliz.  m.  256. 

'''  Pat.  18  Eliz.  pt.  iii,  m.  31. 

"  Ibid.  28  Eliz.pt.  XV,  m.  II 

'"  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  8-9. 

"  Pat.  9  Jas.  I,  pt.  xi,  no.  i. 

•^  Close,  17  Jas.  I,  pt.  xx,  no.  25. 

"  Exch.    of   Pleas    Trin.    18    Chai. 
m,  90. 

»«  G.E.C.  Pieragr,\\,  435. 


I, 


'•'  Rtc.  Com.  for  Camp.  (Surf  Soc),  8.  | 

»«  G.E.C.  loc.  cit. 

^'  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  9.  Surtees  calls 
licr  fiis  sister,  but  the  dates  make  it  more 
likely  that  sfie  ^vas  his  daughter.  Brian 
had  a  daughter  Mary,  an  infant  at  the 
time  of  the  settlement,  who  is  generally 
said  to  have  died  unmarried  (Nichols, 
Topog.  and  Gen.  iii,  4+1).  Robert  Peir- 
son's  wife  is  described  as  *The  Hon. 
Mary  '  in  the  Reg.  of  Bp.  Middleham,  39, 
168. 

"  Surtees,  loc.  cit.  ;  Reg.  of  Bp.  Mid- 
dlehamf  39. 

«  Reg.  ofBp.  Middleham,  182. 

'"  Ibid.  184  ;  Gem.  Mag.  viii,  277. 

^'  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

"  Ibid.  ;   cf.    Reg.    of  Bp.    Middleham, 


64,  for  tlie  elder  daughter.  The  birth  of 
a  second  daughter,  Margnretta  Maria,  is 
registered  on  p.  67. 

^^  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

**  Burke,  Landed  Gentry. 

*'•  Reg.  ofBp.  Middleham,  196. 

'"  Surtees,  loc.  cit.  ;  Reg.  of  Bp.  Mid- 
dleham, 77. 

^'  Surtees,  loc.  cit.  ;  Char.  Com.  Rep. 
xxiii,  85. 

^*  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

»"  Feod.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc), 
p.  Ixxxiii. 

*•■'  Finchale  Priory  (Surt.  Soc),  140, 
142. 

*"  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xxxi,  59. 

*'  KC.H.  Dur.  i,  404. 

"  Ibid.  405. 


212 


STOCKTON   WARD 


BISHOPTON 


BISHOPTON 


The  parish  comprises  three  townships  :  Bishopton 
in  the  north-east,  East  and  West  Newbiggin  on  the 
south,  and  Little  Stainton  on  the  west.  The  surface 
is  comparatively  level,  having  a  general  elevation  of 
170  ft.  to  200  ft.  .ibove  the  ordnance  datum,  except 
for  the  depression  in  which  the  Bishopton  Beck  winds 
its  way  through  the  centre  of  the  parish  and  then 
along  the  northern  boundary,  the  bed  of  the  stream 
being  little  over  100  ft.  above  the  ordnance  datum  on 
the  eastern  boundary.  The  areas  of  the  component 
townships  are  :  Bishopton,  2,178  acres;  East  and  West 
Newbiggin,  852  ;  Little  Stainton,  1,145. 

The  village  of  Bishopton  is  centrally  placed  in  its 
township,  on  elevated  ground  north  of  the  beck.  The 
church  is  in  the  middle  of  the  village,  and  the  ancient 
earthwork  called  Castle  Hill  lies  on  low  ground  to 
the  south-east.'  There  is  a  Wesleyan  chapel  built  in 
1879  to  replace  an  earlier  building  which  existed  in 
1850.  Stony  Flat  and  Gilly  Flat  stand  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  township,  Gately  Moor  on  the  east  side, 
and  Woogra  in  the  western  corner.  The  house  called 
Sauf  Hall  is  in  the  east  of  Newbiggin  ;  in  the  western 
part  is  a  homestead  moat.^  There  is  a  plantation  in 
the  north  of  Little  Stainton  ;  otherwise  the  woodland 
in  the  parish  is  but  scanty. 

Three  roads  meet  at  the  village  of  Bishopton.  One 
of  these  goes  south-east,  with  a  branch  east  to  Red- 
marshall,  to  meet  the  roads  between  Darlington  and 
Stockton,  and  may  be  part  of  an  ancient  road  from 
the  south,  through  Yarm  and  EgglesclifTe,  to  Durham. 
Another  road  leads  north-cast  to  Whitton  ;  the  third 
goes  west  to  Stainton  le  Street,  with  branches  to  Little 
Stainton  and  to  Stillington  ;  to  the  last-named  place 
there  is  a  footpath  from  the  village.  Through  Little 
Stainton  an  ancient  road  leads  north  towards  Durh.im. 
There  is  no  railway  line  within  the  parish. 

Agriculture  is  the  chief  industry.  The  soil  is  a 
strong  clay,  and  wheat,  oats,  and  beans  are  grown. 
About  1850  there  were  2,370  acres  of  arable  to  1,522 
of  pasture^  ;  the  arable  land  is  1,558  acres,  permanent 
grass  2,218,  and  woods  and  plantations  107.''  Bricks 
and  tiles  are  made  in  Little  Stainton. 

The  parish  feast  was  kept  on  St.  Peter's  Day. 

The  principal  antiquities  are  the  Castle  Hill  and 
moat  above-mentioned.  The  history  of  the  place  has 
been  uneventful,  with  the  exception  of  the  resistance 
to  Comyn  related  below.  Twenty-five  of  the  in- 
habitants   joined    in    the    rising    of    1 5  69,    though, 


according  to  Sir  George  Bowes,'  against  their  will, 
and  seven  of  them  were  executed.  The  Protestation 
of  1 64. 1  was  signed  in  this  parish,''  but  the  Sequestra- 
tion Books  show  that  two  residents  took  up  arms 
against  the  Parliament — William  Rowntree '  and 
Christopher  son  of  Lancelot  Todd,  '  papist.'  In  the 
latter  case  the  parish  constable  said  he  was  present 
when  '  old  Todd  '  said,  '  My  son  Cursty  shall  go  and 
fight  for  the  king  ;  and  who  knows  but  he  may  come 
back  a  captain,  in  spite  of  the  crop-ears  r '  *  There 
were  also  the  following  '  papists '  in  Little  Stainton 
in  1644  •  ^■'-  Midcalf,  Henry  Johnson,  and 
Richard  Johnson  of  Newbiggin  '•'  ;  their  lands  were 
sequestrated.'" 

BISHOPTON  (Biscopton,  xii  cent.), 
MJNORS  with  Stainton  and  Sockburn,  was  granted 
by  Bishop  Ranulf  to  Roger  Conyers  early 
in  the  i  zth  century,  to  be  held  for  one  knight's  fee." 
On  the  usurpation  of  the  see  by  William  Comyn  in 
I  1 43,  Roger  refused  to  do  him  homage  as  other  barons 
had  done,  and  fortified  his  house  at  Bishopton  so 
strongly  that  Comyn's  band  thought  it  useless  to 
attempt  its  capture.  The  lawful  bishop  on  coming 
into  the  bishopric  stayed  a  few  days  at  this  place, 
receiving  the  homage  of  some  of  the  barons,  and  then 
went  forward  to  Durham.  Being  resisted,  he  returned 
to  Bishopton  for  a  time,  but  it  was  not  for  another  year 
that  Comyn  yielded."  After  this  the  Conyers  family 
appear  to  have  preferred  Sockburn  as  their  chief  seat, 
and  an  account  of  the  descent  will  be  found  under 
that  place.  Roger  de  Conyers  gave  to  Durham  the 
three  sons  of  Eylof  of  Bishopton,  with  their  issue,  in 
return  for  a  horse  and  6  marks  the  monks  had 
afforded  him  in  his  need.'^  Bishopton  regularly 
appears  in  the  Conyers  inquisitions.'''  It  was  called 
a  'manor'  in  1239  '"  '^^  release  by  Robert  de 
Conyers  to  John  de  Conyers.'''  A  grant  of  free 
warren  was  obtained  by  Sir  John  Conyers  in  I  372-3.'"' 
Sir  George  Conyers  in  161  3  began  to  alienate  his 
lands,"  so  that  Bishopton  became  divided  among  a 
number  of  freeholders.  The  manorial  rights,  how- 
ever, were  not  sold,"*  and  appear  to  have  descended 
with  Sockburn  ;  they  are  now  held  by  Sir  H.  D. 
Blackett,  bart. 

Among  the  purchasers  of  land  from  Sir  George 
Conyers  were  Michael  Forv\'ood  (5  J  oxgangs),''  John 
Humfrey  (3  oxgangs),^'*  Francis  Welfoot-'  and  William 
Leadom  -^  (each  2  oxgangs),  Cuthbert  Beckfield  (about 


'  r.C.W.  Dur.  i,  353. 

'Ibid.  356. 

*  Lewis,  Trjpog,  Dicr. 

*  Statistics  from  Bd.  of  Agric.  (1905). 
'  Sharp,  Mtm.  of  Rebtlliov,  43,  251. 

«  Hut.  MSS.  Com.  Rtf.  V,  App.  125. 

'  Royalist  Comp.  in  Dur.  (Surt.  See),  7. 

*Ibid.  13,  14  ;  inventory,  29  ;  Surtcef, 
op.  cit.  iii,  68-9. 

'Ibid.    15.       Capt.    P is    added, 

whom  SurCees  makes  Porter. 

"Ibid.  17,19,66,67,73. 

>'  Harl.  MS.  805,  fol.  131*,  from  Dods 
MS.  cxiii,  fol.  184.  A  confirmation 
by  the  Prior  and  convent  of  Durham, 
addressed  to  Archbishop  Thurstan,  is  also 
given  in  Harl.  MS.  805,  fol.  131. 

'*  Simeon  of  Dur.  (Rolls  Scr.),  i,  150. 


"  Charter  in  Surtees,  Hiit.  of  Dur.  iii, 
418. 

'*  Dep.  Ktcper's  Rep.  xliv,  App.  353-62 ; 
xIt,  App.  172-80. 

"  Reg.  Palat.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  ii, 
887.     See  Sockburn. 

"  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xxxii,  App.  i,  269. 

"  Ibid,  xl,  App.  485-6.  A  licence  to 
convey  the  various  manors  to  trustees  ; 
also  licences  to  convey  lands  in  Bishopton 
to  Michael  Forwood,  John  Humphrey, 
Francis  Welfoot,  and  William  Leadom. 
See  also  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  68.  For  con- 
veyances see  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  2  (3). 

"  Dep.  Keeper  s  Rep.  xliv,  App.  365, 
367. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  94,  ra.  57  ;  cl,  12, 
no.  2  (3). 

213 


»  Ibid. 

"  Ibid.  This  was  probably  the  Francis 
Welfoot  who  succeeded  his  father  William 
in  1 606  to  an  estate  of  about  600  acres  in 
Little  Stainton.  His  heir  seems  to  have 
been  Thomas  Welfoot  whose  nephew 
Francis  Welfoot  succeeded  him  in  1618. 
Another  Thomas  Welfoot  died  io  March 
1625-6  holding  40  acres  in  Bishopton 
and  120  in  Little  Stainton.  Hit  brother 
and  heir  was  Francis  (Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3, 
file  182,  no.  30  ;  186,  no.  10). 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  94,  m.  57  ;  cl. 
12,  no.  2  (3).  He  died  in  1623,  leaving 
daughters  and  co-heirs  Mary  and  Thomas- 
ine  (ibid.  cl.  3,  Ale  189,  nos.  91,  155). 
Some  of  his  land  was  purchased  by 
Ralph  Welfoote  (ibid,  file  1 88,  no.  96). 


A   HISTORY  OF   DURHAM 


3  oxgangs),"  Nicholas  Jackson  (i  oxgang),-'  Richard 
Mawer  (3  oxgangs),''  Thomas  Aire  (2  J  oxgangs),-'' 
Ralph  Johnson  (about  5  oxgangs),-'  Anthony  Buckle 
(the  mill  and  milldam).'-*  The  Mawers,  Aires, 
Buckles,  and  Jacksons  were  still  among  the  freeholders 
in  1684,  when  the  others  were  the  heirs  of  Richard 
Croft,  George  Todd  (owner  of  the  Castle  Hill),  John 
Rippon,  Thomas  Pearson,  and  Thomasine  Beverley, 
widow.-' 

In  1742  an  estate  here  was  sold  for  j{^6,ooo  by 
George  Spearman  to  Morton  Davison.^" 

Roger  Gelett  (1392)  held  89  acres  of  land  here  of 
John  Conyers,''  and  was  succeeded  by  his  brother 
William  Gelett,^-  whose  nephew  and  heir  John,  in 
conjunction  with  his  son  Robert,  in  1403  sold  to 
Henry  de  Percy,  son  of  the  Earl  of  Northumberland.-" 
Very  soon  afterwards  the  lands  were  forfeited  for 
Percy's  rebellion,'^  and  as  '  Gillet's  lands'  were  in 
1440  granted  to  Roger  son  of  Thornton. ^^  This 
must  have  been  the  estate  held  by  Richard  Lumley, 
heir  of  the  Thorntons,  in  I  5  10,  and  sold  in  1569  by 
John  Lord  Lumley  to  John  Hedworth.^"  Richard 
Strangways  died  seised  of  a  messuage  and  100  acres 
here,  held  of  Sir  George  Conyers,  in  1558.'' 

Some  religious  houses  had  lands  in  Bishopton. 
Roger  son  of  Roger  de  Conyers  gave  1 7  acres  there, 
in  the  time  of  Bishop  Pudsey, 
to  St.  Mary's,  Neasham,  with 
the  right  of  common  pertain- 
ing to  an  oxgang  of  24  acres. ^"^ 
Roger  de  Conyersgave  30  acres 
of  land  to  Guisborough,  ac- 
cording to  a  confirmation  in 
1311.^'  The  Templars  also 
had  land  there  at  that  time  '"  ; 
it  was  probably  the  source  of 
the  10^.  rent  afterwards  paid 
to  the  Hospitallers,  Lancelot 
Nevill  being  tenant  in  I  5  5  2.'" 
The  lands  of  the  Hospitallers 
were  sold  by  Queen  Elizabeth 

to  Stephen  Holford  and  John  Jenkins,  who  sold  to 
Thomas  Jackson.^-  Mount  Grace  Priory  had  a  rent 
of  61/.  6d'.  from  Bishopton  at  the  Dissolution.'^ 

Woogra  appears  to  be  the  Walgravc  where  John 
de  Conjers  of  Sockburn  (1395)  had  the  reversion 
of  certain  land  with  other  land  in  Bishopton  proper. 
Little  Stainton,  and  East  Newbiggin  in  Little  Stainton, 

^»  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  183,  no.  55; 
R.  1 10,  m.  I  ;  cl.  12,  no.  2  (3). 

"  Ibid.  cl.  12,  no.  2  (3);  cl.  3,  file 
189,  no.  i;8.  He  died  in  1626,  leaving 
a  son  Leonard. 

"  Ibid.  cl.  II,  no.  2  (3);  cl.  3,  file 
188,  no.  74.  Richard  left  a  son  Thomas 
Mawer  at  his  death  in  1635. 

"  Ibid.  cl.  12,  no.  2  (3)  ;  cl.  3,  R.  lol, 
no.  133.  He  left  a  son  William  (ibid. 
cl.  3,  file  189,  no.  1 1  3). 

"  Ibid.  cl.  12,  no.  2  (3)  ;  cl.  3,  R.  95, 
m.  17. 

"  Ibid.  cl.  3,  file  189,  no.  73  ;  R.  96, 
m.  21.  He  conveyed  the  mill  and  milldam 
before  1622  to  Anthony  Fewler  (ibid.). 

"  Surtees,  op,  cit.  iii,  68. 

'"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  121,  m.  21. 
Morton  John  Davison  of  Beamish  held 
in  1820  the  lands  of  the  Todd  family 
including  Castle  Hill.  According  to 
Surtees  (op,  cit.  iii,  68)  these  had  been 
sold  to  his  ancestor  Timothy  Davison. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  1 19. 


Guisborough 
Priorv.  Argent  a  lion 
azure  ivith  a  henJ  git/e^ 
over  all. 


all  held  of  his  own  manor  of  Bishopton  by  knight's 
service,  suit  of  court  at  Bishopton,  and  a  rent  of  2;.'" 
During  the  1  7th  and  part  of  the  1 8th  century  Woogra 
was  held  with  an  estate  in  Elstob  (q.v.)  by  the 
Scurfield  and  Spearman  families.*''^  It  was  sold  in 
1710  with  Elstob  South  Farm  by  Gilbert  Spearman 
to  Richard  Smith.«'' 

EJSTJND  IfESTNElfBlGGlN  (Newbiggyng, 
xiv  cent.),  otherwise  called  Newbiggin  by  Sadberge 
to  distinguish  it  from  the  place  of  the  same  name  near 
Redworth,  appears  from  references  already  given  to 
have  been  considered  sometimes  as  part  of  Little 
Stainton.  The  land  was  held  of  the  bishop  as  of  his 
Sadberge  lordship  by  free  tenants.  In  1 2 1 2  John 
de  Newbiggin  had  2  oxgangs  of  land  by  a  rent  of 
3/.  6i/.,  but  they  had  been  given  by  him  to  the 
hospital  of  Northallerton  with  the  consent  of  Bishop 
Philip  and  the  king,'"  and  in  1535  the  hospital  had 
a  rent  of  10;.  from  Newbiggin."'  About  i  359  William 
de  Newbiggin  acquired  a  messuage  and  land  from 
Thomas  Hode.-*'  According  to  Hatfield's  Survey  in 
1384  Gilbert  de  Newbiggin  and  his  fellows  held  48 
acres  by  rendering  24/.  ;  the  free  tenants  also  ren- 
dered I  3/.  4^'.,  and  paid  3/.  8</.  for  a  meadow  called 
Hawing. •"*  Gilbert's  son  Thomas  de  Newbiggin 
(1413)  held  a  messuage  and  30  acres  in  Newbiggin 
by  a  rent  of  is.  6ii.,  and  another  tenement  of  the 
same  size  jointly  with  his  wife  Elizabeth  ;  his  son  John, 
aged  twelve,  was  his  heir.'"  This  was  the  Thomas 
Gibson  or  Gilbertson  of  Newbiggin  whose  heirs  in 
1 41 6  were  the  representatives  of  his  aunts,  Richard 
Wright,  Robert  Faucon,  and  John  Hay,  all  over 
thirty.^''  Robert  Faucon  (1434)  held  lands  in  New- 
biggin next  Sadberge."  The  wardship  and  marriage 
of  his  son  Robert  Faucon  was  in  1435  granted  to 
John  Hartburn.^2  Robert  was  dead  in  1442.*' 
Thomas  Hay  had  held  land  in  Newbiggin  before 
1405  ;  his  heir  was  a  son  John,°'  probably  the  John 
above-mentioned.  Lawrence  Hay  (1498)  was  stated 
to  have  held  his  lands  partly  in  chief,  partly  of 
Christopher  Conyers.'' 

William  Houwetson  (1365)  held  three  messuages 
and  23  acres  by  \od.  rent  ;  his  heirs  were  his 
daughter  Joan,  afterwards  wife  of  John  de  Redmarshall, 
William  Cowper,  John  Gowcr,  and  William  Laton.^^ 
John  Cusson  (1583)  held  lands  in  East  and  West 
Newbiggin  of  John  Conyers,*'  and  Richard  Cusson 
(1632)  had  6  oxgangs  in  West  Newbiggin.'"' 


"  Ibid.  fol.  ii9d. 

"  Ibid.  R.  33,  ni.  29.  John  is  said  to 
be  the  brother  of  William  in  this  grant, 
though  In  the  inquisition  he  is  described 
as  son  of  John  brother  of  William. 

"  Cal.  Pat.  1401-;,  p.  406.  Lands  In 
Newbiggin  and:  Little  Stainton  were  In- 
cluded. 

■'■'  Ibid.  1456-41,  p.  379. 

'"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  3,  fol.  5  ;  Feet 
of  F.  Dur.  Trin.  4  cS:  5  Phil,  and  Mary. 

''  Ibid,  file  177,  no.  101. 

'*  Surtees,  op.  cit.  Hi,  258  (from  the 
charter  at  Neasham).  The  priory  had  a 
rent  of  51.  from  land  in  Bishopton  [Valor 
Eccl.  [Rec.  Com.],  v,  310). 

"  Reg.  Palat.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  ii, 
1 135.  The  priory  had  a  rent  of  13^/, 
from  it. 

'"Ibid.  857-8. 

"  Harl.  R.  D  36,  m.  6. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  186  (20,  43). 

"  Harl.  R.  D  36,  m.  6h  ;  I'ahrEccl. 
(Rec,  Com.),  v,  84,  gives  ihc  rent  as  401. 


"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  128, 

"a  Ibid,  file  189,  no,  175;  R,  102, 
m.  8  ;  Exch,  Dep,  Trin,  9  .I  10  Geo,  I, 
no,  9  ;  Hil.  12  Geo.  I,  no.  26. 

**b  Lord  Eldon's  Muniments  ;     EUtob. 

"  Testa  de  Nevill  (Rec.  Com.),  396. 

«  Valor  Ecd.  (Rec.  Com.),  v,  85. 

'"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  12,  fol.  227  d. 

<9  Hatfield's  Sur'v.  (Surt.  Soc),  198. 

•'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  170. 

'"  Ibid.  fol.  1 80.  The  sisters  of  Gilbert 
were  Sibyl,  whose  grandson  was  Richard 
Wright  of  Topcliffe  ;  Cecily,  who  had  a 
son  William  Faucon,  father  of  Robert  ; 
and  Agnes,  mother  of  Emma  del  Hay, 
mother  of  John. 

■■■>  Ibid.  fol.  272. 

"  Ibid.  R.  36,  m.  10. 

'-*  Ibid,  file  164,  no.  38. 

'*  Ibid.  no.  2,  fol.  144  d. 

"  Ibid,  file  169,  no.  53, 

"•  I'oid.  no.  2,  fol.  7;,  81  h. 

"  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xliv,  361. 

»•  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  188,  no.  14. 


214 


STOCKTON   WARD 


BISHOPTON 


LITTLE  STJINTON  (Parva  Steintun,  xii  cent.) 
appears  to  have  been  held  from  the  first  with  Bishopton 
by  the  Conyers  family.''  In  the  time  of  Bishop 
Hugh,  Roger  de  Conyers  came  to  an  agreement  with 
the  monks  at  Durham  respecting  the  boundary  between 
Little  Stainton  and  Newton  Ketton  to  the  west  ;  it 
was  to  go  according  to  its  ancient  course  by  the  dyke 
extending  across  Heirigges  from  the  head  of  Grantes- 
dene  as  far  as  Herewardsflat,  and  thence  by  a  siket 
encircling  Herewardsflat  on  the  east  and  on  the  south 
as  far  as  Eldredesway.*"  Geoffrey  de  Conyers  (c.  1220) 
confirmed  to  William  son  of  Humphrey  de  Bishopton 
an  oxgang  of  land  given  him  by  John  de  Lamare.*'' 
Sir  George  Conyers  alienated  his  land  here  as  in 
Bishopton  in  the  early  17th  century  to  various 
purchasers.''' 

Thomas  son  of  John  of  Little  Stainton  had  an  estate 
in  the  14th  century  of  about  150  acres  held  in  chief 
which  descended  to  the  Gowers  of  Elton  and  followed 
the  descent  of  their  lands  there. ""^  Henry  Wethereld 
and  Joan  his  wife,  owners  of  the  Elton  estate,  con- 
veyed 36  acres  of  land,  meadow  and  pasture  to  George 
Conyers  in  1554.^'*  The  Elstobs  of  Foxton  had  land 
here  in  the  early  i  7th  century,  apparently  acquired 
from  Sir  George  Conyers.**' 

In  1689  John  Elstob  mortgaged  an  estate  at  Little 
Stainton,  consisting  of  a  messuage  and  closes  called 
Brakedike  Leazes,  Long  Pasture,  and  White  Water 
Close.  His  son  John,  who  succeeded  before  1702, 
conveyed  the  land  in  that  year  to  his  sister  Anne  and 
her  husband  Humphrey  March.  Her  son  John 
March  sold  it  in  1753  to  the  Rev.  William  Davison 
of  Stokesley,  co.  York.  Thomas  Davison  son  of 
William  sold  it  in  1795  to  George  Wood  of  Durham. 
On  the  death  of  his  cousin,  Isabel  widow  of  Anthony 
Hubbock  of  Lee  Close  House,  Great  Stainton, 
George  came  into  possession  of  another  estate  at 
Little  Stainton,  which  had  belonged  to  Isabel's 
brother  Watson  Rickaby  of  Lee  Close  House,  who 
died  about  1759.  George  Wood  left  his  land  to  his 
cousins  Anne  wife  of  William  Bates  and  Elizabeth 
wife  of  the  Rev.  John  Chambers,  daughters  of  James 
Leybourne.  On  a  partition  in  I  812  both  estates  at 
Little  Stainton  came  to  John  Chambers  and  his 
son  James  Leybourne  Chambers,  Elizabeth  being 
then  dead.  They  sold  them  in  1 830  to  John 
Earl  of  Eldon,  and  they  now  belong  to  the  third 
Earl." 

Reginald  de  Winterse  rele.ised  to  Finchale  Priory '"' 
in  1284  all  claim  to  2  oxgangs  and  two-thirds  of  an 
oxgang  of  land  here.  The  priory  at  the  Dissolution 
had  a  rent  of  26s.  id.  from  this  township.*"' 

The  abbey  of  Blanchland  (Northumberland)  had  a 
rent  oi  £z  13/.  4a'.  from  Little  Stainton  at  the 
Dissolution.  Its  lands  here  belonged  in  1616  to 
William   Metcalfe.'^'*     This  may  have  been  the  estate 


known  as  Pitfield  in  Little  Stainton  and  New- 
biggin,  part  of  which  was  mortgaged  in  1686  by 
Anthony  Stelling  of  Little  Stainton.  His  son 
Thomas  sold  it  in  1712  to  Robert  Harrison,  who 
gave  it  in  1743  to  his  son  William.  William  was 
succeeded  about  1763  by  a  daughter  Elizabeth  wife 
of  Edward  Butterfield,  and  she  and  her  husband  sold 
Pitfield  in  1 77 1  to  Richard  Stonhewer  of  Curzon 
Street.  On  Richard's  death  in  1809  it  passed  under 
his  will  to  his  nephew  the  Rev.  John  Bright  of  Kings 
Grafton,  co.  Northants,  by  whose  son  John  Bright  it 
was  sold  in  1845  to  the  trustees  of  the  Earl  of  Eldon. 
It  now  belongs  to  the  3rd  Earl.**'' 

In  1849  the  Earl  of  Eldon  acquired  another  estate 
at  Little  Stainton.  It  had  been  sold  in  1734  by 
John  Burdett  of  Stockton  to  William  Spencer  of 
Guisborough.  William  was  succeeded  by  a  son 
Thomas  who  died  in  1759,  when  this  land  passed  to 
his  brother  Richard.  He  left  it  in  1783  to  his 
niece  Dorothy  wife  of  Henry  Askew  of  Redhough. 
Dorothy  died  in  1792  and  her  husband  in  1796  and 
the  lands  passed  under  his  will  to  his  nephew  Rev. 
Henry  Askew,  who  sold  them  in  1849  ^°  ^^^  trustees 
of  the  Earl  of  Eldon.*'^ 

The  freeholders  in  1684''-'  were  the  heirs  of  Robert 
Tatham,™  John  Fewler,  Robert  AUinson,  William 
Newton  of  Redmarshall,  Anthony  Stelling,  William 
Harrison  of  Sadberge,  Thomas  Barker,''  Thomas 
Bockfield,  and  William   Batmanson,  recusant. 

The  church  of  ST.  PETER  consists 
CHURCH  of  a  chancel  3  i  ft.  3  in.  by  1 4  ft.  4  in. 
with  north  vestry  and  organ  chamber, 
nave  56  ft.  by  20  ft.,  north  aisle  37  ft.  6  in.  by 
8  ft.  10  in.,  and  north-west  tower  1 1  ft.  by  12  ft., 
the  tower  standing  at  the  west  end  of  the  aisle 
and  forming  a  porch.  All  the  above  measurements 
are  internal. 

The  church  was  almost  completely  rebuilt  in  1 846-7 
by  the  Rev.  Thomas  Burton  Holgate,  vicar,''  the  only 
portions  of  the  old  church  now  remaining  being  parts 
of  the  chancel  walls  and  of  the  south  wall  of  the  nave. 
The  building  formerly  consisted  of  '  a  long,  narrow 
chancel  and  nave,' "'  the  aisle  and  tower  being  additions 
at  the  time  of  rebuilding,  and  was  apparently  of  late 
I  3th-century  date,  part  of  a  window  of  c.  i  2  80-90,  con- 
sisting of  a  single  trefoil  light  with  internal  shouldered 
arch,  still  remaining  on  the  north  side  of  the  chancel 
arch.  No  other  original  architectural  features,  how- 
ever, have  been  preserved.  Two  stones  in  the  lower 
p.irt  of  the  east  wall  bear  incised  consecration  crosses, 
but  the  east  window  itself  is  a  modern  one  of  three 
lancets.  A  mediaeval  grave  slab  is  built  into  the  south 
wall  of  the  nave  outside,  and  another  at  the  south- 
west angle,  together  with  a  cusped  fragment. 

The  building  is  of  stone  with  green  slated  roofs 
overhanging  at  the  eaves.    A  sundial  on  the  south  wall 


"  See  the  giant  of  liisliopton  and  the 
inquiiition;;, 

"  FcdJ.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc), 
I57n. 

"  Finchale  Priory  (Surt.  Soc),  58. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  2  (3). 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  177,  no.  71  ; 
cl.  12,  no.  1(1). 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  n,  no.  i  (1). 

"»  Ralph  Elstob  bought  land  in 
Bishopton  from  Sir  Gejrgc  Ctinyers 
in  1615  (Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  96,  no. 
36). 


"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  97,  110.  43  ;  cl. 
12,  no.  29  (1) ;  Lord  Eldon's  Muniments. 

•'  Finchale  Priory  (Surt.  Soc),  59. 
One  was  probably  the  oxgane  granted  to 
Willism  de  Bishopton. 

"  I'alor  Eccl.  (Rec.  Com.),  t,  305  ; 
Dugdale,  Mil.  iv,  333. 

"  Dugdale,  Mm.  vii,  887  ;  Dur.  Rec. 
cl.  3,  file  189,  no.  9;. 

"»  Loid  Eldon's  Muniments. 

"b  Ibid. 

*•  Surtces,  op.  cit.  iii,  68. 

'"  His  lands   were  purchased  \>j  John 

215 


Tempest  and  descended  to  Loid  London- 
derry (ibid.). 

'*  A  bencfacto:  to  the  poor  of  the 
pa;iih. 

'•  Below  ihe  tower  ii  a  brais  plate  to 
Mr.  Holgate  and  his  three  siitcr%  'who 
at  their  sole  cost  rebuilt  the  church  and 
gave  the  belli  and  clock.'  The  new 
church  wai  designed  by  Sharpe  JL-  Paley, 
architects,  of  Lancaster. 

"  Surteei,  np.  cit.  iii,  69.  In  1501 
trie  roof  ot  the  church  was  very  detective 
{Bp.  Barnes'  Injunc,   [Surl.  Soc],  p.  «xxi). 


A   HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


is  dated  1776  and  bears  the  motto  '  Fugit  hora,'  with 
latitude  54°  38'.  There  were  repairs  in  1877,'^  and 
a  stone  reredos  in  memory  of  the  Rev.  Charles  Ford 
(vicar  1858-88)  was  erected  in  1889.  In  the  chancel 
are  two  old  oak  chairs,  each  bearing  the  initials  VV.B., 
and  below  the  tower  an  oak  chest. 

The  font  is  apparently  of  late  i  zth-century  date 
and  consists  of  an  octagonal  bowl  shaped  to  round  on 
a  circular  b.inded  stem  and  moulded  base. 

There  is  a  ring  of  three  bells  cast  by  C.  &  G.  Mean 
in  184.7. 

The  plate  consists  of  a  chalice  and  cover  paten, 
without  hall-marks,  the  former  inscribed  'Hunc  sacrum 
poculum  voluit  D'""  Ricardus  Croft  Ecctia:de  Bishopton 
V'icarius.  Anno  Christi  :  1680' '';  and  a  chalice,  two 
patens  and  flagon  of  1849-50,  the  chalice  inscribed  : 
*  Presented  to  Bishopton  Church  by  the  Rev.  Thos. 
Burton  Holgate,  B.A.  Vicar,  and  by  his  sisters  Elizabeth 
Holgate  and  Alice  Bamford  the  widow  of  Robert 
Walker  Bamford,  B.D.  late  Vicar,  Easter  1850.'  The 
two  patens  bear  a  similar  inscription. 

The  earliest  date  in  the  register  is  1649,  but  the 
early  items  are  entered  in  rather  a  confused  manner, 
and  appear  to  have  been  copied  from  an  older  book. 
The   first   volume  has  regular  entries  from  1653   to 

'752- 
The  churchyard,  which  is  chiefly  on  the  south  side 

of  the  building,  contains  the  base  of  a  cross.  What  is 
said  to  be  a  copy  of  the  old  cross  was  erected  on  the 
village  green  opposite  the  church  in  1883. 

The  advowson  must  have  been 
ADFOJVSON  appurtenant  to  the  manor  originally, 
for  about  1 1 80  the  church  was 
granted  by  Roger  de  Conyers  with  the  assent  of 
Robert  his  son  and  heir  to  the  Hospital  of  Sherburn."*^ 
The  rectory  and  advowson  remained  uith  the  hospital 
down  to  i860,  when  the  advowson  w.is  sold  under  the 
scheme  made  by  the  Charity  Commissioners  in  1857 
for  the  better  government  of  the  hospital."'  The 
hospital  continues  to  hold  the  rectory,  i.e.,  tithes  of 
corn,  lamb  and  wool.  The  trustees  of  C.  Bramwell 
were  patrons  about  1885.  The  patron  now  is 
the  Bishop  of  Durham,  who  recently  acquired  the 
advowson  from  the  Rev.  George  Worthington 
Reynolds. 

The  rectory  was  valued  at  j^20  a  year  in  1291'*; 
in  1535  it  appears  to  have  been  les;  than  this.''  The 
date  of  the  ordination  of  the  vicarage  is  not  known, 
but  in  1291  the  vicar's  stipend  was  untaxed,  as  less 
than  6  marks.*''  In  I  3  14  there  was  a  parish  chaplain 
as  well  as  the  vicar,"'  but  in  later  times  only  one  seems 
to  have  been  resident.'^  In  1535  the  vicar's  emolu- 
ments were  valued  at   £\    ~s.   Sd.    a    year,    out    of 


which  2j.  was  paid  to  the  archdeacon."'  An  aug- 
mentation was  granted  from  Queen  Anne's  Bounty 
in  1708. 

A  chapel  and  garth  with  an  oxgang  of  land,  formerly 
belonging  to  the  church  of  Bishopton,  by  the  grant  of 
the  Abbot  of  Blanchland,  were  in  1585-6  sold  to 
Anthony  Collins  and  George  Woodnett.*^  The  ox- 
gang,  which  was  called  '  Harbott '  oxgang,  was  devoted 
to  the  upkeep  of  a  light  in  the  church  of  Little 
Stainton.  There  is  no  other  mention  of  a  church 
there. 

In  1686  Thomas  Barker  by  his 
CHJRITIES  will  gave  j^i  yearly  to  the  poor,  issuing 
out  of  lands  at  East  Newbiggin. 
In  I  71  5  Robert  Thompson  by  his  will  gave  £^  to 
the  poor  in  pursuance  of  the  will  of  his  uncle  William 
Robson.  A  yearly  sum  of  5/.  is  paid  out  of  a  field 
known  as '  Bell's  Field  '  in  Bishopton  in  respect  of  this 
charity. 

An  annual  sum  of  5/.  charged  on  some  houses  in 
Bishopton  and  an  annual  rent-charge  of  I  3/.  \d.  issuing 
out  of  land  in  Little  Stainton,  the  origin  of  which  is 
unknown,  are  also  received  by  the  poor. 

The  foregoing  charities  are  administered  under  the 
title  of  '  The  Charities  of  Barker,  Thompson  and 
others'  by  a  scheme  of  the  Charity  Commissioners  of 
16  March  1897,  the  income  thereof  being  distributed 
among  the  poor  in  small  sums  of  money. 

The  Bishopton  Church  Fund  now  consists  of  two 
cottages  adjoining  the  churchyard  purch.ised  with 
a  gift  made  in  1881  by  the  Rev.  William  Cassidi  and 
a  sum  of  j(^loo  contributed  by  Mr.  John  Eden.  The 
cottages  were  conveyed  to  trustees  by  a  deed  of  I  July 
1882,  upon  trust  that  the  rents  should  be  applied  for 
the  maintenance  of  the  parish  church  and  for  ordinary 
expenses  of  divine  worship.  The  cottages  arc  let  for 
£26  yearly. 

The  fund  known  as '  The  Bamford  Fund,'  founded 
by  the  Rev.  William  Cassidi  by  deed  poll  of  1 4  January 
1874,  for  the  distribution  and  circulation  of  religious 
books,  consists  of  various  small  sums  invested  in 
London  and  North  Eastern  Railway  stocks  producing 
£•,  5/.  yearly.  The  income  is  applied  in  buying 
books  for  the  parish  lending  library.  The  district 
of  Stillington  in  Redmarshall  also  benefits  from  this 
trust  to  a  like  amount. 

The  National  School  at  Bishopton  was  endowed 
under  the  will  of  the  Rev.  Thomas  Burton  Holgate, 
and  also  benefits  from  the  funds  of  Sherburn  Hospital.*' 
The  school  at  Great  Stainton  was  endowed  in 
•779  by  Anthony  and  Isabella  Hubbock  on  condition 
that  four  poor  scholars  of  Little  Stainton  should  be 
educated  there.*^ 


CRAYKE 

This  parish  was  transferred  to  Yorkshire  in    1844.      of  the    County    0/   fori    CNorti    Riding),    vol.    ii, 
An   account  of  it   will   be  found   in   Fietoria   History      pp.  1 19-124. 


'*  The  nave  gable  crois  bears  this 
date. 

'^  Proc.  Soc.  Artti-j.  NewcaitUf  iv,  12. 
It  is  figured  on  p.  13. 

"•  Charter  of  Bishop  Hugh  in  Surtees, 
op,  cit.  i,  2S3. 

"  Char.  Rep.  1904  (Sherburn  House). 


^^650  was  received  and  applied  towards 
building  improvements  at  Sherburn. 

"  Pope  NUh.  Tax.  (Rec.  Com.),  317. 

"  yahr  Eal.  (Rec.  Com.),  v,  308. 
The  tithes  of  Bishopton  and  Stillington 
were  worth  ^^17  6r.  SJ. 

w  Pope  Nic/i.  Tax.  (Rec.  Com.),  317. 

216 


*'  Reg.  Palal.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Scr.),  i, 
633. 

*'  Bp.  Barnes^  Irtjunc.  (Surt.  Soc),  56, 
App.  p.  XXX. 

"  f'alti-  Eccl.  (Rec.  Com.),  v,  320. 

•*  Pat.  26  Eliz.  pt.  ii,  m.  4. 

«r.C.H.Z)ur.  1,404,410.    "Ibid. 406. 


STOCKTON    WARD 


LOW  DI.NSDALE 


LOW    DINSDALE 


Ditneshal,  Ditleshal  (xii  cent.)  ;  Ditteneshale 
(xiii  cent.). 

Dinjdale,  called  Low  or  Nether  Dinsdale  to  dis- 
tinguish it  from  Over  Dinsdale  on  the  Yorkshire  side 
of  the  Tees,  lies  on  the  left  bank  of  this  river,  which 
here  flows  mainly  from  south  to  north  before  turning 
eastward  again.  The  land  is  mostly  from  looft.  to 
1 70  ft.  above  sea-level,  hut  at  the  south  and  north 
contact  with  the  Tees  the  surface  descends  very  steeply 
to  the  river,  and  here  the  banks  arc  clad  with  trees. 
Between  these  overhanging  banks  there  is  an  open  and 
more  level  area  in  the  bend  of  the  river,  on  which 
stand  the  church,  the  old  manor-house'  and  farm 
adjoining  it  to  the  south,  and  a  cottage  or  two,  the 
situation  being  retired  and  beautiful.  The  parish  area, 
a  narrow  strip  of  country  3  J  miles  long,  measuring 
1,174  3cres,  extends  some  distance  north  of  the  river, 
wedged  between  Middleton  St.  George  on  the  east  and 
Haughton  le  Skerneand  Hurworth  on  the  west.  On 
the  south  it  is  bounded  by  Sockburn,  and  at  this  end 
there  is  a  large  plantation  on  the  western  side. 

The  road  from  Hurworth  and  Neasham  leads  east- 
ward to  the  manor-house  and  church  and  then  crosses 
the  Tees  hy  a  bridge  ;  there  are  two  fords  about  a 
mile  north  and  south  of  it  respectively. 

In  1537  possession  of  the  manor-house  of  Dinsdale 
was  in  dispute  between  the  daughters  and  heirs  of 
Katherine  Place  and  their  step-brother  Roland.  The 
heiresses  put  in  one  Richard  Barwick  to  occupy  the 
house,  but  one  October  day  fourteen  ' rjottous  and 
raysruled  persons '  by  the  procurement  of  Roland 
attacked  the  house,  drove  out  Richard  Barwick  by 
force  of  arms,  so  using  him  that  '  he  stode  in  feare 
and  jeopardie  of  his  lyffe,'  and  remained  in  pos- 
session.'" The  present  manor-house  occupies  the 
ancient  site.  '  It  stands  within  a  square  inclosure 
surrounded  on  all  sides  by  double  moats  of  early  date. 
In  it  is  a  hiding-place  to  which  access  is  obtained  from 
above.'-  In  the  last  decade  of  the  19th  century  exca- 
vations were  made  near  to  the  building,  'when  the 
foundations  and  lower  story  of  a  large  gate-house,  a 
little  to  the  north-east  of  the  house,  were  uncovered. 
In  it  was  a  square  newel  stairway  and  chambers 
which  had  been  vaulted.  The  whole  was  shortly 
after  covered  up  again  as  the  excavations  were  incon- 
veniently near  the  house.     No  plans  were  made.'' 

The  northern  or  inland  end  of  the  parish  is  crossed 
by  the  Darlington  and  Stockton  branch  of  the  North 
Eastern  railway.  This  end  also  contains  part  of  the 
village  known  as  Fighting  Cocks,''  formed  of  cottages 
standing  on  the  road  from  Middleton  St.  George  to 
Darlington.  There  is  a  VVesIeyan  chapel  here.  Low 
and  High  Stodhoe  are  farms  north  of  the  railway  line. 

On  the  bank  of  the  Tees,  near  the  Middleton 
boundary,  is  a  sulphurous  spring  or  spa  well,  discovered 


in  1789  in  an  attempt  to  find  coal.  It  became  famous 
and  is  much  visited  in  the  summer.'  The  Spa  Races 
were  held  near  it  on  17  and  1 8  March  I  842.'  About 
2  miles  up  the  stream  are  other  spa  wells.' 

The  soil  is  mixed  ;  wheat  and  barley,  beans,  turnips 
and  potatoes  are  grown.  The  agricultural  land  is  thus 
occupied:  arable  381  acres,  permanent  grass  565, 
woods  and  plantations  28."  About  1850  the  corre- 
sponding figures  ivere  643,  265  and  40  acres.'  The 
river  runs  over  a  bed  of  red  sand  which  was  sometimes 
used  for  building  purposes.'"  Below  the  church  there 
was  a  salmon  fishery.  The  dam  at  Fishlocks,  higher 
up,  was  considered  very  injurious  to  the  salmon.  A 
description  of  the  boundary  between  Dinsdale  and 
Middleton  St.  George  in  1594  gives  some  indication 
of  a  change  from  tillage  to  pasture.  The  bounds 
began  at  Countesworth  and  ran  along  the  line  of  the 
High  Street  towards  Sadberge  field  side.  On  the  west 
or  Dinsdale  side  of  the  road  '  the  ox-close  lieth,  as  also 
a  parcel  of  ground  lying  towards  Morton  field  betwixt 
the  ox-close  and  Sadberge  field  containing  40  acres, 
and  was  about  fifty-four  years  ago  (i.e.  I  540)  in  tillage 
and  about  that  time  laid  to  pasture,  with  IVIiddleton 
Moor  adjoining  to  it  on  the  east  side  of  the  said 
highway,  the  tithes  whereof  belong  to  Dinsdale.'  " 
At  Fighting  Cocks  there  are  iron  works  and  wire  is 
made  ;  some  reservoirs  of  the  Tees  \'alley  Water 
Board  are  formed  there. 

The  history  of  the  parish  has  been  uneventful. 
The  Protestation  of  1 641  was  signed  here.'-  John  of 
Darlington,  a  Dominican  theologian  who  became 
Archbishop  of  Dublin,  is  said  to  have  been  born  in 
Dinsdale.  He  died  in  I  284,  having  been  archbishop 
since  1 27 1."  Francis  Place,  an  amateur  engr.iver 
and  painter  of  some  note,  was  a  younger  son  of 
Roland  Place  of  Dinsdale,  and  was  probably  born 
in  this  parish  in  1 647.  He  was  articled  to  an  attorney 
in  London,  but  being  driven  away  by  the  Great  Plague 
of  1665,  he  renounced  the  law  for  art.  He  settled 
at  York,  and  was  a  friend  of  Ralph  Thoresby  and 
other  notable  men  of  the  time  ;  some  of  his  engravings 
were  fi-r  Thoresby's  Ducatus  LeoiHensis  and  Drake's 
Eboracum.  There  is  a  collection  of  his  works  in  the 
British  Museum.  He  died  in  172S  and  was  buried 
in  St.  Olave's,  York,  being  described  as  'of  Dinsdale' 
on  his  tomb.'* 

The  manor  of  DINSDJLE  was  co- 
MJNORS  extensive  with  the  parish."  It  was  held 
of  the  lords  of  Barnard  Castle  by  knight 
service,  forming  with  Coatham  and  Stodhoe  one 
knight's  fee.'''  The  lords  of  Low  Dinsdale  occasion- 
ally used  the  local  surname,  but  more  usually  called 
themselves  Surtees  (Super  Tdsam). 

William  son  of  Siward,  who  in  I  166  held  '  Gose- 
ford  '  (Gosforth,  Northumberland)  and  Over  Middle- 


'  The  fosse,  &c.,  are  noticed  in  y.C.H. 
Dur.  i,  357. 

'»  Star  Chanib.  Proc.  Hen.  VIII,  vol.  v, 
lol.  22. 

'  Ptoc.  Soc.  Antiq.  Newctstli,  ix,  61. 

^  Ibid. 

*  In  1823  Elisha  Cocks  was  the  owner 
of  Fighting  Cocks  Farm  (Surtees,  Hiii. 
and  Anrij.  0/ Dur.  iii,  239  n.). 


*  Surtees  quotes  Dr.  Peacock's  obser- 
vations on  the  *  New  Sulphur  Baths  near 
Dinsdale.'  In  1S28  was  published  a 
second  edition  of  T.  D.  Walker's  Analysii 
of  the  Platers  of  Dinidale  and  Croft. 

*  Fordyce,  ///if.  of  co.  Palai.  of  Dur.  i, 

^  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  242. 

^  Statistics  from  Bd.  of  Agric.  (190$). 

217 


">  Ibid. 
230  n.,  citing 


'  Lewis,  Topog.  Diet. 

"  Surtees,    op.  cit.   i 
'  Liber  Causar.' 

>»  Hill.  MSS.  C,m.  Ref.  V,  App.  125. 

"  Fordyce,  op.  cit.  i,  507  ;  Diet.  Nat. 
Biog. 

"  Dia.  Nai.  Biog. 

"  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  230  n. 

"  Cat.  Inj.f.m.  (Edw.  II),  T,  412. 

28 


A   HISTORY  OF   DURHAM 


SuRTEES.      Ermine 
quarter     gu/et     tuith 
voided    scutcheon    c 
therein. 


ton  (q.v.)  of  the  Icing  by  the  service  of  one  knight,"  was 
ancestor  of  the  family.  He  was  still  living  in  1171." 
'Randulf  de  Super  Teisc,'  who 
paid  100/.  relief  in  i  175,  on 
succeeding  to  his  lands  in 
Northumberland,"  may  be 
identified  with  Ranulf  dc 
Dinsdale,  who  with  Beatrice 
his  wife  and  Richard  their  son 
and  heir  before  1186  granted 
Rounton  Church  to  the  Bishop 
of  Durham  ;  and  he  again  is 
obviously  the  same  as  the  Ranulf 
son  of  William  '  super  Teisam  ' 
of  another  charter  about  the 
same  church,  Beatrice  the  wife 
being  mentioned.'"    The  seals 

of  both  charters  bear  the  legend  '  Sigillvm  Ranvlfi  Filii 
Willelmi,'  while  Ranulf  s  son  Richard,  who  succeeded 
about  1 196,  is  called  the  heir  of  William  son  of 
Siward."  Richard  Surtecs  made  a  further  grant  about 
Rounton  Church,'"  and  held  Gosforth  by  the  service  of 
two-thirds  of  a  knight's  fee  in  1210.'^  He  lived  till 
I  22Z  at  least." 

Ralph  Surtees,  brother  of  Richard,'^  was  the 
next  in  possession."  In  1232  and  1237  he  was 
collector  of  subsidies  in  Northumberland."  In  1235-6 
he  was  plaintiff  in  a  suit  concerning  common  of 
pasture  on  the  moor  of  Dinsdale."  He  granted  or 
confirmed  to  the  monks  of  Durham  the  church  of 
Dinsdale,  in  addition  to  that  of  Rounton,  for  the  main- 
tenance of  lights  around  the  body  of  St.  Cuthbert." 
In  1240,  and  again  in  1253,  he  form.illy  released  the 
claim  he  had  made  to  the  advowson,™  and  died  in  or 
before  1257,  when  his  heir  was  found  to  be  his 
nephew  William  son  of  Walter  Surtees,  aged  twenty- 
four."  William  paid  5  marks  as  relief  and  had  livery 
of  his  lands  in  Northumberland."  He  died  in  or 
about  1270,  and  the  wardship  of  his  son  and  heir 
Walter,  who  was  not  quite  of  full  age,  was  granted  to 
Adam  de  Jesmond,  a  justice.  He,  on  going  to  the 
Crusade  in  July  1270,  granted  it  to  his  kinsman 
Ralph  de  Cotum  ;    Ralph  also  set  off  for  the  Holy 


Land,  and  sold  it  to  his  brother  Sir  John."  In  1271 
livery  was  granted  to  Walter  Surtees."  He  died  on 
30  November  1278,  holding  Dinsdale  of  John  de 
Balliol  by  the  service  of  one  knight  ;  Nicholas  his  son 
and  heir  was  eight  years  old.''  In  1317  Nicholas 
was  stated  to  hold  Dinsdale,  Coatham  and  Stodhoe  of 
the  Earl  of  Warwick  as  one  knight's  fee,  p.aying 
I  3/.  \4.  for  castle  guard,  and  doing  suit  at  the  court 
of  Gainford."  He  had  married  Isabel  daughter  of 
Thomas  de  Fishburn,  who  in  1313  was  summoned 
by  Bishop  Kellaw  to  answer  a  charge  of  incest.  The 
matter  was  in  the  bishop's  hands  for  some  time."' 
Nicholas  died  in  1318."  His  widow  Isabel  in 
November  of  that  year  received  dower,  having  sworn 
that  she  would  not  marry  without  the  king's  licence." 
She  was  still  living  in  I  344,  when  she  held  dower  in 
Over  Middleton  and  Morton." 

Thomas  Surtees,  son  and  heir  of  Nicholas,  had 
livery  of  his  father's  lands  in  1318."  By  1339 
he  had  been  made  a  knight,"  and  in  1346  he  was 
said  to  hold  half  a  knight's  fee  in  Gosforth,  '  called 
in  the  book  of  evidences  the  vill  of  Ranulf  super 
Teisam.^"  His  son  Thomas  occurs  from  I  342,"  and 
in  1344  Sir  Thomas  had  licence  to  grant  to  his  son 
Thomas  and  Alice  his  wife  land  called  Levedyken, 
and  certain  rents.''  Soon  afterwards  the  father  died," 
and  the  escheator  was  directed  to  give  the  younger 
Thomas  seisin  of  his  lands,  he  having  done  homage." 
Thomas,  who  was  a  knight  by  1366,"  represented 
Northumberland  in  Parliament  in  1361-2"  and 
1372,'°  and  was  sheriff  there  in  1372  and  1378." 
He  died  in  1378,  holding  the  manor  of  Dinsdale  ; 
Alexander,  his  son  and  heir,  was  twentv-two  years  of 

Alexander  succeeded  his  father  as  Sheriff  of  North- 
umberland in  1379."  Hs  ^^•''^  dtSidi  in  1380,  leaving 
as  heir  a  son  Thomas,  an  infant."  The  wardship  was 
granted  to  John  de  Popham,  the  bishop's  nephew." 
When  Thomas  was  about  ten  years  old  the  feoffees 
were  allowed  to  grant  certain  lands  to  him  and  Isabel 
his  wife."  In  140S  he,  being  then  a  knight,  was 
made  one  of  the  commissioners  of  arr.iy  for  Darlington 
Ward,"  and  a  few  years  later  he  was  entrusted  with 


"  Red  Bk.  oJExch.  (Rolls  Scr.),  i,  440. 

'«Ibid.  t,i. 

'9  Pipe  R.  20  Hei:.  II  (Pifc  R.  Soc), 
107. 

™  Farrcr,  Early  Vo:k!.  C/uri,  ii,  285, 
z86,  printing  charters  at  Durham.  Ger- 
man Prior  of  Durham  (1162-86)  was 
living  at  the  time  of  the  first  charter 
(ibid.). 

"  Pipe  R.  8  Ric.  I,  m.  10  d.  ;  Ho,l;m)n, 
Hist,  uf  Norl/lmnh.  iii  (3),  71. 

"  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  394. 

"Red  Bk.  of  Exih.  (Rolls  Sev.),  178, 
563.  See  also"  Bk.  of  Fees  (P.R.O.),  pt.  i, 
203,  <;54,  where  it  is  stated  that  the 
fee  had  been  granted  to  Richard's  '  ante- 
cessores'  by  Henry  I,  and  that  nothing 
had  been  alienated,  thus  asserting  a  strict 
hereditary  descent. 

"  Pipe  R.  of  Diir.  (Soc.  Antiq.  of  New- 
castle), 221  ;  Pipe  R.  5  Hen.  HI,  m.  i  ; 
6  Hen.  HI,  m.  1 5  d.  ;  Farrer,  op.  cit. 
287  ;  Assize  R.  224,  ni.  5. 

''  Feod.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc), 
14S  n.  Surtees  calls  him  the  grandson 
of  Ranulf. 

»«  Pipe  R.  8  Hen.  HI,  ni.  5  ;  Red  Bk. 
of  Exch.  (Rolls  Ser.),  ii,  6of];  Teski  de 
Newll  (Rec.  Com.),  385. 


"  Cat.  Close,  I  23  1-4,  p.  I  59  ;  1234-7, 

P-  ;5  3- 

'^''  Assize  R,  224,  m.  i  d,  2  d,  3,  5  ; 
Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  45,  ni.  13. 

'^  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  393. 

™  Ibid.  394. 

'*'  Cal.  Inp  p.m.  1 1  en.  Ill,  i,  106  ;  A'.v- 
cerpta  e  Rot.  Fin.  (Rec.  Com.),  ii,  248. 
A  Ralph  Surtees  occurs  in  the  list  of  the 
bishop's  knights  at  Lewes  in  1264  {I'ar. 
Coll.  [Hist.  MSS.Com.],ii,S8;  Hatfield's 
^nri'.  [Surt.  Soc.],  p.  xv).  Ralph,  how- 
ever, was  undoubtedly  dead  in  1257. 

^'  Excerpta  e  Rot.  Fin.  (Rec.  Com.),  ii, 
248. 

2^  Cul.  Inf.  p.m.  Hen.  in,  i,  254-5; 
Ciil.  Pat.   1266-72,  pp.  440,443. 

•"  Excerpta  e  Rot.  Fin.  ii,  538. 

'-■  Cal.  Inj.  p.m.  (Edw.  I),  ii,  194.  See 
also  Northumb.  Assi'ze  R.  (Surt.  Soc), 
354,  356.  In  an  inquiry  made  on  the 
forfeiture  of  Balliol  in  1296  it  was  stated 
that  Ralph  Surtees  held  the  knight's 
fee  [Reg.  Palai.  Dunelm.  [Rolls  Ser.], 
ii,  801). 

"  Cal.  Inf.  p.m.  (Edw.  II),  v,  412. 
''  Reg.  PaLit.  Dwtelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),   i, 
464,  483  ;  ii,  739. 

"  Cal.  Inj.  p.m.  (Edw.  H),  vi,  87. 

218 


'■'■'  Cal.  Close,  1318   23,  p.  30. 

'"  Reg.  Palat.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  iv, 

3'3- 

"  Cal.  Fine  R.  1307-19,  p.  377. 

"  Dep.  Keeper's  Rc/>.  xxxi,  App.  100  ; 
Cal.  Close,  1341-3,  p.  98.  Avice  his 
wife  is  mentioned. 

<•  Fend.  .-lids,  iv,  63. 

*'  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xxxi,  App.  102. 

<^  Reg.  Pai.t.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  iv, 

3 '  3-      " 

*^  Ibid.  356  ;  writ  of  Diem  cl.  extr. 
dated  1  3  Mar.  1344-;. 

'"  Ibid.  350.  Sir  Thomas  had  a 
brother  Goscelin,  who  acquired  a  con- 
siderable estate,  and  dying  in  or  before 
1367  w.is  succeeded  by  his  nephew 
Thomas  [Dep.  Keeper'^  Rep.  xlv,  App, 
i,  260). 

*'  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xxxii,  App.  281. 

*'  Cal.  Close,  1360-64,  pp.  252,  440. 

■■"'  Ibid.  1369-74,  p.  475. 

^'  P.R.O.  List  of  Sheriffs,  9^,  98. 

■*'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  99  d. 

"  P.R.O.  List  ofSherifs,  98. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  104, 10;  d. 

'•'•'  Dep.  Keeper's  Ref}.  xxxii,  App.  294. 

*«  Ibid,  xxxiii,  App.  --. 

•""  Ibid.  91;  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  ;,  R.  ^4,  m.  3. 


STOCKTON   WARD 


LOW  DINSDALK 


the  like  office  for  Sadberge  Wapentake.*'  When 
Sir  William  Claxton  and  Sir  William  Bulmer  went  to 
the  French  wars  in  14.16,  their  wives  became  'paying 
guests '  at  Dinsdale."'  In  Northumberland  Sir  Thomas 
Surtees  acted  as  sheriff  for  two  years,  1420-2,*"  and  in 
14.28  was  recorded  as  holding  the  fourth  part  of  a 
Icnight's  fee  in  North  Gosforth.'^  He  died  in  April 
1435,  desiring  to  be  buried  in  St.  Nicholas',  Walm- 
gatc,  York.'-  His  heir  was  his  son  Thomas,  twenty- 
four  years  of  age,  who  at  once  had  livery  of  his  lands  ;"•' 
like  his  father,  he  served  as  commissioner  of  array.** 
Sir  Thomas  Surtees  had  in  1426  conveyed  to  Thomas 
his  son  and  his  wife  Margaret  certain  tenements  in 
Gateshead.*^  Margaret  the  widow,  Thomas  Surtees 
the  elder,  Thomas  Surtees  the  younger  and  Katherine 
his  wife  and  others  in  1 446  had  pardon  for  any  trespass 
in  this  matter.**  In  Northumberland  Thomas  Surtees 
had  held  the  manor  of  North  Gosforth,  in  conjunction 
with  Margaret  his  wife,  by  grant  of  his  father  Sir 
Thomas.*'  Thomas  Surtees  died  on  Christmas  Day 
1443  ;his  heir  was  a  son  Thomas,  aged  ten,**apparently 
already  the  husband  of  Katherine  Ascough.  He  died 
in  or  about  1480,'''  and  his  son  Thomas  succeeded 
him.'"  The  inquisition  taken  after  the  death  of  the 
latter  in  l  506  shows  that  he  had  given  an  annuity  to  his 
brother  William  in  i486  from  the  manor  of  Dinsdale 
and  another  in  1492  to  his  sister  Anne.  The  heir 
was  a  son  Thomas,  aged  thirty-nine.''  The  widow 
Elizabeth  (a  second  wife)  had  dower  assigned  to  her 
in  I  507  out  of  the  manor  of  Dinsdale  and  other  lands, 
including  Ingdale  Close  in  Dinsdale."-  The  younger 
Thomas,  the  last  of  the  male  line  to  hold  the  manor,'" 
died  in  151 1,  leaving  as  heir  his  sister  Katherine 
second  wife  of  John  Place  of  Halnaby,  Yorks.'^^  The 
father  had  married  a  second  time,  having  issue  a  son 
Marmaduke,  aged  sixteen.  The  inquisition  recites 
various  settlements  of  the  estates  made  from  the  time 
of  the  last  Sir  Thomas  Surtees  downwards."''  Margery, 
the  widow,  had  dower  assigned  to  her  in  1514.'* 

Owing  to  the  inability  of  the  '  half-blood '  to 
inherit,  Katherine  succeeded  to  the  manor.  Prolonged 
lawsuits  followed,  and  ended  in  1552    in   an   agree- 


ment betiveen  the  representatives  of  Katherine  Place 
and  Marmaduke  Surtees.  The  latter  renounced  all 
right  in  the  manors  of  Dinsdale  and  Stodhoe,  Ponteys 
Mill,  the  fishgarth,  and  various  other  estates,  but 
received  the  manor  of  Over  Middleton  and  a  moiety 
of  the  manor  of  Morton  Palmes.''' 

Katherine  Place  left  a  son  Bernard,  who  died  with- 
out issue,  and  three  daughters  her  co-heirs  :  Anne, 
wife  of  Sir  Robert  Brandling,  Elizabeth,  wife  of 
Thomas  Blakiston,  and  Dorothy,  wife  of  William 
WyclifFe,"  who  left  a  son,  Francis  Wycliffe,  to  join  in 
the  settlement  of  1 5  ;»."*'  Katherine's  husband  had 
by  a  previous  wife  a  son  Rowland,  to  whom  William 
and  Dorothy  Wycliffe  conveyed  their  third  of  the 
manor  in  1538.'*  He  died  in  1538  and  was 
succeeded  by  George  his  son,  who  in  the  following 
year  obtained  a  conveyance  of  'the  manor' from 
William  Gaytherde,  Elizabeth 
his  wife,  George  Fenny  and 
Marjory  his  wife."^  George 
died  without  issue  in  1 551, 
when  his  lands  passed  to 
Christopher  his  brother. "''' 
Christopher  Place  obtained  a 
life  interest  in  the  manor  of 
Dinsdale  from  his  uncle  Ber- 
nard in  I  543,  and  purchased 
Francis  Wycliffe's  third  part.*"" 
Christopher  died  in  1558  ;  he 
left  five  daughters  and  co- 
heirs,*"    but     two     of   them, 

Dorothy  Boynton  and  Elizabeth  Forster,  conveyed  this 
third  part  of  the  manor  in  1  592  to  the  heir  male,  their 
father's  nephew,  another  Christopher  Place,  son  of 
Robert."-  This  Christopher  acquired  another  third  from 
William  Blakiston,  grandson  of  Elizabeth  Blakiston,  in 
1597  and  the  remaining  third  from  Robert  Brandling 
three  years  later.*'''  He  was  thus  lord  of  the  whole  manor, 
and  in  1615  made  a  settlement  of  it  in  tail  male  on  the 
marriage  of  his  son  Christopher  to  Mary  Constable.''* 
Hedied  in  January  1623-4, '^'and  his  son  died  a  month 
later,  leaving  a   son   Rowland,  who   died   in   1680."'' 


P  L  .*  c  E  .  A'zure  a 
chief  argent  xvith  three 
tvrealhs  gules  therein. 


^^  Defi.  Keefier'i  Rep.  xxxiii,  102.  He 
was  a  justice  of  the  peace,  Ac,  iu  1416-17 
(ibid.  112,  I+I,  !97,  207.  See  also  Cal. 
Pat.  141  3-16,  p.  294  ;    1416-22,  p.  102). 

**  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  251. 

'I  P.R.O.  U,to/ Sheriff,,  98. 

"  FeuJ.  Ai.h,  iv,  S3. 

^"^  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3;  no.  2,  fol.  273  ; 
Teit.  Ehor.  (Surt.  Soc),  ii,  45.  His  will 
was  dated  12  and  proved  19  April  14,5. 
The  executors  included  Tliomas,  his  son 
and  heir,  and  a  daughter  Elizabeth  is  named. 

*'  Ibid.  ;  Dep,  Keeper's  Rep.  xxxiii,  App. 
.63. 

"  Ibid. 

'^  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  164,  no.  54; 
Exch.  Inq.  p.m.  (Ser.  i),  file  178,  no.  6. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  4;,  m.  5. 

•'  Chan.  Inq.  p.m.  22  Hen.  'VI,  no.  8; 
Cal.  Pat.  1 44 1 -6,  p.  310. 

'■•  Dep.  Keeper's  Re/>.  loc.  cit. 

*'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  55,  m.  5. 

'"  Ibid.  no.  54,  m.  12.  Katherine  his 
widow  was  living  in  1496  {Oep.  Keeper's 
Rep.  xliv,  App.  ^00).  She  was  a  daughter 
of  William  Ayscough  (Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3.  file 
171,  no.  I  3).  In  Testj  Ebor.  (Surt.  Soc), 
iii,  292  n.,  is  printed  a  letter  01  Sir 
James  Strangeways  concerning  .t  marriage 
between  Thomas  Surtees  and  Elizabeth 
daughter  of  Sir  Christopher  Conyers  ;  they 


were  near  akin,  and  the  pope's  dispensa- 
tion would  be  required. 

"'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  171,  no.  13. 

"'  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xliv,  50 1  ;  xxxvi, 
App.  76- 

'^  He  had  livery  in  1508  (ibid,  xxxvi, 
App.  I,  90). 

"'^  I'isit,  ofTorks.  (Harl.  Soc),  252  n.  ; 
r.C.H.  Torks.  N.R.  i,  165. 

"'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  173,  no.  ^;  ; 
no.  3,  fol.  16.  The  printed  inquisition 
[Dep.  Keeper's  /?f^.  xliv,  App.  50 1 )  requires 
correction  by  the  omission  of  'their  son  ' 
on  line  b,  and  the  insertion  of  another 
'son  of  Thomas  *  on  line  7.  The  settle- 
ment here  quoted  on  Thomas  Surtees  and 
his  wife  .-Mice  seems  to  he  that  of  1344 
(sec  above),  though  thepedigreegivenin  the 
inquisition  makes  it  refer  to  the  Thomas 
on  whom  with  his  wife  Margaret  a  settle- 
ment was  made  in  1426.  A  mistake  of 
three  generations  seems  to  have  been  made. 

^■'  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xliv,  App.  502. 

'''  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  148  ;  cl.  1 2,  no.  i 
(i).  See  also  the  account  in  Surtees  (op. 
cit.iii,232),derived  in  part  from  the  Lamb- 
ton  title-deeds.  The  account  in  the 
text  follows  Surtees  in  the  later  descent. 
Marmaduke  Surtees  and  Anne  his  wife 
conveyed  lands  to  James  Lawion  in 
1  539-40  (Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  1  [i] ). 

219 


■■  Star  Chamb.  Proc.  (Hen.  VIII),  v, 
fol.  22. 

"'  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

■'Foster,  yisit.  of  Dur.  PeJ.  257-8; 
Surtees,  loc.  cit.  The  will  of  Rowland's 
son,  .-Anthony  Place  (i  570),  described  as 
'  of  Dinsdale,'  is  printed  in  Dur.  Ifills  and 
Im-eni.  (Surt.  Soc),  i,  3  14.  See  also  Chan. 
Inq.  p.m.  (Ser.  2),  Ixiii,  46. 

"»  Dur.  Rec  cl.  12,  no.  1(1). 

'»''  Chan.  Inq.  p.m.  (Ser.  2),  xclii,  5S. 

'"  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

*'  Chan.  Inq.  p.m.  (Ser.  2),  xciii,  58  ; 
cxvi,  69. 

*•  Dur.  Rec  cl.  12,  no.  i  (3)  ;  Surtees 
(loc  cit.)  gives  the  date  as  1571. 

*"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  2  (1).  Johnson 
of  Elizabeth  Bl.ikiston  of  Blakiston  (l  596) 
held  a  third  of  the  manors  of  Dinsdale  and 
Stodhoe  of  the  queen  {Dep.  Keeper's  Rep. 
xliv,  App.  339).  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  191, 
no.  70  j  cl.  12,  no.  I  (2).  His  son  was 
William  Blakiston.  -Robert  Brindlyng 
and  Anne  his  wife  sold  their  third  in  1549 
(ibid.  no.  I  [i] ). 

*'  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xliv,  App.  487. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  189,  no.  147. 

»«  Ibid. :  Reg.  of  .  .  .  Dinsdale  (Soc. 
Antiq.  of  Newcastle),  2i,  22.  For  writ  of 
amoveas  manus  in  favour  of  Rowland  Place 
see  Fine  Roll,  1S-2;  Chas.  I,  pt.  i,  no.  35 


A   HISTORY  OF   DURHAM 


Of  Rowland's  children,  Rowland,  the  eldest,  in- 
herited Dinsdile  ;  another  was  the  artist,  Francis  Vlace, 
already  mentioned.*'  Rowland  died  in  i  7  i  3,  and  was 
succeeded  by  a  son  of  the  same  name,  who  died  in 
1717  without  issue,  his  four  surviving  sisters  being  his 
co-heirs."*  They  sold  Dinsdale  to  Cuthbert  Routh  in 
171  8-2 2,*'' and  Cuthbert  in  1752  left  four  daughters, 
Judith,  Elizabeth,  jane  and  Dorothy,^"  as  co-heirs,  who 
in  1770  sold  the  manor  and  most  of  the  lands  to 
Major-General  John  Lambton  for  j([  I  5,000,  having 
sold  parts  of  it  previously  to  Robert  Killinghall  and 
George  Hoar." 

The  manor  descended  in  i  794  from  Major-General 
Lambton  to  William  Henry  his  son,  who  died  in 
1797.  His  ton  John  George  Lambton  first  Earl  of 
Durham  built  the  house  called  Dinsdale  Park  as  a 
hunting  residence  about  1825  and  died  in  1840. 
He  was  succeeded  by  George,  second  Earl  of  Durham, 
who  about  1844  sold  it  to  Henry  George  Surtees, 
Sheriff  of  Durham  in  1862.  He  died  unmarried  in 
1879,  and  Dinsdale  passed  to  his  brother,  the  Rev. 
Scott  Frederic  Surtees,  who  in  1889  was  succeeded 
by  another  brother,  Nathaniel.  Nathaniel  died  in 
1 902  and  his  son  John  Ralph  Surtees  in  1 9 1 4.  The 
property  passed  to  his  cousin  Aubone  Surtees,  who 
about  1914  sold  Dinsdale  Park,  the  Spa,  the  golf 
course  and  Wood  Head  Farm  to  Sir  Henry  S.  M. 
Havelock-Allan,  retaining,  however,  the  manor-house, 
the  manor  farm,  Fishlocks  and  Ashen  Farm.  Aubone 
Surtees  died  in  1923  and  his  widow  and  son  Aubone 
conveyed  their  estate  to  Henry  Patrick  Surtees, 
brother  of  Aubone  the  elder,  the  present  owner. 

Robert  Place  of  Dinsdale,  who  compounded  for 
'delinquency'  in  165 1,  was  perhaps  the  younger 
brother  of  Rowland.'-  Neasham  Priory  is  stated  to 
have  owned  Hungerle  in  DinsJale  ;''  possibly  it  was 
the  same  as  two  closes  called  Endell  in  Dinsdale, 
part  of  the  priory  lands  granted  to  James  Lawson 
in  1540.'*  The  Lawsons  afterwards  had  land  in  the 
parish.^'  Robert  Botcherley  was  the  owner  of 
Hungerle  about  1820."' 

STODHOE  has  been  mentioned  above  in  the 
account  of  the  Surtees  estates  ;  it  was  included  in  the 
13th  and  14th  centuries  in  the  manor  held  by  the 
Surtees  family  for  one  knight's  fee  of  the  lord  of 
Barnard  Castle.  Subsequently  it  was  called  a  manor 
of  itself,  and  was  described  as  held  of  the  Graystocks.^" 
In  1645  a  free  rent  of  11.  for  Stodhoe  was  due  from 
Marmaduke  Wilson  to  Sir  Francis  Howard,  lord  of 
Neasham.'*  On  the  partition  of  the  Surtees  lands  in 
1552  Stodhoe  fell  to  the  descendants  of  Katherine 
Place.  In  1605  John  Ward  of  Hurworth  purchased 
lands  from  Robert  Brandling  and  Jane  his  wife,'' 
and  after  his  death  in  1 63 1  he  was  said  to  have  held 
a  fourth  part  of  this  manor  of  the  king.  His  heirs  were 
two   granddaughters,  children   of  his  son  George.'"* 


About  1820  Stodhoe  was  owned   by   Henry  Chap- 
man.' 

The  freeholders  in  1684  were  Rowland  Place,  Sir 
William  Blackett,  and  Alderman  Ramsay  of  Newcastle.' 
In  1699  Charles  Turner  acquired  a  piece  of  land  in 
Dinsdale  from  Sir  William  Blackett  and  Julia  his  wife.^ 
The  church  of  Sr.  70// A'  BAPTIST 
CHURCH  consists  of  a  chancel  28  ft.  6  in.  by 
1  3  ft.  9  in.,  with  north  vestry  and  organ 
chamber,  nave  27  ft.  6  in.  by  15  ft.,  south  chapel 
28  ft.  3  in.  by  13  ft.,  south  porch,  and  west  tower 
8  ft.  square,  all  internal  measurements. 

The  site  is  an  ancient  one,  and  fragments  of  pre- 
Conquest  sculptured  stones,  including  two  cross-heads, 
the  lower  part  of  a  cross-shaft,  and  half  of  a  hog-back 
stone  have  been  found.^  No  part  of  the  present 
structure,  however,  is  older  than  about  1 1 96,  at  which 
time  the  church  appears  to  have  consisted  of  a  chancel 
with  an  aisleless  nave.  Early  in  the  14th  century 
the  chapel  of  St.  Mary  was  added  on  the  south  side  of 
the  nave,  the  chancel  was  reconstructed  and  the  west 
tower  built.  In  1875,  '^^  building  being  very 
dilapidated,  a  restoration  was  carried  out  which,  while 
revealing  many  ancient  features,  necessitated  practically 
an  entire  refacing  of  the  church.  Almost  the  only  old 
masonry  now  remaining  anywhere  outside  is  the  pink 
sandstone  in  the  chancel  ;  the  new  work  is  of  red 
sandstone.  The  chancel,  nave  and  south  aisle  are 
under  separate  gabled  roofs  of  slate,  and  all  the 
windows,  with  one  exception,  are  modern,  though 
preserving  to  a  large  extent  the  old  designs,  and  the 
walls  are  plastered  internally. 

The  chancel  has  a  three-light  pointed  east  window 
with  geometrical  tracery  and  two  square-headed  win- 
dows of  two  trefoileJ  lights  on  the  south  side.  Of 
these  only  the  jambs,  head,  and  sill  of  the  eastern- 
most of  the  south  windows  are  old.  Between  the 
windows  is  a  disused  priest's  doorway  with  modern 
shouldered  arch  ;  the  window  at  the  east  end  of  the 
north  wall  is  similar  to  those  opposite.  West  of  this 
the  wall  is  open  to  the  organ-chamber  by  a  modern 
arch.  In  the  restoration  of  1875-6  a  'rude  stone 
sedile '  (now  removed)  and  a  piscina  were  discovered 
in  the  chancel,  and  a  double  piscina  in  the  chapel. 
The  arches  of  the  piscinae  were  restored  ;  the  bowls, 
however,  are  untouched,  and  in  a  perfect  condition. 
Part  of  a  round-headed  window  belonging  to  the  late 
12th-century  church  was  also  exposed  in  the  chancel 
at  the  same  time.  The  pointed  chancel  arch  is  of 
two  chamfered  orders  continued  to  the  floor  without 
imposts,  with  hood-mould  towards  the  nave  termi- 
natingin  carved  human  heads.  The  arch  has  apparently 
been  re-chiselled.  The  roof  and  the  chancel  fittings 
are  modern. 

The  arcade  between  the  nave  and  the  chapel  is  ol 
two  pointed  arches  of  two  chamfered  orders  springing 


*'  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

w  Ibid.  ;  Rtg.  of  .  .  .  DmiJah  (Soc. 
Antiq.  of  Newcastle),  24. 

**  Three  of  the  sisters  Katherine,  Anne 
and  Elizabeth  granted  three  parts  of  the 
manor  to  Cuthbert  Routh  in  17 19 
(Surtees,  loc.  cit.)  and  the  other  sister, 
Mary,  wife  of  William  Waines,  sold  her 
fourth  part  to  him  in  1722  (Dur.  Rec.  cl. 
12,  no.  2  1  [2] ). 

»"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  125,  no.  4. 
Judith  and  Elizabeth  married  respectively 


George  Baker  of  Elmore  and  James  Bland 
of  Hurworth. 

^'  Ibid,  no.4,  8  ;  Surtee8,op.cit.iii,233. 

*'  Royaliit  Comp,  Papers  in  Dur.  (Surt. 
Soc),  309. 

*^  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  241. 

»*  L.  an  J  P.  Hen.  yill,  xvi,  g.  107  (i). 

*' Dtp.   Keeper's  Rep.  xliT,   App.    45?, 

459- 

••  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  239. 

»■  Reg.  PaUi.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  ii, 
801  ;  Cat.  In  J.  p.m.  (Edw.  II),  V,  412  ; 
Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  171,  no.  13, 

220 


"  Royalii  Comp.  Papers  in  Dur.  (Surt. 
Soc),  30.  See  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  226, 
for  the  Wilson  estate. 

^  Surtees,  loc  cit.  ;  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12, 
no.  2  (2). 

'"'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  hie  186,  no.  78. 

'  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  239. 

'  Ibid. 

»  Dur.  Feet  of  F.  Hil.  10  Will.  III. 

*  See  y.C.H.  Dur.  i,  224  ;  Reliquary, 
riii,  28-9.  The  hog-back  stone  is 
inside  the  church  at  the  east  end  of  the 
nave. 


Low  DiNSDALt  Church  from  the  West 


LlHKK     li\l.l     LiRRCn    FROM    TMt    ^OL•rH 


STOCKTON    WARD 


LOW  DINSDALE 


from  a  central  octagonal  pier  with  moulded  capital 
and  base,  and  at  the  ends  from  half-octagonal  corbels. 
There  are  no  hood-moulds  to  the  arches,  and  the 
masonry  is  all  of  red  sandstone.  The  aisle  has  a  large 
three-light  window  at  the  east  end,  with  the  mullions 
crossing  in  the  head,  probably  a  copy  of  an  older 
one '  ;  the  other  windows,  both  in  the  chapel  and 
nave,  are  modern. 

The  tower  is  of  four  stages,  with  diagonal  buttresses, 
embattled  parapet  and  angle  pinnacles.  There  is  a 
projecting  vice  at  the  north-east  corner,  and  the  belfry 
windows  are  of  two  lights,  with  a  quatrefoil  in  the 
head.  On  the  north,  west,  and  south  sides  are  clock 
faces.  The  tower  arch  is  of  two  chamfered  orders, 
without  hood  mould,  and  the  pointed  west  window 
is  of  three  trefoiled  lights  with  tracery. 

The  porch  was  rebuilt  in  1875,  but  that  which  it 
replaced  is  described  as  having  been  '  quite  modern.'  ^ 
The  outer  opening,  however,  consists  of  an  old  pointed 
arch  of  two  chamfered  orders  and  moulded  label 
terminating  in  heads.  In  the  west  wall  is  built  an 
incised  gr.ive  slab,  with  a  cross  and  sword,  bearing 
the  inscription,  '  Goselynuj  Surteys,'  who  died  in 
1367,  and  two  other  fragments  of  mediaev.il  grave 
covers.  In  the  east  wall  are  five  pre-Conquest  frag- 
ments with  interlaced  work,  part  of  an  incised  slab 
and  the  head  of  a  two-light  square-headed  window. 
There  are  two  steps  down  from  the  porch  to  the  floor 
of  the  church. 

On  the  wall  above  the  pier  of  the  arcade,  facing 
towards  the  aisle,  is  a  br.iss  plate  to  Mary  Wyvill 
(d.  1668),  bearing  a  shield  of  eight  quarters,  with  crest 
and  mantling.    She  is  buried  in  Spennithorne  Church.' 

The  font  and  pulpit  are  of  stone,  and  date  from 
1876.  The  old  font,  a  plain  shallow  circular  bowl 
roughly  wrought  to  octagonal  shape,  stands  on  a 
plain  circular  pyramidal  stem  at  the  east  end  of  the 
aisle.  It  appears  to  be  of  i  2th-century  date.*  The 
octagonal  step  is  apparently  of  later  date. 

The  tower  contains  one  bell,  cast  by  John  Warner 
&  Sons  of  London  in  1876. 

The  plate  consists  of  a  chalice  and  cover  paten  of 
I  57 1,  with  the  maker's  initials  I  F,  probably  for  John 
Foxe,  and  inscribed  on  the  base  of  the  cover  'Ano. 
Dni  1571';  a  paten  of  1726,  given  to  Dinsdale 
Church  in  1806,  having  the  maker's  initials  WA; 
a  flagon  of  1 757,  made  by  Benjamin  Cartwright  of 
London  ;  and  an  almsdish  of  1 868,  by  Barnard  &  Sons, 
given  by  the  Rev.  J.  W.  Smith  in  1876.' 

The  registers  begin  in  1556. 

The  churchyard  is  entered  from  the  road  at  the 
south-west  through  a  lych-gate,  erected  in  memory  of 
Robert  Thompson  (d.  January  1908)  by  his  widow. 
On  the  north-west  side  of  the  church  lies  a  large  stone 
cofiin,  the  lid  of  which,  with  a  raised  cross,  still  remains. 


Norman  de  Dinsdale,  parson  of 
j^DfOff'SON  the  church,  is  mentioned  among 
the  contributors  to  the  aids  from 
churches  in  1194-5;  he  paid  4^.1'  According  to 
depositions  made  in  1228  Norman  petitioned  the 
monks  of  Durham  to  confer  the  church  on  his  son, 
William  le  Breton,  and  they  did  so,  William  paying 
them  40/.  a  year.^'  This  statement  agrees  with 
the  charter  of  Bishop  Philip,  who  died  in  1208, 
granting  the  church  of  Dinsdale  and  the  chapel  of 
Ponteyse  to  William;  the  three  marks  were  for  the  main- 
tenance of  the  lights  around  the  body  of  St.  Cuthbert.*^ 
This  was  the  service  mentioned  in  the  somewhat  later 
charter  by  Ralph  Surtees  recorded  above  in  the  account 
of  the  manor.  There  must  therefore  have  been  some 
earlier  grant  of  the  church  to  the  monastery  which 
has  not  been  recorded.  Before  1228  William  le  Breton 
asked  the  monks  to  give  the  church  to  his  clerk 
Nicholas,  who  was  to  pay  the  same  pension,  and  they 
consented.'^  The  later  charters  of  Ralph  Surtees  show 
that  Nicholas  le  Breton  ceded  the  church  in  or  before 
1240  and  that  Hugh  of  Barnard  Castle  died  in 
possession  about  1253."  The  later  rectors  were 
presented  by  the  Prior  and  convent  of  Durham 
and  on  the  Dissolution  the  advowson  was  in  1541 
transferred  to  the  dean  and  chapter.^-'  Their 
successors,  the  present  dean  and  chapter,  are  now 
patrons. 

The  church  was  never  appropriated  to  the  monastery, 
but  the  rector  paid  a  yearly  pension  to  it.  In  1291 
this  was  still  £2.^^  The  value  of  the  rectory  was  then 
returned  as  ^^4  13;.  4^/.  a  year,*'  but  by  13  18  it  had 
been  reduced  to  £i,  owing  probably  to  the  incursions 
of  the  Scots.i*  At  an  inquiry  made  in  1466  the  value 
was  found  to  be  ^^8  4J.  ;  this  included  10/.  the  rent 
of  2  oxgangs  of  land  in  Over  Middleton  (q.v.),  1/.  6J. 
tithes  of  the  same,  and  3/.  tithes  of  Studhoe  field.  It 
was  at  that  time  stated  that  the  church  had  formerly 
paid  ;^5  to  Durham,  but  this  had  been  reduced  to  10/., 
which  it  was  considered  could  well  be  borne. ^'  Never- 
theless a  further  reduction  of  rent  was  afterwards 
made,  6s.  SJ.  being  paid  in  1535,  at  which  time  the 
rectory  was  valued  at  100/.  yecirly.'^** 

St.  Mary's  Chantry  in  Dinsdale  Church  was  founded 
early  in  the  1 3th  century.  William  le  Breton,  perhaps 
the  rector  mentioned  above,  gave  his  vill  of  Burdon 
to  the  monks  of  Durham,  and  they  in  the  time  of 
Prior  Ralph  (1214-33)  founded  chantries  at  Darling- 
ton and  Dinsdale  for  the  souls  of  their  benefactor  and 
Alice  his  wife.  The  chaplain  was  to  receive  four  marks 
a  year  from  the  monks.-*  In  1535  and  1547  accord- 
ingly the  chantry  priest  received  53;.  4</.  from  the 
Prior  of  Durham."  In  1  379-80  Alexander  Surtees 
had  the  bishop's  licence  to  give  Thomas  de  Moulton 
and  Richard  de  Norton  i  o  marks  rent  in  augmentation 


'  'There  has  been  a  handsome  pointed 
window  at  the  east  end  of  the  south  aisle, 
but  its  interior  work  and  tracery  are 
destroyed.  The  other  lights  are  irregular  ' 
(Surtees,  op.  cit.  [1825],  iii,  240). 

•*  Proc,  Soc*  Anii-^.  NeiucjiiUf  ix,  62. 

'  She  was  the  wife  of  Thomas  Wyvill  of 
Spennithorne  and  daughter  of  Christopher 
Place  of  Dinsdale.  She  provided  j^6 
yearly  for  ever  for  the  poor  of  Dinsdale. 
The  monumental  inscriptions  in  the 
church  are  given  in  Surtees,  op.  cit. 
iii,  240. 

*  It  it  illustrated  in  Proc,  Soc.  Anfi^, 


Neivcaiitt  (Ser.  3),  iv,  242.  See  alio 
Tram.  Arch.  Sac.  Dur.  anj  Northumh.  vi, 
24$. 

'  Proc.  Soc.  Ami  J.  Niiucaitle  (Ser.  3), 
iii,  285.  The  1571  chalice  is  figured 
p.  286. 

'»  P/^f  R.  of  Dur.  (Soc.  Antiq.  New- 
castle, 1847),  201  ;  Feoii.  Prior,  Dunelm. 
(Surt.  Soc),  249. 

"  Feod,  Prior.  Dutelm.  (Surt.  Soc),  249. 

"  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  394. 

"  FioJ,  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc),  loc. 
cit. 

"  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

221 


"  L.  ar.JP.Hen.  /V//,  xti,  g.  S78  (53). 

'«  Pope  Ntch.  Tax.  (Rec  Com.),  316. 

"  Ibid.  315. 

"  Ibid.  330  ;  Reg.  Palal.  Dunetm.  (RoUi 
Ser.),  iii,  loi. 

"  Surtees,  op.  cit.  239. 

"^  I'alor  Eccl.  (Rec.  Com.),  v,  317. 
See  also  Dur.  Halmoie  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  i, 
212. 

"  FeoJ.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc), 
149  d. 

»  yalor  Eccl.  (Rec.  Com.),  v,  325  ; 
Rentals  and  Surv.  Gen.  Ser.  ptfl.  7, 
no.  29. 


A  HISTORY  OF   DURHAM 


of  their  stipends  as  chaplain)  in  Dinsdale  Church  lor 
the  souls  of  Sir  Thomas  Surtecs  and  his  ancestors.**  In 
I  541  the  advowson  of  the  chapel  of  St.  Mary  in  the 
church  of  Dinsdale  was  transferred  from  the  monastery 
to  the  dean  and  ch.ipter  of  Durham."  At  the  sup- 
pression of  chantries  in  1548  the  chaplain  was  said  to 
have  57/.  \ii.  a  year.** 

For  the  school  and  Thomas  VVyvill's 

CHARITIES     Charity  thereto,see  article  on  Schools.** 

A  sum  ofj^izo  consols  is  held  by  the 

official  trustees  for  providing  the  sum  of  ^^3  a  year  for 

the  school. 


The  official  trustees  also  hold  a  sum  of  ^94  4;.  6J. 
consols  arising  from  the  same  charity  in  trust  for  the 
poor.  I'he  annual  dividend,  amounting  to  £i  7/., 
is  applied  in  sums  of  10/.  usually  for  poor  women  in 
confinement,  also  in  ihe  distribution  of  beef  at 
Christmas. 

James  Watson,  by  will  proved  at  Durham  in  1844, 
bequeathed  £^0,  the  income  to  be  applied  in  the 
distribution  of  bread  among  the  poor.  The  legacy, 
with  accumulations,  is  represented  by  ^^71  19/.  jd. 
consols,  with  the  official  trustees,  producing  £\  161. 
yearly. 


EGGLESCLIFFE 


EggasclifF  (1085)  ;  Eggescliva  (l  163)  ;  Egglesclive, 
Ecclesclive  (1197);  Eggescliv  (1213);  Eggelesclive 
(c.  1220)  ;  Ecclesclyve  (1294)  ;  Egglisclyf  (xv  cent.)  ; 
Egglysclyfe  or  Heckesclyfe  (1580). 

The  parish  of  Egglescliffi;,  or  EaglesclifFe  as  the 
railway  station  is  named,  lies  along  the  northern  bank 
of  the  Tees,  with  Yorkshire  to  the  south  and  east, 
Stockton  and  Long  Newton  to  the  north  and  Middle- 
ton  St.  George  to  the  \ve5t.  It  comprises  three 
townships — EgglesclifFe  in  the  north-east,  Aislaby  in 
the  centre  and  Newsh.im  in  the  west.  The  land  in 
general  is  a  tableland  rising  boldly  from  the  Tees, 
with  lower  land  by  the  river  side  ;  the  general  height 
is  from  50  ft.  above  sea  level  in  the  east  to  120  ft.  in 
the  west,  with  a  few  depressions  down  which  becks 
run  to  join  the  river.  In  some  places  the  steep  banks 
have  been  planted  with  trees  on  both  sides  of  the 
river. 

The  agricultural  land  is  thus  employed  :  arable 
2,094  acres,  permanent  grass  2,443,  "'oods  and  planta- 
tions 57.'  The  soil  is  loamy  ;  wheat  and  oats  are 
grown,  also  beans  and  turnips.  There  are  chemical 
works  at  Urlay  Nook,  established  in  183 1  ;  minor 
industries  are  brick  works,  vinegar  works  and  a 
tannery.  There  was  formerly  a  paper-mill  ;  it  was 
built  in  1832.  The  manorial  horse-mill  stood  near 
the  tannery,  and  the  water-mill  was  to  the  west, 
next  to  an  old  house  called  the  Scat-house.  There 
was  formerly  a  considerable  weaving  industry  in 
Egglescliffe,  of  blankets  and  huckaback.  Gardening 
is  extensively  carried  on,  and  the  place  used  to  be 
famous  for  strawberries. - 

Egglescliffe  proper  contains  the  vilLige  of  that  name 
at  the  southern  end  on  the  high  ground  which  over- 
looks the  river  and  the  Yorkshire  town  of  Yarm  ;  at 
the  northern  end  is  the  modern  village  of  Eaglesclifie 
Junction.  The  rectory  was  rebuilt  in  1843.  The 
old  rectory  was  a  three-storied  house  with  dormer 
windows  ;  the  top  story  is  said  to  have  contained  a 
recess  hidden  by  sliding  panels  in  which  Dr.  Basire 
was  concealed  from  the  parliamentary  soldiers.  Carter 
Moor  lies  to  the  west  of  the  latter  village,  and  Urlay 
Nook  on  the  western  border.  Nelly  Burden's  Beck  ^ 
separates  Egglescliffi;  from  Aislaby.  The  village  of 
Aislaby    is   about   a   mile  south-west  of  the  parish 


church,  on  high  ground  overlooking  the  river.  In  a 
similar  position  are  Aislaby  Grange  and  Portknowle  in 
the  south-west  corner  ;  Aislaby  Moor  is  near  the 
western  border,  and  another  grange  stands  in  the  north. 
In  Newsham  also  there  are  two  houses  called  Grange, 
one  in  the  south  and  the  other  in  the  north  ;  Newsham 
Hall  and  Traftbrd  Hill  are  more  central,  the  former 
being  to  the  east  on  high  land  above  a  bend  of  the 
river,  and  the  latter  a  little  distance  from  it,  overlook- 
ing an  expanse  of  lower  ground  to  the  south-west.  The 
areas  of  the  three  townships  are — Egglescliffi:  ',55° 
acres,  Aislaby  1,835  *"'^  Newsham  1,461,  in  all 
4,846  acres,  including  56  acres  of  tidal  water  and  11 
of  foreshore.'  The  Tees  is  tidal  up  to  this  point. 
The  bridge  over  the  Tees  between  Egglescliffe  and 
Yarm  is  mentioned  by  Leland  :  '  Yarcham  bridge  of 
stone,  three  miles  above  Stockton,  made  as  I  heard 
by  Bishop  Skirlaw.'  ^  The  northern  arch  was  widened 
about    1785    to  accommodate  the  traffic.     Then   in 

1805  an  iron  bridge  ot  a  single  span  was  thrown 
across  the  Tees,  but  it  broke  down  on    i  2   January 

1806  owing  to  faulty  supports.''  Afterwards  the  old 
bridge,  somewhat  widened,  \\as  restored  to  use.  On 
FoUin  Hill  between  Traftbrd  Hill  and  the  river  are 
two  parallel  lines  of  intrenchments,  which  cover  the 
adjoining  fords. 

The  principal  road  is  that  leading  north  by  Yarm 
bridge  to  Stockton.  It  is  noteworthy  that  the  old 
village  does  not  stand  upon  this  road,  but  is  built 
around  a  large  green  or  open  space  to  the  eastward, 
with  the  church  on  the  west  side  ;  in  the  centre  there 
were  formerly  a  cross  ^  and  the  stocks.  A  large  mound 
called  the  Devil's  Hill  stands  to  the  east  of  the  village. 
Jubilee  Assembly  Rooms  were  built  in  1897  and  are 
now  used  as  a  working  men's  club.  From  the  main 
road  there  is  a  branch  westward,  following  the 
river  in  the  main,  by  Aislaby  and  Newsham  to 
Middleton,  and  another  branch  going  through  Urlay 
Nook  to  Long  Newton,  with  a  branch  to  Darlington. 
The  Northallerton  and  Stockton  section  of  the  North- 
Eastern  railway  goes  north  through  EgglesclifFe  on  the 
western  side  of  the  main  road,  having  crossed  the  Tees 
by  a  viaduct  of  forty-three  arches,  built  in  1849. 
There  are  stations  at  the  village,  called  Yarm,  and  at 
EaglesclifFe  lately  called  Preston  Junction,  which  stands 


"  Dep.  Keeper  s  Rep.  xixii,  App.  297. 
They  were  to  pay  i  mark  of  it  to  the 
repair  of  Pontcys  bridge. 

»  L.  and  P.  Hen.  rill,  xvi,  g.  878  (33). 

^^  Bp.  Barnet*  Injunc.  (Surt.  Sec), 
p.  Ixviii. 

'•  r.C.H.  Dur.  i,  40S. 


'  Statiitics  from  Bd.  of  Agric.  (190;). 

'  Inform,  from  Rev.  A.  T.  Dingle. 

^  Formerly  Cold  Reck. 

*  The  Ci»jui  Rep.  (1901)  gives  49  a. 
tidal  water,  and  12  a.  foreshore. 

^  Leland,  Irin.  i,  70.  There  was  an 
earlier  bridge  [Cal.  Pur.  I  301— 7,  p.  389}. 

222 


'  Ord,   Hisl.   ami  Aniij.   of  ClewlanJ, 

'  There  is  a  drawing  in  Brewster, 
Siocklon  (ed.  2),  44.  Part  of  the  shaft  of 
the  cross  was  found  and  replaced  on  the 
base  in  191 1  (inform,  from  Rev.  A.  T. 
Dingle). 


STOCKTON    WARD 


EGGLESCLIFFE 


at  the  junction  with  the  same  company's  Darlington 
and  Stockton  branch — the  original  railway  opened 
in  1825.  Before  the  Northallerton  line  was  made 
there  was  a  short  branch  joining  the  Darlington 
line  with  Egglescliffe '  at  the  bridge  bank,  'whence 
there  used  to  be  a  great  trade  in  coal  to  packmen, 
who  carried  it  in  bags  on  donkeys,  mules  and  horses 
into  Cleveland.  As  many  as  a  hundred  animals  would 
be  waiting  their  turn  for  loads  at  one  time.' ' 

There  is  little  to  say  of  the  early  history  of  Eggles- 
clifFe.  Though  a  piece  of  land  with  which  the  manor 
was  thought  to  descend  was  called  Castle  Holme,'" 
there  is  no  record  of  the  building  of  any  cistle  here, 
but  it  has  been  suggested  that  the  Devil's  Hill  was 
a  fortified  mound.  Four  men  from  Aislaby  joined 
the  Northern  Rising  of  1569,  and  one  of  them  was 
executed  "  ;  perhaps  this  was  Peter  Kirke  of  Eggles- 
cliffe,  who  was  indicted  for  taking  part  in  it.'-  James 
Young  alius  Dingley,  a  seminary  priest  under  arrest, 
made  his  submission  and  promise  of  conformity  in 
I  592  ;  he  was  the  son  of  Thomas  Young  and  a  native 
of  Egglesclifte,  educated  at  Durham  and  over  the 
seas.'^  At  an  inquiry  made  in  I  593  it  was  stated  that 
there  was  a  decay  of  tillage  in  Aislaby  o^ving  to  a 
partition  between  the  freeholders  and  the  tenants  ; 
thus  there  were  fewer  men  for  the  defence  of  the 
border.'^ 

On  29  September  1640  Sir  Thom.is  Colepepper 
wrote  to  Viscount  Conway,  '  I  find  here  a  hill  of 
great  advantage  close  before  the  bridge  where  Sir 
William  Fennyman  had  begun  a  small  work.  I  have 
begun  a  greater  work,  where  I  intend  to  make  two 
batteries  and  dispose  two  pieces ;  the  other  two  pieces 
I  have  planted  on  the  bridge  whence  I  can  take  them 
to  answer  any  alarm  on  the  river. '^''^ 

The  Protestation  of  1641  was  signed  in  this  parish,''^ 
but  the  rector,  Isaac  Basire,  D.D.,  was  a  zealous 
Royalist  and  the  local  gentry  appear  to  have  taken 
the  same  side.  From  a  letter  of  Colonel  |ohn 
Hilton  to  the  rector  dated  14.  February  1642-3,  it 
appears  that  p.irt  of  the  Yarm  bridge  had  been  altered 
so  as  to  make  a  drawbridge  "^  ;  probably  the  arch 
nearest  EgglesclifFe  had  been  broken  for  the  purpose, 
according  to  a  tradition  mentioned  by  Surtees.  A 
soldier,  'slain  here  at  the  Yarm  skirmish,'  was  buried 
I  February  1643-4."  The  Mercmtus  Riiit'uanus  of 
that  date  s.i)  s  :  '  Lieut. -Genl.  King  and  Lieut. -Genl. 
Goring  coming  from  Newcastle  with  a  great  convoy 
of  much  arms  and  ammunition  and  being  faced  at 
Yarm  with  400  foot,  three  troops  of  horses  and  two 
pieces  of  ordnance  of  the  rebels,  fell  upon  them,  slew 
many,  took  the  rest  of  the  foot  and  most  of  the  horses 
prisoners  with  their  ordnance  and  baggage.'  "*  By 
the  Treaty  of  Ripon  (art.  viii.)  the  river  Tees  was 
made  the  boundary  between  the  armies '  except  always 


the  castle  of  Stockton  and  the  village  of  EggsclifFe.' 
In  September  1681  there  was  a  serious  riot.  William 
Bowes  of  Streatlam,  by  his  agents,  gathered  a  number 
of  men,  'at  beat  of  the  drum,'  from  the  country 
around,  in  order  to  destroy  a  dam  in  EgglesclifTe  which 
was  injurious  to  him.  In  all  about  sixty  assembled, 
armed  with  pistols  and  other  weapons.  Arrived  near 
the  place,  Mr.  Chaytor  and  Mr.  Killinghall  called 
for  ale  and  drank  Esquire  Bowes'  health  and  gave  6/. 
to  be  spent  in  drink.  Then  shouting  and  whooping 
'  A  Bowes  !  a  Bowes  ! '  to  the  beating  of  the  drum, 
they  went  to  the  dam  and  pulled  down  as  much  of  it 
a?  they  could."  About  a  year  later  the  fishgarth 
above  the  ford  at  Newsham  was  condemned  as  a 
public  nuisance  and  was  taken  away.'"  More  recently 
the  formation  of  the  railways  has  caused  a  new  village 
to  grow  up  around  the  junction,  partly  in  EgglesclifFe 
and  partly  in  Preston-upon-Tees. 

A  prophecy  attributed  to  '  Mother  Shipton  '  declares 
that  'when  Egglescliffe  sinks  and  Yarm  swims  Aislaby 
will  be  the  market  town  ; '  it  is  not  in  the  early 
editions  of  her  s.iyings. 

A  field  path  to  Darlington  is  called  Darnton  Trod. 
'  To  take  Darnton  Trod '  is  a  saying  which  means  to 
slip  away  quietly.-' 

According  to  a  14th-century  inquisi- 
MANORS  tion,  the  mznor  of  EGGLESCLIFFE  was 
held  of  the  bishop  by  the  service  of  half 
a  knight's  fee  and  suit  of  court  at  Sadberge."'-  Little 
is  known  of  its  early  history.  The  sheriff  of  North- 
umberland rendered  account  of  4  marks  from  Eggles- 
cliffe (Eggescliva)  in  i  163  and  again  in  1 165.-'  The 
place  seems  to  have  been  held  by  .1  family  using  the 
local  surname.  Thomas  de  EgglesclifFe  paid  6 
marks  tallage  in  1176  and  is  again  mentioned 
in  1184-5.-^  Haifa  carucate  of  land  and  a  capital 
messuage  were  inherited  by  Walter  the  clerk  of 
EgglesclifFe  before  1236,  when  he  subenfeoffed 
Geoffrey  son  of  Robert  de  Aislaby  of  his  capital  mes- 
suage and  2  oxgangs  of  land.'*  No  further  descent 
of  this  holding  can  be  traced,  however,  and  the  manor 
seems  at  this  date  to  have  been  held  by  the  successors  of 
Alan  de  EgglesclifFe.  Alan  de  EgglesclifFe  is  mentioned 
in  the  Durham  Lil>(r  Vilae,^^  and  about  1 160  he  gave 
2  oxgangs  of  land  in  Neasham  to  the  priory  there.-' 
His  daughter  Eve  married  Ralf  de  Gunnerton,-* 
tenant  of  Gunnerton,  Northumberland,  part  of  the 
Balliol  fee.-'  Peter  son  of  Ralf  de  Gunnerton  at 
some  time  between  12  10  and  1222  granted  all  his 
land  in  Egglescliffe  and  '  Lurlehou  '  (?  Urlay)  to  his 
kinsman  William  Brito.'"  William  was  tenant  of 
Hurworth,  Trafford  and  Bindon  in  Durham  as  well 
as  of  others  in  '  Crancemoor,'  Thornahy  and  Scraying- 
ham  in  Yorkshire."  He  was  living  in  I  2 1 8,-'-  but 
died   before    1236,'''   when    his    daughter    and    heir 


yieiv  of  Dur 


'  Mackenzie  and   Ros 
(1853),  ii,  69. 

'  Inform,  from  Rev.  A.  T.  Dingle. 

'"  The  site  is  now  not  certainly  known. 

"  Sharp,    yi/.'W.   of  Rehellion   of    1569, 
p.  250.  "  Ibid.  231. 

"  Ctil.  S.  P.  Doni.  1591-4,  p.  257, 

"  S.  P.  Dom.  Eliz.  cclvil,  no.  go,  fol. 
i-S. 

'•as.  1>.  Dom.  1 640- 1,  p.  -i:;. 

'^  }lhi.  MSS.  Coil.  Rtp.  V,  App.  125. 

"  VV.  N.  Darnell,  C^rresf.  of  I.  Basil  r, 
4o._ 

''  Extract    from    registers    in    Surtees, 
Hist,  iinti  .liifip  r,f  Co,  PaUt.  of  Dur.  iii. 


201.  Captain  Nichols  and  his  soldiers  are 
namt-d  in  1640. 

'*  This  quotation  is  due  to  the  Rev.  A. 
T.  Dingle. 

"  Surtees,  op.  cit.  203. 

'"  Arch.  Ael.  (New  Ser.),  ii,  96. 

"  Inform,  from  Rev.  A.  T.  Dingle. 

■'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  ;,  fol.  167. 

"  Pipi  R.  9  Heu.  II  (Pipe  R.  Soc),  43  ; 
1 1  Hen.  II,  29. 

"  Pifie  R.  23  Ihu.  II  (Pipe  R.  Soc), 
84  ;  ibid.  31   Hen.  II,  73. 

-■•  Assize  R.  224,  m.  i  ;  cf.  ni.  1  d. 

™  Lihtr  Viiae  (Suit.  Soc),  64.  Walter 
and  William  de  EgglesclifFe  also  occ\ir. 

223 


••■  Arch.  All.  (New  Ser.),  xvi,  268. 
"  A'fw        Hilt,     of     Noriiuir.b.      iv, 
325  n.;  Setvmimttr  Chiirtul.  (Surt.  Soc), 

•*  New  Hist,  of  Korthumh.  loc.  cit.  ; 
Testi  He  NeiHI  (Rec.  Com.),  385  ;  Feud. 
Aids,  iv,  53. 

30  fJt^  }ii,t.  of  Korthumb.  iv,  3  2  5  n. 

"  Rievaulx  Chartul.  (Surt.  Soc),  231, 
400;  Chan.  Inq.  p.m.  Edvt.  I,  rile  31, 
no.  3  ;  Feod.  Prior.  Dunetm.  (Surt.  Soc), 
148  n. ;   Assize  R.  224,  m.  3. 

»  Feod.  Prioi .  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc), 
148  n. 

"  A<size  R.  224,  m.  3, 


A  HISTORY   OF   DURHAM 


Garnitt  of  Egglcs- 
cliffe.  Azure  three 
grijfons*  heads  razed  or. 


Pleasance  brought  the  manor  of  Egglcscliffc  in 
marriage  to  Thomas  de  Aislaby,^''  lord  of  the  adjacent 
Aislaby.^'  It  remained  with  his  descendants '*'  until 
1556,  when  William  Astleysold  it  to  James  Garnett.'" 
The  purchaser  is  said  in  the  recorded  pedigree  to 
have  come  from  Blasterficld  in 
Westmorland.'"  His  brother 
William  became  rector  of  the 
parish  in  1561.''  James  Gar- 
nett  died  in  l  564,  holding  the 
manor,  with  two  closes  called 
Castleholme  and  Holehouse, 
and  a  fishery  in  the  Tees.  His 
heir  was  his  son  Lawrence, 
three  years  of  age.'"'  Lawrence 
GarnettdiedinMarch  1605-6, 
holding  the  same  estate  and 
leaving  a  son  Anthony,  aged 
sixteen.'"     Anthony  died    in 

163  I,  having  by  his  will  made  provision  for  his  wife  and 
his  children, John,  William,  M.iry,  and  Elizabeth.  John, 
the  elder  son,  was  fifteen  years  of  age  at  his  father's 
death.''-  On  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War  he  took 
the  king's  side,  and  was  appointed  captain  of  horse 
in  the  regiment  of  Col.  Heron. ''^  His  estates  were 
sequestered  in  1 644.  In  compounding  two  years 
later,  he  stated  that  he  had  been  an  officer  in  arms 
for  the  king  at  Scarborough,  and  when  the  castle 
surrendered  in  1645  he  returned  to  Durham,  but, 
though  conforming  to  the  ordinances  of  Parliament, 
had  not  been  able  to  compound  because  of  a  wound. 
He  had  taken  the  Covenant  and  the  Negative  Oath. 
The  manor  of  Egglesclifte  was  worth  £c)0  a  year. 
His  fine  was  £1^^,  and  the  estate  was  discharged  in 
1650.**  A  water-mill,  windmill  and  horse-mill 
belonged  to  it.'"'''  He  recorded  a  pedigree  in  1666, 
when  his  only  child,  Alice,  was  twelve  years  old.'"' 
She  died  in  1669,  and  a  year  later  John  Garnett  and 
his  wife  Anne  sold  the  manor  of  EgglesclifFe  to 
Dr.  Thomas  Wood,'*'  who  was  Bishop  of  Lichfield 
from  1 67 1  till  his  death  in  1692.  In  1690  he 
devised  this  manor  to  his  nephew  Henry  Webb,  who 
was  to  take  the  name  of  Wood,  and  charged  his 
estate  with  j^zo  a  year  for  the  prisoners  for  debt  at 
Durham  gaol.'"' 

Henry  Wood  and  Anne  his  wife  made  a  conveyance 
of  the  manor  in  1695  to  George  Taylor.''"  It 
seems  to  have  been  purchased  not  long  afterwards  by 
the  Elstob  family.      Richard   Elstob  was  called   lord 


S  T  A  N  D  I  S  H  . 

three      stanJitig 
argent. 


Sahle 
dishet 


of  EgglesclifFe  in  1717,^  and  in  1726  Edward 
Elstob,  in  selling  the  Mill  Hill  here  to  Peter  Consett, 
discharged  it  from  the  £io  rent-charge  mentioned 
above.^*  Twent)-four  jears  later  John  Elstob,  Alice 
Elstob  and  Anne  Hope,  who  were  said  to  hold  the 
interest  of  Henry  Wood  in  the  estate,  sold  the  land 
retained  by  Edward  Elstob  to  Anthony  Hall.*^ 
Anthony  Hall  settled  it  in  1763  on  the  marriage  ol 
his  son  Anthony,  whose  son,  another  Anthony, 
succeeded  him.^^  The  heir  of  the  last-mentioned 
Anthony  was  his  son  Frank, 
who  in  I  8  I  2  succeeded  to  the 
estates  of  his  cousin  Sir  Frank 
Standish,  bart.,  of  Duxbury 
and  took  the  name  of  Stand- 
ish.^^  Frank  Hail  Standish  was 
a  principal  landowner  about 
I  820  and  died  in  1841.^^  His 
kinsman  William  Standish 
Standish  succeeded  him  and 
died  in  1856.**  The  family 
estate  in  Egglesclifte  was  sold 
in  1849,  a  large  part  being 
bought  by  Thomas  Meynell  of 

Yarni,  who  already  had  land  here  and  part  of  the 
manor."'  Thomas  Meynell  died  in  1863  and  is  now 
represented  by  his  nephew  Mr.  Edgar  Meynell,^'  who 
holds  manorial  rights  at  the  present  day. 

Among  those  who  were  said  to  hold  part  of  the 
manor  in  the  early  19th  century  was  John  Waldy,** 
whose  estate  here  was  inherited 
by  his  third  son  Thomas 
William.«>  The  Rev.  ArthurG. 
Waldy,  son  of  Thomas  William 
Waldy,  died  in  1915  and 
wai  succeeded  by  Mr.  John 
Waldy,  grandson  of  Thomas, 
who  now  holds  the  property. 

In  1 63  I  Ralph  Eure,  John 
Pemberton,  Mary  Garnett, 
and  John  Garnett,  then  lord  of 
themanor.sold  to  Ralph  Allan- 
son  70  acres  of  meadow  and  70 
of  pasture  in  EgglesclifFe  and 
Aislaby  with  a  fishery  in  the 
Tees  which  was  an  appurtenance  of  the  manor  of 
Egglesclifte. '1  Allanson,  who  already  had  land  in 
Aislaby,  sold  two  messuages  and  250  acres  in  the  two 
vills  in  1636  to  Laurence  Sayer  and  John  Errington.'" 


Waldy.  Or  a  hend 
betiveen  three  leopardC 
heads  azure  vjith  a  peli- 
can or  upon  the  bend. 


"  Assize  R.  224,  m.  5  ;  Finchale  Priory 
(Surt.  Soc),  82.    ^'  Assize  R.  224,  m.  2  d. 

'«  Reg.  Palal.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  iv, 
278  ;  De[>.  Keeper's  Rep.  xlv,  App.  244,  ttc. 
The  mill  was  held  by  William  de  Aislaby 
as  early  as  1313  {R'g-  Palat.  Dunelm. 
[Rolls  Ser. ],  il,  1240). 

•'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  1  (1).  The 
deeds  were  dated  11  Aug.  1554  and  10 
Jan.  1  5  5  5-6,  according  to  James  Garnett's 
inquisition  (ibid.  cl.  3,  no.  6,  fol.  25,48). 

''*  Foster,  Dur.  Fisit.  Ped.  133. 

^'  Surtecs,  op.  cit.  iii,  198,  200. 

^^  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  6,  fol.  48.  James 
Garnett's  will  (1564)  is  printed  in  Dur. 
IVills  and  In'vent.  (Surt.  Soc),  i,  217. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  182,  no.  23. 
The  inquisition  gives  particulars  of  annui- 
ties for  Anne  Ashley  and  William  (for 
Anne)  Claxton,  charged  on  Egglescliffe  ; 
it  also  mentions  Laurence's  wife  Anne  and 
younger  children, 


*'  Ibid,  file  186,  no,  57.  See  also  ibid. 
R.  108,  no.  75.  "  Foster,  loc.  cit. 

**  Royalist  Comp.  in  Dur.  (Surt.  Soc), 
212,  His  lands  were  let  in  1644;  the 
total  rents  and  dues  appear  to  have  been 
,^74  (ibid.  27).  They  were  let  again  in 
1645  at  ,^55  loj.  rent  (ibid.  35). 

"  Ibid.  27. 

*•  Foster,  loc.  cit.  See  also  Surtecs, 
op.  cit.  iii,  198. 

*'  Surtecs,  loc.  cit. ;  Dur.  Rec  cl.  i  2, 
no.  8  (2)  J  cl.  3,  R.  117,  no.  16  d. 
Michael  I'embcrton  of  Aislaby  sold  his 
interest  in  the  manor  to  Dr.  Wood  in 
July  1670  (ibid.  cl.  12,  no.  8  [2]  ). 

*■  Will  in  Surtces,  op.  cit.  197  \  see 
also  Dur.  Rec  cl.  3,  R.  127,  no.  20. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  14  (4). 

^"  Inform,  from  the  rector. 

*'  Dur.  Rec  cl.  3,  R.  120,  no.  8; 
Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  197. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  ;,  R.  127,  no.  20. 

224 


"  Ibid.  ;   Surtees,  op.  cit.  iv  (2),  1  54. 

^*  Burke,  Commoners,  iv,  643  ;  Surtees, 
loc.  cit. 

"  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  198  ;  Burke, 
Landed  Gentry. 

'*  Burke,  Landed  Gentry. 

"'  Inform,  from  rector ;  Surtees,  loc. 
cit. 

•'^  Burke,  Landed  Gentry. 

*'  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

*>  Fordyce,  Hist,  and  Anli-j.  of  the  Co. 
Palat.  of  Dur.  ii,  221. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  4  (2)  ;  cl.  3, 
R.  106,  m.  19,  no.  60  ;  cf.  ibid,  file  186, 
no.  57  ;   Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

'-  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  4  (4)  ;  cl.  3, 
R.  loS,  no.  51.  Laurence  Sayer  con- 
veyed the  Great  and  Little  Castle  Holmes 
and  other  closes  in  EgglcsclifTe  and  Aislaby 
to  Sir  Thomas  and  Jordan  Melham  in 
1636  ;  a  recovery  of  these  lands  was 
suffered  in  1701  (ibid.  R.  119,  m.  2d.). 


STOCKTON    WARD 


EGGLESCLIFFE 


The  ancestors  of  Laurence  Sayer  had  held  for  more 
than  two  centuries  a  meadow  called  '  F.lvetingre,' 
inherited  from  the  Seton  family."  He  forfeited  his 
lands  here  from  which  he  had  granted  an  annuity  to 
Margery  Pinkney,  during  the  Civil  War,  and  they 
were  sold  by  the  Treason  Trustees  to  Gilbert  Crouch 
and  Martin  Lister."  In  1670  Gilbert  Crouch  and 
Lawrence  Saycr  conveyed  lands  here  and  at  Newsham 
and  Aislaby  to  Ralph  Ashton.''*^  It  seems  to  have 
been  inherited  before  1695  by  Cicely,  wife  of  William 
Atkinson,  for  in  that  year  she  and  her  husband  con- 
veyed a  messuage  and  lands  here  to  John  Mayes  of 
the  Friarage,  Yarm,  whose  mother  was  a  daughter 
of  Lawrence  Sayer.'""  Mayes  as  a  '  Papist'  in  1717 
registered  his  freehold  estate  in  Egglescliffe  as  of  the 
yearly  value  of  j^2  16  I  JJ."  He  had  a  son  John,  who 
died  in  1772,  and  a  daughter  Cecily  who  had  died 
childless  two  years  previously  ;  but  after  the  son's 
death  the  estates,  in  accordance  with  the  father's 
will  (dated  l  742),  went,  for  some  reason  unknown, 
to  a  Jesuit,  Thomas  Meynell,  who  was  not  a  relative. 
Thomas  Meynell  made  them  over  to  his  brother 
Edward,  son  of  Roger  Meynell  of  Kilvington,  and 
they  have  descended  to  Mr.  Edgar  Meynell."" 

There  is  also  a  rectorial  manor.  From  the  '  Parish 
Book'  it  appears  that  the  rector  held  a  court  in  1726. 
'  Manorial  rents  '  are  still  paid  to  the  rector,  but  the 
fines  on  succession  or  alienation  have  ceased,  although 
one  such  fine  was  paid  as  late  as  1845."' 

An  acre  in  Egglescliffe  called  the  '  Lamp  Light,' 
belonging  to  the  church  here,  was  among  lands 
granted  to  Christopher  Chaytor  in  1563.°'  In  1604 
Henry  Lindley  and  John  Starkey,  the  Crown  patentees, 
sold  to  his  son  Thomas  Chaytor,  of  Butterby,  lands 
in  Egglescliffe  said  to  have  belonged  to  St.  John  of 
Beverley."'  Sir  Edmund  Chaytor  still  has  a  house 
here.  A  rent  of  \rl.  was  due  to  the  Hospitallers 
from  land  at  Egglescliffe."' 

In  addition  to  John  Garnett  two  other  Royalists 
forfeited  lands  here  during  the  Civil  War — John 
Errington  of  Elton "  and  Christopher  Hall  of 
Hartbum." 

The  freeholders  in  1684  were  Peter  Consett, 
John  Hall,  James  Kitching,  Thomas  Nicholson,  John 
Tomlinson,  John  Trotter,  and  Francis  Whitfield." 
In  1823  the  landed  proprietors  included  Thomas 
Meynell  and  John  Russell  Rowntree.'' 

The  lands  in  Egglescliffe  and  Urlay  granted  by 
Peter  de  Gunnerton  to  William  Brito  seem  to  have 
passed  to  John  Gylet,  whose  heir  in  I  279  was  William 
son  of  Robert  de  Birdshall.'*-^  Stephen  Gylet  in  that 
year  sued  William  de  Birdshall  and  John  Gylet's  widow 
for    10   oxgangs   and    112    acres   in    Egglescliffe   and 


Urlay.'"'  In  I  442  it  was  found  that  John  Killinghall  of 
Middleton  St.  George  (q.v.)  had  held  two  messuages, 
two  cottages,  and  i  2  oxgangs  in  Egglescliffe  jointly 
with  Beatrice  his  wife,  of  the  lord  of  the  manor  of 
Egglescliffe.''  This  estate,  reduced  later  to  8  oxgangs, 
descended  in  his  family '"  and  was  sold  by  Francis 
Killinghall  in  I  569  to  Ralph  Tailboys."  It  afterwards 
passed  to  the  Wrenns.  Anthony  Wrenn  died  in 
possession  in  I  595,"  and  his  son  Sir  Charles  sold  it 
in  1615  to  Thomas  Alderson."  In  1637-8  Reginald 
Alderson  sold  this  land  at  Urlay  Nook  to  William  Lee 
of  Pinchinthorp,  Yorks.  In  1665  it  passed  to  John 
Skelton,  and  in  1716  to  William  Carter  of  Morton. 
At  a  later  date  it  belonged  to  the  Waldy  family  and 
is  now  divided  up.*" 

y//SZ.y^5^(Aslackebi,  Eslakebi,  xii  cent.;  Aselakeby, 
xiii  cent.)  was  held  by  a  local  family  by  the  service 
of  keeping  a  fourth  part  of  the 
gaol  of  Sadberge  and  rendering 
60/.  a  year."  Robert  de  Aislaby 
was  a  witness  to  a  charter  of 
1218"  and  Thomas  de  Aislaby 
was  living  in  the  time  of  Henry 
III."  The  latter  was  probably 
the  Thomas  who  with  Pleas- 
ance  his  wife,  daughter  of 
William  le  Breton,  gave  to 
Finchale  Prior)'  a  fishery  in  the 
Tyne."'  He  had  a  son  Thomas 
who  about  1260  quitclaimed 
to  the  monks  of  Byland  land 
in  Thormanby,  given  by  his  mother  Pleasance." 
The  younger  Thomas  was  among  the  bishop's  knights 
who  were  not  present  at  the  Battle  of  Lewes."' 
William  son  of  Thomas  had  succeeded  by  1298."  In 
I  3  I  3  he  granted  a  messuage  and  3  oxgangs  of  land  in 
the  township  for  a  chaplain  to  celebrate  in  the  chapel 
of  St.  Thomas  the  Martyr  within  the  'manor'  of  the 
said  William  for  the  souls  of  himself,  Agnes  his  wife 
and  others."  William  de  Aislaby,  son  of  Henry, 
was  a  witness.  John  son  of  Sir  William  de  Aislaby 
appears  to  have  been  in  possession  by  1335,"  and  was 
described  as  lord  of  Aislaby  or  lord  of  Egglescliffe." 
In  1343  he  settled  his  'manors'  of  Egglescliffe  and 
Aislaby,  with  remainders  to  his  son  William  and 
grandson  John  (son  of  William).  This  grandson  was 
to  marry  Alice  daughter  of  Henry  de  Aislaby." 
John  the  grandson  made  a  settlement  in  1356 
and  died  without  issue  ;  John  the  grandfather  in 
1358-9  made  a  further  settlement  on  another  grand- 
son Thomas  (son  of  William)  and  Agnes  his  wife."* 
This  marriage  also  proving  fruitless,  the  manors 
descended  after  the  death  of  the  above-named  Alice, 


Aislaby.  Gules  a 
fesse  be(ween  three  mart- 
lets argents 


"'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  4,  fol.  57; 
file  177,  no.  99;  file  188,  no.  72  ;  Def, 
Kee/>er*t  Rep.  xlv,  264. 

**  Roy.  Comp,  P.  Dur.  anJ  Northumb. 
225,  227  ;  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  1 18,  no.  36. 

"»  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  8  (2). 

"I'lbld.  no.  14  (4). 

'■''  Ettcourt  .ind  P.iyne,  Ergl.  Calh, 
NortjurorSf  5  I . 

"«  GiUow,  Bihliog.  Diet.  0/  Engl.  Calh. 
iv,  548. 

®'  Inform,  from  the  rector. 

'"  Pat.  5  Eliz.  pt.  iii,  ni,  24  ;  2  Jas.  I, 
pt.  xxxii. 

"  Ibid.  2  Jas.  I,  pt.  xxxii  ;  Dep.  Keeper's 
Rep.  xl,  App.  501. 

'»  Harl.  R.  D  36,  m.  6. 

3 


"  Cdl.  Com.  for  Comp.  iv,  2772. 

"  Ibid,  iii,  2;i;i-4. 

^■^  Surtces,  loc.  cit. 

"'  Ibid. 

'*»  Assize  R.  225,  m.  id.,  3. 

"bibid.  m.  3  d. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  164,  no.  47. 

'*  Ibid,  file  I  68,  no.  3  ;  file  I  74,  no.  12. 

"  Feet  of  F.  D.  Trin.  1 1  Eliz.  ;  Dep. 
Keeper  s  Rep.  xxxvii,  92. 

'"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  192,  no.  59. 

"Ibid.  R.  96,  no.  6d.  ;  ibid.  cl.  12, 
no.  3  (i). 

''"  Inform,  from  Rev.  A.  T.  Dingle. 

^'^  Hatfield's  Suri:  (Surt.  Soc),  198; 
Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  165. 

*'  Guisiro'  Chartul.  (Surt.  Soc),  322. 

225 


*'  FeoJ.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc), 
47  n,  148  n. 

'*  Finchale  Priory  (Surt.  Soc),  82. 

'*  Guishro'  Chartul.  (Surt.  Soc),  3220. 

***  Hat/teWs  Surv.  (Surt.  Soc),  p.  xv. 

S'  De  B.inco  R.  Mich.  2  Hen.  VI,  m. 
103  j   East.  26  Edw.  I,  m.  66. 

**  Reg.  Palai.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Scr.),  ii, 
1238-9. 

*»  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  29,  m.  2  d.  ;  cf. 
m.  II,  1 1  d. 

9"  Ibid.  m.  3  d.  He  is  described  as 
lord  of  Egglescliffe  on  m.  9,  and  his  name 
occurs  on  m.  3,  4  d.,  11  and  12  d. 

"  Reg.  Palal.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  iv, 
278-9. 

"»  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  12,  fol.  158  b. 


A   HISTORY  OF   DURHAM 


in  or  about  1400,  to  1  third  grandson  named  Walter 
(son  of  William).  His  daughter  Agnes  succeeded 
him  in  1410,  she  being  nine  years  of  age.** 

Agnes  the  heiress  of  Aislaby  was  in  or  before  1420 
married  to  Hugh  Astley,  and  with  her  husband  was 
pardoned  for  entering  into  her  father's  lands  without 
licence."  She  afterwards  (by  1436)  married  John 
Hawley,  making  a  settlement  of  the  manors  of  Afslaby 
and  EgglescllfFe.-'''  She  was  the  widow  of  John  New- 
port at  her  death  about  1450,  when  the  two  manors 
were  taken  into  the  bishop's  hands  and  granted  (1450) 
to  Henry  and  Robert  Preston.'^  It  then  appeared 
that  a  settlement  had  lately  been  made  by  which  the 
manor  of  EgglescllfFe  was  to  be  held  by  John  Newport 
for  life  with  remainders  to  William  Astley  son  of 
Agnes  and  his  issue,  her  daughters  Agnes  Hawley  and 
Margaret  Newport,  and  to  the  heirs  of  Agnes  their 
mother.  Aislaby  was  to  go  at  once  to  William  Astley 
with  remainders  to  Agnes  and  Margaret."''  William 
Astley,  'esquire,'  died  in  1502,  and  seisin  was  given 
to  Thomas  his  son  and  heir.''  He  had  held  lands  in 
Aislaby  in  conjunction  with  Margaret  his  wife,"*  and 
on  her  death  (1506)  the  lands  in  the  manors  and 
vills  of  EgglescllfFe  and  Aislaby,  with  a  fishery  in  the 
Tees,  descended  to  Thomas  Astley,  then  aged  fifty."" 
Thomas  died  in  January  1524-5,  and  was  succeeded 
in  the  two  manors  by  his  son  William,  aged  forty  ''"'; 
William  at  his  death  (1552)  left  a  son  and  heir  of  the 
same  name.^  The  heir  soon  afterwards  sold  his 
estates,  and  in  1557  Robert  Hindmarsh  (Hindmers) 
acquired  Aislaby  from  him.-  Robert  died  about  a 
year  afterwards,  his  heir  being 
a  brother,  Reynold  Hind- 
marsh,  clerk,  aged  fifty.'  On 
the  death  of  Reynold  Hind- 
marsh,  who  was  rector  of 
Langar  (Notts.)  ^  in  1575,  the 
manor  of  Aislaby  passed  to  his 
nephew  John  son  of  James 
Hindmarsh,*  who  in  1578  did 
homage  for  it  and  took  the 
oath  of  supremacy.*  The 
younger  John  died  in  1589,''^ 
when  his  sisters  and  represen- 
tatives Helen  Fetherstonhalgh, 
Agnes  Mayre,  widow,  Robert 
Mayre,  Eleanor  Todd  and  her 
son  Michael  Todd  sold  to  Michael  Pemberton,  son  of 
Helen  Fetherstonhalgh,  the  manor  and  two  farms.' 
Michael  Pemberton,  who  recorded  a  pedigree  in  161 5, 


Pe.mberton  of  Ais- 
laby. Urgent  a  che'veron 
ermine  bet'weett  three 
griffom^  heatit  sahle,  cut 
off  at  the  neck^ 


died  in  January  1624-5,  holding,  in  addition  to  the 
manor  of  Aislaby,  certain  lands  there  and  a  burgage 
in  North  Auckland."  His  son  John,  thirty-four  years 
of  age,  had  livery  of  the  manor  on  1 1  February 
1625-6.'  He  died  in  1644,  leaving  as  heir  his 
son  Michael,  who  was  a  major  in  Colonel  Conyers' 
regiment,  as  well  as  two  younger  sons  who  were 
captains  in  the  king's  service,  one  of  them  losing  his 
life  in  the  war.*'  The  estates  as  a  whole  appear  to 
have  escaped  sequestration,  but  Michael's  share,  per- 
haps before  his  father's  death,  was  seized."  He  died 
about  1652,  and  his  eldest  son  Michael  was  in  pos- 
session in  1666,  when  he  recorded  a  pedigree  at  the 
visitation.'^  The  manor  was  purchased  of  the  Pem- 
bertons  before  1685  by  Edward  Trotter '•' of  Park 
House  near  Guisborough,  V'orks,  who  settled  it  in 
that  year  on  himself  for  life  with  remainder  to  his 
son  John  Trotter  of  Skelton  Castle.  In  1696  Edward 
and  John  Trotter  sold  it  to  William  Ward  of  Guis- 
borough, under  whose  will  of  1718  it  passed  to  his 
son  John.'''  John  Ward  was  declared  bankrupt  in 
1730  and  the  manor  was  conveyed  by  the  assignees 
in  bankruptcy  in  1749  to  Ralph  Ward.  Under  his 
will  of  1759  R*lph  bequeathed  the  property  to  his 
sister  Hannah  Jackson,  who  was  succeeded  in  or  about 
1772  by  her  son  George.'''  Four  years  later  George 
sold  the  manor  to  Robert  Raikes  Fulthorpe,  by  whose 
mortgagees  it  was  sold  in  1802  to  Rowland  Webster. 
Rowland  mortgaged  it  in  1807  to  John  Russell 
Rowntree  of  Stockton.  He  died  in  1809  and  was 
succeeded  by  Rowland  Webster  his  son.'*  Rowland 
and  his  brother  William  became  bankrupt  in  1821, 
and  in  1825  their  trustees  sold  the  manor  of  Aislaby 
to  John  Russell  Rowntree,  of  whom  it  was  purchased 
in  1830  by  John  Earl  of  Eldon,"  whose  descendants 
still  hold  the  greater  portion  of  the  manor. 

Henry  de  Aislaby,  whose  daughter  Alice  married 
John  son  of  William  de  Aislaby  1343,  appears  to  have 
died  in  1344,  his  widow  Ismania  receiving  dower  on 
undertaking  not  to  marry  without  the  bishop's 
licence.'*  A  valuation  of  Henry's  lands  in  Aislaby  was 
made  in  1350.'"  Possibly  a  cousin  was  the  John  son 
of  William  son  of  Henry  de  Aislaby,  who  occurs  in 
1  342-4,-"  and  died  in  or  about  1363,  holding  two 
messuages  and  4  oxgangs  of  land,  parcel  of  the 
manor  of  Aislaby.-'  John  had  acquired  the  4  oxgangs 
from  his  namesake  John  lord  of  Aislaby  in  1354 
without  the  bishop's  licence.  His  heir  was  a  son 
John,  aged  ten  years. -- 

The   heirs    of  John    Aislaby   in    1432    were    his 


'^  Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  165,  and 
1 34  d.  Alice  wife  of  John,  the  grandson, 
appears  to  have  married  (2)  William  de 
Ludcnham,  (3)  —  de  Percy,  by  whom 
she  had  a  son  and  heir  William,  aged 
twenty-four  in  14.00,  and  (4)  John  de 
Norton,  surviving  him  also.  John  de 
Aislaby  the  elder  was  living  in  1385 
{Dep.  Keeper'i  Rep.  xxxii,  App.  i,  301). 

»  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  38,  m.  5  d. 

9<  Ibid.  R.  36,  m.  12. 

'■''  Ibid.  R.  44,  m.  1 1. 

"^  Ibid.  m.  15,  17. 

"Ibid,  file  170,  no.  11.  His  will  is 
printed  in  Bp.  Barnes^  Injunct.  (Surt.  Soc), 
p.  xxxvii. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  170,  no.  11. 

"  Ibid,  file  177,  no.  12. 

'^Ibid.  file  174,  no.  24;  file  178, 
no.  47. 


'  Ibid,  file  178,  no.  108. 

'  Ibid,  file  177,  no.  81;  R.  i  ;  ;,  m.  4  ; 
cl.  12,  no.  I  (i) ;  Lansd.  MS.  902,  fol.  390. 

'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  177,  no.  81. 

'  I'alor  Eccl.  (Rec.  Com.),  v,  169. 

■^  Dep.  Keeper'i  Rep.  xxxvii,  App.  83  ; 
Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  191,  no.  52. 

«  Ibid.  R.  8;,  m.  14. 

''"Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  191,  no.  149. 
His  heirs  were  his  sisters  Helen,  Agnes, 
Eleanor  and  Florence.  Florence  married 
William  Spencclcy,  but  must  have  died 
childless  before  the  conveyance. 

'  Ibid,  file  191,  no.  149  ;  Dep.  Keeper^ 
Rep.  xxxvii,  App.  III. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  189,  no.  131. 

'  Ibid. ;  Fine  R.  i  Chas.  I,  pt.  ii,  no.  29  ; 
Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  5  (2). 

'"  Foster,  Dur.  yuit.  25 1  ;  Capt.  John 
Pemberton  was  buried  at  Leeds  in  1643, 

226 


and  Capt.  Henry  at  Newcastle,  1644 
Ibid. 

• '  Royalist  Comp,  Rec.  Dur,  and  Northumh. 
(Surt.  Soc),  7,  67,  227. 

^^  Foster,  loc.  cit.  Sec  also  Dur.  Rec. 
cl.  12,  no.  7  (4)  ;  ibid.  no.  10  (4). 

"  In  1680  Edward  Trotter  obtained  a 
conveyance  of  messuages  and  lands  from 
John  Fewler,  Jane  his  wife,  Robert 
Jackson  and  Mary  his  wife  (Ibid.  no. 
.of.]). 

'•  From  deeds  in  the  possession  of  the 
Earl  of  Eldon. 

"  Ibid.  >ii  Ibid.  "  Ibid. 

'»  Reg.  Palat.  Duneltn.  (Rolls  Ser.),  iv, 
356. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  41  d. 

™  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xxxi,  App.  42-3. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  71  d. 

'-  Ibid.  no.  12,  fol.  145  ;  no.  2,  fol.  71  d. 


STOCKTON   WARD 


EGGLESCLIFFE 


daughters  Elizabeth,  aged  thirteen,  and  Alice,  aged 
ten  ^'  ;  they  probably  inherited  4  oxgangs  of  land  in 
the  township,  though  it  is  not  recorded  in  the  inqui- 
sition. The  wardship  of  the  elder  daughter  was 
granted  to  Christopher  Boynton,^'  and  she  was 
married  to  Robert  Danby  by  1437,  her  sister  having 
been  married  to  William  Highfield,-*  who  died 
in  1453  holding  lands  in  Stockton  in  right  of 
his  wife.-''  William  Hlghfield,  son  of  William  and 
Alice,  then  twelve  years  old,  was  given  to  the  ward- 
ship of  his  uncle  Robert  Danby,  chief  justice  ^'  ;  proof 
of  age  was  taken  in  1460.-"  In  1497  it  was  found 
that  William  Highfield  had  died  in  1488,  holding  a 
moiety  of  the  vill  of  Aislaby  by  knight's  service  and 
lands  in  Norton  and  Stockton  ;  his  heir  was  his  son 
Thomas,  aged  twenty-four  -'  at  his  father's  death.  In 
1500,  however,  after  the  death  of  Thomas,  the  tene- 
ment was  called  a  third  part  of  the  moiety  of  the  vill, 
held  jointly  with  his  wife.'"  William,  the  son  and 
heir,  in  1 521  left  a  daughter  Agnes,  one  year  old,  to 
succeed  to  the  same  estate."  Her  wardship  was  given 
to  Robert  and  George  Brandling  in  1522,'^  and  they 
no  doubt  married  her  to  a 
kinsman.  In  1 542  a  third 
part  of  a  moiety  of  the  manor 
of  Aislaby  was  settled  on  Anne 
wife  of  Robert  Brandling  for 
life  with  remainder  in  succes- 
sion to  Matthew  Baxter  and 
Agnes  his  wife  and  their  issue, 
to  John  Highfield  and  Richard 
Highfield  and  their  issue,  and 
final  remainder  to  the  heirs 
of  Agnes. '■^  It  was  probably 
released  by  the  holders  of  the 
reversion  to  the  Brandling 
family.      In  1567  Sir  Robert 

Brandling  died  seised  of  it,  leaving  a  nephew  and 
heir  William.'''  William  Brandling  died  in  1575, 
holding  a  third  part  of  the  vill  of  Aislaby  of  the 
Bishop  of  Durham,  and  other  estates.  His  heir 
was  a  son  Robert,  aged  nine  months.'^  Robert  son 
and  heir  of  Robert  Brandling  had  in  1597-8  livery 
of  the  lands  of  his  late  father  in  Norton,  Aislaby,  and 


Brandling,  Gules  a 
cross  paty  iL'ith  a  scallop 
in  tht  quarter  all  argent. 


Stockton."*  The  estate  was  sold  by  Robert  in  161 1 
to  Thomas  Punshon,''  who  died  in  161  5,  leaving  a 
son  and  heir  Thomas.'^  Thomas  sold  certain  closes  to 
Anthony  Fewler  of  Hartburn  in  161  5  and  a  further 
1 80  acres  in  1 6 1 8.''  Thomas  son  and  heir  of  Anthony 
Fewler  died  in  1673  leaving  daughters  and  co-heirs, 
of  whom  Margaret  married  Ralph  Holmes  in  1677.'^^ 

Margery  wife  of  Edward  Thompson  and  her  hus- 
band conveyed  land  here  and  in  other  places  to 
Thomas  Blakiston  in  1535.'^''  The  Blakistons  held 
land  (1559)  in  Aislaby  and  a  fishery  in  the  Tees  of 
Robert  Conyers  ■"'  ;  the  property  was  sold  in  1 606  to 
Humphrey  Rippon,'"  who  died  in  possession  in  1617, 
leaving  a  son  Thomas.''-  In  1622  Thomas  Rippon 
and  Alice  his  wife  conveyed  lands  here  to  Henry 
Bowes  the  elder.*^* 

Guisborough  Priory  had  land  in  the  township, 
given  by  Guy  de  Bovencourt  about  the  end  of  the 
12th  century  to  the  abbey  of  Eu,*'  and  transferred  to 
Guisborough  in  1262.^*  The  land  was  worth  [^^  a 
year  about  1540.^'  After  the  Dissolution  it  was  sold 
by  the  Crown  in  I  544  to  Henry  Storey  of  Cleve- 
land and  Anne  his  wife,'"'  and  to  Thomas  Lord 
Wharton.''''  Anne  Storey  died  in  1590  seised  of  a 
messuage  and  8  oxgangs  here,  which  she  and  her 
husband  had  granted  for  fifty  years  after  their  deaths 
to  their  son  Christopher  Storey.''*  The  reversionary 
right  passed  to  their  grandson  and  heir  John  son  of 
Henry  Storey.  In  161 7  John  Storey,  Anne  his  wife 
and  Christopher  Storey  conveyed  land  here  to  Michael 
Pemberton  the  elder,  and  in  1624  Anne  and 
Christopher  Storey  and  Mary  his  wife  conveyed  other 
property  here.''*^ 

The  freeholders  in  Aislaby  in  1684  were  Michael 
Pemberton,  Edward  Trotter,  Laurence  Sayer,  Thomas 
Bellingham,  William  Fothergill  and  Edward  Watson.^' 
In  1740  thechief  landowners  were  Raikes  and  Ward.*'' 

NEIVSHAM  (Neusum,  Neuson,  xiv  cent.)  was 
included  in  the  lordship  of  Gainford,  and  a  large 
part  of  it  was  held  in  demesne  by  the  Balliols " 
and  their  successors.*-  The  manor  is  mentioned 
in  the  i6th  and  17th-century  grants  of  Barnard 
Castle.*'  In  1316  a  grant  of /'50  a  year  from 
Long   Newton    and  Newsham    on  Tees    was    made 


"  Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  267  d. 

"  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xxxiii,  App.  131. 

"Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  3,  R.  36,  m.  1 3  ; 
Visit,  of  Torks.  (Harl.  Soc). 

'•  Dip.  Keeper's  Rep.  xliv,  App.  411. 

^'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  44,  m.  25  ;  Foss, 
Judges,  iv,  4  26. 

^  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xliv,  App.  411. 

"Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  169,  no.  12; 
Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xxxvi,  .App.  32,  46. 

™  Dur.  Rec,  cl.  3,  file  169,  no.  50. 

"  Ibid,  file  173,  no.  16.  'William  had 
had  licence  to  enter  on  his  father's  lands 
in  I  5 1 9-20  {Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xxxvi, 
App.  i,  104). 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  70,  m.  34. 

"  Ibid.  cl.  I  2,  no.  1(1).  Anne  Brand- 
ling was  a  daughter  of  John  and  Katherinc 
Place  of  Low  Dinsd.ile  (Star  Chamb. 
Proc.  Hen.  VII,  bdle.  ;,  no.  22). 

'*  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  191,  no.  9. 
William  was  the  son  of  Robert's  deceased 
brother  Thomas  (Chan.  Inq.  p.m.  [Scr.  2  ], 
clii,  116). 

''  W.  and  L.  Inq.  p.m.  xx,  34  (i  i  Apr. 
21  Elir.).  Surtees  states  that  a  third  part 
of  the  manor  was  sold  in  1^63  to  Robert 
Brandling  (op.  cit.  iii,  201). 


^*  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep,  xxxvii,  App.  i,  1  29. 

'"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  96,  no.  15  ; 
Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

''  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  96,  no.  49;  file 
184,  no.  ;. 

■'^  Ibid.  R.  96,  no.  49,  51;  R.  loi,  no. 
14;  cl.  12,  no.  3  (2).  Anthony  Fewler 
and  Thomas  his  son  bought  land  here 
from  Michael  Semer  and  Anne  his  wife 
in  1633  (Ibid.  no.  4  [3]),  and  in  1661 
Thomas  Fewler  acquired  from  Thomas 
Hall,  Francis  his  son  and  Mary  wife  of 
Francis  lands  here  with  warranty  against 
the  three  sons  of  Robert  Jefferson  of 
Elton,  deceased,  and  against  Anne  Hewitt 
of  Yarm  (IbiJ.  no.  6  [i]). 

^'a  Ibid.  cl.  12,  no.  4  (3)  ;  cl.  10,  no. 
14,  fol.  98. 

^»1>  Ibid.  cl.  12,  no.  1  (i). 

*"  Ibid,  file  178,  no.  20,  50;  file  191, 
no.  123. 

«1  Ibid.  R.  93,  ni.  12. 

"  Ibid,  file  184,  no.  80. 

«albid.  d.  12,  no.  3  (2). 

**  Guisboro'  Chart.  (Surt.  See),  ii,  321. 
The  donor,  who  had  lands  in  Herts,  was 
dead  in  l  204  (Rot.  Je  Ohlatis  el  Fin.  [  Rec. 
Com. J,  212). 

227 


**  Stowe  Chart,  s '  t  ;  a  confirmation 
by  Bishop  Robert  Stichill.  There  was  a 
further  confirmation  by  Bishop  Richard 
Kellaw  in  131 1  [Reg.  Palat.  Dunelm. 
[Rolls  Ser.],  ii,  1 132). 

*^  Guisboro'  Chart.  (Surt.  Soc),  ii, 
p.  xxxiv. 

"  L.  and  P.  Hers.  I'lll,  xiz  (l),  g.  1035 
(65)  ;  cf.  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  192, 
no.  3. 

*■  L.  and  P.  Hen.  I'll  I,  xix  (2),  g.  800  (5). 

**  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  192,  no.  21. 

"•■•Ibid.  cl.  12,  no.  3  (2). 

*^  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  203. 

^  Information  from  Rev.  A.  T.  Dingle, 

"  Reg.  Palat.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  ii, 
798-9.  The  vill  was  worth  /i  5  os.  5  J./, 
a  year, 

"  Cal.  Intj.  p.m.  (Edw,  II),  v,  406,  412. 
The  profits  included  40;.  %d.  rent  of  assize 
from  free  tenants,  ,^19  %s.  from  bondmen, 
etc.  Certain  tenements  were  held  by  the 
Abbot  of  Ricvaulx  by  the  service  of  301, 
I  year. 

"  E.g.  Pat.  4  Edw,  'VI,  pt,  vii  (to  the 
Earl  of  Warwick)  ;  14  Jas.  I,  pt.  x  (to 
Charles  Prince  of  Wales).  See  the  ac- 
count of  Gainford, 


A  HISTORY  OF   DURHAM 


Beauchamp,  Earl  of 
Warwick.  C'uUs  a  Jesse 
between  six  crosslets  or. 


to  Elizabeth  de  UmfraviU  Countess  of  Angus,  the 
lands  being  in  the  king's  hands,  as  pertaining  to 
Barnard  Castle,  by  reason  of  the  minority  of  the  heir 
of  Guy  de  Beauchamp  Earl  of 
Warwick.'^  From  ministers' 
accounts  of  this  time  it  appears 
that  in  1317  thirteen  oxgangs 
of  land  held  in  demesne 
rendered  £^  2/.,  the  demesne 
meadows  26/.,  and  four  free 
tenants  38;.  id.  ;  the  seven 
tenants  of  i  2  oxgangs  and  I  2 
acres  of  land  in  bondage  paid 
£j  I  5/.,  and  cottars  paid  24/. 
The  fishgarth  rendered  a  sal- 
mon in  Lent,  which  had  been 
sold    for    I  zd.,   and   y.  came 

from  ale-brewing.'*  Six  years  later,  when  much 
destruction  of  the  crops  had  been  wrought  by  the 
Scots,  the  free  tenants  named  were  the  Abbot  of 
Rievaulx  for  a  messuage  and  two  ploughlands  ( i  ^s.  Sd.), 
and  Robert  de  Westwick  for  a  messuage  and  2  oxgangs 
of  land  (16/.)  ;  9  acres  in  Dinsdale,  which  used  to  pay 
9/.,  were  then  unoccupied  and  fallow  (/risen)  for  lack 
of  tenants.'"  The  same  estates  of  Long  Newton  and 
Newsham  on  Tees  were  granted  for  life  in  1339  by 
Thomas  Earl  of  Warwick  to  Sir  Robert  de  Herle.'' 
After  the  Warwick  estates  had  escheated  to  the  Crown 
a  lease  of  the  farm  of  Newsham  in  the  lordship  of 
Long  Newton  was  granted  to  Edmund  Oglethorp 
(on  surrender  of  a  former  lease)  in  1532.'* 

Soon  afterwards  the  second  large  estate  in  Newsham 
came  into  the  possession  of  the  Crown.  This  was 
the  land  which  Rievaulx  Abbey 
had  acquired  from  various 
donors  in  the  12th  and  14th 
centuries.  The  fishery  of  New- 
sham, apparently  with  some 
land,  was  granted  to  the  abbey 
by  Bernard  son  of  Bernard  de 
Balliol.'^  His  grandson  Hugh 
made  a  grant  of  10  acres  with 
common  of  pasture.**  Guy  de 
Bovencourt,  a  sub-tenant  of 
the  Balliols,  granted  8  oxgangs 
here  to  Rievaulx."  Finally, 
about  131  5,  Henry  le  Scrope, 
who  presumablyalso  held  under 
the  Balliols,  exchanged  a  messuage,  8  tofts  and  14 
oxgangs  in  Newsham  for  lands  in  East  Bolton  and 
Bellerby  (Yorks),  which  belonged  to  the  abbey.*-  In 
1316  a  rent  of  jos.  was  due  to  the  lord  of  Barnard 
Castle  from  the  tenements  of  the  Abbot  of  Kievaulx.'^ 
At  the  Dissolution  they  had  an  annual  value  of 
/20  13/.  ^d.«* 

A  grant  of  the  fishery  in  the  Tees  at  Newsham 
was  made  in  161  l  to  John  Eldred  and  others,*^  who 
were  '  fishing  grantees,'    and  may  never  have  come 


V  A  u  I.  X  Abbey. 
Gules  a  crozier  or  be- 
Uveen  three  water  bougets 
argent. 


iXiXi^ 


Hall  of  Newsham. 
Argent  a  cbevcron  en- 
grailed bettveen  three 
talbots*  heads  razed  az  ure 
Kith  three  molels  or 
in  the  chief. 


into  possession.  No  grant  of  the  lands  of  the  lords 
of  Barnard  Castle  or  of  Rievaulx  Abbey  has  been 
found.  Before  1 6 1  I ,  however, 
most  of  Newsham  belonged  to 
Francis  Hall,"  who  died  in 
that  year.  He  was  succeeded 
by  his  son  Christopher  Hall  of 
Newsham,  who  took  the  Royal- 
ist side  in  the  Civil  War,  and 
was  reckoned  a  'delinquent' 
by  the  Parliament  because  he 
left  his  dwelling  and  went  to 
Oxford.  He  surrendered  upon 
the  Oxford  articles.  His  estate 
was  valued  at  j(^2  30  a  year,  and 
in  1648  a  fine  of  two  years' 
value  was  accepted.*'  His  son 
Lodowick,  who  recorded  a 
pedigree  in  1666,**  sold  New- 
sham in  1 662  to  Robert  Blakiston  of  Old  Elvet.**  His 
great-grandson  the  Rev.  Robert  Blakiston  was  living  in 
1738.  About  a  century  later  the  estate  was  owned  by 
William  Skinner,'"  who  was  followed  by  William 
Skinner  Marshall.  It  was  advertised  for  sale  in  1855 
and  is  now  divided  among  various  owners." 

TRAFFORD  HILL  ( Ireford,  xii  cent. ;  Straflbrth, 
xvii  cent.)  was  held  with  Coatham  Mundeville  (q.v.) 
for  one  knight's  fee  in  the  12th  century  by  the  family 
of  Amundevill.'^  William  de  Amundevill  and  Emma 
his  wife  granted  I  acre  of  land  here  to  Rievaulx 
Abbey  in  free  alms.'*  Before  1236  the  tenancy  in 
demesne  had  come  into  the  hands  of  Pleasance, 
daughter  and  heir  of  William  le  Breton,  who  in 
February  of  the  following  year  came  to  an  agreement 
with  the  overlord,  Ralph  de  Amundevill,  whereby  he 
took  her  homage  for  the  manor  of  Trafford."" 
TrafFord  did  not  follow  the  descent  of  lands  Pleasance 
held  in  EgglesclifFe,  though  the  reason  for  this  di- 
vergence is  not  clear.  Pleadings  in  I  279  show  that 
Godfrey  Breton  held  land  here  in  the  time  of  Bishop 
Richard  le  Poor  ( I  228-37)  that  descended  to  Walter 
his  son,  probably  that  Walter  le  Breton  who  was 
steward  to  Alexander  de  Balliol  in  the  time  of  the 
Barons'  war.'*''  Walter  le  Breton  enfeoffed  John 
Gillet,  whose  son  John  took  the  habit  of  the 
friars  preachers,  and  may  possibly  be  identified 
with  the  John  de  EgglesclifFe  who  figures  so 
largely  in  the  assize  rolls  of  1236.  John  left  no 
issue,  and  his  lands  passed  to  Hugh  his  brother,  who 
was  also  childless  ;  his  brother  and  heir  Walter  had  a 
son  Robert,  and  his  son  William,  son  of  Robert  de 
Birdshall,  successfully  fought  various  claimants  to  the 
lands  in  1279.'*-  Whether  or  no  these  various 
persons  had  any  claim  on  Traflbrd  is  uncertain,  nor 
is  their  connexion  established  with  the  William  Gra 
who  was  in  possession  in  1336,  when  he  was  said  to 
have  held  the  '  manor '  of  TrafFord  of  the  bishop  by 
rendering    a    pair    of    white    gloves    on     St.    Mary 


'<  Cat.  Pat.  13 1  3-17,  p.  567. 

"  Mins.  Accts.  (Gen.  Ser.),  bdle.  835, 
no.  2.  *'  Ibid.  no.  4. 

"  Cat.  Pat.  1338—40,  p.  320. 

"  L.  and  P.  Hen.  VIII,  ii  (2),  4302  ; 
».  g-  '499  (32)  ;  Harl.  R.  D  36  ;  Aug. 
Off.  Partic.  for  Leases,  file  36,  no.  63. 

"  Rie-uaulx  Chan.  (Surt.  Soc),  66. 

"•Ibid.  221.  "  Ibid.  266. 

"'  Cal.  Pat.  I  3  I  3-1 7,  p.  260  ;  Rie-vaulx 
Chart.  (Surt.  Soc),  104-6. 


"  Cat.  Inf.  p.m.  (Edw.  II),  v,  412. 

«s>  Mins.Accts.  (Gen.  Ser.),  bdle.  835, 
no.  4. 

64  Dugdalc,  Man.  v,  286. 

''  Pat.  9  Jas.  I,  pt.  viii. 

'"  Brother  of  Christopher  Hall  of 
Hardwick,  mentioned  above. 

^^  Royalist  Comp.  Rec.  in  Our.  and 
Northumh.  (Surt.  Soc),  224. 

^"^  Foster,  op.  cit.  149. 

''^  These  details  are  from  Surtees,  op. 

228 


cit.  iii,  208.      The  place  is  scarcely  men- 
tioned in  the  records. 

'"  Mackenzie  and  Ross,  op.  cit.  ii,  jS, 

"^  Fordyce,  op.  cit.  ii,  225.  The  estate 
included  the  Hall,  Grange  and  White 
House. 

^-  Cal.  Chart.  P,  1300-26,  p.  394. 

^*  RU'vaulx  Chart.  (Surt.  Soc),  78. 

^^3  Assize  R.  224,  m.  5. 

'3b  Ibid.  225,  m.  5.  i,  id. 

'^c  Ibid. 


STOCKTON    WARD 


EGGLESCLIFFE 


Magdalen's  Day.  His  heir  was  a  son  Thomas,  aged 
twenty-two.'*  Thomas  occurs  again  in  1336-7  and 
1343-4,'*  and  Thomas  son  of  Thomas  Gra  of  Traf- 
ford  in  1352-5.'*  In  1349  Sir  Thomas  Ughtred 
paid  a  fine  for  having  entered  the  manor  of  Traft'ord 
without  licence."^  His  interest  is  uniinown.  In  March 
1354-5  Thomas  Gra  of  Traftord  also  paid  a  fine  for 
licence  for  the  acquisition  of  part  of  the  manor  of 
Trafford  at  the  instance  of  John  Moubray  in  spite  of 
the  reversion  of  John  de  Cotherskelfc,  chaplain,  and 
of  Thomas  son  of  Thomas  de  Gra.'*''  Before  1378 
the  manor  was  acquired  by  Sir  Richard  Tempest  and 
Isabel  his  wife,  daughter  and  heir  of  John  Gra,  lord 
of  Studley,  Yorks,  upon  whom  it  was  then  settled." 
Isabel  died  in  August  1421,  holding  the  manor 
according  to  the  settlement  of  1378;  the  heir  was  a 
son  William,  aged  thirty.  The  tenure  was  recorded 
as  the  fourth  part  of  a  knight's  fee,  and  a  pair  of  gloves 
or  zd.  '*  and  suit  at  the  court  of  Coatham  Mundevill.'* 
Sir  William,  who  obtained  the  manor  of  Washington 
with  his  wife,*"  had  livery  of  the  manor  of  TrafFord 
in  1421.*'^  He  died  on  8  June  1 441,  holding  this 
manor.  The  estate  included  the  site  of  the  manor- 
house,  400  acres  of  arable  land,  60  acres  of  meadow, 
a  fishery  in  the  Tees,  and  i  20  acres  of  pasture."^  His 
son  William,  then  twenty-three  years  old,"'  had  seisin, 
but  died  in  January  1443-4,  leaving  a  son  John,  aged 
two  years.*''  Eleanor  widow  of  Sir  William  held  the 
manor  of  TrafFord  in  dower  till  her  death  in  January 
145  1-2.***  The  infant  heir  had  died,  and  his  heirs 
were  found  to  be  John  Norton,  aged  twenty-six,  son 
of  her  daughter  Isabel  wife  of  Richard  Norton,  and 
Denise,  aged  thirty-six,  another  daughter,  wife  of 
William  Mallory.**  The  heirs  received  the  manors" 
and  lands  and  in  145  i  made  a  partition,"*'  by  which 
TrafFord  was  given  to  the  Mallorys  of  Studley  in 
Yorkshire.ss 

William  Mallory,  who  had  held  his  lands  in  right 
of  his  wife,  died  in  or  before  1475,  holding  the 
manor  of  TrafFord,  with  a  fishery  in  the  Tees,  as 
well  as  other  estates  in  Durham  ;  the  heir  was  his 
grandson  William,  of  full  ace.^"  This  William  died 
in  1498,  holding  the  same  estate,  leaving  a  son  and 
heir  John,  aged  twenty-four.*'  John,  who  married 
Margaret,  daughter  of  Edmund  Thwaites,^-  had  seisin 


M  A  L  L  o  R  Y.  Or  a 
lion  guUi  Zi'itb  a  collar 
argent. 


of  his  father's  lands  in  1499*'  ;  he  became  a  knight, 
and  died  23  March  1527-8,  leaving  a  son  William, 
thirty  years  of  age.°^  In  1528  William  had  livery  of 
the  Durham  lands.'"  He  held  the  manor  about 
twenty  years,  and  died  in  1 547,  when  his  son 
Christopher,  aged  twenty-five,  was  found  to  be  his 
heir.'''  He  died  shortly  afterwards  holding  '  Straf- 
fordfeld'  ;  his  posthumous  son  John  became  his  heir.*' 
Sir  John  Mallory  of  Studley  in  Yorkshire,  Dame 
Anne  his  wife,  and  William  his 
son  and  heir,  in  1605  granted 
'  the  manor  and  lordship  of 
StrafForthe  alias  TrafForth 
Feilds  or  TrafFord  Hill'  to 
William  and  John  Wentworth, 
younger  sons  of  William  Went- 
worth  of  Wentworth  Wood- 
house,*"  and  the  conveyance 
seems  to  have  been  completed 
in  161  3-14.'-"' 

The  Wentworths  did  not 
retain  the  manor  long,  for  it 
was  sold  to  John  Witham  of 
ClifFe  in  1622.'*  Soon  after- 
wards it  appears  to  have  been  sequestered  for  his 
recusancy,'  and  this  was  certainly  the  case  under 
the  Commonwealth.-  In  the  latter  part  of  the  18th 
century  it  was  owned  by  Robert  Raikes  Fulthorp,' 
and  about  1830  by  Robert  Campion,  who  sold  it  in 
1840.^  Theexecutorsof  the  late  Alexander  Park  of 
Hutton  Rudly  held  it  early  in  the  20th  century,  and 
it  now  belongs  to  Mr.  W.  Clark. 

The  Surtees  family  had  land  in  TrafFord,  including 
a  parcel  called  County  Flat.'  Part  was  repurchased 
by  Thomas,  son  of  Thomas  Gra.*^  Richard  de  Scolacle 
and  Alice  his  wife  in  I  386-7  acknowledged  that  land 
called  County  Flat,  part  of  the  manor  of  TrafFord, 
was  held  of  the  bishop,  and  not  of  Isabel  Tempest  as 
of  her  manor  there/  The  Killinghalls  also  for  a 
long  time  had  an  estate  in  TrafFord." 

The  church    of  ST.  MARV  THE 

CHURCH       FIRGIN  "="  standson  an  ancient  site  and 

consists  of  a  chancel    28  ft.   6  in.    by 

I  5  ft.   6  in.    with  north  vestry  and  organ  chamber, 

nave  46  ft.  by  20  ft.,  chapel  forming  a  south  aisle, 


'^  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  5,  no.  2,  fol.  11. 

''  Ibid.  R.  29,  m.  4,  15. 

''  Ibid.  no.  12,  fol.  94,  145. 

^'^  Ibid.  no.  12,  fol.  5  id.  Thomas 
Ugfitrcd  was  the  son  of  Isabel  daughter 
of  Richard  de  Steeton  and  afterwards 
wife  of  William  Ross  of  Ingmanthorpe 
(Dc  Banco  R.  365,  m.  174,  421,  m. 
3S6).  He  married  before  1352  (Feet 
of  Fines,  Yorks,  tile  109,  no.  47) 
Margaret  daughter  and  co-heir  of  Brian 
Burdon,  thus  acquiring  land  in  Kexby, 
Yorks,  and  elscvhere  (De  Banco  R.  41 1, 
m.  218).  Thomas  Gray,  who  may  or 
may  not  be  identical  with  Thomas  Gra 
of  Traflord,  held  Kexby  by  lease  in  136^ 
(ibid.  R.  421,  m.  386).  William,  son  of 
John  Gra,  of  York,  had  an  interest  in 
Isabel's  manor  of  Steeton  in  1341-^1 
(Cat.  Close,  1 341-3,  p.  347,  1343-6. 
p.  365  ;  De  Banco  R.  365,  m.  174). 

'"''   Dur.     Rec.     cl.     3,     no.    12,  fol. 

'■*?-• 

*'  Ibid.  R.  31,  m.    II  ;   De   Banco   R. 

$81,  m.  I. 

'"  HatfiiU't  Sur-v.  (Surt.  Soc),  7. 

'"  Dur.    Rec.    cl.    3,    no.  2,    fol.   208. 


William  was  heir  of  both  father  and 
mother. 

*"  Dr/>.  Ktefer'i  Rr/>.  xxxiii,  App.  Si. 

*'  Ibid.  App.  205. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  311;  for 
writ  of  Difm  c/ausit  extremum  sec  Dff>. 
Kteper^i  Rep.  xxxiv,  App.  24I. 

*^  Dtp.  Krrpir's  Rtp.  xxxiv,  App.  24  I. 

'^■'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  164,  no.  1;  1;. 
The  bishop  granted  the  wardship  to 
Richard  Racket  and  others  {Drt>.  Krcftr'i 
Rep.  xxxiv,  App.  193). 

''•''  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  tile  164,  no.  101. 
The  willow  of  Sir  William  received  the 
whole  manor  of  Trafford  {Dep.  Keepet'i 
Rep.  xxxiv,  App.  19^).  For  writ  of  Diem 
cl.  extr.  see  ibid.  262. 

*'  Dep.  Keeper' t  Rep.  xliv,  App.  514. 

'"  Ibid,  xxxiv,  App.  257. 

»"  Ibid.  i(,%. 

^'^  For  pedigree  sec  f'isit,  0^  Vorks. 
(Harl.  Soc),  19^. 

^  Mistakenly  called  his  son  in  Dur. 
Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  4,  fol.  62-5.  See  f'.C.H. 
Yorks.  i,  404. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  169,  no.  38. 

"  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xxxvi,  App.  3?. 


w  Ibid.  47. 

»<  Chan.  Inq.  p.m.  (Scr.  2),  xlvii,  no.  27. 
This  refers  to  the  Yorkshire  lands  ;  some 
deeds  arc  quoted. 

"  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xxxvi,  ,App.  142. 

»  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  177,  no.  89. 

"  I'.C.H.  I'orks.  loc.  cit. 

"'  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xxxvii,  .App.   167. 

w  Ibid. 

luo  Feet  of  F.  Dur.  Trin.  16  Jas.  I  ; 
Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  101,  no.  106. 

'  Pat.  10  Chas.  I,  pt.  xiii. 

^  Royalist  Comp.  Rec.  in  Dur.  ana 
Norihumb.  (Surt.  Soc),  3?,  38. 

*  Hutchinson,  op.  cit.  iii,  141. 

*  Mackeniie  and  Ross,  op.  cit.  ii,  76  ; 
Fordyce,  op.  cit.  ii,  225. 

'  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xlv,  App.  260-3. 
It  was  held  of  the  lord  of  Trafford. 
County  flatt  was  locally  in  Middleton 
One  Row,  by  Ponteys  Bridge. 

'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  i  2,  fol.  94. 

'  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep,  xxxii,  App.  326. 

*  Ibid,  xliv,  444-7,  472  ;  xxxvii,  166. 

^a  The  invocation  of  the  church  was 
forgotten  and  for  some  time  that  of  St. 
John  the  Baptist  was  adopted. 


A   HISTORY  OF   DURHAM 


26  ft.  8  in.  by  8  ft.  6  in.,  south  porch  and  west  tower 
I  oft.  gin.  square,  all  these  measurements  being 
internal. 

The  fragment  of  a  pre-Conquest  stone  carved  on 
two  sides  was  found  in  1908  built  into  the  buttress 
on  the  north  side  of  the  chancel  and  is  now  in  the 
porch.  The  oldest  parts  of  the  existing  fabric,  how- 
ever, are  the  south  doorway,  the  jambs  of  the  chancel 
arch  and  portions  of  the  north  wall  of  the  nave, 
which  are  all  that  remains  of  a  12th-century  church, 
consisting  of  an  aisleless  nave,  apparently  of  the  same 
dimensions  as  still  exist,  and  a  chancel.  Some 
work  appears  to  have  been  done  in  the  i  3th  century, 
two  fragments  having  been  found  in  1 908,  one  with 


EOCLESCLIFFK     ChURCH    FROM     THK    NoRTH-EAST 


the  dog-tooth  and  the  other  with  a  nail-head  orna- 
ment, and  the  bowl  of  the  piscina  in  the  chancel  is 
of  this  period.  The  building  then  seems  to  have 
remained  unaltered  till  the  15th  century  when  the 
Aislaby  chapel  on  the  south  side  of  the  nave,  later 
known  as  Hindraers'  or  Pemberton's  porch,  was 
added.  The  11th-century  chancel,  which  was  the 
same  width  as  the  nave,  was  entirely  rebuilt  at  the 
same  time  or  shortly  after,  the  tower  erected,  and 
the  nave  considerably  altered,  all  the  windows  now 
being  of  15th-century  date.  In  1633  the  chancel 
was  reported  to  be  in  good  repair,  but  the  south 
chapel, '  called  Hindmers'  porch,'  was  in  great  decay.' 
The  chapel  was  then  apparently  restored  and  other 
repairs  done  to  the  building.  In  the  latter  part  of 
the  I  7th  century  under  Cosin's  episcopate  the  chancel 
roof  was  renewed  and  new  fittings,  including  chancel 
screen  and  stalls  and  seating  to  the  nave,  were 
inserted.     A  slated  roof  replaced  the  old  leaded  one 


over  the  nave  between  181  i  and  1814,  and  a  flat 
plaster  ceiling  was  erected  at  the  same  time.  The 
interior  was  restored  in  1864,  when  the  ceiling  was 
taken  down  and  the  walls  plastered.  The  vestry 
and  organ  chamber  were  added  in  1908.  The  tower 
was  repaired  and  electric  light  ins  ailed  in  1926. 

The  church  throughout  is  built  of  rubble  masonry, 
and  the  roof  of  the  chancel,  which  is  covered  with 
blue  slates,'"  is  lower  than  that  of  the  nave.  The 
walls  of  the  nave  finish  with  embattled  parapets,  and 
the  roof  is  covered  with  blue  slates,  but  the  south  aisle 
or  chapel  is  under  a  lean-to  leaded  roof  behind  a 
straight  parapet. 

The  chancel  has  a  five-light  pointed  east  window 

with  perpendicular 
tracery,  and  two  win- 
dows of  three  cinque- 
foiled  lights  on  the 
south  side  with  four- 
centred  labelled  heads. 
A  single  window  of 
similar  type  originally 
existed  on  the  north 
side  near  the  west  end, 
but  was  reset  in  the 
north  wall  of  the  organ 
chamber  in  1908.  The 
I  7th-century  oak  roof 
is  in  three  bays  with 
two  end  and  two 
middle  curved  princi- 
pals and  moulded  pur- 
lins. The  principals 
are  carried  down  the 
walls  and  rest  on 
carved  oak  corbels.  At 
the  east  end  of  the 
south  wall  in  the  usual 
position  is  an  ogee- 
headed  piscina,  with  a 
broken  13th-century 
bowl,  having  a  base  of  a  shaft  on  each  side.  Adjoining 
is  a  triple  sedile  with  four-centred  arches  and  attached 
shafts  with  moulded  capitals  and  bases.  The  recesses 
are  only  7  in.  in  depth  and  originally  had  apparently 
movable  seats  of  wood.  Immediately  west  of  the  sedile 
is  a  four-centred  priest's  doorway.  The  floor  is  flagged 
and  the  west  end  of  the  north  wall  is  open  to  the 
organ  chamber.  The  pointed  chancel  arch  is  of  two 
chamfered  orders  with  hood  mould  towards  the  nave 
springing  from  the  older  square  responds  and  cham- 
fered imposts. 

The  nave  has  two  windows  on  the  north  side 
similar  to  those  in  the  chancel,  the  easternmost 
being  old,  the  other  a  restoration.  There  is 
also  a  window  of  two  cinquefoiled  lights  on  the 
south  side  between  the  tower  and  the  porch  and  a 
built-up  doorway  in  the  north  wall.  The  nave 
roof  is  modern,  plastered  between  the  principals. 
The  chapel  is  open  to  the  nave  towards  the  east  end 


Ww.. 


'  Visitation  by  Archdeacon  Clarke, 
12  Mar.  1635,  quoted  by  Surtecs,  Hisi, 
and  Ami q.  of  Dur.  iii,  200.  *  The  south 
window,  which  is  dammed  upp,  to  be 
opened.  The  cloclc  in  decay.'  A  coat 
bearing  a  hunting  horn  stringed  was  for- 
merly in  the  east  window,  mention  being 
made  of  Thomas  Bellingham  and  Anne 
hit  wife,  who  had   caused   the  window  to 


be  made  ;  the  figures  of  the  benefactors 
and  their  children  were  below  (Harl.  MS. 
1540  [2],  fol.  35  ;  in  a  copy  of  the 
Visitation  of  1575).  There  is  a  similar 
hunting  horn  with  strings  on  a  shield 
carved  on  one  of  the  bosses  of  the  chancel 
roof.  Thomas  Bellingham  was  rector  in 
1444,  and  a  family  named  Bellingham 
including  a  Thomas  lived  in  Aislaby  about 

230 


1680.  On  another  boss  ii  a  Tudor  rose. 
On  the  corbel  of  the  chancel  roof  nearest 
the  east  wall  on  the  south  side  is  the  head 
of  an  elderly  bearded  man  perhaps  re- 
presenting Thomas  Bellingham. 

'"  The  roof,  like  that  of  the  nave,  was 
originally  covered  with  lead  and  is  so 
shown  in  Surtees' illustration  (c.  1823) 
op.  cit.  iii,  199. 


STOCKTON    WARD 


EGGLESCLIFFE 


by  an  arcade  of  two  pointed  arches  of  two  chamfered 
orders  springing  from  an  octagonal  pier  with  moulded 
capital  and  dying  into  the  wall  at  each  end.  The 
east  wall  of  the  chapel  is  in  the  same  line  as  that  of 
the  nave,  and  there  are  two  windows  of  two  cinque- 
foiled  lights  with  four-centred  heads  on  the  south 
side.  The  end  walls  are  blank,  the  porch  being 
built  up  against  the  west  wall.  Between  the  windows 
is  a  recess  with  flat  four-centred  chamfered  arch, 
containing  a  recumbent  stone  effigy  of  l.ite  13th-  or 
early  14th-century  date,  probably  commemorating 
Sir  William  de  Aislaby,  who  established  a  chantry 
at  his  manor-house  in  I  3  I  3,  or  Thomas  Aislaby,  who 
fought  at  the  battle  of  Lewes.  The  figure  is  that 
of  a  man  in  chain  mail  and  long  surcoat.  The 
head  rests  on  two  cushions  and  the  feet  on  a  lion. 
The  right  hand  grasps  the  hilt  of  the  sword  and  the 
left  holds  the  scabbard.  Over  the  left  arm  is  a  shield 
with  the  arms  of  Aislaby  suspended  from  the  right 
shoulder  by  a  belt,  and  a  winged  monster  is  represented 
biting  the  bottom  of  the  shield.  Another  effigy,  very 
similar  in  type,  but  much  worn  and  weathered,  is 
preserved  in  the  porch.  The  arms  on  the  shield  are 
obliterated,  but  the  figure  probably  represents  a 
member  of  the  same  family. 

The  south  doorway  has  a  late  pointed  arch  intro- 
duced below  the  12th-century  semicircular  opening. 
The  original  arch  is  composed  of  fifteen  plain 
voussoirs  springing  from  angle  shafts  with  large 
carved  capitals  and  chamfered  imposts  running  back 
to  the  wall  on  each  side.  The  shaft  on  the  west 
side  is  octagonal  in  section,  the  other  circular,  and 
the  capitals  are  15  in.  deep  with  volutes  at  the 
angles  and  a  face  below.  The  porch  is  8  ft.  6  in. 
square  internally  and  of  late  date  with  a  very  low 
plain  outer  arch,  above  which  is  a  wooden  sundial 
dated  1779  with  the  motto,  'Memento  mori,'  and 
the  names  of  the  churchwardens.  It  was  renovated 
in  1881. 

The  tower  is  of  three  stages  with  embattled 
parapet  and  angle  pinnacles,  and  has  a  projecting 
vice  in  the  south-east  corner  stopping  at  the  second 
stage.  There  are  diagonal  buttresses  of  three  stages  at 
the  north-eastern  and  western  angles  finishing  below 
the  belfry,  the  windows  of  which  are  pointed.  The 
mullions  have  been  cut  away  and  the  openings  filled 
with  wooden  louvres.  The  pointed  west  window  is  of 
three  cinquefoiled  lights,  and  there  is  a  modern  single 
light  with  trefoiled  head  in  the  middle  stage  above. 
The  two  lower  stages  north  and  south  are  blank.  The 
tower  arch  is  of  two  chamfered  orders  dying  into 
the  wall  at  the  springing.  The  opening  is  the  full 
width  of  the  tower.  The  vice  is  entered  from  a 
doorway  in  the  south-west  corner  of  the  nave. 

The  font  is  of  late  i  zth  or  early  i  3th-century  date 
and  consists  of  a  plain  circular  stone  bowl  moulded 
on  the  edge,  on  a  moulded  stem  and  base.  It  stands 
below  the  tower  and  has  a  i  7th-century  oak  pyramidal 
crocketed  cover." 

The  woodwork  and  fittings  are  chiefly  of  Cosin's 
time,  but  the  pulpit,  altar  rails,  and  pewing  in  the 
chapel  are  about  a  century  later.     The  chancel  screen 


has  five  openings,  and  is  of  mixed  Gothic  and 
Renaissance  detail.  The  lower  panels  and  the  heads 
of  the  openings  are  of  late  Gothic  type,  the  cornice, 
turned  balusters  and  carved  posts  being  of  Renais- 
sance character.  The  work,  if  not  equal  to  that  of 
the  same  date  in  other  parts  of  the  county,  is  interest- 
ing, and  the  same  characteristics  are  prevalent  in  the 
stall  work  and  wainscot  of  the  chancel.  The 
sanctuary  walls  are  panelled  to  a  height  o(  6  ft.  9  in., 
and  there  are  four  stalls  on  each  side  to  the  west  of 
the  priest's  doorway  with  canopies  and  cornice  sup- 
ported by  turned  balusters,  and  two  others  on  each 
return  against  the  screen.  In  the  wainscot  the 
Gothic  feeling  predominates  as  at  Brancepeth  and 
Sedgefield,  but  in  the  stalls  the  detail  is  chiefly 
Renaissance  in  character.  The  fronts  of  the  seats 
have  semicircular-headed  panels,  and  the  bench  ends 
have  poppy  heads  and  swags  of  fruit  and  flowers. 
The  nave  is  filled  with  good  17th-century  oak 
pewing  with  open  backs  and  doors  filled  with  short 
turned  balusters,  and  with  turned  knobs  to  the  pew 
ends.  The  pulpit,  which  stands  in  the  north-east 
corner  of  the  nave,  is  of  pl.iin  but  good  18th-century 
design  and  has  a  canopy. 

In  the  porch,  in  addition  to  the  fragments  and 
the  effigy  already  mentioned,  are  a  mediaeval  grave 
slab  with  raised  cross,  and  the  upper  part  of  a  stone 
crucifix.  Copies  of  Jewell's  Apohg'j  and  the  Works  oj 
Charles  I  are  preserved  in  the  chapel. 

There  is  a  ring  of  eight  tubular  bells  hung  in 
1897,  but  two  old  bells  still  hang  in  the  tower. 
The  oldest  is  of  mediaeval  date,  probably  about 
14.00,  and  bears  the  inscription,  '  Sancta  Maria 
Ora  Pro  Nobis,'  some  of  the  letters  being  reversed. 
The  other  is  dated  1665  on  the  waist,  but  has  no 
inscription.^^ 

The  plate  consists  of  a  17th-century  chalice 
(c.  1664)  made  by  John  Wilkinson  of  Newcastle  ; 
a  paten  made  by  William  Ramsey  of  Newcastle, 
inscribed  '  Dec.  6""  1687  '  ;  and  a  set  of  two  chalices, 
two  patens,  a  flagon  and  an  almsdish  provided  under 
the  will  of  Robert  Henry  Allan  of  Blackwell  Hall, 
D.irlinglon,  in  1889.  There  is  also  a  modern  flagon 
of  Britannia  metal,  Sheffield  make.  A  chalice,  paten 
and  flagon  of  1863,  given  by  Mrs.  Maltby,  wife  of 
the  rector,  are  now  in  use  at  the  church  at  Haverton 
Hill." 

The  registers  begin  in  1539.  There  is  a  gap 
between  the  years  I  550  and  I  374. 

The  Bishops  of  Durham  had  the 
ADFOIVSON  patronage  of  the  church  down  to 
1859,  but  the  king  presented  at 
various  times  during  a  vacancy  of  the  sec.'^  The 
patronage  was  transferred  to  the  Bishop  of  Manchester 
in  1859,'^  but  was  afterwards  exchanged  for  an 
advowson  in  Lancashire.  Col.  Mackenzie  was  patron 
about  1885,  and  Sir  Hugh  Bell,  bart.,  now  has  the 
presentation. 

The  appearance  of  Gille,  clerk  of  Egglescliffe,  among 
ecclesiastical  witnesses  to  a  charter  in  1085  ""  indicates 
probably  that  there  was  then  a  church.  The  earliest 
distinct   mention  of  the   church    is  a  century   later, 


**  The  font  cover  is  illustrated  in  Proc. 
Soc,  Antiq.  NezucaitU  (Ser.  3),  iv,  252. 
For  font  see  Trans.  Dur.  Arch.  Soc.  vi,  251. 

"  Proc.  Soc.  Antij.  Newcauli,  iii,  196. 
A  third  old  bcU  was  sold  to  Yarm  Church 
about  1 81  5  fnr  /'ii- 


"Ibid,  iv,  152.  When  Mrs.  Maltby 
gave  this  plate  to  Egglescliffe,  the  old 
chalice  and  paten  and  the  Sheffield  flagon 
were  sent  to  Haverton  Hill.  They  were 
recovered  in  1906  and  Mrs.  Maltby's 
vessels  loaned  instead, 

231 


"  The  calendars  of  the  patent  rolli 
afford  a  number  of  examples. 

^*  Land.  Gax.  5  Aug.  1859,  p.  2998. 

"  Hii:.  Dunelm.  Serif  r.  Trts  (Surt.  Soc), 
p.  XX. 


A   HISTORY  OF   DURHAM 


when  it  contributed  3  marks  to  an  aid  in  1199.'' 
The  value  of  the  benefice  was  taxed  at  £^0  a  year 
in  1291,"*  but  by  1318  this  had  been  reduced 
to  j^20  15/."  In  1535  the  annual  value  was 
^29,  out  of  which  3^.  was  paid  to  the  arch- 
deacon ;  -"  the  receipts  included  5/.  from  Middieton 
St.  George.-' 

In  1386  a  chamber  on  the  west  of  the  rectory 
house  near  the  churchyard  gate  was  confirmed  to 
John  de  EgglesclifFe,  chaplain,  for  life." 

The  proceedings  at  the  court  of  the  rectorial  manor 
are  among  the  parish  records.^*^ 

There  was  no  endowed  chantry  at  the  parish  church, 
but  chapels  existed  at  Aislaby  and  Newsham.  William 
de  Aislaby  in  131  3  gave  3  oxgangs  of  land  in  alms 
for  a  priest  in  St.  Thomas  the  Martyr's  chapel  at 
Aislaby,"  and  in  1342  John  de  Aislaby  presented 
to  the  chantry  then  vacant.-*  The  advowson  of  the 
chapel  of  Newsham  was  among  the  possessions  of  John 
de  Baliiol  in  1294,-'  and  several  presentations  to  it  are 
recorded.'-''  The  advowson  is  mentioned  in  1397.-' 
In  the  15th  century   Bishop  Langley  sequestered  the 


chapel  of  St.  James  until  the  chaplain  had  paid  the 
arrears  of  a  pension  of  3/.  due  to  the  rector  of  Eggles- 
clifFe.-*" The  later  history  of  these  chapels  is  unknown, 
but  three  messuages  and  3  oxgangs  of  land  in  Aislaby 
belonging  to  St.  Thomas  the  Martyr's  chapel  there 
were  leased  by  the  Crown  in  1597  to  Christopher 
Sherwood  and  were  sold  by  the  Crown  in  1605  to 
Sir  Henry  Lindley  and  John  Starkey.-'  One  acre  of 
land  called  Lampland  was  given  to  the  church  of 
EgglesclifFe  for  the  maintenance  of  a  lamp.'" 

The    charity    of    William     Hall, 
CHARITIES     founded  by  deed,  1660,  consists  of  a 
rent-charge  of  £6  yearly  issuing  out 
of  land  at  Yarm  in   Yorkshire.     The  annuity  is  dis- 
tributed equally  among  five  poor  widows. 

Ann  French,  by  her  will  proved  at  Durham  in 
1836,  bequeathed  ^^loo,  the  income  to  be  divided  at 
Christmas  among  the  poor.  The  legacy  is  represented 
by  £io()  2s.  lod.  consols  with  the  official  trustees. 
The  annual  dividends,  amounting  to  £z  14;.  ^d.,  are 
distributed  to  the  poor  in  sums  of  5/. 

For  the  National  School  see  article  on  schools. '' 


ELTON 


Eligtune  (c.  I  180)  Elleton  (c.  1200). 

The  compact  parish  of  Elton,  consisting  of  a  single 
township,  lies  to  the  west  of  Stockton  ;  it  has  Long 
Newton  to  the  south  and  west,  Redmarshall  and 
Norton  to  the  North.  The  southern  boundary  is 
formed  by  Coatham  Beck,  flowing  east  to  the  Tees  ; 
beside  it  is  the  lowest  land  in  the  parish,  about  50  ft. 
above  sea  level,  but  the  surficc  gradually  rises  towards 
the  north-west  till  l  70  feet  is  attained  at  the  junction 
with  Redmarshall.     The  area  is  1,444  *cres. 

The  principal  road  is  that  going  west  from  Stockton 
to  D.irlington.  On  it  are  situated  the  few  houses  of  the 
village  with  the  church  and  inn.  The  hall  and  Spring 
House  lie  to  the  south,  V'iewley  Hill  to  the  west, 
Sandy  Leas  nearer  the  centre,  and  Elton  Moor  in  the 
north.      There  are  several  plantations. 

The  soil  is  clay.  The  parish  contained  345  acres  of 
arable,  906  of  permanent  grass,  and  1 44  of  woods  and 
plantations.'  Wheat  and  oats  are  grown.  Stone 
quarries  were  formerly  worked. 

The  history  of  Elton  has  been  without  much 
notable  incident.  In  the  story  of  St.  Godric,  a  leprous 
woman  from  '  Hailtune  '  near  Darlington  is  said  to 
have  been  cured  at  his  intercession  ;  Norman  the 
priest  of  the  vill  took  her  to  the  hospital  at  '  Badela  ' 
and  afterwards  showed  her,  cured,  to  his  parishioners.- 


To  the  Northern    Rising   of  1 569  the   parish   con- 
tributed four  men,  of  whom  one  was  executed.' 

The  Protestation  of  1 641  was  signed  here.'' 

Bishop  Aldhun  (990-1018)  gave 
MANOR  ELTON  among  other  lands  with  his 
daughter  Ecgfrida  to  Uchtred  son  of  the 
Earl  of  Northumbria.  It  was  restored  by  her  to  the 
bishopric  when  she  became  a  nun.'''  After  the  Conquest 
Elton  is  found  among  the  possessions  of  the  Brus 
family,  apparently  held  of  Hartness.''  On  the  for- 
feiture of  Robert  de  Brus  in  i  306  the  overlordship 
must  have  been  granted  to  Robert  de  Clifford  as  an 
appurtenance  of  the  manor  of  Hart  (q.v.).'  Elton  is 
subsequently  said  to  be  held  of  the  Clifford  family.** 

About  1 1 84  Robert  de  Brus  confirmed  Elton  to 
William  son  of  Silvester  de  Humez,  stating  that  his 
father  had  granted  it  to  Peter  Werenge,  ancestor  of 
the  said  Silvester  ;  it  was  to  be  held  by  the  service  of 
a  fourth  part  of  a  knight's  fee.""  The  wardship  was 
given  to  Peter  de  Humez  till  William  should  become 
a  knight  ;  if  he  should  die  without  issue  the  land  was 
to  go  to  Robert  de  Humez  and  Peter  de  Humez.' 
William  de  Humez  was  in  possession  of  the  advowson 
in  the  time  of  Bishop  Philip  de  Poitou  (i  1 97-1  208).'" 
His  heir  is  not  known.  Sir  Henry  de  Ewe  from 
Elton  is  included  in   the  list  of  the  bishop's  knights 


"  Fife  R.  of  Dur.  (Soc.  Antiq.  New- 
castle-on-Tvnc),  loi. 

'«  Pope  Aid.  Tax.  (Rec.  Com.),  7,1  i. 

19  Ibid.  330. 

»o  rahr  Eccl.  (Rec.  Com.),  v,  318. 

='  Ibid.  317. 

'-  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  32,  m.  8  d. 

"a  Inform,  from  Rev.  A.  T.  Dingle, 
rector. 

"  Reg.  Palat.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  ii, 
1238-40. 

"  Ibid,  iii,  513.  "  Ibid,  ii,  798-9. 

»«  Ca/.  Pat.  1 31 3-17,  p.  479!  '3'7- 
21,  pp.  326,  377,  379  ;   1324-7.  P-  ■4- 

''  Inq.  p.m.  of  Thomaa  Earl  of  War- 
wick, 21  Ric.  II,  no.  137,  m.  9. 


"  Surtces,  op.  cit.  iii,  208,  citing  Reg. 
Langley,  83. 

"  Aug.  Off.  Partic.  for  Leases,  file  36, 
no.  14  ;  Pat.  3  Jas.  I,  pt.  x.  In  I  597  the 
surveyor  reported  that  no  rent  had  hereto- 
fore been  paid,  but  he  had  seen  an  ancient 
deed  showing  that  the  tenements  had  been 
held  by  the  chaplains  of  Aislaby  for  two 
hundred  years. 

'"  Aug.  Off.  Partic.  for  Leases,  file  34, 
no.  59  ;    Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  94,  m.  38 d. 

31  y.C.H.  Dur.  i,  406. 

'  Statistics  from  Bd.  of  Agric.  (1905). 

»  Fiia  S.  Godrki  (Surt.  Soc),  455.  The 
identification  of  the  place  does  not  seem 
to  be  certain. 

232 


3  Sharp,  Mem.  of  Rehelliony  251. 

'  Hhi.  MSS.  Com.  Rep.  v,  App.  12;. 

^Simeon   of  Dur.   (Rolls  Ser.),    i,   215, 

2'7- 

''Cotton  Chart,  xviii,  50;  Guiiboro^ 
Chartul.  (Surt.  Soc),  ii,  1339  \  Cal.  Inj, 
p.m.  (Edw.  Ill),  viii,  381. 

^  Cal.  Pat.  I  301-7,  p.  436. 

'Ibid.  1345-48,  p.  214;  Dur.  Rec. 
cl.  3,  no.  3,  fol.  12,  36. 

'■a  Pipe  R.  1 1  Hen.  II  (Pipe  R.  Soc),  49. 

9  Cotton  Chart,  xviii,  50.  Peter's  name 
occurs  in  the  Liber  Vitae  of  Durham  Priory 
(Surt.  Soc),  16. 

'»  Boldon  Bk.  (Surt.  Soc),  App.  xvi. 
See  under  advowson. 


STOCKTON    WARD 


ELTON 


Go  w  E  R.  Azure  a 
chrveron  benveen  three 
talbots  argent. 


in  1264."  Before  1284  Robert,  son  and  heir  of  Sir 
Robert  Gower  of  Faceby  (Yorks),  released  to  his 
father  all  claim  on  land  which  Sir  Robert  had  by 
inheritance  or  purchase  in  the  vill  of  Elton.'-  The 
younger  Robert  and  his  wife  Christiana  had  a  grant 
from  John  Tylliol  of  the  county  of  Cumberland  of 
a  capital  messuage  with  eight  tofts  and  eight  oxgangs 
in  Elton,  to  be  held  of  Robert  de  Brus  as  chief  lord  of 
the  fee."  An  estate  in  Elton  subsequently  descended 
in  the  Gower  family  for  nearly  three  centuries.  Sir 
Robert  Gower  the  younger 
was  dead  in  I  3  I  5,  when  there 
was  a  dispute  between  Alan 
the  Chaplain  and  Adam  the 
reeve  of  Elton  concerning  the 
payment  for  his  obit.'*  He  had 
sons  John  and  Laurence,'-^  who 
are  not,  however,  mentioned 
in  connection  with  Elton.  It 
seems,  however,  to  have 
followed  the  descent  of  Faceby, 
which  in  1341  was  held  by 
William  Gower,  tenant  of 
Elton  in  1 344.'^^  He  died 
before  November  1346  when 

the  advowson  was  in  the  king's  hands  owing  to 
the  minority  of  his  heir.'*  Richard  Gower  of 
Marton  in  1364  released  to  Gilbert  de  Wauton, 
Christiana  his  wife,  and  Elizabeth  her  sister,  all 
his  right  in  the  manors  of  Elton  and  Faceby 
(Yorks).  Elton  did  not,  however,  subsequently 
descend  with  Faceby."  In  I  378  Thomas  Chancellor 
as  guardian  of  Thomas  son  of  William  Gower  pre- 
sented to  the  church,  and  it  was  found  that  Joan 
widow  of  Sir  William  Gower  had  last  presented."* 
Thomas  Gower  of  Elton  appears  to  have  come  of 
age  by  1382."  He  was  apparently  succeeded  by 
Laurence  Gower,  perhaps  his  nephew,  who  died  seised 
of  half  the  manor.  Laurence  was  the  son  of  Laurence 
the  son  of  William  the  son  of  John  Gower  of  Elton 
and  Agnes  his  wife.-" 

He  had  two  sons  Thomas  and  Edward.  The 
former  left  a  son  and  heir  Ralph,  who  was  dead  in 
1546,  when  it  was  found  that  his  heir  was  Edward's 
grandson,  Laurence  Tregos  alias  Thorowgood  or 
Strodar,  son  of  Anne  the  daughter  of  Edward.  The 
inheritance  comprised  a  moiety  of  the  manor  of  Elton, 
with  I  2  messuages  and  460  acres  of  land  and  lands 
in  Little  Stainton.-'  In  1 552  Richard  Stoughton 
and  Margaret  his  wife  conveyed  to  Henry  Wethereld 

"  Dtp.    Kctprr'i 


Errington.  Argent 
tao  bars  v;ith  three 
scallops  in  the  chief  all 
azure. 


5  messuagesand  340  acres  of  land  in  Elton  and  Little 
Stainton. ^^  Later  conveyances  must  have  put  Weth- 
ereld in  possession  of  the  whole  estate  of  the  Gowers, 
of  which  he  died  seised  in  i  5  59."  His  son  and  heir 
was  Roger,**  who  appears  to  have  sold  this  part  of 
the  manor  to  Thomas  Errington.  In  1595  Thomas 
Errington  died  in  possession,  leaving  a  son  and  heir 
John,  then  nine  years  old.^'* 

John  Errington,  being  a  recusant,  took  sides  with 
the  king  in  the  Civil  War,  and  was  a  colonel.  His 
son,  John  Errington  the 
younger,  also  served  with  the 
royal  forces,  and  in  1644  their 
estates  were  sequestered  by  the 
Parliament.^''  A  fifth  was 
allowed  to  Mary,  wife  of  the 
elder  John.-'  Finally  theestates 
were  confiscated  under  the 
third  act  of  1652,^'  and  sold. 2'-* 
They  were  recovered  at  the 
Restoration,  and  in  1664  John 
Errington  and  Anne  his  wife, 
with  his  son  John, conveyed  the 
manor  to  Henry  Lambton.-'* 
John  Errington  was  probably 

unable  to  retrieve  his  losses  occasioned  by  the  war,  and 
in  1682  he  sold  his  lands  to  Sir  Robert  Shafto,  whose 
descendant  John  Shafto  of  Whitworth  (q.v.)  made  a 
settlement  in  1 798.''*  He  sold  it  before  1 802,  the  date 
of  his  death,  to  Thomas  Wade.^'  It  descended  to  his 
son,  the  Rev.  Albany  Wade,  rector  of  Elton  from  1  840 
to  1855,  and  by  his  trustees  was  sold  to  Mr.  John 
Stapylton  Sutton,  who  afterwards  sold  his  estate  here 
to  the  late  Thomas  Appleby  of  Hartlepool.  Thomas 
Appleby  died  in  1909,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  son 
Mr.  John  Stanley  Appleby,  who  between  1914  and 
1926  sold  all  his  lands  except  one  farm  mostly  to  the 
tenants.  The  New  Hall  which  he  built  and  two 
farms  were  purchased  about  1924  by  Mr.  Robert 
Ropner  (second  son  of  the  late  Sir  Robert  Ropner, 
Bt.),  who  resides  at  the  hall.'- 

That  part  of  the  manor  which  did  not  belong  to 
the  Gowers  was  probably  held  by  the  Bowes  family 
as  early  as  1435,  when  they  had  two-thirds  of  the 
advowson. ^^  How  they  obtained  it  is  unknown,  and 
the  earliest  record  of  its  possession  is  some  feoffments 
ofthe'manor'  in  1469  by  William  Bowes  of  Dalden,^* 
whose  widow  had  lands  assigned  her  in  this  place  in 
1474.^'''  There  was  another  feoffment  of 'the  manorand 
vill 'of  Elton  by  Ralph  Bowes  in  1497.'"  Again,  it  was 


1'  Hatfiehi'i  Surv.  (Surt.  Soc),  p.  XV. 
The  name  is  given  as  Rowlee  in  Far. 
Coll.  (Hist.  MSS.  Com.),  ii,  88. 

"  Aug.  Off.  Misc.  Bks.  Hi,  no.  56. 

"  Ibid,  liii,  no.  246. 

"  Reg.  Palm.  Dimelm.  (Rcc.  Com.),  ii, 
764,  Sir  Robert  was  living  in  December 
1313  (ibid.  1240). 

'*  Aug.  Off.  Misc.  Bks.  xxxix,  no.  62  ; 
Cal.  Par.  1507-13,  p.  603  ;  cf.  I^.C.H. 
Torks.  N.  R.  ii,  3  i  3  ;  Def.  Keeper's  Rep. 
xxxi,  App.  72. 

'■''»  Ca/.  Inq.  p.m.  (Edw.  Ill),  viii,  202, 

384. 

'H  Ca/.  Pal.  1345-8,  p.  214;  cf.  Cal. 
Fine  R.  1337-47,  p.  480. 

"  Anct.  D.  (P.R.O.),  B  3703.  See 
F.C.H.  i'orks.  N.  /!.  ii,  313. 

^^  Hutchinson,  Hiir.  an  J  Antiif.  of  Dur, 
iii,  166,  citing  Dur.  Epis.  Reg.  Hatfield, 
fol.  142. 


Rtp.    xxxii,    App.  i. 


304. 

'"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  177,  no.  71. 
Agnes  was  the  daughter  of  William  son 
of  Hugh  of  Newbiggin  (ibid.),  that  is  to 
say,  William  Hewctson,  one  of  whose 
heirs  in  March  i  564-5  was  John  son  of 
John  Gower  (ibid.  no.  2,  fol.  73).  The 
part  of  the  manor  held  by  the  Gowers 
was  probably  in  fact  only  one-third.  They 
had  a  third  of  the  advowson  (Hutchinson, 
loc.  cit.). 

-■'  Ibid. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  1  (i). 

"  Ibid.  no.  6,  fol.  57. 

"  Ibid. 

"Ibid,  file  192,  no.  27;  Dur.  ffitls 
and  Invent.  (Surt.  Soc),  ii,  253.  In  1618 
John  purchased  4  messuages  and  lands 
from   George  Sym,  William  Stephenson, 


'■Zi 


John  Storey  and  Anne  his  wife  (Dur. 
Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  3  [2]). 

-'  Roy.  Comp.  in  Dur.  (Surt.  Soc),  3, 
7,  66.  Details  of  the  lands  are  given 
(ibid.  35).  The  father  was  described  as 
of  Rudby  in  Yorks. 

-'  Ibid.  22.  '^  Ibid.  p.  xxxiii. 

-^  Cal.  Com.  for  Comp.  iv,  2772. 

"a  Dur.  Rcc  cl.  12,  no.  6  (3). 

*'  Ibid.  cl.  3,  R.  132,  no.  10. 

^'  Surtees,  Hist,  and  Aniij.  of  Dur.  iii, 
209,  295. 

"  Inform,  of  the  Rev.  H.  S.  Milner, 
rector,  Mr.  J.  S.  Sutton,  and  Mr.  J.  S. 
Appleby. 

•**  Hutchinson,  op.  cit.  iii,  166. 

"  Dur.  Rcc  cl.  3,  R.  50,  m.  lid. 

"  Ibid.  m.  I7d. 

"  Ibid,  file  169,  no.  JO.  See  Streatlam 
for  this  family. 

30 


A   HISTORY  OF   DURHAM 


Bowts.   Ermine  three 
bent  bows  palezone  gules. 


included  in  a  feoffment  made  in  I  5  i  z,''  and  in  1516 
the  Bowes'  manor  of  Elton  was  said  to  be  held  of 
Henry  Clifford.'*  Dorothy,  a  daughter  and  coheir  of 
George  Bowes,  married  Cuthbcrt  Coliingwood,'-'  and 
in  I  574  they  sold  '  the  manor  ' 
of  Elton  to  Thomas  Serjeant- 
son  and  John,  Thomas,  and 
Christopher  Jefferson.^"  An 
estate,  amounting  to  10^ 
oxgangs,  with  part  of  the 
advowson,  probably  part  of  the 
Bowes'  property,  was  bought 
by  Robert  Conyers  from  John 
Mitforth  senior  and  John 
Mitforth  junior.'" 

Robert  Jefferson's  lands  at 
Elton  are  mentioned  in 
1651.''-  In  1664  a  settle- 
ment was  made  by  Margaret  Jefferson,  widow,  and 
John  Jefferson,^'  and  in  June  1703  Elizabeth  widow 
of  Sir  John  Jefferson  and  her  son  John  sold  two 
messuages,  lands  and  the  advowson  of  the  church  to 
John  Jefferson,  yeoman,  of  Norton."  Anne,  the 
eventual  heiress  of  John  Jefferson,  in  1760  married 
Thomas  Hogg  of  Norton,  from  whom  is  descended 
Mr.  John  Ewer  Jefferson  Hogg  of  Norton,  sheriff  of 
the  county  in  1903.*' 

Another  part  of  the  Jefferson  estate  appears  to  have 
descended,  by  the  marriage  of  Thomas  Sutton  with 
Rachel  Jefferson  in  1692,  to  their  grandson  George 
Sutton,  who  died  in  1 8 1  7,  and  from  him,  through  his 
cousin  Elizabeth  Sleigh,  who  married  John  Hutchin- 
son, to  her  son  George,  who  took  the  name  of  Sutton.''^ 
He  was  father  of  Mr.  John  Stapylton  Sutton,  men- 
tioned above. 

In  131  I  it  was  found  that  4  oxgangs  in  Elton  had 
been  granted  by  Maud,  kinswoman  of  Robert  de  Brus, 
to  Guisborough  Priory,  and  that  the  gift  had  been 
confirmed  by  Robert.*'  These  lands  were  described 
as  '  the  Manor  of  Elton  '  in  i  344.*'^ 

The  lands  formerly  held  by  Guisborough  Priory 
were  in  1544  granted  by  the  Crown  to  Sir  Thomas 
Wharton  Lord  Wharton.*'  In  161 2  Philip  Lord 
■  Wharton  and  Dorothy  his  wife  had  land  in  Elton 
among  other  places.*'  John  Lord  Lumley  (1609) 
held  land  here  of  the  king."'" 

The  freeholders  in  1684  were  Sir  Robert  Shafto, 
John  Jefferson,  Thomas  Dodd  of  Dalton,  and  John 
Hendry  of  Norton. ■'' 

The  church  ^^  of  ST.  JOHN  consists 
CHURCH  of  a  chancel  19  ft.  by  i  5  ft.,  with  vestry  on 
the  north  side,  nave  33  ft.  3  in.  by  18  ft., 
and  south  porch  4  ft.  6  in.  square,  all  these  measure- 
ments being  internal.  There  is  also  a  bellcote  over 
the  west  gable  containing  two  bells. 

The  structure  dates  from  the  i  2th  century,  but  was 


almost  entirely  rebuilt  in  1 841.  The  plan,  however, 
remains  unchanged,  and  some  ancient  features  have 
been  retained  internally.  The  external  appearance  of 
the  building  is  entirely  modern,  the  roofs  being  of  slate 
xvith  overhanging  eaves,  the  nave  windows  are  small 
lancets,''-  and  the  east  window  is  of  two  trefoiled  lights 
with  a  circle  in  the  head. 

The  chancel  arch  is  an  interesting  example  of  I  2th- 
century  work,  forming  a  stone  screen  of  three  openings, 
all  with  semicircular  moulded  arches,  the  middle  one, 
or  chancel  arch  proper,  being  6  ft.  10  in.  in  width. 
The  arches  are  divided  by  rectangular  piers  with 
attached  shafts  facing  the  nave,  standing  on  stone 
walls  2  ft.  8  in.  high  on  either  side  of  the  middle 
opening.  The  shafts  have  moulded  bases  and  cushion 
capitals  with  chamfered  imposts,  the  outer  jambs  of 
the  side  openings,  which  are  only  3  ft.  in  width,  being 
square  with  imposts  only.  The  arches  spring  at  a 
height  of  8  ft.  9  in.,  and  the  middle  one  is  ornamented 
with  plain  beak-heads.  The  whole  of  the  stonework 
is  original. 

The  doorway  to  the  vestry  is  also  of  late  12th- 
century  date,  but  is  not  in  its  original  position.'''  It 
has  a  semicircular  arch  of  a  single  order,  with  plain 
chamfered  head  and  jambs  and  moulded  label.  The 
roof  of  the  chancel  is  lower  than  that  of  the  nave,  but 
the  floors  are  on  the  same  level. 

The  original  12th-century  south  doorway  has  been 
rebuilt  inside  the  church,  and  has  a  semicircular  arch 
with  cheveron  moulding  springing  from  chamfered 
imposts.  Only  the  arch  itself  is  old,  the  jambs  being 
plastered,  and  a  modern  pointed  arch,  which  alone 
shows  to  the  porch,  has  been  introduced  below. 

On  the  south  side  of  the  chancel  is  the  cross-legged 
effigy  of  a  man  in  chain  armour  with  feet  resting  on 
a  talbot.  It  has  not  been  identified,  but  in  1714  was 
referred  to  as  '  Gower's  statue.'^'  The  monument 
possibly  commemorates  Robert  Gower  the  younger, 
who  died  about  I  3 1  5,  for  whom  there  was  an  obit  in 
the  church. 

The  fittings  erected  in  1841  were  square,  high, 
painted  deal  pews,  with  a  pulpit  of  similar  type  under 
the  southern  opening  of  the  screen,  and  a  reading 
desk  below  the  north  opening.  These  were  removed 
in  1874  and  pitch  pine  seating  substituted.  The 
font  and  the  pulpit  (which  is  of  wrought  iron)  also 
dates  from  1874.'° 

A  painted  wooden  rood  screen  was  erected  in  1907 
by  Mary  Scott  in  memory  of  her  sister  Eleanor.  It 
fills  the  three  openings  of  the  stone  screen,  over  which 
is  a  rood  and  its  accompanying  figures,  the  whole  being 
a  fine  piece  of  decorative  design.  It  has  doors  to  the 
middle  opening,  and  the  lower  portion  contains  painted 
figures  of  SS.  Matthew,  Andrew,  Peter,  Paul,  James, 
and  James  the  Less.'*  In  1925  a  heating  chamber 
was  added  on  the  north  side  of  the  nave  by  Mrs. 


''  Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  3,  no.  3,  fol.  12,  36. 

'8  Ibid. 

"  Foster,  Dur.  Pid.  38. 

'"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  i  (2);  cl.  3, 
R.  1 56,  m.  ;o. 

*'  Sec  below,  advowson. 

*'  Roy,  Comp.  in  Dur.  (Surt.  Soc), 
225. 

*'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  6  (3). 

*<  Ibid.  cl.  12,  no.  1 6  (3);  cl.  3,  R. 
Ii9d. 

*^  Burke,  Landed  Gentry. 

**  Surtces,  op.  cit.  iii,  210. 


*^  Guisboro^    Chartul.    (Surt.    Soc),    ii, 

343-4- 

"a  Cal.  Inj.  p.m.  (Edw.  Ill),  viii,  381. 
*^  L.and P.Hen.  riII,x\x{l),g.Soo{i). 
*'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  i  (3)  ;  no.   3 

(>)• 

^"  Dep.  Keeper  s  Rep.  xliv,  App.  455. 

'*  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  209. 

■^'3  The  invocation  is  unknown;  the 
late  rector  gave  it  the  title  of  St.  John, 
but  without  authority. 

"  Surtces,  writing  before  the  rebuilding 
(c.  1823),   says,   'The  old  narrow   lights 

234 


arc  chiefly  replaced  by  modern  sashes  * 
(op.  cit.  iii,  210). 

^  Surtees  mentions  a  *  round  arch  closed 
up  on  the  north  side  of  the  nave  '  (ibid.). 

^*  Proc,  Soc.  Anti'^.  NetixaitUy  iv,  152, 
quoting  Elton  Church  books  where  men- 
tion is  made  of  'the  panelled  work  above 
Gower's  statue.' 

^^  The  pedestal  of  the  1841  font  is  in 
the  churchyard. 

**  It  was  designed  by  Mr.  J.  N, 
Comper,  The  paintings  are  by  Miss  E. 
Gulland. 


STOCKTON    WARD 


ELWICK  HALL 


Morrison,  daughter  of  the  late  Mr.  J.  Stapylton 
Sutton,  in  memory  of  her  parents.  A  painted  figure 
of  the  Virgin  and  Child  was  erected  at  the  north-east 
corner  of  the  nave,  as  a  memorial  of  the  Peace  of 
1919. 

In  the  floor  of  the  chancel  is  a  stone  to  Mary,  wife 
of  Henry  Doughty,  rector,  who  died  in  1683,  and  on 
the  north  wall  a  tablet  to  John  Sutton  of  Stockton, 
who  died  in  I  792.'' 

The  plate  consists  of  a  silver  chalice  of  I  570,  made 
at  York,  a  plated  paten,  and  a  flagon  made  from  a 
plated  cup.'* 

The  registers  begin  in  1573. 

The  advowson  was  anciently  an 
ADyOPFSON  appurtenance  of  the  manor,  though 
it  seems  to  have  been  in  dispute  as 
early  as  1185  when  William  de  Howden  paid  2 
marks  for  licence 
to  cancel  an  agree- 
ment whereby  he 
quitclaimed  it  to 
Peter  de  Humez  ; 
the  church  was 
then  endowed  with 
an  oxgang  of 
land."*  Bishop 
Philip  (1  197- 
1208)  appears  to 
have  claimed  it, 
perhaps  regarding 
Elton  as  a  depen- 
dency of  Norton, 
for  he  gave  a  formal 
release  to  William 
de  Humez  of  all 
right  in  the  advow- 
son of  the  ch.ipel 
(not  church)  of 
Elton,  as  being 
William's  by  here- 
ditary right  accord- 
ing to  the  verdict 
vicinity 


William  Bowes  had  two  and 


Gower  the  third.*"- 


Elton   Church   from    ihk   SouTH-wtsT 


of  the  lawful  men  of  the 
In  13 16  the  king  presented  because  of 
his  custody  of  the  lands  and  heir  of  Robert  de 
Clifford,  deceased.^"  The  king  .igain  presented  in 
I  346  by  reason  of  his  custody  of  the  lands  and  heir 
of  William  Gower."  In  1435  it  was  found  on  in- 
quiry  that   out  of  three    turns   of  presentation    Sir 


The  advowson  of  Elton  church  was  included  in  the 
conveyance  to  Henry  Wethereld  made  in  1552  by 
Richard  and  .Margaret  Stoughton .'"'-* 

A  third  part  of  the  advowson  was  acquired,  pre- 
sumably from  the  heirs  of  George  Bowes,  by  Robert 
Conyers  of  Coatham  Stob,  and  with  land  in  Elton  is 
mentioned  in  his  will  of  l^SSS'^  It  was  forfeited 
with  the  manor  of  Coatham  Stob  by  his  elder  son 
Ralph  in  1569.''^  In  January  1572-3  it  was  granted 
to  Roger  Manners,"  from  whom  it  was  probably 
purchased  by  the  Errington  family.  In  1667  John 
Jefferson  and  John  Errington  were  said  to  present 
alternately,'"'  but  in  1758  it  appeared  that  the  suc- 
cessors of  the  Erringtons  were  entitled  to  two  thirds, 
while  Miss  Ann  Jefferson  had  one  "•' 

The  Shafto  right  was  sold  to  Wade  along  with  the 

manor,  and  descen- 
ded to  the  Rev.  Al- 
bany Wade,  whose 
represen  ta  t  ives 
about  1870  sold  to 
Mrs.  Elizabeth 
Milner.^*  The  ex- 
ecutors of  thislajy 
have  now  the  larger 
share  (two  turns) 
and  Mr.  J.  E. 
Jefferson  Hogg  of 
Norton  the  smaller 
(one  turn). 

The  rectory  was 
valued  at  £\  6s.  8</. 
in  I  291,''^  but  this 
was  reduced  as  in 
other  cases  before 
1318,  when  £2 
was  the  value.'"  By 
1535  this  had  risen 
to  £j  u.  sK^' 
An  acre  of  land 
given  for  the  maintenance  of  a  light  was  in  the 
tenure  of  John  Sayer  in  February  1562-3  when 
it  was  leased  to  Christopher  Chaytor  ;  this  land 
was  included  in  a  Crown  sale  of  former  church  lands 
in  1609."^ 

There  are  apparently  no  endowed  charities  in  this 
parish. 


ELWICK  HALL 


Ailewic  (xii  cent.)  ;  Elwyk  (xiii  cent.)  ;  EUevvvk 
(xiv  cent.). 

The  parish  is  bounded  by  Elwick  on  the  north 
and  Dalton  Piercy  on  the  north-east,  both  within  the 
parish  of  Hart.     On  the  east  Elwick  Hall  borders  upon 


Brierton,  in  the  parish  of  Stranton,  and  on  the  town- 
ship of  Claxton,  from  which  it  is  divided  by  Claxton 
Beck.  On  the  south-east  and  south  the  boundary  is 
the  North  Burn,  dividing  Elwick  Hall  from  the  town- 
ships  of  Newton    Bewley  and  Wolviston.     On    the 


*'  The  moaumcntal  inscriptions  in  the 
old  church  are  given  in  Surteea,  op,  cit. 
iii,  210. 

^^  Proc,  Soc.  Antiq,  Nrwcatile^  iv, 
151. 

'**Pifc  R.  31  Hin.  II  (Pipe  R.  Soc), 
152. 

^'  Madox,  Form.  Angl.  (ed.  1702),  370, 
no.  663. 

^  Cal.  Pat.  IJ13-17,  p.  550. 


"  Ibid.  1 345-8,  p.  214. 

"  Hutchinson,  op.  cit.  iii,  1 66,  quoting 
Dur.  Epis.  Langlcy  Reg.  fol.  303. 

•'»  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  1(1). 

"  Dur.  fy.lU  anJ  Invent.  (Surt.  Soc), 
iii,  35  ;  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  219. 

"  Eich.     K.R.     Misc.     Bits,    xixviii, 

244-?- 

"^  Pat.  15  Eli«.  pt.  viii,  m.  23,  together 
with  the  lands  of  Robert  Conyera. 


•*  Hutchinson,  op.  cit.  iii,  166. 

^  Ibid.  See  also  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  1 31 
no.  10,  and  cf.  Inst.  Bks.  (P.R.O.). 

•^  Inform,  of  the  Rev.  H.  S.  Milner 
M.A.,  rector. 

"  Pafc  Nich.  Tax.  (Rec.  Com.),  3 1  5. 

■"Ibid.  330. 

"  rahr  Eicl.  (Rec.  Com.),  v,  330. 

•^  Aug.  Of}'.  Partic.  for  Leases,  file  34, 
no.  ;9  ;  Pat.  7  Jas.  I,  pt.  x. 


235 


A  HISTORY  OF   DURHAM 


south-west  is  the  parish  of  Grindon,  and  on  the  west 
the  township  of  Embleton,  from  which  Elwick  H.iU 
is  divided  by  Amerston  Beck. 

The  boundaries  of  the  parish  are  entered  in  the 
Parish  Register  as  follows  under  the  date  I  744  '  : — 

The  first  boundary  at  tht  gate  going  out  of  the  glebe  in  the 
road  to  Trimden,  John  Speck's  land  on  one  side  the  road,  and 
William  Jourdison's  on  the  other.  The  iiJ  in  high  Stotfold 
Moor,  in  a  corner  beneath  a  hill  close  by  the  beck  side,  butting 
on  Mr  Mairc's  land,  in  the  parish  of  Sedgefield.  The  iii*'  in  a 
corner  of  Amerstone  farm,  North  west  of  the  Gill,  between 
Sir  Edward  Smith's  land  and  Mr  Mairc's.  The  iiii'li  in  Close 
farm  in  the  Gill  by  the  beck  side,  where  the  water  makes  a 
peninsula,  butting  on  Sir  Edward  Smith's  land,  and  near 
Mr  Tempest's.  The  v''^  in  Poplar  row  farm,  in  the  corner 
of  a  field  butting  on  Mr  Tempest's  and  Mr  Spearman's  land. 
The  vi'*'  in  Newton-Hansard,  in  a  field  butting  on  Mr.  Tempest's 
land  in  Grindon  parish,  and  on  Mr  Hogg's  land  in  Wolvistnn 
Chapelry.  The  vW^^  in  High  Bruntoft,  at  a  gate  in  the  Gill, 
butting  on  John  Grange's  land  in  Wolviston  Chapelry,  The 
viii'ii  in  the  Stobb  farm,  close  by  the  beck  side,  butting  on  the 
glebe  land,  and  on  Mr  Smith's,  in  the  township  of  Newton. 
The  ix'*i  m  Low  Stutfold,  in  the  meadow-field  near  the  beck 
side,  butting  on  Claxton  lands,  in  the  parish  of  Grcatham,  and 
on  Brearton  lands,  in  the  parish  of  Stranton.  The  x^l'  in  Middle 
Stotfold  pasture,  and  the  gate  going  into  the  landing  (sic),  and 
butting  on  high  Stotfold  grounds  and  on  Grace  Ranson's  and 
William  Chilton's  lands  in  the  parish  of  Hart. 

Elwick  Hall  is  known  as  the  West  parish,  to  dis- 
tinguish it  from  Elwick  in  Hart  parish,  which  is  called 
Elwick  Eastwards.  The  only  hall  in  the  parish 
is  the  rectory,  and  it  is  unknown  how  the  name 
of  Elwick  Hall  came  to  be  attached  to  the  whole 
parish. 

Elwick  Hall  contains  4,438  acres,  of  which  1,375 
acres  are  arable  land,  2,046  acres  permanent  grass, 
and  442  acres  plantation.'-'  The  parish  contains  the 
estates  of  Amerston  in  the  north-west,  Burntoft  in  the 
south-east,  The  Close  in  the  south-west,  Newton 
Hanzard  south-south-west,  and  Stotfold  in  the  north- 
east. The  highest  point  is  Beacon  Hill  (435  ft.  above 
the  ordnance  datum),  which  lies  to  the  north-west  of 
the  church.  The  church  itself  stands  on  the  steep 
bank  of  the  Char  Beck,  at  an  elevation  of  282  ft.  It 
is  on  the  northern  boundary  of  the  parish,  and  below 
it,  in  the  valley  of  the  Char,  lies  the  village  of  Elwick 
in  the  next  parish.  It  was  this  fact  which  caused 
Hutchinson  to  write  in  1794  :  '  It  is  said  that  in  this 
parish  there  is  neither  town  nor  village,  cottage  house 
for  the  poor,  surgeon  or  apothecary,  midwife,  black- 
smith, joiner,  house-carpenter,  mason,  bricklayer,  cart 
or  wheelwright,  weaver,  butcher,  shoemaker,  taylor, 
or  barber,  school-master  or  school-mistress,  alehouse, 
public  bakehouse,  grocer  or  chandler's  shop,  or  a  corn- 
mill.' 2 

The  only  industry  is  agriculture.  The  soil  is  cla)-, 
the  subsoil  Magnesian  Limestone,  and  the  principal 
crops  are  wheat,  barley,  oats,  clover,  and  peas. 

The  main  road  from  Sunderland  to  Stockton  runs 


north  and  south  through  the  parish  close  by  the 
church.  The  road  from  Ferryhill  to  Wolviston  runs 
north-west  to  south-east  through  the  southern  part  of 
the  parish.     There  is  no  railway. 

Five  men  of  Elwick  Hall  joined  in  the  Rising  of 
the  North,  and  one  was  executed.''  Elwick  was 
occupied  by  the  Parliamentary  forces  in  1 644,  and 
the  grass  of  Baxter's  garth  there  was  '  eaten  up  by 
troopers'  horses.'  ' 

The  manor  of  ELH'ICK  comprised 
MJNORS  the  whole  of  the  township  of  Elwick 
in  Hart  parish,  and  part  of  the  parish  of 
Elwick  Hall.  As  it  is  impossible  to  distinguish  between 
the  two  portions,  they  will  here  be  treated  together 
for  the  sake  of  convenience. 

Elwick  Hall  and  Elwick  lay  within  the  district  of 
Hartness  (see  Hart).  The  Anglo-Saxon  sculptured 
stones  within  the  church  show  that  the  place  existed 
some  time  before  the  Conquest,^  but  nothing  is  known 
of  its  history  before  the  1  2th  century.  It  was  within 
the  wapentake  of  Sadbcrgh,  and  so  does  not  appear  in 
the  Boldon  Book. 

Robert  de  Brus  granted  Elwick  in  Hartness  as  dower 
to  Agatha,  his  daughter  by  his  wife  Agnes  de  Paganel, 
on  Agatha's  marriage  with  Ranulf  son  of  Ribald  lord 
of  Middleham  in  Richmondshire.''  The  date  of  this 
grant  lies  probably  between  1145  and  1154"^;  it 
has  been  conjectured,  however,  that  the  marriage  took 
place  before  11  29,'  but  as  Ranulf  was  living  as  late 
as  1  167-8,**  a  later  date  seems  more  probable. 

Ranulf  and  Agatha  were  succeeded  in  turn  by  their 
son  Robert,  living  in  1206-7,  their  grandson  Ranulf, 
who  died  in  I  25  I,  and  their 
great-grandson  Ralph.''  The 
last-named  died  in  1270, 
leaving  three  daughters,  among 
whom  his  lands  were  divided.'" 
Elwick  is  not  named,  but  it 
seems  to  have  been  allotted  to 
Mary,  the  eldest  daughter,  who 
married  Robert  Neville,"  as  it 
henceforward  descended  in  the 
Neville  family  until  the  attain- 
der of  the  last  Earl  of  West- 
morland in  1570  (see  Brance- 
peth).  It  is  always  described 
as  held  of  the  heirs  of  the  Lord  of  Hart.'- 

After  the  attainder  the  manor  was  granted  out 
in  small  freeholds,  no  one  of  which  has  any  long 
history." 

The  Earl  of  Westmorland  appointed  a  bailiff  of 
Elwick  to  collect  his  rents  and  hold  his  courts,  and 
the  tenants  were  charged  with  the  service  of  leading 
the  bailiffs  coals  from  Spenimoor  colliery.  In  1612 
the  inhabitants  of  Elwick  endeavoured  to  free  thcm- 


N  e  V 1 L  LK . 
a  iattire  argent. 


CuUi 


'  For  *  the  out  bounders  of  Elwicke  and 
Dalton  River*  in  1614  see  Spec.  Com. 
3765,  12  Jas.  I. 

'*  Statistics  from  Bd.  of  Agric.  (190^). 

■  Hutchinson,  liiit.  and  Antiq.  of  Dur, 
iii,  4.6. 

^  Sharp,  Mtm.  of  the  Rebellion  of  1569, 
250. 

'  Rec.  Com.  for  Com/..  (Surt.  Soc),  25. 

»  V.C.H.  Dur.  i,  229. 

'  Cott.  Chart,  viii,  21  ;  Farrtr,  Ear/y 
Yorks.  Chart,  ii,  3;  Surtees,  Hist,  and 
Anttq.af  Dur.  iii,  97  ;  Dugdale,  Baronage, 
i,  52. 


'a  Farrcr,  loc.  cit. 

'  Vroc.  Soc.  Aniiq.  Ne'wcaitle  (New 
Ser.),  vi,  179;  cf.  Mag.  Rot.  Scacc.  31 
Hen.  I  (Rec.  Com.),  27. 

"  Dugdale,  op.  cit.  53  ;  Pifie  R.  14  Hen. 
It  (Pipe  R.  Soc),  22  ;  I'.C.H.  Torh. 
N.R.  i,  254. 

"  Dugdale.loc.  cit.; /'.C.W.ysr/t.  loc.cit. 

'"  Excerpta  e  Rot.  Fin.  (Rec.  Com.), 
ii,  ^oS  ;    Cal,  Inj.  p.m.  Hen.  Ill,  i,  237. 

"  Dugdale,  loc.  cit. 

'■  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  263,  306, 
307  d.  ;  R.  48,  m.  19  ;  file  168,  no.  14  ; 
file  169,  no.  3  I  ;   R.  70,  m,  23  \  file  177, 

236 


no.  82  ;  no.  6,   fol.  18,  42  ;  Chan.   Inq. 
p.m.  (Ser.  2),  clxi,  7. 

"Cal.  S.  P.  Dom.  1581-90,  p.  679; 
I'at.  3  Jas.  I,  pt.  vii,m.  2;  14  Jas.  I,  pt. 
X,  m.  9  ;  4  Chas.  I,  pt.  xxxiii,  m.  1  5,  m.  9  j 
Close  R.  9  Chas.  I,  pt.  xviii,  no.  22; 
Proc.  Soc.  Antiq.  Newcastle  (Ser.  3),  il, 
176;  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  1S9,  no.  25, 
66  ;  Welford,  op.  cit.  ii,  2;,  36,  37  ;  Cal. 
Com.  for  Comp.  iv,  3103  ;  Feet  of  F.  Dur. 
Trin.  5  Jas.  I  ;  Com.  Pleas  D.  Enr, 
Hil.  25  Geo.  n,  m.  52.  Surveys  will  be 
found  in  K..R,  Misc.Bks.  xxxvii,  fol.  3  14  d  ; 
Land    Rev.   Misc.  Bks.  cxcii,  fol,  35,  70. 


STOCKTON    WARD 


ELWICK    HALL 


selves  from  this  obligation,  which  was  then  exacted  by 
the  bailiff' appointed  by  the  icing.''' 

On  the  wooded  banks  of  Amerston  lieck,  which 
forms  the  western  boundary  of  the  parish,  lies 
j4MERST0N  (Aymuneston,  xii  cent.;  Aimundeston, 
xiii  cent.  ;  Aymondeston,  xv  cent.  ;  Amereston,  xvi 
cent.).  The  first  known  lord  of  this  little  manor  is 
Gilbert  Hansard,  one  of  the  feudatories  of  Bishop 
Pudsey  (1153-95),  and  a  contemporary  of  German 
Prior  of  Durham  (1162-86).'*  Gilbert  Hansard 
granted  all  his  land  in  the  vill  of  Amerston,  in- 
cluding a  rent  of  10/.  which  William  de  Boultone 
p.iid  for  land  in  the  vill,  to  the  hospital  of  St.  Giles, 
Kepier,  together  with  lands  in  Hurworth,  for  the 
maintenance  of  a  chaplain  to  celebrate  mass  for  the 
souls  of  himself  and  his  family."* 

In  1243  the  prior  and  monks  of  Finchale  granted 
to  the  hospital  of  Kepier,  in  exchange  for  other  lands, 
half  a  carucate  in  Amerston  which  had  been  given 
to  the  priory  by  John  de  Rudys.'' 

During  the  first  half  of  the  13th  century  negotia- 
tions went  on  between  the  hospital  and  the  monastery 
of  Durham  for  an  exchange  of 
lands.  Amerston  was  one  of 
the  places  which  it  was  pro- 
posed that  the  hospital  should 
cede,  but  although  several 
charters  to  this  effect  were 
drawn  up,  in  the  end  the 
hospital  kept  it,  and  gave  other 
lands  instead."* 

On  the  dissolution  of  the 
hospital  in  1  546'^  this  land 
followed  the  descent  of  the  site 
of  the  hospital  (q.v.)  until  in 
'599  John  Heath  of  Kepier 
conveyed  to  Henry  Dethicke, 

Master  of  Greatham  Hospital,  the  manor  of  Amers- 
ton,-" which  had  been  leased  for  54  years  to  John 
Franklin  of  Thirley,  Beds,  by  William  Franklin,  Dean 
of  Windsor  and  Master  of  Kepier  Hospital.'-''  In 
161 3  Henry  Dethicke  died  seised  of  the  manor  of 
Amerston  ;  Martin  Dethicke,  aged  twenty,  was  his 
son  and  heir.'-- 

In  1620  Martin  Dethicke  sold  the  manor  to  John 
Girlington  and  both  he  and  Bernard  Jackson  paid 
the  subsidy  of  1 624  for  land  in  Elvvick."  In  1649 
John  Jackson  of  Harraton,  a  lieutenant-colonel  in 
the  king's  army,  when  compounding  for  his 
estate,  stated  that  Roger  Harker,  John  Brach,  and 
others  held  certain  lands  in  Amerston  for  his  use  by 
virtue  of  a  decree  of  Durham  Chancer)',  for  payment 
of  certain  debts  of  Mr.  Girlington.  Girlington  had 
charged  the  estates  with  yearly  payments  to  Martin 


\f\f\r 


DiTHlCKF..  Argent 
a  feae  vairy  or  and  guUi 
hetivefn  three  tvater 
hougeti  iable. 


Dethicke  for  life,  one  Kendrith  and  his  heirs  for  ever, 
and  one  Slinger,-'^  but  these  annuities  were  in  arrears 
and  the  owners  of  the  rent  charge  had  entered  into 
possession  of  the  lands.  Thomas  Girlington  with 
Matthew  Stodart  and  Mary  his  wife  conveyed  a 
messuage  and  370  acres  of  arable,  meadow  and  pasture 
land  here  and  in  Sedgefield  and  Embleton  to  Thomas 
Ashmall  in  1664.^''"  Indeed  the  various  interests  in 
the  estate  seem  to  have  been  bought  up  by  Thomas 
Ashmall,  originally  of  Aughton  (Lanes.),  who  had 
settled  at  Amerston  as  early  as  1648.-*  His  wife 
was  Dorothy  daughter  of  Ferdinando  Huddlcston  of 
Millom  Castle,  Cumberland.-*^ 

Thomas  Ashmall  died  in  1674,-' and  was  succeeded 
by  his  son  Thomas  Ashmall,  who  was  succeeded  at  his 
death  in  1723  by  his  sons  of  his  first  marriage, 
Thomas,  who  died  in  1753,  and  Robert,  who  died 
in  1758,  both  unmarried.  From  them  the  estate 
descended  to  Ferdinando  Ashmall,  a  son  of  the  second 
marriage,  who  was  a  Roman  Catholic  priest.  In  1762 
he  sold  Amerston  to  Humphrey  Robinson,  from  whom 
it  had  passed  before  1825  to  his  nephew  George 
Robinson.-"  In  1857  the  owner  of  Amerston  was 
John  Robinson.-"  Since  then  it  has  been  purchased 
by  the  Marquess  of  Londonderry.  The  present 
Marquess  is  now  owner. 

On  the  bank  of  the  North  Burn,  which  forms  the 
south-east  boundary  of  Elwick  Hall,  lies  BURN- 
TOFT  (Brintoft,  xiv  cent.  ;  Burnetoft,  xiv  cent.  ; 
Bromptoft,  XV  cent.  ;  Brunntofte,  xvi  cent.).  There 
was  a  mill  at  Burntoft  early  in  the  I  3th  century,  but 
this  has  disappeared.^"  Mill  Hill  is  mentioned  in 
1670." 

The  first  known  lord  of  Burntoft  is  Sir  Ilgier  de 
Burntoft,  who  witnessed  a  charter  of  1155.''-  Robert 
de  Burntoft  witnessed  a  charter  of  1180-94.^^  In 
1181-2  Alan  de  Burntoft  and  William  son  of  Odo 
laid  unsuccessful  claim  to  land  in  Hutton  and  Sessay 
(Yorks.)  against  Marmaduke  Darrel  and  Alan's  name 
occurs  in  Boldon  Book,  1183,  as  holding  land  in 
Edmundbyers  (q.v.).'''  Alan  held  land  which  had 
once  been  held  by  Robert  Burntoft,^'  and  he  granted 
land  in  Edmundbyers  to  Ranulf  Burntoft.'"^  He 
witnessed  a  charter  of  12IO.''''  Odo  de  Burntoft 
granted  to  Reginald  son  of  that  William  who  was 
Odo's  paternal  uncle  50^  acres  of  land  in  Burntoft 
which  William  had  held,  in  return  for  26  acres  with 
a  toft  and  croft  and  meadow  land  in  the  north  of  the 
vill  which  Henry  had  held.  This  charter  was  wit- 
nessed by  Reginald  Ganant  the  sheriff,  and  is  therefore 
later  than  1194.''*  Its  terms  suggest  that  Burntoft 
was  held  in  chief,  but  an  over-lordship  belonging  to 
the  lords  of  Dalden  (q.v.)  is  mentioned  from  1400  to 
1620.3^' 


'•  E«ch.  Dcp.  Spec.  Cum.  Hll.  lojas.  I, 
no.  i;. 

"  Feoii.  Prior.  Duiielm.  (Surt.  S(ic.), 
1 24-;  n. 

'«  Mem.  of  St.  Cttei  (Surt.  Soc),  lyS. 

"  Ibid.  114. 

*''  Ibid.  pp.  XXX  and  233-5. 

'"  y.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  III  et  seq. 

™  Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  12,  no.  2  (i).  The 
tr.in3action  was  completed  in  1605.  Ibid, 
cl.  3,  R.  92,   ni.  24  d.  ;  R.  93,  m.  1  3. 

-'  Ibid.  R.  94,  m.  2  d.  ;  Dur.  IViUi  and 
Itfvent.  (Surt.  Soc),  ii,  144  n. 

"  Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  3,  tile  18!,  no.  %<.. 

•'  Ibid.  cl.  12,  no.  3  (2);  Subsidy  Roll 


of  1624,  Spearman  MSS.,  D.  and  C.  Lib. 
Dur. 

^*  Cat.  Com.  for  Comp.  i,  204  ;  cf. 
Rec.  Com.  for  Comp.  (Surt.  Soc),  2,  254. 

"J  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  i ;,  no.  6  (5). 

-^  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  87. 

»'  Foster,  Du,.  I'tiit.  Fed.  I. 

'""  Thomas  Ashmall  was  a  Roman 
Catholic.  He  oH'ered  *  no  proofe  of  arms  ' 
at  the  Heralds' Visitation  of  l666  [Rem. 
of  Dennis  Graniille^  D.D.  [Surl.  Soc],  ii, 
224). 

"  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  85. 

»«  Fordyce,  H/if.  of  Co.  PaUt.  of  Dur. 
ii,  317. 


*"  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  ;86, 

^'  Subsidy  of  1670,  Spearman  MSS. 
D.  and  C.  Lib.  Dur. 

"  Feod.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc), 
121  n.  The  name  is  also  spelled  '  Brun- 
coste.' 

^^  Ibid.  i;3-4  n. 

>'  Pipe  R.  28  Hen.  II  (Pipe  R.  Soc), 
45  ;    r.C.II.  Dur.  i,  334-;. 

■^  Feod.  Prior.  Duielm.  (Surt.  Soc),  72  n. 

^"  Ibid.  I  Son.  »'"  Ibid.  175  n. 

'*'  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  386  ;  I'.C.H. 
Dur.  i,  3 1  3  n. 

"  Dur.  Rec  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  201  d., 
2;6  d.  ;  Hlc  167,  no.  32  ;  Ale  189,  no.  19. 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


In  the  first  half  of  the  13th  century  Simon  de 
Burntoft  occurs.''"  Philip  son  of  Robert  de  Burntoft 
was  lord  of  Burntoft  in  1  268  ;  he  enfcoftcd  William 
de  Cumba  in  36  acres  of  arable  land  here  and  sold 
the  manor  to  John  son  of  Peter  de  Hartlepool.'" 

William  son  of  John  son  of  Peter  de  Hartlepool, 
otherwise  called  William  Clement,  was  lord  of  Burn- 
toft in  1313.^-  John  lord  of  Burntoft  occurs  in 
1333-4,  '352  and  1353  and  that  of  Walter,  son  of 
John  de  Burntoft,  in  1354.''''  In  1368  Thomas  Has- 
well  and  John  Andrew  granted  the  manor  to  Thomas 
Coke  and  John  de  Binchester.''''  This  was  probably  a 
conveyance  in  trust.  Thomas  Coke  and  John  de 
Binchester  seem  to  have  transferred  the  manor  to 
William  Lambard  and  Robert  Coupcr,  chaplain,  who 
settled  it  in  or  before  1380  on  William  Claxton  and 
Isabel  his  wife.''*  In  1380  Cecily  and  Agnes, 
daughters  and  heirs  of  Thomas  de  Burntoft,  released 
to  William  Lambard,  Thomas  de  Hartlepool,  and 
Robert  Couper,  chaplain,  all  claim  to  lands,  rents, 
and  services  held  by  their  father  in  Burntoft.'"^ 

In  1400  the  manor  of  Burntoft  was  held  by  the 
lady  of  Horden,  i.e.,  Isabel  widow  of  William  de 
Claxton.''"  It  followed  the  descent  of  Claxton  (q.v.) 
till  1483,  when  it  was  assigned  to  Margaret  wife  of 
William  Embleton,  one  of  the  daughters  and  heirs  of 
Robert  Claxton.''*  In  1505  the  manor  descended  to 
Elizabeth  only  child  ofWilliam 
and  Margaret,  afterwards  the 
wife  of  Sir  William  Bulmer.''^ 
It  remained  in  the  family  of 
Bulmer  until  1605.'*''' 

In  1605  Sir  Bertram  Bul- 
mer of  Tursdale  sold  Burntoft 
to  John  Featherstonhalgh  of 
Stanhope"  (q.v.).  On  the 
death  of  John  in  December 
1 6 1 9  it  was  found  that  Ralph, 
aged  forty-six,  was  his  son  and 
heir."  Burntoft  was  settled 
upon  the  marriage  of  Ralph's 

eldest  son  John  to  Alice  daughter  of  Isabel  Mann. 
After  the  marriage  had  taken  place  Ralph  repented  of 
his  settlement,  and  on  22  March  1633-4  the  Council 
of  the  North  reported  to  the  Privy  Council  that  he 
had  fled  to  Scotland  to  avoid  the  performance  of  it.*^ 
On  22  September  1638  it  was  found  that  John,  aged 
thirty-seven,  was  the  son  and  heir  of  Ralph  Feather- 
stonhalgh." 

The  Featherstonhalghs  were  Royalists,  and  in  1644 
Burntoft  was  sequestered  and  leased  out  in  small  por- 
tions.'^    John  and  Ralph,  his  younger  brother,  com- 


Bulmer.        Cttln 
b:Uety  anJ  a  lion  or. 


pounded  in  1 649."  Gerard  Salvin  of  Croxdale  (q.v.) 
had  already  some  interest  in  the  property,''  and  in 
1652  the  whole  was  sold  to  him  by  John  Feather- 
stonhalgh.'^     As  the  Salvins  were  Roman  Catholics, 


W^ 


Featherstonhalgh. 
GuUt  a  cbeveron  het^vcen 
three  feathtri  argent. 


Salvin.  Argent  a 
chiej  table  ivith  t'wo 
molets  or  therein. 


their  lands  were  held  by  trustees.^"  They  sold  High 
Burntoft  shortly  before  1823"'  to  the  Marquess  of 
Londonderry,  and  it  is  the  property  of  the  present 
Marquess. 

Middle  Burntoft  is  now  held  by  the  Dean  and 
Chapter  of  Durham,  and  Low  Burntoft  belongs  to 
Alderman  Butterwick  of  Hartlepool. 

Land  here  forfeited  by  Roger  de  Fulthorpe  was 
restored  by  the  Crown  to  his  son  William  Fulthorpe 
in  1389,  and  remained  in  his  family.*'^  It  was  ior- 
feited  after  the  Rising  of  the  Earls  by  John  Swin- 
burn,  as  one  of  the  heirs  of  the  Fulthorpes  in  right 
of  his  wife,  and  was  granted  in  1574  to  Thomas 
Calverley"^  and  Henry  Anderson.  From  this  time 
the  history  probably  followed  that  of  the  C.ilverley 
estate  in  Newton  Hansard  (q.v.). 

The  families  of  Seton,  Carrow,  and  Sayer  also  held 
lands  in  Burntoft." 

In  the  I  5th  century  part  of  the  Nevill  lands  in 
Elwick  were  formed  into  the  little  estate  of  THE 
CLOSE.  It  is  first  mentioned  in  1463-4  among 
the  lands  settled  on  Ralph  Earl  of  Westmorland 
and  Margaret  his  wife,^'  and  it  remained  in  the 
Nevill  family  until  the  attainder  of  the  Earl  of 
Westmorland  after  the  Rising  of  the  Earls,  when  it 
escheated  to  the  Crown.''"  On  26  April  1587  the 
queen  granted  The  Close  to  Charles  Blenkinsop  and 
John  Taylor,  who  conveyed  it  to  John  Watts,  Paul 
Bayning,  and  Thomas  Alabaster.**"  A  Crown  rent  of 
£1^  6s.  id.  was  reserved,  which  on  14  March  1626 
was  settled  upon  Queen  Henrietta  Maria.*' 

In  1607  Watts,  Bayning,  and  Alabaster  granted 
The  Close  to  Sir  George  Freville,**  who  was 
lound  on  12  April  1620  to  have  died  seised  of  it.'^ 


*' FeoJ.  Piior.  Dune.'m.  18  n.,  135; 
Arch.  Ael.  (Ser.  3),  vii,  318;  Netu 
Hilt,  of  North,  vi,  104  n.,  183  n. 

"  Egcrton  Chart.  529  ;  Arch.Ael.  (Scr. 
3),  vii,   318;    Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  88  n. 

"  Arch.  All.  (Scr.  3),  vii,  340  ;  viii,  90. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  29,  m.  id.; 
Arch.  Ael.  (Ser.  3),  vii,  317,  319  ;  Lans. 
MS.  902,  fol.  :37b. 

*'  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  88  n. 

*'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  lol.  201  d. 
William  was  dead  in  March  1380.  See 
Claxton. 

"  Ibid.  R.  31,  in.  14  ;  Eg.  Chart.  576. 

■"Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  133. 
See  Horden,  Easington  Parish. 

*'Ibid.  fol.  201  d.,  256  d.,  file  167, 
no.  32. 


"  Ibid,   file  171,  no.  2. 

jo-ii  Sjj  Tur.dale  in  Kelloc  Parish. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  2  (2)  ;  Surtees, 
op.  cit.  iii,  89, 

'■'^  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  189,  no.  19. 
John  Featherstonhalgh  and  Alice  hia 
wife  conveyed  the  manor  to  Anthony 
Majcton,  clerk  in  1615  (Ibid.  cl.  12, 
no.  5  [,]). 

'*  Cat.  S.  P.  Dom.  1633-4,  p.  520. 

^»  Dur.  Rec  cl.  3,  file  188,  no.  116. 

'"  Rec.  Com.  for  Comf.  (Surt.  Soc),  2, 
3,  200. 

"  Cal.  Com.  for  Comp,  i,  204. 

*'  Ibid. 

''  Surteei,  op.  cit.  iii,  89. 

«"  Com.  Pleas  Recov.  R.  Dur.  Hil.  25, 
Geo.  II,  m.  52. 

238 


^'  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  401. 

^•^  Cal.  Pal.  1388-92,  pp.  127,  168. 
See  Hurworth  in  Kelloe  Pari»h,  and 
Tunstall  in  Stranton  Parish. 

^  Pat.  17  Eliz.  pt.  xi,  m.  I. 

*•*  See  Seaton  Carew  in  Stranton 
Parish. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  48,  m.  19. 

^a  Roger  Ratcliftwas  the  tenant,  under 
a  lease  made  in  1550,  when  the  survey 
was  made  on  behalf  of  the  Crown  in  1569 
(K.R.  Misc.  Bks.  xxxvii,  fol.  312  d.). 

^  Pat.  29  Eliz.  pt.  ii,  m.  32  ;  Surtees, 
op.  cit.  iii,  89. 

"  Rymer,  Foedera,  xviii,  14  Mar.  1626  ; 
cf.  Pat.  4  Chas.  I,  pt.  xxxiii,  m.  15. 

"*  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  89. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  189,  no.  25. 


STOCKTON    WARD 


ELWICK  HALL 


His  nephew  and  heir  was  George,  aged  twenty-one, 
but  The  Close  was  left  with  his  other  lands  to 
another  nephew,  Nicholas  Freville,  who  sold  the  estate 
on  lo  August  1637  to  Gerard  Salvin  of  Croxdale  ™ 
(q.v.).  As  Salvin  was  a  Roman  Catholic,  the  estate 
was  sequestered  in  1644  and  granted  to  John  Raw- 
linge."'  There  is  no  record  of  Salvin's  composition, 
but  the  family  recovered  The  Close,  and  it  subse- 
quently followed  the  descent  of  Burntoft  until  about 
I  823,  when  it  was  sold  with  Burntoft  to  the  Marquess 
of  Londonderry,  whose  descendant,  the  present 
Marquess,  is  now  owner. 

On  his  death  in  March  in  1 48 1-2  20  acres  of 
arable  and  2  acres  of  meadow  land  in  Elwick  were 
held  of  the  Earl  of  Westmorland  by  Christopher 
Bamford,  who  also  held  a  tenement  in  Burntoft  of 
Robert  Claxton.  Joan,  Christopher's  widow,  after- 
wards married  William  Booth  ;  his  son  and  heir 
Robert  was  a  minor  at  his  father's  death/-  In  1492 
Robert  Bamford  granted  the  reversion  of  his  lands  in 
Elwick  and  elsewhere  to  Ralph  Booth,  Archdeacon  of 
Durham,  and  Richard  Booth,  brothers  of  William 
Booth,  Joan's  second  husband.'' 

In  1536  William  Booth  of  The  Close,  another 
brother,  died  seised  of  a  messuage  and  mill  in  Elwick, 
held  of  the  Earl  of  Westmorland  ;  John  Booth,  clerk, 
aged  forty,  son  of  Roger  son  of  Robert  Booth,  was  his 
kinsman  and  heir.'^  Robert  Booth  was  a  brother  of 
William,  Ralph,  and  Richard.'^  The  later  history 
of  this  estate  is  unknown. 

It  seems  probable  that  the  manor  of  NEIVTON 
HJNZJRD  (Hannsard,  xiv  cent.  ;  Hannserde,  xv 
cent.  ;  Hansell,  xvi  cent.  ;  Hainsaid,  xvii  cent.)  was 
acquired  with  Embleton  (q.v.)  by  Gilbert  Hansard 
from  John  de  Laci,  Constable  of  Chester."^  A  later 
Gilbert  Hansard  granted  it  in  I  290  to  his  son  Robert, 
with  the  vills  of  Embleton  and  Swainston,  to  hold  of 
Sir  Henry  de  Laci,  Earl  of  Lincoln,  on  condition 
that  Robert  paid  him  an  annuity  of  71  marks.'" 
In  1348  Alice  Countess  of  Lincoln,  who  held  the 
overlordship,  died  without  issue,'*  and  the  tenant, 
Sir  Roger  Hansard,  was  called  upon  to  do  homage 
to  the  bishop.''  He  granted  the  manor  in  135 1 
for  fourteen  years  to  Sir  William  Dacre.*°  In 
the  next  year  it  was  found  that  Sir  William  had 
proceeded  to  acquire  without  licence  the  fee  simple.*' 
He  died  seised  of  it  before  28  September  1361, 
leaving  a  brother  and  heir  Ranulf,  aged  twenty-one."' 
In  1364  Ranulf  Dacre,  lord  of  Gilsland,  granted  the 
manor  of  Newton  Hanzard  to  Katherine  de  Whitfield 
for  the  term  of  his  life.^'    She  granted  her  interest  in 


it  to  John  Nevill  of  Raby  in  1370,"^  and  Ranult 
Dacre  released  all  his  right  to  John  Nevill  in  the 
same  year.'^  From  that  time  it  remained  in  the 
possession  of  the  Nevills  until  the  attainder  of  i  570.*' 
In  I  574  Newton  Hanzard  was  granted  to  Thomas 
Calverley  and  Henry  Anderson,  who  acquired  the 
lands  of  various  rebels.*'  In 
I  578  Henry  Anderson  released 
the  whole  to  Thomas  Calver- 
ley, but  the  latter  had  some 
difficulty  in  obtaining  pos- 
session of  the  property,  as  it 
had  been  leased  by  Henry 
Earl  of  Westmorland  before 
his  attainder,  first  to  Ralph 
Firbank  and  afterwards  to 
Christopher  Ratcliff.'*  Both 
Calverley  and  the  Crown 
contested  the  validity  of  Rat- 


Calvirley.  Sable  a 
icutcheon  in  an  orlc  of 
owls  argent. 


clifTs    lease   in    1584-5    and 

1590,*'  but  he  seems  to  have  proved  his  title  as  the 
Charles  RatclifF,  associated  with  him  in  the  dispute, 
was  described  as  '  of  Newton  Hansard  '  in  1601."' 

John  Calverley,  aged  forty-two,  was  found  on 
30  October  161  3  to  be  the  son  and  heir  of  Thomas 
Calverley  of  Littleburne,  in  Brancepeth  parish  (q.v.)." 
On  27  November  1637  John  Calverley  made  provision 
for  his  wife  and  daughters  out  of  his  land  at  Newton 
Hanzard,  and  on  1 1  August  1638  John,  aged  thirty- 
five,  was  found  to  be  his  son  and  heir.'^  Newton 
Hanzard  followed  the  descent  of  Littleburne,  and 
belonged  to  Sir  Henry  Calverley,  kt.,  in  1688.'' 
It  was  sold  in  1 704  by  Charles  Turner  of  Kirk- 
leatham  and  Margaret  his  wife  to  John  Smith,  D.D., 
prebendary  of  Durham."  On  his  death,  in  I  71  5, 
he  was  succeeded  by  his  son  George  Smith  of  Burnhall 
(q.v.),  who  took  orders  in  the  non-juring  church  and 
became  titular  Bishop  of  Durham.'^  The  manor 
remained  in  the  Smith  family  until  the  beginning 
of  the  19th  century,  and  about  1820  was  sold  to  the 
Thelussons.''  It  was  bought  before  1857  by  the 
Marchioness  of  Londonderry,  and  is  the  property  of 
the  present  Marquess." 

The  largest  estate  in  the  parish  of  Elwick  Hall  is 
STOTFOLD  (Stotfald,  xiv  cent.  ;  Stotfeld,  xv  cent.  ; 
Stokfold,  xvii  cent.),  now  divided  into  High,  Middle 
and  Low  Stotfold,  and  Stotfold  Moor.  At  the  begin- 
ning of  the  I  3th  century  Robert  de  Amundeville  was 
lord  of  the  vill.^'*  Ralf  de  .Amundeville,  who  granted 
to  Kepier  Hospital  a  thrave  of  corn  from  every  carucate 
in  his  vill  of  Stotfold  was  probably  Robert's  successor.'* 


^^  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  89  ;  Dur.  Rcc. 
cl.  3,  R,  loS,  no.  72,  74.  Nicholas 
Freville  and  Mary  his  wi!e  conveyed  lands 
here  in  1615  to  Sir  John  Calverley,  kt., 
with  whom  Gerard  Salvin  was  then 
associated  (ibid.  cl.  12,  no.  ;  [i])- 

*'  Rec.  Com.  for  Comp.(Surt.Soc.\l  3,  34. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  167,  no.  5,  21  ; 
R.  63,  m.  1. 

"■'  Ibid.  R.  63,  m.  I  ;  cf.  Foster,  op. 
cit.  3  I  ;  Surtees,  Dur.  iv  (2),  91.  William 
Booth  had  married  Joan  the  widow  of 
Christopher  Bamford  who  held  this  land 
for  life  in  dower  (Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R. 
63,  m.  i). 

''  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  177,  no.  34. 

'••  Foster,  loc.  cit. 

**  Gilbert  had  a  confirmatory  grant 
from   King  John   of  '  all  the  Elmedens.' 


Newton  was  perhaps  included  {Cal.  Ror. 
Chjrt.  1199-1216  [Rec.  Com.],  23). 

^'  Reg.  Palat.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  ii, 
1237. 

'^  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  66  ; 
G.E.C.  Peerage,  v,  92. 

•^  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  12,  fol.  32  d. 

■«  Add.  Chart.  28644. 

■■'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  119,  no.  10. 

«  Ibid.  no.  2,  fol.  66. 

*^  Madox,  Form.  Angl.  I20. 

*'  Ibid.  229. 

'^  Aug.  Off.  Misc.  Bks.  39,  no.  224. 

**  See  Brancepeth. 

"  Pat.  17  Eliz.  pt.  xi,  m.  I  ;  Surtees, 
op.  cit,  iii,  88  ;  Exch.  Dcp.  Spec.  Com. 
Hil.  27  Eliz.  no.  16. 

«  Exch.  K.R.  Misc.  Bks.  xxxvii,  fol. 
3i2d  ;  Exch.  Dep.   Hil.  27   Eliz.  no.  16. 


"  Exch.  Dep.  Spec.  Com.  Hil.  27  Eliz. 
nos.  7  and  16  ;  Hil.  28  Eliz.  no.  20  ; 
East.  32  Eliz.  no.  11 . 

*  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  92,  m.  29  d. 

^'  Ibid,  file  183,  no.  42  ;  Chan.  Inq. 
p.m.  (Ser.  2),  cccxlvii,  34. 

»'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  188,  no.  1 11. 

"  List  of  Dur.  Freeholders,  1681-S 
Spearman  MS.  D.  and  C.  Lib.  Dur. 

^'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  119,  no.  10.  A 
tine  was  levied  in  March  1702—3  (ibid. 
cL  12,  no.  16  [3]). 

^'  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  88  ;  Hutchinson, 
Dur,  ii,  331  n.  ;  North  Country  Diaries 
(Surt.  Soc),  200  n.  ;  Diet.  Nat.  Sicg. 

^  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

"  Fordycc,  op.  cit.  ii,  317. 

'"•  Egerton  Chart.  513. 

"  Mem.  of  St,  Giles  (Surt.  Soc),  J02. 


A   HISTORY  OF   DURHAM 


He  granted  the  manor  of  Stotfold  to  Master  William  dc 
Kilkenny  about  i  245  to  hold  for  half  a  knight's  fce.^' 

William  de  Kilkenny,  lord  of  Stotfold,  witnessed 
the  charter  by  which  Philip  de  Burntoft  granted 
Burntoft  to  John  de  Hartlepool,  probably  soon  after 
1268.''^*'  William  de  Kilkenny  was  lord  of  Stotfold 
in  1327  and  was  a  commissioner  of  array  for  Stockton 
Ward.'""  He  was  apparently  succeeded  by  the  John 
de  Kilkenny  who  between  1333  and  1345  granted 
the  manor  except  one  messuage  and  one  carucate  to 
William  de  Kilkenny  for  life,  with  remainder  to 
Robert  dc  Kilkenny  and  Joan  his  wife  and  their  issue 
and  the  right  heirs  of  Robert.'  In  1340  it  was 
found  that  William  de  Kilkenny  had  died  seised 
jointly  with  his  wife  Agnes  of  the  messuage  and 
carucate  excepted  from  this  settlement.  His  son  and 
heir  was  Robert,  probably  the  Robert  already 
mentioned."  Before  i  349  Robert  de  Kilkenny,  tenant 
under  the  settlement  of  the  manor,  had  died  without 
issue,  and  his  widow  Joan  had  become  the  wife  of 
William  Claxton.'  The  reversion  of  the  manor  was 
the  right  of  William  de  Kilkenny,  brother  and  heir  of 
Robert.''  He  settled  it  in  the  spring  of  1353  on  his 
son  William  and  Katherine  his  wife  and  their  issue.* 
In  1357  Joan  and  William  Claxton,  with  the  consent 
of  the  younger  William,  granted  to  Sir  John  de  Nevill 
a  bondman  in  the  manor  of  Stotfold.'^  William  died 
before  1373,  when  his  heir  was  found  to  be  his  son 
Richard.  Both  Joan  and  William's  widow  Katherine 
survived.' 

In  1382  Richard  de  Kilkenny  the  younger  granted 
the  manor  of  Stotfold  to  John  de  Neville  of  Raby  in 
exchange  for  the  Yorkshire  manor  of  Hooke,'*  and 
before  1426-7  it  had  been  granted  by  Ralph  Earl 
of  Westmorland  to  Richard 
Neville  Earl  of  Salisbury." 
The  manor  reverted  to  the 
Westmorland  family,  and  fol- 
lowed the  descent  of  Elwick 
until  I  564,'  but  on  i  5  August 
1569  Charles  Earl  of  West- 
morland, before  the  attainder, 
sold  it  to  William  Selby  ot 
Newcastle-upon-Tyne. "J 

William  Selby  died  in  De- 
cember 161 3  and  George 
Selby,  aged  57,  was  his  son 
and  heir."  George  Selby,  who 

was  knighted  in   1603,"''  left  six  daughters,  but  he 
settled  the  reversion  of  his  manor  of  Stotfold,  subject 


Selby.    Barry  or  atjd 
hU  of  eight  piecci. 


to  provision  for  his  wife  Dame  Margaret  for  life,  on  his 
brother  Sir  William  Selby  of  Shortflatt  and  his  heirs 
male  ;'-  he  died  in  1625." 

Dame  Margaret  survived  Sir  William  Selby,  her 
nephew  and  heir  of  his  father  Sir  William,'^  but  after 
her  death  in  1650  the  parliamentary  sequestrators 
seized  Stotfold  on  the  plea  that  the  heir-at-law, 
George,  son  of  the  younger  Sir  William,  a  boy  of 
fifteen,  was  being  brought  up  as  a  Roman  Catholic. 
His  guardian  John  Southey,  a  barrister  of  Gray's 
Inn,  petitioned  against  the  sequestration  on  27  March 
1651,  on  the  ground  that  he  was  educating  the  boy 
as  a  Protestant,  and  on  31  January  1653  the 
sequestration  was  discharged  with  arrears."  George 
Selby  made  a  conveyance  of  this  manor  to  uses  in 
the  spring  of  1654,"  but  revoked  it  in  the  next  year 
under  a  clause  in  the  agreement."  Mark  Milbank 
and  William  Carr  were  associated  with  him  in  a 
further  deed  of  1656,  but  Sir  George  seems  to  have 
been  in  possession  in  1670.^'^  Mark  Milbank  and 
Ralph  Carr  paid  the  subsidy  of  1670  upon  it.'" 
After  the  death  of  Ralph  Carr  in  1709"  High 
Stotfold  was  purchased  from  his  executors  by  Ralph 
John  Fenwick,  M.D.,  who  sold  it  to  Jonathan 
Backhouse  of  Darlington,  and  it  now  belongs  to 
Mr.  W.  O.  Backhouse.2"  Middle  Stotfold  was  sold 
by  the  Milbanks  to  the  family  of  Shepperdson,  who 
held  it  in  about  1823.-'  It  is  now  the  property  of 
Mr.  Nicol  of  Wingate.  Low  Stotfold  is  held  by 
Mr.  M.  B.  Hutchinson. 

The  church  of  ST.  PETER  consists 
CHURCH  of  a  chancel  29  ft.  3  in.  by  i  3  ft.  3  in. 
with  north  vestry,  nave  44  ft.  4  in.  by 
1 6  ft.  with  north  and  south  aisles  and  tower  on  the 
south  side  forming  a  porch  6  ft.  8  in.  by  9  ft.  8  in., 
all  these  measurements  being  internal. 

The  site  is  an  ancient  one  and  two  sculptured 
stones  of  pre-Conquest  date  on  either  side  of  the 
ch.mcel  arch  --  suggest  the  existence  of  an  early 
building.  The  present  structure,  however,  with  the 
exception  of  the  tower  and  vestry,  dates  from  about 
I  195-1200,  though  very  much  restored  and  altered 
in  later  times.  About  the  middle  of  the  14th 
century  a  chantry  or  mortuary  chapel  was  built  on 
the  north  side  of  the  church  by  the  Kilkenny  family 
or  by  Walter  de  Cumba,  who  founded  a  chantry  in 
the  church  in  1327.  The  building  was  then  or 
subsequently  reroofed.--"  The  date  of  the  original 
tower  must  now  remain  a  matter  of  conjecture,  no 
portion    of    the    original    work     having    apparently 


™  FcoJ.  Prior.  Dunrlm.  (Surt.  Soc), 
197  n.  Master  William  de  Kilkenny 
was  archdeacon  of  Coventry  in  12^1-2 
{^Rievaulx  Chartvl.  [Surt.  Soc],  400). 

'™  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  88  n.  Henry 
de  Kilkenny  was  presented  to  the  church 
in  1237  [Cat.  Pat.  1232-47,  p.  207). 

'""» Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  89  ;  Lansd. 
MS.  902,  fol.  94. 

'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  90. 

»  Ibid.  fol.  20. 

^  Ibid.  R.  30,  m.  4d.;  R.  32,  m.  2;  Anct. 
D.  (P.R.O.),  D  1231. 

*  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  90. 

'■'  Ibid.  no.  12,  fol.  78,94  (she  is  called 
Agnes  on  fol.  94).  William  Danyell,  the 
trustee  for  the  settlement  of  1353,  after- 
wards married  Katherine  (ibid.  no.  2,  fol. 
90). 

»  Anct.  D.  (P.R.O.),  D  I  23 1. 


'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  90. 

'a  Madox,  Formulae  Anglic.  168.  They 
also  sold  his  land  in  Sunderland  Bridge 
(q.v.)  in  this  year. 

■^  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  58,  m.  i  3  d.  ;  R. 
36,  m.  4  ;  cf.  Ibid.  no.  206-11. 

''  Ibid,  file  168,  no.  14  ;  no.  6,  fol.  18 
and  42. 

'"  Ibid.  R.  84,  m.  6  ;  R.  85,  m.  2  ; 
R.  156,  m.  32;  cl.  12,  no.  i  (2).  For 
this  family  see  also  Winlaton  in  Ryton 
(Chester  Ward). 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  183,  no.  64. 

"a  Shaw,  Kn.  of  Engl,  ii,  115. 

'*  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  189,  no.  142  ; 
Pat.  7  Chas.  I,  pt.  xix,  no.  3.  The 
daughters  of  George  Selby  conveyed  the 
manors  of  Winlaton  and  Stotfold  to  Sir 
Ralph  Delavale,  kt.,  and  Robert  Delavale 
in  1627  (Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  4  [2]). 

240 


'^  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  189,  no.  142  ; 
Pat.  7  Chas.  I,  pt.  xix,  no.  3. 

"  Cal.  Com.  for  Comp.  iv,  2763  ;  cf.  v, 
3223  i  Rec,  Com.  for  Comp.  (Surt.  Soc), 
332-3.  '•'  Ibid. 

'«  Dur.  Recov.  R.  Hil.  1654,  m.  52. 

'"  Arch.  Ael.  (Ser.  3),  v,  144. 

'^a  Ibid.  ;  Com.  Pleas,  D.  Enr.  Mich. 
16^6,  m.    104. 

"'Subsidy  of  1670,  Spearman  MSS, 
D.  and  C.  Lib.  Dur. 

'"  See  Cocken  in  Houghton-le-Spring 
parish. 

^^  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  88. 

»'  Ibid. 

"  y.C.H.  Dur.  I,  229. 

^2»  Some  of  the  materials  from  this 
chapel,  including  two  canopies  of  a 
piscina,  have  been  incorporated  in  a  farm- 
house at  High  Tunstall. 


STOCKTON    WARD 


ELWICK  HALL 


survived,  but  it  was  probably  an  addition  in  the  14th 
or  15th  century.  Between  1660  and  1670  the 
church  was  restored,  perhaps  under  the  direction  of 
Bishop  Cosin,  who  had  been  rector  from  1624  to 
1660.  The  chancel  was  then  reconstructed  with  the 
old  materials,  and  the  chantry  demolished,  the  wall 
of  the  north  aisle  being  rebuilt  with  its  masonry. 
In  1 81 3  the  tower  was  rebuilt  of  the  old  material, 
the  old  lead  roof  of  the  nave  and  aisles  removed, 
a  new  slated  roof  and  plaster  ceiling  were  erected, 
and  a  window  was  inserted  at  the  west  end.  During 
the  incumbency  of  the  Rev.  J.  Park  (1828-71)  the 
uppermost  st.ige  of  the  tower  was  added  (about  i860), 
the  chancel  arch  was  rebuilt  and  new  windows  were 
inserted  in  the  aisles,-^  and  in  1887  the  chancel  roof 
was  renewed  and  the  nave  reseated.  The  church 
underwent  a  complete  restoration  in  1895,  when 
a  new  roof  was  erected  over  the  nave  and  aisles. 

The  chancel  is  built  of  squared  gritstone  blocks 
and  preserves  several  original  features.  Along  the 
south  side  are  three  portions  of  a  double-chamfered 
string-course  and  there  is  another  piece  at  the  east 
end  of  the  north  wall.  In  the  middle  of  the  south 
wall  are  the  sill  and  lower  part  of  the  jambs  of 
a  built-up  lancet,  but  the  east  window,  of  three  lights 
with  mullions  crossing  in  the  head,  is  modern. 
On  the  south  side  are  two  1 7th-century  square- 
headed  windows  of  three  rounded  lights,  the  sills  of 
v.'hich  are  high  up  in  the  wall  above  the  remains  of 
the  string.  The  heads  are  about  5  ft.  below  the  line 
of  the  eaves  and  it  is  probable  the  wall  has  been  raised. 
Below  the  westernmost  of  these  windows  is  a  built- 
up  opening,  possibly  a  low  side  window.  The 
north  wall  is  blank  except  for  a  doorway  to  the 
vestry.  The  pointed  chancel  arch,  which  is  said 
to  be  a  copy  of  the  destroyed  arch,  is  of 
two  chamfered  orders  springing  from  half-round 
responds.  The  chancel  floor  is  level  with  that  of 
the  nave  and  all  the  w.ills  are  plastered  internally. 
The  altar  stone  formerly  in  the  chancel  floor  has 
now  been  put  to  its  original  use. 

The  walls  of  the  nave  are  of  rubble  masonry  with 
a  chamfered  plinth  and  heavy  buttresses  at  the 
corners  of  the  south  aisle.  The  roof  is  covered 
with  green  slates  and  is  continued  at  a  flatter  pitch 
over  the  aisles  with  overhanging  eaves.  To  the  east 
of  the  tower  is  a  built-up  lancet  in  the  south  aisle 
wall  and  west  of  the  tower  are  two  other  lancets,  one 
built-up  and  the  other  glazed.  The  latter  is  slightly 
chamfered  all  round,  but  has  no  hood  mould.  All 
the  other  windows  are  modern  and  of  two  lights, 
except  the  easternmost  in  the  south  wall,  which  is  of 
three  lights.  At  the  west  end  there  are  two  single- 
stage  buttresses  at  the  ends  of  the  nave  walls. 

The  north  arcade  is  slightly  earlier  in  date  than 
the  other,  and  consists  of  four  pointed  arches  of  two 
chamfered  orders  springing  from  circular  piers  and  half- 
round  responds,  all  with  moulded  capitals  and  bases. 
The  capitals  are  circular  in  the  neck  and  octagonal 
in  the  abacus,  and  are  quite  plain  except  in  the  case 
of  the  responds,  both  of  which  are  carved  with 
incipient  foliage.     The  capital  of  the  west  respond 


has  also  a  pellet  ornament  in  the  top  member.  The 
south  arcade  consists  of  four  similar  arches  springing 
from  circular  piers  and  half-round  responds,  all  with 
moulded  capitals  and  square  bases.  The  piers,  being 
slightly  taller  and  of  less  diameter  than  those  on  the 
north  side,^^  produce  necessarily  a  much  lighter  effect. 
Their  capitals  are  all  circular  except  that  of  the  first 
pier  from  the  west,  which  is  octagonal.  A  sculptured 
stone  crucifix,  formerly  over  the  lancet  window  to 
the  west  of  the  tower  outside,  is  now  preserved  inside 
the  church  at  the  west  end. 

The  tower  is  of  three  stages  built  of  rubble  masonry. 
The  stages  are  marked  by  square  string-courses,  and 
the  walls  terminate  in  an  embattled  rubble  parapet 
with  stone  slates  laid  on  top.  The  outer  doorway 
has  a  semicircular  arch,  above  which  is  a  pointed 
window.  In  the  second  stage  there  are  windows  on 
the  south,  west,  and  east.  A  stone  over  the  door- 
way is  inscribed  with  the  names  of  the  rector  and 
churchwardens  of  1 8 1  3. 

In  the  chancel  are  two  sets  of  17th-century 
carved  bench  ends,  eight  in  all,  of  similar  type  to 
those  at  Brancepeth,  Egglescliffe  and  other  places  in 
the  county,  but  all  the  other  fittings  in  both  chancel 
and  nave  are  modern. 

The  font,  of  late  date  with  octagonal  stone  bowl 
on  a  tall  stem,  stands  on  three  octagonal  steps. 

The  tower  contains  two  bells,  one  cast  by  Samuel 
Smith  of  York  in  1664,  inscribed  '  Soli  Deo  Gloria,' 
and  the  other  by  Christopher  Hodgson,  inscribed 
'Deo  Gloria  Christopher  Hodgson  made  1694 
S-A-H.' 

The  plate  consists  of  a  cup  and  cover  paten 
without  d.ite  letters,  but  with  the  marks  of  Thomas 
Mangy  of  York,  inscribed,  '  The  blood  of  Jesus 
Christ  cleanseth  us  from  all  sin,'  and  round  the 
bottom  'for  elwicke,  1667';  a  fl.igon  inscribed 
'  The  gift  of  the  Rev"*  D"'  Richardson  to  his  Church 
of  Elwick  Hall,'  the  marks  of  which  are  indistinct  ; 
a  cup  of  1754  with  the  maker's  mark  P-G-  above 
a  rose,  inscribed,  '  Presented  to  the  Altar  of  Ehvick 
Hall,  Durham,  by  the  Honorable  Mr.  Justice  Park, 
1829  '  ;  and  an  almsdish  and  paten  of  1785  with  the 
same  inscription,  but  with  the  maker's  mark  JA.^* 

The  registers  begin  in  1592. 

The  churchyard  is  entered  on  the  south  side 
through  a  lych-gate  erected  in  memory  of  the 
Rev.  J.  A.  Boddy,  rector,  1871-81. 

The  advowson  belonged  down  to 
ADFOJVSON  1859  to  the  Bishops  of  Durham. 
Bishop  Lewis  Beaumont  intended  to 
give  the  church  to  the  monastery  of  Durham,  but 
died  in  1333  before  accomplishing  his  purpose.-* 
In  1859  the  advowson  was  transferred  to  the  Bishop 
of  Manchester,-"  whose  successor  now  presents. 

Walter  de  Cumba  in  1327  gave  by  charter  all  his 
land  in  Elwick  to  Robert  Gernet  and  Anastasia  his 
wife  charged  with  a  payment  of  6  marks  annually 
to  the  church  of  St.  Peter  of  Elwick  to  maintain  a 
chaplain  there  to  sing  for  the  souls  of  Walter  and 
other  benefactors.-*  This  chantry  is  never  men- 
tioned again,  unless  there  is  a  reference  to  it  in   the 


*'  A  printed  statement  exhibited  in  the 
church  says,  this  was  done  about  i860. 
Fordyce,  however,  writing  shortly  before 
1857,  says  tlie  windows  were  introduced 
•  about  twelve  years  ago  *  (op.  cit.  ii,  316). 


'*  North  side  21  in.  diam.,  south  side 
iSJin. 

■'  Free.  Soc,  Antij.  Neifcanle,  lii,285-7. 
The  York  cup  is  figured  on  p.  286. 

241 


'•  Raine,    Hiit.    Dunelm,    Scrifii.    Trit 
(Surt.  Soc),  119. 

"  Lond.  Caz.  5  Aug.  1859,  p.  2998. 
'^  Surtecs,  op.  cit.  iii,  89. 


31 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


will  of  Richard  Thady  of  Burntoft,  i6  September 
1558,  who  left  money  to  'St.  Thomas  of  Elwick."-' 
This  is  a  late  date  for  a  chantry  to  be  mentioned, 
but  Thady 's  will  is  markedly  Romanist  in  character, 
and,  living  in  Mary's  reign,  he  may  have  hoped  that 
the  chantries  would  be  restored. 

Miss    Elizabeth    Allison,    by    her 

CHARITIES     will    proved   at    Durham    in   1862, 

devised   to   trustees    in    perpetuity   a 


close  called  'Edgemirc'  containing  j  a.  2  r.  16  p. 
and  a  close  called  'Little  Edgemire'  containing 
I  acre.  By  a  deed  of  trust,  dated  I  1  M.irch  1868, 
the  rent  of  Edgemire,  amounting  10  £1^  5/.  yearly, 
is  made  applicable  in  aid  of  the  restoration  of  the 
parish  church  and  the  upkeep  of  the  churchyard,  and 
the  rent  of  Little  Edgemire,  amounting  to  £z  i  5/., 
for  the  general  purposes  of  the  Church  of  England 
school.30 


GREATHAM 


Gretham  (to  xv  cent.). 

The  parish  of  Greatham,  which  includes  the  town- 
ships of  Greatham  and  Claxton,  covers  2,482  acres 
on  the  north  bank  of  the  Tees  estuary.  In  the  south 
and  east  of  the  parish,  where  the  Greatham  Creek  joins 
the  Tees,  the  ground  is  low  and  alluvial.  It  gradually 
rises,  however,  to  about  100  ft.  above  the  ordnance 
datum  in  the  north-west  of  the  township  of  Claxton, 
and  most  of  the  parish  is  gravel  on  a  subsoil  of 
Keuper  marls.  It  is  watered  by  two  streams,  Claxton 
and  Greatham  Becks,  both  flowing  south  into 
Greatham  Creek,  which  forms  the  southern 
boundary.  About  1,100  acres  are  under  cultiva- 
tion, the  chief  crops  being  wheat,  oats,  potatoes  and 
turnips.' 

The  village  of  Greatham,  on  the  east  bank  of 
Greatham  Beck,  has  a  main  street  running  south  from 
the  high  road  between  Wolviston  and  West  Hartlepool. 
In  the  15th  century  an  attempt  was  made  to  convert 
it  into  a  market  town.  Henry  VI  granted  a  Wednes- 
day market  in  1444  to  the  Master  and  Brethren  of 
Greatham  Hospital,  with  fairs  on  the  vigils  and  feasts 
of  St.  George  and  the  Exaltation  of  the  Holy  Cross 
and  the  two  days  following  (22  to  25  April  and 
13  to  16  September).-  These  markets  and  fairs  are 
not  again  mentioned,  and  evidently  did  not  prosper. 
A  yearly  '  feast '  is  held,  however,  on  St.  John  Baptist's 
Day  (24  June),  and  is  known  as  'Greatham  Mid- 
summer.' 

The  hospital  of  Greatham  stands  on  the  west  side 
of  the  village  street.  The  buildings  date  only  from 
1803-4,  when  they  were  reconstructed  by  John 
William  Egerton,  Earl  of  Bridgwater,  the  master.' 
Architecturally  of  little  or  no  merit,  being  in  the 
pseudo-Gothic  style  of  the  day  from  a  design  by 
Wyatt,  they  nevertheless  possess  a  certain  picturesque- 
ness  due  in  a  large  measure,  no  doubt,  to  their  pleasant 
surroundings.  The  buildings  are  of  a  single  story 
and  face  the  south,  with  a  wide  centrally  placed 
entrance  porch  of  three  pointed  arches,  above  which, 
flanked  by  embattled  parapets,  rises  a  square  clock 
tower,  surmounted  by  an  octagonal  lantern  or  bell- 
turret.    The  walls  are  of  stone  and  have  been  stuccoed. 


Over   the   entrance    is    a    stone   with    the   following 
inscription*^  : — 

IN     FRATRVM     HVIVS    HOSPITII    VSVM 

NON    SINE   GRATA   PATRIS   SVI 

NVPER      EPISCOPl       DVNELMENSIS 

MEMORIA 

IMPENSIS    lOHANNIS    GVLIELMI    EGERTON 

COMITIS    DE    BRIDGEWATER 

MAGISTRI 

ANNO    DOMINI    MDCCCIV 

REPARATVM    .    ORNATVM    .    AMPLIFICATVM 

In  the  middle  of  the  building  is  a  large  hall,  round 
which  the  rooms  of  the  brethren  are  arranged  on  tlirce 
sides.  Surtees,  writing  about  twenty  years  after  the 
erection  of  the  present  buildings,  says  :  '  It  is  not 
easy  to  form  any  opinion  as  to  the  appearance  of  the 
original  buildings  of  the  Hospital  ;  they  seem  to  have 
stood  on  a  plot  of  ground,  which  now  forms  a  lawn  in 
front  of  the  present  structure.  Two  lines  of  ancient 
trees,  skirting  the  ground  and  sheltering  it  on  two 
sides,  exactly  mark  out  the  site.'*  In  1724  the 
whole  of  the  hospital  buildings,  as  well  the  Master's 
house  as  the  lodgings  of  the  Brethren,  were  ex- 
tremely ruinous  and  dilapidated,  propped  in  some 
places  on  the  outside  by  large  pieces  of  timber.'  The 
master's  house,  known  as  Greatham  Hall,  a  plain 
stone  building  of  three  stories,  to  the  south-west  of 
the  hospital,  was  built  in  the  following  year  by 
Dormer  Parkhurst,  master.  It  was  stuccoed  about 
1820  and  additions  were  made  in  1857.  The 
chapel  stands  directly  to  the  west  of  the  parish  church 
and  to  the  south-east  of  the  master's  house.  Having 
become  ruinous,  the  old  building  was  taken  down  in 
1788  and  the  present  structure  erected  on  the  old 
foundations  except  on  the  north  side.  In  plan  it  is  a 
plain  rectangle  measuring  internally  36  ft.  6  in.  by 
24  ft.  6  in.,  with  a  bell-turret  at  the  west  end  forming 
a  small  porch  5  ft.  by  3  ft.  6  in.,  approached  by  a 
flight  of  steps.  The  roof  is  slated,  and  finishes  on  a 
moulded  corbel  table  which  is  carried  along  the  end 
gables.  There  are  three  round-headed  sash  windows 
on  each  side,  and  a  similar  window  now  filled  with 


"  Dur.  ffills  and  Invent.  (Suit.  Soc), 

'.  «77- 

•o  y.C.H.  Dur.  i,  406. 

'  Statistics  from  Bd.  of  Agric.  (190;). 

»  Chart.  R.  21-4  Hen.  VI,  no.  30. 

^  The  foundation  stone  was  laid  15  Sep- 
tember 1803. 

*3  Over  the  north  door  of  the  hospital 


is  this  inscription  :    Fund.  MCCLXXII  ; 
Refund.         MDCX  ;  Rcaedificatum 

MDCCCXIX. 

*  Surtees,  Hiir.  and  Aniij.  of  Dur.  iii, 
135.  He  adds,  'the  habitation  occupied 
by  the  poor  brethren,  before  the  late 
alterations,  appeared  to  have  been  the 
nave  of  tlie   church,  with  corresponding 

242 


arches  closed  up  on  the  north  and  south, 
and  a  porch  added  for  a  common  entrance 
in  the  centre.' 

'  Return  to  a  mandate  issued  by  Bishop 
Talbot.  Quoted  by  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii, 
136.  There  is  a  drawing  of  the  hospital 
made  in  1778  (pub.  1785)  in  Grose, 
Antiq,  of  Engl,  viii,  62. 


STOCKTON   WARD 


GREATHAM 


stained  glass  at  the  east  end.  Above  the  east  window 
outside  is  the  date  1788  with  a  carved  head  over. 
The  turret  has  two  round-headed  openings  east  and 
west  and  one  to  the  north  and  south,  and  has  a  hipped 
slated  roof  with  good  iron  weather  vane.  An  old 
stoup  is  built  into  the  south  end  of  the  east  wall,  and 
the  ancient  altar  slab  is  still  in  use.  In  the  centre  of 
the  flagged  floor  is  a  large  slab  of  blue  stone  round 
which,  on  a  fillet  of  brass,  is  the  inscription,  '  +  Hie 
lacet  Magister  Wilelmvs  de  Middiltovn  Sacre  Pagine 
Doctor  Qvondam  Cvstos  Dom  istivs  Orate  Pro  Eo.' 

On  the  north  wall  is  a  brass  with  an  inscription 
in  Gothic  characters  :  *  Orate  pro  alabus  Nicholai 
hulme  lohis  Kelyng  et  Wiiimi  Estfelde  clericorum 
quonda  huius  hospital  s  magistrorum  ac  parentum 
fundatorum  suorum  benefactorum  atqz  oTm  fidelium 
defiictorum  quorum  alabz  p  picief  deus  Amen."^ 

The  interior  of  the  chapel  was  restored  in  1 899 
and  new  oak  fittings  in  the  18th-century  style 
inserted 

Hutchinson,  writing  a  few  years  before  the  demo- 
lition of  the  old  chapel,  describes  the  chancel  as 
entire,  but  the  nave  as  much  mutilated,  '  nothing  but 
the  cross  aile  remaining  at  the  north-west  and  south- 
west corners,  at  which  you  enter  ;  and  there  is  a 
short  aile  at  each  end,  formed  by  two  pillars  sup- 
porting pointed  arches  .  .  .  the  pillars  of  the  south 
aile  are  circular,  the  north  octagonal.'  ^  The 
chancel  alone  was  then  used  for  divine  service,  the 
'  outer  part  serving  as  a  saloon  or  portico,  separated  by 
a  screen  and  stalls  covered  with  hea\'y  canopies  of 
wood-work."  Over  the  entrance  to  the  chancel  were 
the  Royal  arms  dated  1696.  The  chapel  contained  a 
'  fine  recumbent  effigy,  delicately  cut  in  stone,'  and  the 
wooden  effigy  of  an  ecclesiastic  said  to  have  been 
that  of  Andrew  Stanley,  the  first  master.  Both 
figures  have  disappeared.'  Below  the  latter  was 
found  a  stone  coffin  containing  a  skeleton  with  a 
chalice  lying  on  the  left  side. 

The  plate  consists  of  a  covered  cup  and  paten  of 
1670,  inscribed  'The  gift  of  S''  Gilbert  Garard  to  y' 
Chappell  of  Gretham  Hospitall  for  ever,'  and  with 
the  donor's  arms  ;  and  a  flagon  of  German  or 
Dutch  make  chased  on  the  sides  with  three  designs 
representing  Faith,  Hope  and  Charity,  with  inscrip- 
tions in  Latin.'" 

In  1 910  the  hospital  lodged  thirteen  brothers. 
Though  it  was  always  designed  as  a  refuge  for  the 
poor,  it  seems  in  the  16th  century  to  have  been 
used  rather  as  a  house  of  entertainment  for  gentle- 
men. The  Duke  of  Suffi^lk  intended  in  1543  to  be 
there  'with  his  grewhondes '  "  ;  and  in  1569  the 
Bishop  of  Durham  stated  that  '  the  last  master  had 
kept  a  good  house  for  gentlemen,  but  not  so  many 


poor  nor  so  well  used  as  the  foundation  requires.'  " 
Probably  this  state  of  affairs  was  altered  after  the 
second  foundation  of  the  house  in  1610."  Near 
Greatham  Hall  is  the  parish  church  of  St.  John 
Baptist.  On  the  north  is  the  hospital  for  six  poor 
widows  founded  by  Dormer  Parkhurst  in  1762. 
Higher  up  the  street  is  a  Methodist  chapel. 

About  I  240  a  toft  outside  the  vill  of  Claxton  '  was 
quitclaimed  to  Leo  de  Claxton.  There  is  now  no 
village  of  Claxton,  and  the  population  of  the  town- 
ship lives  in  a  few  scattered  farms,  the  chief  of  which 
is  Claxton  Grange.  The  toft  in  question  was  '  on 
the  north  side  of  the  way  leading  to  Hartlepool,'  '* 
from  which  it  seems  that  the  footpath  leading  from 
Claxton  Farm  across  Greatham  Beck  into  the  Hartle- 
pool road  was  once  itself  a  road.  There  was  a 
manor-house  at  Claxton  in  the  15th  century,"  of 
which  no  traces  remain. 

The  West  Hartlepool  branch  of  the  North  Eastern 
railway  passes  through  the  parish,  and  has  a  station 
half  a  mile  to  the  south  of  the  village.  Adjoining 
the  station  are  the  Greatham  saltworks.  The  salt 
industry  is  of  very  long  standing  in  the  parish,'* 
though  it  had  a  period  of  eclipse  in  the  18th  and 
19th  centuries.  The  will  of  Thomas  Gaile,  dated 
1 58 1,  mentions  his  sand  and  coal  at  the  saltcote, 
and  his  twenty-seven  '  hives '  of  salt."  In  1650  it 
was  stated  that  the  saltcotes  had  been  washed  away 
or  ruined  by  the  tides,  and  the  salt  rent  paid  to  the 
hospital  by  various  farms  adjoining  the  marshes  was 
reduced  to  eight  loads  per  annum.'*  Certain  lands 
were  burdened  with  rents  of  loads  of  salt,  but  these 
and  a  rabbit  warren  were  released  in  exchange  for 
land  in  1663."*  The  remains  of  the  saltworks  were 
still  to  be  seen  in  the  early  19th  century.  At  that 
date  some  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  parish  found 
profitable  employment  in  the  cockle  beds  in  the 
mouth  of  the  Tees. 

The  common  fields  of  Greatham  were  inclosed  in 
1650." 

The  munoiof  GREJTHJM  belonged 
MANORS  to  the  barony  of  the  Bertrams  of 
Mitford,  Northumberland,'"  and  holders 
of  Stainton  in  the  Street  (q.v.).  William  Bertram  in 
1 196  paid  32/.  for  the  tallage  of  Greatham.'"^  His  son 
and  heir  Roger  held  the  vill  between  1208  and  1217 
as  of  his  barony  and  died  in  1242."  His  son  Roger  " 
was  a  minor  in  the  custody  of  the  Crown  in  1246, 
when  the  king  presented  to  Greatham  Church  in  his 
right."  This  Roger  was  a  member  of  the  Baronial 
party  and  in  close  sympathy  with  Peter  de  Montfort, 
one  of  the  most  prominent  leaders  of  the  movement." 
In  1263  Roger  agreed  to  give  Agnes,  his  eldest 
daughter,   in  marriage  to    one  of   Peter's   sons,  and 


*  The  Kelyng  brass  was  near  the  altar 
in  the  old  chapel  and  the  other  in  the 
floor  of  the  chancel. 

'  Hutchinson,  Hitt.  and  Antii^.  of  Dur. 
iii,  91.  A  drum  of  one  pillar  which  was 
for  some  time  used  as  a  garden  roller 
now  forms  the  support  of  a  sundial  in  the 
Vicarage  garden. 

*■  Ibid.  The  inscriptions  in  the  old 
chapel  are  given  in  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii, 
.38. 

*  For  the  wooden  effigy  see  Hutchin- 
son, loc.  cit.  ;  Gent.  Mag.  Iviii  (z),  1046 
(illustration);  lix  (2),  591  ;  Gough, 
Sepulchral  Man.  in.  Gf.  Brit,  ii,  pi.  ex  ; 
Arch.  Ixi,  528. 


'"  Proir.  Soc.  Antiq.  Ne-jjcaitle,  iv,  18. 
The  flagon  has  two  hall-marks  under  the 
base,  one  of  them  like  an  anchor  with  a 
bar  across  the  centre. 

"  L.  and  P.  H,n.  fill,  xviii  (i),  536. 

"  Pefy!  MSS.  (Hist.  MSS.  Com.),  154. 

"  r.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  121. 

'<  Feod.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc), 
z6  n. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  256  d.  ; 
Feod.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc),  144. 

»«  r.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  294. 

*'  Richmond,  Local  Rec.  0/ Stockton,  25. 

*^  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  141. 

'"a  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  4,  no.  2.  fol.  118. 

'»  Ibid. 


»  Curia  Regis  R.  128,  m.  6  ;  Pipe  R. 
8  Ric.  I,  m.  10  d. 

"'•Pipe  R.  8  Ric.  I,  m.  10  d. 

"  Arch.  Ael.  {.New  Ser.),  iii,  75  ; 
Tiita  de  AVx///(Rec.  Com.),  395  ;  Brink- 
burn  Charrul.  (Surt.  Soc),  12. 

"  Matthew  Paris,  Chron.  Maj.  (Rollt 
Ser.),  iv,  194;  Brinkhurn  Chartul.  (Surt. 
Soc),  6. 

"  Curia  Regis  R.  128,  m.  6  ;  Cat.  Pat. 
1232-47,  p.  480,  Roger  had  livery  a 
month  later  of  his  father's  l3nds(ibid.483). 

**  Annalei  Mon.  (Rolls  Ser.),  pastim  ; 
Matthew  Paris,  Chron.  Mat.  (Rolls  Ser.), 
pasfim  ;  Lans.  MS.  207e,  fol.  285  \  Cal. 
Pat.  1258-66,  p.  316,  360. 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


Bertram  of  Mitford. 

A-zure  a  scutcheon  or. 


certain  settlements  were  made  of  lands  in  Northum- 
berland." It  seems  probable  that  Greatham  was 
included  in  these  conveyances,  for  Greatham  was 
forfeited  to  the  Crown  after 
the  Battle  of  Evesham  in 
August  1265,  when  the  elder 
Peter  de  Montfort  was  killed, 
and  Peter  his  son  was  wounded 
and  captured."  Peter  gave  his 
Rutlandshire  manor  of  Cot- 
tesmore as  ran>om  to  Thomas 
de  Clare,  and  Thomas  further 
obtained  from  the  Crown  a 
grant  of  the  manor  of  Great- 
ham."^ Robert  Stichill,  then 
Bishop  of  Durham,    disputed 

the  right  of  the  Crown  to  this  escheat,  and  the  king 
thereupon  revoked  the  grant  of  the  manor  which  he 
had  made  to  Thomas  de  Clare,  and  resigned  it  abso- 
lutely to  the  Bishop."  The  case  of  Greatham  was 
accordingly  quoted  in  all  disputes  concerning  the 
bishop's   regal  rights  in  the  County  Palatine." 

Stichill  strengthened  his  title  to  the  manor  by 
obtaining  a  release  from  his  'special  friend'  Peter 
son  of  Sir  Peter  de  Montfort,"  and  another, 
apparently  from  Roger  Bertram."  He  then 
assigned  it  to  a  hospital  dedicated  to  St.  Mary 
and  St.  Cuthbert,  which  he  established  at  Greatham 
in  1272."  With  the  manor  he  granted  to  the  master 
and  brethren  of  the  hospital  the  privileges  of  exemp- 
tion from  scot,  toll,  tallage,  and  geld  in  markets  and 
fairs,  and  suit  of  wapentakes  throughout  the  bishopric. 
They  were  to  be  free  from  all  amercements  before  the 
bishop's  justices,  saving  only  to  the  bishop  his  justice 
of  life  and  limb."  Anthony  Bek  (1284-13 11) 
added  a  grant  of  free  warren." 

The  manor  was  regranted  to  the  hospital  in  the 
charter  of  James  I,"  and  has  remained  the  chief  part 
of  its  endowment. 

Certain  tenements  in  Greatham,  held  of  the  master 
of  the  hospital,"  belonged  in  1389  to  the  Fulthorp 
family,'' and  followed  during  the  15th  and  16th  cen- 
turies the  descent  of  their  manor  of  Tunstall  "  (q.v.). 

The  vill  of  CLJXTON  (Clacstona,  xi  cent.)  was 
among  those  quitclaimed  by  Robert  Earl  of  Northum- 
berland to  William  de  St.  Calais,  Bishop  of  Durham 
(1081-9)."    It  is  next  mentioned  about  1 183,  when 

"  Cal.  Pat.  1247-58,  p.  203,  427  ; 
Hatfield's  Surv.  (Surt.  Soc),  p.  xivj  Hundr. 
R.  (Rcc.  Com.),  ii,  17. 

««  Fhrn  Hist.  (Rolls  Ser.),  iv,  4-6  ; 
Annates  Mon.  (Rolls  Ser.),  ii,  365  j  iv, 
171. 

»=■  Cal.  Pal  1266-72,  p.  63  ;  Cal.  Inj. 
p.m.  (Edw.  I),  ii,  233  ;  Hist.  Dunelm. 
Script.  Trts  (Surt.  Soc),  App.  ccccli. 

"  Cal.  Pat.  1266-72,  p.  63;  1330-4, 
p.  360. 

*>  Reg.  Palat.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  iii, 
7-8  ;  Pari.  R.  (Rec.  Com.),  i,  364  ;  cf. 
Barnard  Castle. 

'  Cal.  Chart.  R.  1257-I  300,  pp.  250-1 


Walter  de  Buggethorpe  held  the  vill  of  Twizel  in 
exchange  for  one  moiety  of  the  vill  of  Claxton." 
Evidently  the  bishop  granted  it  out  in  the  late 
1 2th  century  in  two  moieties.  One  was  held  of 
him  directly  by  the  family  of  Heriz  ;  the  other 
was  held  by  the  same  family,  with  mesne  lord- 
ships intervening.  The  second  belonged  in  the 
early  13th  century  to  Walter  de  Musters,  of  whom  it 
was  held  by  Leo  de  Heriz  and  Gregory  de  Leving- 
thorp.  Walter's  son  William  was  the  chief  lord  of 
the  fee  about  1241-9."  A  mesne  lordship  was  held 
at  that  date  by  John  de  Romsey,  to  whom  Walter  de 
Musters  seems  to  have  granted  the  services  of  the 
tenants  in  demesne."  This  lordship  and  rent  John 
de  Romsey  granted  to  the  hospit.il  of  St.  Giles, 
Kepier,"  and  the  descendants  of  Leo  de  Heriz  paid 
the  rent  to  the  hospital  in  1380." 

The  first  member  of  the  family  of  Heriz  to  hold 
land  here  seems  to  have  been  Henry.  William  de 
Heriz  granted  2  oxgangs  of  land  in  Claxton,  which 
had  belonged  to  Henry  de  Heriz,  to  St.  Giles  Hos- 
pital in  the  late  12th  or  early  13th  century."  Leo 
son  of  William  de  Heriz  was  a  contemporary  of 
Walter  de  Musters,"  and  was  probably  the  Leo  who 
was  sheriff  of  Durham  under  Bishop  Philip  (1197— 
1208)  and  mentioned  as  a  tenant  in  the  bishopric 
in  121 1."  He  must  also  be  identified  with  the  Leo 
de  Heriz  who  assigned  to  the  Prior  of  Durham 
2  oxgangs  as  the  endowment  of  a  chapel  at  Claxton. 
A  later  prior  released  them  to  his  grandson  Leo  in 
1233-44."  The  latter  was 
called  Leo  de  Claxton,"  and 
was  probably  succeeded  by 
the  Sir  William  de  Heriz  who 
lived  at  Claxton  in  1264." 
Roger  de  Claxton  occurs  as 
lord  of  Claxton  in  1272,"  and 
was  succeeded  before  1 3 1  o  by 
another  Roger,"  who  was  sum- 
moned in  1 3 12  to  appear 
before  the  bishop  with  his 
sons  Leo,  John,  Michael,  Wil- 
liam and  Robert."  Leo,  his 
heir,  granted  Adam  Bedell  4 
oxgangs  in  Claxton  in  1335." 

In  1349  ^^  had  licence  to  grant  all  his  lands  in 
Durham   to  his  son  William"  and  Joan  de  Neville" 


Claxton.      Gules     a 

fesst     between     three 
hedgehogs  argent. 


'"  '  Ipsam  viUam  de  Gretham  Epiicopus 
Robertus  Stichil  emerat  a  quodam  Bert- 
ram cognomine '  (Hist.  Dunelm.  Script. 
Tres  [Surt.  Soc.],  55).  Agnes  Bertram, 
widow  of  Tliomas  son  of  William  de 
Emmelay  and  apparently  daughter  of 
Roger  Bertram,  retained  2  oxgangs  here, 
which  she  gave  to  Agnes  her  daughter 
(Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  399).  In  1235-6  'the 
lady    of    Greatham  *  was  in    the    king's 


gift  but  was  already  married,  though  the 
jury  did  not  know  to  whom  (Assize  R. 
224,  m.  2). 

"  Cal.  Chart.  R.  1257-1300,  p.  250-1  ; 
y.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  121. 

^'  Cal.  Chart.  R.  1257-1300,  p.  250-1. 

"  Dip.  Keeper's  Rep.  xxxiv,  203. 

"  Pat.  8  Jas.  I,  pt.  XXXV,  no.  3. 

"  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xliv,  387. 

3«  Cal.  Pat.  1388-92,  p.  169. 

"  Dep.  Keepir^s  Rep.  xliv,  387,  479, 
491-2. 

"  Feod.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc  ), 
144  n. 

"  y.C.H.  Dur.  i,  329. 

">  Mem.  of  St.  Giles  (Surt.  Soc),  200. 

*'  Ibid.  "  Ibid. 

*^  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  100  d. 
The  manor  was  said  to  be  held  of 
the  bishop  for  a  rent  of  i  ^s,  4*/.  and 
homage  and  fealty.  Two  oxgangs,  the 
endowment  of  the  chapel,  were  held  of 
the  Prior  of  Durham  for  a  rent  of  101. 
(Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  256  d.). 

"  Mem.  of  St.    Giles    (Surt.   Soc),  203. 


A  William  de  Heriz  witnessed  charters 
of  William  Brus  between  1194  and  12 14 
{Cal.  Doe.  Scotland,  i,  107-8).  He  had 
3  brother  Leo  {Guistro'  ChartuI,  [Surt. 
Soc],  324). 

"•  Mem.  of  St.  Giles  (Surt.  Soc),  200. 

*'  Feod.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc), 
126  n.,  150  n.  ;  Pipe  R.  (Soc.  of  Antiq. 
Newcastle),  210,  222. 

<*  Feod.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc), 
26  n.  "Ibid. 

'=■"  Hatfield's  Sur-v.  (Surt.  Soc),  p.  xvi. 

"  Surteei,  op.  cit.  i  (2),  28  ;  iii,  142. 
Surtees  does  not  give  his  authority  for 
this  statement,  but  seems  to  found  his 
pedigree  of  the  early  Claxtons  on  the 
evidence  of  charters, 

"Ibid,  iii,  142;  Arch.  Ael.  (Ser.  3), 
vii,  338. 

"  Reg.  Palat.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  i, 
127. 

*'  Surtees,  iii,  142.  "  Ibid. 

*<>  Anct.  D.  (P.R.O.),  D  1231.  She 
was  the  widow  of  Robert  son  of  William 
de  Kilkenny  of  Stotfold. 


STOCKTON    WARD 


GREATHAM 


his  wife  and  the  issue  of  William."  Leo  was  dead 
in  the  next  year,  when  four  messuages  and  a  croft 
called  the  Ladygarth  were  assigned  to  his  widow 
Alice  as  her  dower."  William  Claxton  married  as 
his  second  wife  Isabel,  daughter  and  heir  of  William 
Menevill  and  lady  of  Horden  "  (q-v).  He  seems  to 
have  been  lying  ill  at  Bordeaux  in  October  1379 
when  he  bequeathed  1 8  marks  for  three  years  to  an 
Augustinian  William  de  Bridlington  for  prayers  for 
the  benefit  of  his  soul  ; ''"  he  died  in  or  before  i  380.'° 
Isabel  retained  a  life  interest  by  a  settlement,  and 
survived  her  husband  forty  years  ;"  their  son  William 
Claxton  then  succeeded."  He  died  in  143  i,  his  son 
Robert  being  his  heir."  A  settlement  of  the  manor 
on  Robert  and  Ann  his  wife  was  maJc  in  14.42." 
He  lived  till  about  1483,"  and  left  four  daughters 
and  co-heirs  :  Margaret  wife  of  Sir  William  Embleton, 
Joan  wife  of  John  Cartington,  Elizabeth  wife  of 
Richard  Conyers,  and  Felicia  wife  of  Ralph 
Widdrington."  By  a  partition  of  his  property  Sir 
William  Embleton  and  Margaret  came  into  pos- 
session of  Claxton,  which  followed  the  descent  of 
William's  manors  of  Embleton  and  Twisdale  into  the 
hands  of  Bertram  Bulmer."  Bertram  Bulmer  with 
Isabel  his  wife  and  William  Bulmer  his  son  conveyed 
half  the  manor  and  lands  here  to  Sir  Thomas  Riddell 
in  1626  and  in  the  same  year  they  leased  a  cottage 
and  some  80  acres  of  land  to  Richard  and  Robert 
Johnson  for  100  years.'^  In  1 63 1  Bertram 
alienated  the  manor  to  Richard  Johnson  the  elder, 
licence  for  the  alienation  of  one  half  of  the  manor 
being  obtained  from  the  Bishop  in  1632.'''  It  was 
never  again  held  as  a  whole  by  any  lord.  The  Johnson 
family  retained  their  interest,  but  nothing  is  Icnown  of 
their  pedigree.  In  1684  George  Johnson,  Matthew 
Johnson,  Willi.im  Johnson,  Robert  Johnson,  and 
another  William  were  freeholders."  Robert  Gibson, 
another  freeholder  of  that  date,  was  probably  the 
heir  of  Anthony  and  William  Gibson  to  whom 
William  Gibson,  senior,  granted  land  here  in  1638."* 
In  1740  William  and  Anthony  Gibson  conveyed  half 
of  a  messuage,  40  acres  of  arable,  40  of  meadow,  and 
30  of  pasture  to  Ralph  Ward.  He,  with  Isabel  his 
wife  and  Anthony  his  son  and  heir,  conveyed  two 
messuages  and  land  here  to  George  Johnson  in 
February  1691-2.'"'  This  may,  however,  have  been 
for  the  purposes  of  a  trust,  for  in  1 75 1  William  Strat- 


forth  and  Elizabeth  his  wife  conveyed  two  messuages 
and  300  acres  here  to  William  Graham.'"  At  the 
beginning  of  the  19th  century  William  Byers  had  an 
estate."  The  principal  landowners  at  the  present  day 
are  J.  Holborn,  W.  Robinson,  Robert  Henry  Drj'den 
and  Joseph  Atkinson. 

The  land  of  Kepier  Hospital  in  Claxton  followed 
the  descent  of  the  manor  of  Kepier  into  the  possession 
of  the  family  of  Heath." 

The  church  of  ST.  JOHN  BAPTIST 
CHURCH  consists  of  a  chancel  27  ft.  9  in.  by  I  7  ft. 
4  in.,  with  north  organ-chamber  and 
south  vestry,  clearstoricd  nave  of  five  bays  56  ft.  by 
20  ft.,  north  and  south  aisles  7  ft.  6  in.  wide,  north 
porch,  and  west  tower  i  2  ft.  square,  all  these  measure- 
ments being  internal. 

With  the  exception  of  the  nave  arcades  the  present 
structure  is  entirely  modern,  the  old  church  having 
been  taken  down  and  rebuilt  in  1792-3,"  when  a 
tower  was  added  at  the  west  end.  Hutchinson, 
writing  a  few  years  before  the  rebuilding,  describes 
the  structure  of  his  time  as  consisting  of  a  nave  with 
north  and  south  aisles,  arcades  of  three  pillars  sup- 
porting light  pointed  arches,  and  a  chancel  opening 
under  a  wide  round  arch  springing  from  hexagonal 
pilasters."'  The  18th-century  church  was  largely 
built  with  the  old  materials  and  its  cost  partly  borne 
by  the  proceeds  of  the  sale  of  the  lead  of  the  old  roof.'* 
The  lower  part  of  the  nave  walls  may  be  ancient. 
There  was  a  gallery  at  the  west  end  supported  by 
iron  pillars.  In  1855  the  church  was  considerably 
altered,  the  nave  being  extended  eastward  a  bay, 
necessitating  the  destruction  of  the  chancel  arch,  and 
a  new  chancel  erected.  The  clearstory  w.is  added  in 
1869  and  the  organ-chamber  and  vestry  in  1881.  In 
1908  the  west  tower  was  taken  down,  and  a  new 
tower  built  in  the  year  following. 

The  structure  taken  down  in  1792,  the  piers  and 
arches  of  which  remain,  dated  from  about  1180-90, 
but  fragments  of  earlier  work  found  during  the 
demolition  of  the  18th-century  tower  point  to  there 
having  been  an  older  church  on  the  site.  A  portion 
of  a  pre-Conquest  cross-head  with  interlacing  ornament 
and  part  of  a  cross-shaft  or  grave  slab  with  early 
Norman  carving  were  embedded  in  the  masonry  of 
the  tower.  Three  others,  two  of  early  Norman  type 
and  one  possibly  part  of  a  pre-Conquest  cross,  were 


"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  30,  m.  4  d.,  with 
successive  remainders  ia  default  to 
younger  sons  Thomas  and  John  in  tail. 

•*  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  142. 

"  Obit.  R.  offfm.  Ehchtstir  and  John 
Burnby  (Surt.  Soc.),  io8  ;  Arch.  Act. 
(Scr.  3),  vii,  337. 

*9a  Egerton  Ch.irt.  575.  His  squire 
was  Laurence  de  Burntolt.  William  de 
Lowther  and  John  de  Walworth  were 
among  those  present. 

'^  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  100  d. 

"  Ibid.  fol.  201  d. 

"  Ibid. 

"  Ibid.  fol.  256  d. 

"  De^.  Krcfcr's  Rep.  xliv,  349  ;  Dur. 
Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  43,  no.  i. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  167,  no.  32. 

^  Def>.  Kceftr's  Rep.  xxivi,  5. 

"  Ibid,  xliv,  381  ;  xxxvii,  67,  85,  161. 
Elizabeth,  daughter  of  William  Embleton, 
with  her  second  husband  Anthony  Preston 
settled  lands  here  in  1547  on  herself  for 
life    with    remainder   to    Cuthbert     and 


Anthony  Bulmer  her  sons  for  life  with 
remainder  to  Francis  Bulmer  her  son 
and  heir  (Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  i   [i]). 

"»  Dur.  Rec.  d.  12,  no.  4  (2)  bii. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  11,  no.  4  (2)  ;  cl.  3, 
R.  107,  no.  12.  Two  messuages,  four 
tofts,  three  cottages,  62  acres  of  land, 
122  acres  of  meadow,  377  acres  of  pasture 
were  to  be  included  in  the  conveyance.  Cf, 
ibid.  cl.  14,  no.  4  (2).  This  amounts  to 
well  over  a  half  of  the  township  of  Clax- 
ton. It  seems  probable  that  Bertram  was 
alienating  his  whole  estate,  and  that  the 
bishop  was  giving  him  licence  only  for 
the  moiety  held  of  him.  The  other  half 
was  then,  strictly  speaking,  held  of  the 
Crown.  Two  further  conveyances  of 
land  in  Claxton  were  made  by  the  Bulmers 
to  Richard  Johnson  in  1631  (ibid.). 

"  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  142. 

"a  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  109,  no.  10. 

^">  Ibid.   cl.  12,   no.   13   (4);     no.   26 

■»  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  28  (4). 


''  Surtees,   loc.   cit. 

"  L.  and  P.  Hen.  ml,  xx(i),  60  ; 
g.  282  (14);  Dep.  Keeper'i  Rep.  xxxvii, 
82. 

''  A  drawing  of  the  old  building  dated 
1792,  in  the  possession  of  the  vicar,  shows 
it  to  have  had  a  west  bellcote  containing 
two  bells,  and  flat-pitched  roofs  to  nave 
and  chancel.  In  March  1792  it  was 
stated  to  have  been  in  a  'ruinous  and 
decayed  condition  '  (Churchwardens'  Ac- 
counts). 

"  Hutchinsnn,  op.  cit.  90-91.  The 
responds  of  the  chancel  arch  were  prob- 
ably semi-octagonal.  Fordyce  describes 
the  chancel  arch  as  elliptical  (Wii(.  0/ Co. 
FdUt.  of  Dur.  ii,  300).  There  is  a  rough 
plan  of  the  seating  dated  1716  in  the 
churchwardens' book.  The  'dogwhipper's 
seat '  is  indicated  against  the  pier  opposite 
the  south  doorway. 

"'  The  sale  of  the  lead  realized  ^180. 
The  chancel  was  rebuilt  by  John  William 
Egerton,  master  of  the  hospital. 


A  HISTORY  OF   DURHAM 


dug  up  from  beneath  the  foundations  of  the  tower  and 
west  wall  of  the  nave.  But  better  evidence  of  a 
building  is  a  rough  fragment,  possibly  part  of  a  turned 
baluster  shaft,  and  in  the  chancel,  supporting  a  pre- 
Reformation  altar  slab  of  Frosterley  marble  still  in 
use,  are  two  turned  balusters  with  capital  and  base, 
which  apparently  have  been  dividing  shafts  in  the 
window  of  a  late  Saxon  tower.'^  Whether  these 
latter  shafts  belonged  to  a  church  at  Greatham 
or  were  brought  from  elsewhere  is  necessarily 
uncertain,  but  taken  in  conjunction  with  the 
early  fragments  discovered  in  1908  the  evidence 
seems  to  point  to  a  pre-Conquest  structure  on  the 
site,  restored  or  perhaps  entirely  rebuilt  in  the  early 
part  of  the  12th  century.  During  a  restoration  in 
i860  it  is  stated  that  'the  foundations  of  a  smaller 
church  were  found  inside  the  present  shell  and  the 
substructure  of  the  old  chancel  arch  could  be  clearly 
traced,'"  but  these  remains,  if  still  existing,  are  no 
longer  visible.  Of  the  later  fragments  found  in 
1 90S  one  is  a  portion  of  a  plain  piscina  of  early 
Norman  type. 

The  four  western  bays  of  the  nave  arcade  belong 
to  the  building  of  c.  1180-90.  The  arches  are 
pointed  and  of  two  orders,  but  differ  in  detail.  The 
westernmost  piers  on  either  side  are  octagonal,  but 
the  others,  including  the  two  new  piers  at  the  east 
end,  are  circular.  On  the  north  side  the  first,  third, 
and  fifth  arches  from  the  east  are  of  two  plain  cham- 
fered orders,  but  the  second  and  fourth  (first  and 
third  of  the  original  work)  have  a  double  cheveron 
moulding  on  the  outer  order  towards  the  nave,  while 
the  inner  order  has  a  roll  on  the  angle.  Towards 
the  aisle  both  orders  are  chamfered.  The  two  original 
cylindrical  piers  on  the  north  side  have  circular  necks 
with  octagonal  abaci,  the  second  bearing  traces  of 
having  had  volutes  at  the  angles,  now  cut  away. 
The  bases  follow  the  section  of  the  pillars.  The 
octagonal  western  pier  has  a  moulded  oct.igonal  capital 
and  base  and  the  arch  springs  at  the  west  end  from  a 
semi-octagonal  fluted  corbel.  On  the  south  side  the 
arches  consist  of  two  plain  chamfered  orders  and  the 
piers  follow  the  design  of  those  opposite.  Built  into 
the  north  wall  in  i860  are  three  12th-century  frag- 
ments, one  with  an  indented  moulding  and  the  others 
with  star  and  other  diaper  p.itterns. 

The  modern  chancel  has  a  three-light  east  window 
and  pointed  chancel  arch.  The  pre-Reformation  altar 
slab  with  its  five  crosses  has  already  been  referred  to. 
The  reredos  dates  from  1880. 

The  tower'*  is  of  three  stages  with  embattled 
parapet  and  west  window  of  three  lights.  It  con- 
tains two  bells  cast  in  1837. 

The  font  is  of  the  same  date  as  the  nave  arcades 
and  consists  of  a  circular  bowl  of  Frosterley  marble, 
on  a  sh.ift  and  moulded  base."  The  pulpit  and  all 
the  fittings  are  modern. 


The  plate  consists  of  a  chalice  and  cover  paten  ot 
I  57  I,  the  former  with  a  band  of  leaf  ornament,  and 
the  latter  with  the  date  inscribed  on  the  button**  ; 
and  a  chalice  of  1839  inscribed  '  In  usum  Ecclcs.  St' 
Johannis  Bapt.  in  Greatham.  D.  D. — H.  B.  Tristram 
olim  Vicarius  A.D.  1874.'  There  is  also  a  plated 
paten  and  flagon  presented  in  1842  by  the  Rev.  John 
Brewster,  vicar,  and  a  pewter  plate. 

The  registers  begin  in  1559.  The  Churchwardens' 
Accounts  extend  from  171  5  to  1856. 

The  churchyard  was  enlarged  in  1887  by  the 
addition  of  an  acre  of  land  a  little  way  off  to  the  south- 
east, given  by  the  trustees  of  the  hospital.  In  the 
churchyard  is  a  stone  cross  bearing  the  names  of  those 
from  this  parish  who  fell  in  the  Great  War. 

The  church  of  Greatham,  which 
JDyOlf'SON  belonged  in  1246  to  the  heir  of 
Roger  Bertram,*'  was  granted  with 
the  manor  to  the  hospital  of  Greatham  by  Robert 
Stichill.*^  His  charter  gave  the  master  and  brethren 
the  right  of  appropriating  the  church  after  the  death 
or  resignation  of  Maurice  the  clerk,  then  holding  it.*'' 
A  new  licence  for  appropriation  was  granted  by 
Anthony  Bek  (l  284-1  3  I  i),"''  presumably  when  the 
living  was  vacated  by  Maurice.  The  appropriation 
took  place  before  1 291.*'  In  1 312  the  master  of 
the  hospital  entered  a  conditional  appeal  against  the 
claim  of  some  persons  unnamed  to  present  a  rector  to 
the  church  of  Greatham.*''  A  vicarage  was  ordained 
before  1343.*'  The  master  and  brethren  of  the 
hospital  have  continued  to  exercise  the  patronage 
down  to  the  present  day.*'* 

A  chapel  is  attached  to  the  hospital,  and  the  vicar 
held  till  1855  theoflice  of  chaplain.  Robert  Betson, 
'parochial  chaplain,'  is  mentioned  in  a  visitation  of 
1501.*'  In  1594  the  vicar  said  service  at  the  hospital 
twice  a  day  and  received  in  return  his  diet  and  a 
yearly  sum  of  ;^2.'''  The  office  of  chaplain  was 
abolished  in  1855  and  a  rule  was  made  that  masters 
were  to  be  in  holy  orders."  They  were  still  per- 
mitted to  combine  the  two  offices,  which  are  now 
held  separately. 

A  chapel  at  Claxton,  belonging  to  the  Prior  of 
Durham,  was  released  between  1 23 3  and  1244 
to  Leo  de  Claxton  for  his  private  use.  He  was 
to  be  at  liberty  to  have  divine  service  celebrated 
there  at  his  own  cost,  but  was  bound  to  attend  the 
mother  church  of  Billingham  on  the  four  principal 
feast  days.'-  This  chapel  was  still  in  existence  in 
1430,''^  but  is  not  again  mentioned.  Evidently 
Claxton  belonged  originally  to  the  neighbouring 
parish  of  Billingham.  Like  Billingham,  it  was  in  the 
original  ward  of  Stockton,  whereas  Greatham  was 
part  of  the  wapentake  of  Sadberge.  The  date  when 
it  was  transferred  to  Greatham  parish  is  not  known, 
but  the  tithe  corn  of  Claxton  belonged  to  Greatham 
Hospital  in  i  594.'^ 


"  All  these  fragments  and  the  balusters 
supporting  the  altar  slab  are  described 
and  figured  in  Arch.  Ael.  (Ser.  3),  ii. 
The  Saxon  origin  of  the  balusters  is 
attested  by  Prof.  Baldwin  Brown. 
They  are  2  ft.  7  in.  in  height.  The 
fragments  found  in  1908  are  in  the 
vestry, 

"  Ibid. 

''^  Designed  by  Mr.  C.  Hodgson  Fowler. 

"  It  is  figured  and  described  in  Trait. 


Arch.  Soc.  Dur,  and  Northumb.  vi,  253. 
The  bowl  has  been  relined  with  lead. 

'^  The  chalice  is  figured  in  Proc,  Soc. 
Anti^.  Newcdsrlcy  iv,  15. 

**'  See  above. 

"-  Cal.  Chart.  R.  I  2  57-1  300,  p.  250-1. 

^'^  Ibid.  Maurice  was  probably  identical 
with  the  '  Maurice  called  Samson  '  who 
was  rector  in  1255  [Cat.  Papal  L.  i,  315). 

^*  Allan,  Collections  relating  to  Greatham 
Hospital. 


"  Pope  Nich.  Tax.  (Rec.  Com.),  314. 

'^  Reg.  Palat.  Dunelm.  (Rec.  Com.),  i, 
218.  ^'  Ibid,  iii,  451. 

s*  Inst.  Bks.  (P.R.O.). 

^^  Bp.  Barnes^  Injunc.  (Surt.  Soc),  App. 
xvi. 

«"  r.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  121. 

^'  Richmond,  op.  cit.  248. 

^-  Feod.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc),  26  n. 

"  Ibid.  2;. 

»<  r.C.H.  Dur.  ii,   121. 


246 


STOCKTON    WARD 


GRINDON 


Stichrll,  Bishop  of 
Durham.  Or  a  hend  lahU 
cotned  azure  luitk  a  moUt 
argent  befween  tivo 
bezants  on  the  bend. 


The  hospital  of  God  was  founded 
CHARITIES  by  Robert  Stlchell,  Bishop  of  Durham, 
by  letters  patent  bearing  date  the  Sun- 
day before  the  Epiph.my  1272,  and  is  administered 
by  the  master  and  brethren  under  the  provisions  of  a 
scheme  of  the  High  Court  of 
Chancery  of  31  July  1866, 
and  schemes  of  the  Charity 
Commissioneri  of  27  April 
1883,  I  November  1910, and 
18  June  1918.  The  trust 
estate  consists  of  the  buildings 
and  1,700  acres  orthercabouts, 
certain  reserved  rents  on  un- 
expired leases,  a  tithe  rent- 
charge  of  about  X'*°»  ^^^ 
income  from  real  estate 
amounting  to  about  ^(^5,000, 
and  j^i,o64  17/.  from  per- 
sonal estate,  being  the  divi- 
dends on  India  3  per  cent. stock 

and  consols,  5  per  cent.  War  Stock,  and  3  J  per  cent. 
Conversion  Stock  with  the  official  trustees.  The 
scheme  directs  that  there  shall  be  thirteen 
in-brethren,  who  shall  each  receive  ^(^12  per  annum 
and  clothing,  and  thirteen  out-brethren,  who 
shall  each  receive  £z6  per  annum,  with  medical 
attendance,  with  provision  for  the  extension  of  the 
benefits,  when  the  funds  should  warrant,  to  forty 
brethren.  The  number  of  out-brethren  at  present 
is  twenty-seven.  The  in-brethren  also  receive  a  hot 
dinner  daily,  and  a  daily  allowance  of  milk,  bread 
and  butter,  fuel  and  light.  A  dole  of  meal  is  likewise 
distributed  to  twenty-six  poor  persons.  A  grant  of 
j^75  is  made  annually  to  the  vicar  of  Greatham,  and 
under  an  order  of  the  Charity  Commissioners  of 
17  May  1904  a  grant  not  to  exceed  j^8o  a  year  is 
made  yearly  to  the  Greatham  Church  of  England 
Schools.'''* 

A  piece  of  land  containing  3  a.  I  r.  in  Greatham 
is  vested  in  the  master  and  brethren  of  the  hospital, 
by    whom    it   is   let    on    leases  for    certain    lives  in 


trust  for  the  poor.  The  property  known  as 
Poor  Folks  Cottage  Field  produces  ^^13  a  year, 
which  is  applied,  5/.  yearly  in  doles  of  white  bread  at 
Candlemas,  and  the  remainder  in  sums  of  5/.  to  poor 
widows  at  Whitsuntide  and  Christmas. 

In  l66g  Dr.  Samuel  Rand  gave  ;£loo  by  deed 
for  the  use  of  the  poor,  which  was  laid  out  in  the 
purchase  of  a  rent-charge  of  £6  issuing  out  of  land 
at  Thornton  in  Yorkshire,  which  is  applied  in  appren- 
ticing boys  and  girls.  The  charge  was  redeemed  in 
1919  by  the  transfer  of  ^240  z\  per  cent,  consols 
with  the  official  trustees,  producing  £6  yearly. 

In  1762  Dormer  Parkhurst,  by  deed,  founded  and 
endowed  almshouses  for  six  almswomen  or  '  sisters,' 
being  widows  or  unmarried  women  of  fifty  years  or 
upwards.  The  endowments  consist  of  the  almshouse, 
buildings,  and  a  piece  of  ground  in  Greatham,  and 
l6a.  3  r.  at  Stockton-on-Tees;  ;^4,853  17/.  -jti. 
consols,  arising  from  sales  of  land  from  time  to  time, 
and  j^232  14J.  id.  India  3  per  cent,  stock,  which  are 
held  by  the  official  trustees,  producing  together  £\\l 
yearly.  The  charity  is  regulated  by  a  scheme  of  the 
Charity  Commissioners  6  July  1886.  Each  of  the 
inmates  receives  j{^ 1 3  16/.  yearly,  zs.  at  Easter  and 
Whitsuntide,  and  ^.  at  Christmas,  with  allowances 
for  coal,  clothing  and  medical  attendance. 

In  1819  Matthew  Carr,  by  his  will  proved  at 
York,  bequeathed  ;^ioo,  the  interest  to  be  distri- 
buted among  the  poor  at  Christmas.  The  legacy  is 
represented  by  ^^104  19/.  6ii.  consols,  with  the 
official  trustees.  The  annual  dividends,  amounting  to 
£z  lis.  ^d.,  are  distributed  among  poor  widows  and 
single  women  in  sums  varying  from  zs.  6d.  to  5/.  each. 

In  1916  Maud  Appleby,  by  will  proved  10  Feb- 
ruary, gave  j^2,ooo  6  per  cent.  Exchequer  Bonds, 
one  half  of  the  income  therefrom  to  be  applied  to  the 
upkeep  of  the  churchyard  and  cemetery  and  the 
remaining  half  to  the  deserving  poor.  The  endow- 
ment now  consists  of  ^^2,105  5/.  5  per  cent.  War 
Stock  with  the  official  trustees,  producing  ^^105  ^s.  zd. 
yearly.  In  1926  ^^27  3/.  was  distributed  in  money 
grants  and  ^^33  8/.  in  relief  in  kind. 


GRINDON 


The  parish  of  Grindon  contained  in  183 1  the 
townships  of  Grindon  and  Whitton.  Whitton  has 
now  been  transferred  to  Stillington,  while  the 
township  of  Embleton  from  Sedgefield  parish  was 
added  to  Grindon  in  1908.  The  parish  contains 
4,275  acres;  of  Grindon,  1,037  acres  are  in 
cultivation,  1,927  under  grass,  while  there  are  845 
acres  of  woods  and  plantations.'  The  chief  crops 
raised  are  wheat,  oats  and  barley.  The  slope  of  the 
parish  is  from  north-west  to  south-east.  The  soil  is 
mixed,  on  Magnesian   Limestone  and  Keupcr  Marl. 

There  is  not,  and  apparently  has  never  been,  a  village 
of  Grindon.  The  ruins  of  the  old  church  of 
St.  Thomas  of  Canterbury  stand  on  a  road  which 
crosses  the  parish  from  west  to  east  and  becomes  a 
path  leading   through  Wynyard   Park  to  the  seat  of 


the  Marquess  of  Londonderry.  Wynyard  Park,  which 
extends  over  325  acres,  contains  several  lakes.  The 
house  is  a  large  building  of  two  stories  in  the 
classic  style,  with  portico  supported  by  Corinthian 
columns.  Its  erection  was  begun  in  184 1,  following 
a  fire  on  19  February  of  the  same  year,  in  which  the 
former  house,  which  had  only  been  begun  in  1822 
from  the  designs  of  Philip  Wyatt,  and  was  nearing 
completion,  was  destroyed.  Surtees,  writing  about 
1823,  describes  the  older  house  as  'one  of  the  most 
handsome  and  convenient  mansions  in  the  district,' 
standing  'without  much  advantage  of  prospect.'' 
The  chapel,  designed  by  James  Brooks,  was  built  in 
1880  and  altered  and  enlarged  in  1903-5.  The 
sculpture  gallery  is  120  ft.  long  by  80  ft.  in  width. 
On   the   highest    ground   of  the   park    is  an   obelisk 


'■*  y.C.H.  Dur.  i,  406.  house,  which,  I  think,  forms  the  centre  of  ments  from  drainage.'     '  A  fine  piece  of 

'  Statistics  from  Bd.  of  Agric.  (1905).         the    modern    mansion.'     The    house    is  water  stretches  along  the  valley,  edged  with 

'  Surtees, //<!/.  jn./.-^nr/y.o/'Dur.  iii,  78.       described   as  surrounded  by  a  country  of  wood  and  lawn   .  .  .  a  handsome  bridge 

The  situation  was  probably  preferred  'for       deep  clay,  but  the  grounds  were  at  that  crosses  the   head  of  the  water  and  forms 

the  sake  of  preserving  a  portion  of  the  old        time  '  receiving  very  substantial  improve-  the  chief  approach  '  (ibid,  and  note). 

247 


A   HISTORY  OF   DURHAM 


127  ft.  in  height,  erected  to  commemorate  the  visit 
of  the  Dulce  of  Wellington  in  1827. 

Fulthorpe  is  a  farm  south-west  of  Wynyard  Park. 
Farther  in  this  direction,  and  about  a  mile  south  of 
Grindon  Old  Church,  is  the  village  of  Thorpe 
Thewles.  It  stands  on  very  low  ground  near  the 
Thorpe  Beck,  on  the  high  road  from  Durham  to 
Stockton.  Twelfth-century  place-names  in  Thorpe 
Thewles  include  Hundeflat,  Rietofts,  Denemuthe, 
Laitholf,  Childrelane,  Paddocnol,  Standandestan, 
Lederodcs,  Superveneland,  Crosfurlang,  Hecleve, 
Rerful,  Scrogmedene,  Blaikeshope.  Thorpe  Thewles 
Cross  is  mentioned  in  the  same  period.^ 


all  joyning  one  to  another,  fruitfuU  of  soile  and 
plcisant  of  situation,  and  so  bewtified  and  adorned 
with  woods  and  groves  as  noe  landcs  in  that  parte  of 
the  contrie  comp.irable  with  them.' ''  The  common 
fields  of  Thorpe  Thewles  were  inclosed  in  the  time 
of  Elizabeth,"  those  of  Whitton  shortly  before  1617.' 
A  parish  hall  was  built  in  1922. 

The  vill  of  GRINDON  has  been 
MANORS  attached  throughout  its  history  to  the 
manor  of  Fulthorpe."  In  March 
1336-7  Roger  de  Fulthorpe  was  found  to  have 
held  a  third  part  of  the  vill  in  chief  at  a  free 
rent   of  8/^"       His    grandson    Alan    possibly    may 


Grindon  :  The  Vane  Arms  in  the  Village  of  Thorpe  Thewles 


The  Vane  Arms  Inn,  in  Thorpe  Thewles  village,  is 
a  picturesque  two-story  brick  house  with  curved 
gable  and  red  pantiled  roof  broken  by  a  large  chimney. 
It  belongs  to  the  first  half  of  the  I  8th  century  and 
was  formerly  whitewashed.*  It  has  lately  been 
restored  and  roughcasted,  all  the  windows  being 
renewed.  This  is  apparently  the  house  which  was 
supposed  by  Surtees  to  have  been  the  residence  of  the 
Kendal  family.' 

The  modern  church  of  Thorpe  Thewles  stands  at 
the  east  end  of  the  village  street  near  the  railway. 
The  Stockton  and  Ferry  Hill  branch  of  the  London 
and  North  Eastern  railway  runs  from  south  to  north 
through  the  parish  and  has  a  station  at  Thorpe 
Thewles,  a  little  to  the  north  of  the  vill.ige. 

An  advertisement  of  1 623  describes  this  district  thus: 
'  These  severall  mannors  and  landes  of  Fulthrop, 
Winyard  and  Thorpthules  doe  lye  very  comodiously 


have  been  the  'Adam  Fulford '  who  about  1384  held 
the  whole  vill  for  a  rent  of  2/.*'  In  the  subsequent 
inquisitions  of  the  Fulthorpe  family  the  extent  of  the 
vill  is  given  as  10  tofts  and  about  180  acres. '- 

The  manor  of  FULTHORPE  was  held  from  the 
earliest  period  for  which  there  is  evidence  by  a  family 
of  that  name.  Roger  de  Fulthorpe  and  Roger  his 
son  are  found  witnessing  charters  to  Finchale  in  the 
early  i  3th  century.'^  The  younger  Roger  had  a  son 
Adam,^''  probably  the  Adam  son  of  Roger  de 
Fulthorpe,  kt.,  who  was  concerned  in  an  agree- 
ment about  land  in  Thrislington  in  1262.''^  He  was 
succeeded  by  Roger,  probably  his  son,'*'  who  was  dead 
in  March  1 3  36-7."  Roger  was  then  said  to  be 
seised  of  a  moiety  of  the  manor  of  Fulthorpe,  held  in 
chief  for  a  twelfth  part  of  a  knight's  fee."  This  was 
the  normal  amount  of  knight's  service  due  from  the 
manor,    the  whole    of  which    belonged    to    Roger's 


'  Egcrton  Chart.  514. 

'  Proc.  Soc.  Antiij.  Newcastle,  x,  loi. 
It  is  illustrated  opposite  p.  92.  It  was 
then  (1901)  *  rather  dilapidated.' 

'  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  80. 

«  Ibid.  77-8. 

'  Exch.  Dep.  (Spec.  Com.),  no.  3745. 

'  Chan.  Proc.  (Ser.  2),  bdle.  436,  no.  9. 

'  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  75. 


'»  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  1 2d. 

"  Hatfield' %  Surv.  (Surt.  Soc),  167. 
For  Alan  sec  below. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  161,  297, 
311;  file  168,  no.  7  ;  173,  no.  32.  For 
later  history  see  M^Call,  Family  of  tVan- 
deiforde,  226,  237,  238,  309  ;  Feet  of  F. 
Dur.  Trin.  38  Eliz.  ;  Trin.  12  Chas.  I. 

"  Finchale  Priory  (Surt  Soc),  138. 

248 


"  Ibid.  146. 

1*  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  16.  Adam 
Fauthorpe,  possibly  the  same  person, 
held  a  fifth  of  a  knight's  fee  of  the 
bishop  in  the  middle  of  the  i3th  century 
(ibid,  i  [i],  p.  cxxviii). 

■«  Ibid.  126. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  12  d. 

»  Ibid. 


(jRiNDON  :  VVynvard  Hall 


Grindon  Church  :    Ruins  from  the  South-west 


STOCKTON   WARD 


GRINDON 


FuLTHORPE.     Argent 
a  millrind  croil  sable. 


descendants.^'  Roger's  son  and  heir  Alan  succeeded 
while  still  a  minor  ;^"  he  died  in  or  about  1374, 
leaving  a  son  and  heir,  another  Alan,  a  minor.-'  The 
younger  Alan  died  seised  of  the  whole  m.inor  in  or 
about  1407,  leaving  a  son 
Thomas,  aged  fourteen.*'' 
Thomas  had  livery  in  1409, 
and  in  141  5  settled  the  manor 
on  himself  and  his  wife 
Margaret  daughter  of  Thomas 
de  Crathorne  and  their  issue.-' 
He  died  in  1439-^  and 
Margaret  only  lived  until 
October  of  the  following 
year.*'  Their  son  and  heir  was 
Thomas,  then  a  minor,-"  who 
left  a  son  Alan.*^  Alan  died  in 

1485,  when  his  son  and  heir  Christopher  was  twenty 
years  old.**  Christophersettled  the  manor  in  February 
1 5 14— 5  on  his  son  James  and  Elizabeth  Place  his 
wife,  for  their  lives  and  the  life  of  the  survivor.*'  It 
subsequently  reverted  to  the  heirs  of  his  eldest  son 
John,  who  died  in  1556,  leaving  daughters  and  co-heirs 
Anne  and  Cecily.''"  They  married  respectively  Francis 
and  Christopher,  brothers  of  the  family  of  Wandes- 
ford  of  Kirklington.'^  In  I  566  half  the  manor  of 
Fulthorpe  was  settled  on  Christopher  Wandesforde 
and  his  wife  Cecily,  with  remainder  to  Francis, 
Henry  and  Thom.is  Wandesforde  their  sons  in  tail.^* 
In  1586,  however,  a  partition  of  the  lands  of  John 
Fulthorpe  was  made  between  Christopher  and  Francis 
Wandesforde,  husband  and  son  of  Cecily,  and  Anne 
Nevill,  widow  of  Francis  Wandesforde,  and  her  son 
Christopher.  By  this  agreement  Anne  received  for 
her  share,  inter  alia,  the  manor  of  Fulthorpe  and 
Grindon,  which  she  settled  to  her  own  use  for  life 
with  remainder  to  her  son  Sir  Christopher  Wandes- 
forde.^' Christopher's  son  Sir  George  sold  it  in 
I  596  to  Thomas  Blakiston  of  Blakiston,^^  who  in  1 6  I  7 
conveyed  it  to  Arthur  and  Humphrey  Robinson. '* 
Nineteen  years  later  Arthur  Robinson,  with  Henry 
Robinson,  senior,  his  brother,  and  Henry,  son  and  heir 
of  Henry  Robinson, conveyed  it  to  Alexander  Davison,'^ 
who  acquired  the  manor  of  Blakiston  at  about 
the  same  time.  Fulthorpe  was  sequestered  in  1644 
for  the  delinquency  of  Alexander  Davison  and  his  son 
Thomas.^'  Thomas  was  in  possession  of  the  manor 
in    1657,58  and   it  appears  to   have  followed  subse- 


quently the  descent  of  Blakiston.     The  present  owner 
is  Viscount  Boyne. 

The  vill  of  THORPE  THElf'LES  (Thorp,  xii- 
xiii  cent.  ;  Thorpp  Thewles,  1265  ;  Thorpe  Theules, 
xiv  cent.)  belonged  in  the  Izth  century  to  the 
family  of  Thorpe.  The  Geoffrey  de  Thorpe,  who  in 
1166  held  half  a  knight's  fee  in  the  bishopric,"  was 
probably  lord  of  this  manor,  and  was  perhaps 
identical  with  Geoffrey  son  of  Godfrey  de  Thorpe, 
who  between  1180  and  1 194  granted  to  his  sister 
Maud  3  oxgangs  of  land  here."  John  son  of 
Geoffrey  de  Thorpe  made  grants  to  Finchale  Priory 
in  the  early  years  of  the  13th  century  and  answered 
for  half  a  knight's  fee  in  the  bishop's  fcodary  of 
I  249-60."  He  had  two  sons,  Geoffrey  and  William, 
of  whom  Geoffrey  appears  to  have  been  the  elder." 
Geoffrey  confirmed  grants  to  Finchale  "  and  apparently 
died  without  issue.  His  brother  William  *'  granted  land 
in  Thorpe  Thewles  to  Alan  de  Thorpe,  clerk,  who  in 
1265  granted  it  to  Finchale  Priory."  The  heir 
of  William  was  his  son  Robert  de  Thorpe,"  whose 
widow  Aveline  in  1305  held  one-third  of  the  m.inor 
in  dower."  The  remaining  two-thirds  were  in  the 
hands  of  the  bishop,  presumably  by  escheat,  and  the 
whole  manor  was  claimed  as  early  as  I  304  by  John 
son  of  John  de  Maidstone  as  his  inheritance  from  his 
father.*'  The  bishop's  defence  was  that  John  was  a 
bastard."  In  1307  the  matter  was  settled  by  a 
release  to  Bishop  Bek  from  John  de  Maid-tone.'" 

The  history  of  the  manor  during  the  first  half  of 
the  14th  century  is  very  obscure.  In  1335  land 
here  was  held  of  Sir  Robert  Conyers,  in  1339  other 
land  was  held  of  Richard  de  Sayton."  A  charter 
was  made  to  Finchale  by  John  Ward  of  Thorpe 
Thewles,"  and  Ralph  Ward  of  Thorpe  Thewles 
acknowledged  a  debt  to  Roger  de  Fulthorpe  in  1  346." 
The  history  of  the  manor  becomes  clear  again  with  a 
release  of  it  in  1346  to  this  Roger  de  Fulthorpe  from 
Maud  widow  of  Nicholas  Gower  of  Skutterskelfe." 
Roger  was  lord  of  Tunstall  in  the  parish  of  Stranton. 
He  rented  land  in  Thorpe  Thewles  from  the  Prior 
of  Finchale  in  1375-6,"  and  forfeited  the  manor 
in  1388  among  his  other  lands.  It  was  granted  in 
I  389  to  his  son  William,"  and  followed  the  descent  of 
Tunstall  till  1462,  when  Thomas  Fulthorpe  settled  it 
for  life  on  Elizabeth  wife  of  Richard  Conyers,  and 
subsequently  of  Robert  Pilkington."  On  her  death 
in  1507  '"  it  passed  to  Philippa  wife  of  Richard  Booth, 


"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  311. 

'"  Ibid.  fol.  I2d.  ;  cl.  20,  no.  2. 

"  Ibid.  cl.  3,  R.  31,  m.  7. 

"  Ibid.  no.  2,  fol.  161.  The  value  of 
the  manor  was  given  in  his  inquisition 
(ibid.)  as  £6  13s.  4^/.,  exactly  twice  the 
value  of  Roger  de  Fulthorpe's  moiety  in 
■336-7  ('bid.  fol.  1 2d.). 

"  Ibid.  R.  35,  m.  3  ;  deed  printed  by 
McCall  in  Family  of  IVandesforJe,  195. 

'*  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  Vol.  297. 

"  Ibid.  fol.  311. 

^*  Ibid.  fol.  297,  31 1. 

"  Early  Chan.  Proc.  bdle.  38,  no.  28 1. 

'8  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  168,  no.  7. 

"  Ibid.  no.  3,  fol.  45  i  Dep.  Kciper'i 
Rep.  xxxvi,  103. 

'"  McCall,  op.  cit.  203,  237-8  ;  Chan. 
Inq.  p.m.  (Ser.  2),  cix,  4;. 

»l  McCall,  Family  of  Wandcifordt,  33, 
47.  237-S. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  i  (2);  deed 
printed  by  M<:Call,  op.  cit,  225. 


"  Ibid.  237-8. 

'^  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  2  (i);  cl.  3, 
R.  92,  m.  II.  Thomas  was  created  a 
baronet  in  16 15  (G.E.C.  Barore'agey  i, 
107).  According  to  Chan.  Proc.  (Ser.  2), 
bdle.  409,  no.  57,  Sir  William,  father  of 
Thomas,  was  in  possession  in  1605. 

'■'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  97,  no.  68  ;  cl.  1 2, 
no.  3(2);  Chan.  Proc.  (Ser.  2),  bdle.  301, 
no.  4  ;  bdle.  323,  no.  2  ;  bdle.  409,  no.  57. 

'*  Dur.  Rrc.  cl.  12,  no.  4  (4); 
cl.  3,  R.  109,  m.  18,  no.  39  ;  Chan. 
Proc.  (Ser.  2),  bdle.  323,  no.  2. 

'■"  Ree.  Com.  for  Cr.mp.  {Sutt.  Soc),  13, 
14,  19,  180. 

"''Com.  Pleas,  D.  Enr.  East.  1657, 
m.  9. 

3'  Red  Bk.  ofExeh.  (Rolls  Ser.),  1,417. 

***  Egerton  Chart.  ^14.  Maud  married 
William  son  of  Roger  de  Stodfold 
(Egerton  Chart.  512). 

"  Finchale  Priory  (Surt.  Soc.),  138-41  ; 
Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  80  ;  i  (i),  p.  cxxviii. 

249 


"  Finchale  Priory  (Surt.  Soc),  140, 
142,  146.  "  Ibid.  142,  146. 

"  Ibid.  143.  "  Ibid. 

*''  Hutchinson,  Hiit.  and  Antiq.  of  Dur, 
iii,  90  ;   Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  71. 

"  Reg.  Palar.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  It, 

12-13  i  ^"l-  ^"'^  '3°'-7i  r-  4"4- 

*^  Ibid.  Isabel  wife  of  Jchn  was  asso- 
ciated with  him  (Cj/.C/oj^,  1202-7,  p. '  5 6). 

"  Reg.  Palar.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  iv, 
12-13.  »"  Cott.  Chart,  xii,  48. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  8,  18. 

^'  Hutchinson,  loc.  cit. 

■'■'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  30,  m.  1. 

'•  Arc/t.  Ael.  (Ser.  3),  vii,  34. 

^^  Finchale  Priory  (Surt.  Soc),  App. 
p.  xcv. 

"  Cal.  Par.  138S-92,  p.  168. 

>"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  171,  no.  8.  She 
was  one  of  the  daughters  and  co  heirs  of 
Robert  Claxton  of  Claxton  (ibid,  file  167, 
no.  32). 

'9  Dur.  Rec  cl.  3,  file  171,  no.  8. 

32 


A  HISTORY  OF   DURHAM 


Joan  wife  of  William  Constable,  daughters  of  Thomas 
Fulthorpe,  and  Ralph  Radclyffc  son  of  his  daughter 
Isabel." 

The  share  of  Philippa  descended  to  her  son 
Ralph,'"  who  had  two  daughters  and  co-heirs  Anne 
and  Joan. 

Anne  married  Thomas  Fulthorpe,  and  Joan 
married  George  Smith,  by  whom  she  left  a 
daughter  and  heir  Anne  wife  of  John  Swinburn 
of  Chopvvell."  The  Fulthorpes  apparently  released 
their  cl.iim  and  John  Swinburn  came  into  posses- 
sion of  this  third  of  the  manor.  He  obtained  a 
release,  applying  in  form  to  the  whole  manor,  from 
Francis  Constable  in  1566."  At  his  attainder  in 
1570  John  Swinburn  was  in  possession  of  one- 
third,  which  accordingly  passed  to  the  Crown." 
Leases  of  it  were  made  in  succession  to  John  Watson, 
Roger  Rante,  John  Warde,  Thomas  Holford  and 
Edward  Shelton."  In  1611  it  was  granted  in  fee 
to  John  ElJred  and  William  Whitmore,"  '  fishing 
grantees,'  against  whom  it  was  claimed  in  1620  by 
Christopher  Fulthorpe  as  great-grandson  and  heir  of 
Thomas  Fulthorpe  and  Anne  Booth.'"  The  result  of 
the  case  is  not  known,  but  in  1629""  land  here  and 
elsewhere  was  sold  by  Christopher  Fulthorpe  and 
Mary  his  wife  to  Sir  William  Blakiston  of  Blakiston, 
in  Hurworth,  head  of  a  family  which  for  centuries  had 
slowly  accumulated  a  freehold  here.  In  1339 
William  Blakiston  succeeded  to  a  messuage  and  an 
oxgang"  ;  in  1424  another  William  Blakiston  had  a 
messuage,  10  acres  and  2  roods."  John  Blakiston 
died  in  January  1  586-7  seised  of  a  messuage,  a  cottage 
and  60  acres  of  land  here."  They  passed  under  his 
will  to  his  son  William,"  who  by  his  marriage  with  the 
daughter  and  co-heir  of  William  Claxton  of  Wynyard  " 
acquired  a  small  freehold  in  Thorpe  Thewles  which 
had  belonged  to  that  family."  The  Blakistons  may 
also  have  acquired  the  Finchale  lands  in  Thorpe 
Thewles,  which  arc  not  otherwise  accounted  for."' 
In  1616  Sir  Thomas  Blakiston  sold  part  of  his  estate 
here  to  John  Shaw,  who  in  1603  had  obtained  from 
Andrew  Davison  and  Janet  his  wife  a  conveyance  of 
land  here  and  in  Carlton  and  Whitton."  In  1623 
his  estate  coniisted  of  160  acres  and  was  worth  j^6o 
a  year."*  In  1634  ^^  conveyed  all  his  'lands  called 
Thorpe  Thewles '  to  Alexander  Davison,  who  two 
years  later  was  pardoned  for  acquiring  from  him 
3    messuages   4   tofts    and   300   acres.''      Land  here 


with  a  rental  of  £So  was  sequestered  among  the 
Davisons'  estates  in  1645,"  and  John  Davison  of 
Blakiston  was  among  the  freeholders  in  1684." 
Thomas  and  Musgrave  Davison  conveyed  land  here 
and  in  Beaton  Carew  to  John  Porrett  in  171 5."" 
A  private  act  obtained  in  171  8-19  freed  this  land 
from  the  uses  of  the  marriage  settlement  of  Thomas 
Davison  and  in  exchange  Porrett  gave  to  Davison 
Thorpe  woods  and  Fulthorpe  woods  in  Grindon, 
which  had  been  sold  to  him  by  Thomas  Davison, 
father  of  the  tenant."''  In  I  740  and  174 1  Thomas 
Davison  and  Mary  his  wife  granted  a  rent  of  ;^loo 
from  '  the  manor  of  Thorpe  Thewles '  to  Richard 
Ireland  for  a  term  of  years."  By  1776  property  in 
Thorpe  Thewles  had  come  into  the  possession  of 
Tempest  of  Wynyard,  with  which  estate  it  came  to 
the  Marquess  of  Londonderry,  the  principal  land- 
owner in  I  834." 

The  share  in  the  manor  held  by  Joan  wife  of 
William  Constable  passed  to  her  grandson  Francis 
Constable  of  Caythorpe  in  Rudston  (Yorks.).™  He 
appears  to  have  sold  it  to  a  member  of  the  family  of 
Kendal,"  probably  the  William  Kendal  who  was 
described  as  of  Thorpe  Thewles  in  1575.'"  William's 
grandson  John  Kendal "  was  probably  the  freeholder 
of  that  name  who  took  part  in  the  partition  of  the 
common  fields  about  1 600  and 
made  a  conveyance  of  lands 
here  to  William  Watson  in 
1634."  John's  son  Anthony 
was  in  possession  of  land  here 
in  1666,"  his  son  William  in 
1684.*'  William  had  a  son 
and  heir  George,  buried  at 
Grindon  in  1718,"  but  the 
later  history  of  this  estate  is 
uncertain.  It  may  have  been 
bought  up  by  the  Davison 
family. 

Ralph  Radcliffe's  share  in 
the  manor  was  inherited  by  his  daughter  and  heir 
Margaret,  who  married  Brian  Palmes,  attainted  in 
1569."  This  third  passed  like  Swinburn's  to  the 
Crown,  but  Christopher  Radclifte  was  the  tenant  in 
1569  and  Roger  RadclifTe,  Margaret's  cousin,  was 
allowed  to  succeed  in  i  5  8 1 ."  He  seems  to  have  sold  it 
to  Nicholas  Tweddell,  who  was  a  freeholder  in  1600,'° 
and  died  in  1607  in  possession  of  300  acres  of  arable 


Kenhal.  Party  bend- 
zvise  indented  argent  and 
table. 


"  Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  3,  file  171,  no.  8  ; 
Dep.  Keeper^  Rep.  xxxvi,  74. 

'"  Foster,  Dur.  Viiit.  Fed.  3 1  ;  Exch. 
Dep.  Mich.  18  Jas.  I,  no.  5. 

"Foster,  op.  cit.  131;  Exch.  Dep. 
Mich.  18  Jas.  I,  no.  5. 

*^  Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  12,  no.  i  (2)  ;  cl.  3, 
R.  82,  m.  6. 

«8  Exch.  K.R.  Misc.  Bks.  xxxviii,  fol. 
214. 

'•  Aug.  Office  Parfic.  for  Leases,  file 
35,  no.  67  ;  Pat.  15  Eliz.  pt.  i,  m.  24  ; 
pt.  xi,  m.  3 1 8  d.  ;  31  Eliz.  pt.  xi,  m.  2 1  j 
Exch.  Plea  R.  412,  m.  24. 

^^  Pat.  9  Jas.  I,  pt.  vi,  no.  9. 

^  Exch.  Dep.  Mich.  18  Jas.  I,  no.  5  ; 
cf.  ibid.  East.  19  Jas.  I,  no.  16 

""a  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  4  (2). 

''  Ibid.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  iS. 

6»lbid.  fol.  224  d.,  265  d. 

''  Ibid,  file  178,  no.  50  ;  file  191,  no.  23. 

™  Ibid.  ;  Dur.  ffill,  and  Invent.  (Surt. 
Soc),  ii,  145. 


"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  192,  no.  74. 

"  Ibid,  file  174,  no.  ;  ;  file  178,  no.  30  ; 
cf.  Chan.  Proc.  (Ser.  2),  bdle.  375,  no.  17  j 
bdle.  301,  no.  4.  "  Sec  below. 

'<  Chan.  Proc.  (Ser.  2),  bdle.  380, 
no.  29  ;  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  i  86,  no.  72  ; 
ibid.  cl.  12,  no.  2  (2);  cf.  no.  3  (2); 
Royalist  Comp.  P.  Dur.  and  Northumb, 
(Surt.  Soc),  14. 

'^a  Valuation  printed  Surtees,  op.  cit. 
iii,  77.      Cf.  ibid,  i,  199  n. 

''  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  107,  no.  5  d.  ; 
R.  108,  no.  62  ;  cl.  12,  no.  4  (3). 

'•'  Royalist  Comp.  P.  Dur.  and  Northumb, 
(Surt.  Soc),  35,  180. 

"  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  81. 

"»  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  19  (3). 

"•>  D.  in  the  poss.  of  the  Earl  of  Eldon. 
Porrett's  land  seems  to  have  been  in 
Seaton  Carew. 

'"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  26  (l). 

"Ibid.  cl.  3,  R,  129,  no.  12;  Mac- 
kenzie and  Ross,  Vieiv  of  Co.  Dur.  i,  450. 

250 


8°  Cf.  Test.  Ehor.  (Surt.  Soc),  vi,  106. 

*"  Exch.  Dep.  Mich.  18  J.ts.  I,  no.  5. 

**  Foster,  Dur.  I'isit.  PcJ.  195.  They 
were  cadets  of  the  Kendals  of  Ripon  who 
*  descended  of  a  younger  brother  of  the 
house  of  Kendall  beside  Lichfield  '  and 
differenced  their  arms  with  a  crescent  on 
a  molet.  ^  Ibid. 

^'  Exch.  Dep.  Spec  Com.  no.  3745  ; 
Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  4  (2).  His  father 
Anthony,  who  had  a  grant  of  320  acres 
from  Charles  Wrenn  in  li;99  (Dur.  Rec. 
cl.  12,  no.  2  [i]),  is  said  to  have  lived 
till  1630  (Foster,  loc.  cit.). 

^^  Foster,  loc.  cit. 

^  Ibid.  ;   Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  81. 

^'  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

**  Foster,  Dur.  Fisit.  Ped.  267  ;  Exch. 
K.R.  Misc.  Bki.  xxxviii,  fol.  244  d. 

s'See  Tunstall;  Exch.  K.R.  Miic, 
Bks.  xxxviii,  fol.  244  d.;  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3, 
file  191,  no.  94,  101. 

'"  Exch.  Dep.  Spec.  Com.  no.  3745. 


STOCKTON   WARD 


GRINDON 


land,  meadow  and  moor  held  in  thief  by  knight's 
service.*!  Robert  TvveJdell,  his  brother  and  heir,*^ 
conveyed  a  third  of  the  manor  in  February  162  1-2 
to  his  brother  Francis.*^  Francis'  son  Francis  was 
described  as  of  Thorpe  Thewles  in  1656  and  1673,*^ 
and  Robert,  younger  son  of  the  younger  Francis,  had 
land  here  in  1684.**  His  nephew  George  made  a 
settlement  of  his  estate  in  Thorpe  Thewles  in  1724.** 
The  late  history  of  this  portion  of  the  estate  is 
unknown. 

The  lands  of  Finchale  Priory  in  Thorpe  Thewles 
included  the  3  oxgangs  which  Geoffrey  de  Thorpe 
granted  to  his  sister  Maud.*'  With  her  husband 
William  de  Stotfold  she  granted  them  to  Stephen  de 
Elwick,  clerk,**  who  conveyed  them  to  the  priory.** 
)ohn  de  Thorpe  granted  3  oxgangs,  Robert  de 
Minsterton  3  oxgangs,  and  Alan  de  Thorpe  8  acres.!** 
The  prior  had  a  manor-house  here,  frequently 
mentioned  in  the  accounts  of  the  priory. ^  In  1495 
tliis  manor  of  Thorpe  Thewles  was  granted  to  Henry 
Howes  and  Eleanor  his  wife  for  thirty  years  in  ex- 
change for  land  in  Monkwearmouth  and  elsewhere.^ 
In  1 52 1  all  the  prior's  lands  here  were  finally  ex- 
changed for  Sir  William  and  Sir  John  Bulmer's  lands 
in  Durham  and  Monkwe.irmouth.*  It  has  already 
been  suggested  that  these  lands  ultimately  came  into 
the  h.inds  of  the  Blakistons. 

There  was  a  mill  at  Thorpe  Thewles  in  the  13th 
century,*  and  a  water-mill  here  is  mentioned  in 
1570.^     In  1857  there  was  a  flour-mill. 

Nine  oxgangs  in  IVHITTON  (Witton,  Wytton, 
xii  cent.)  were  granted  by  Bishop  Hugh  Pudsey 
(1153-95)  to  Sherburn  Hospital  by  its  foundation 
charter.^  Seven  of  these  had  been  purchased  from 
Alberic  and  Geoffrey  son  of  Richard,  and  the  other 
two  formed  the  endowment  of  the  chapel  of 
the  vill.  Geoffrey  de  Whitton  made  a  grant  to  the 
church  of  Grindon  of  2  oxgangs  here,  in  return  for  the 
9  marks  given  him  by  Bishop  Hugh  for  his  journey 
to  Jerusalem.  He  also  confirmed  to  the  church 
2  oxgangs  which  Alberic  had  held  of  him  and  had 
given.'  These  4  oxgangs  were  probably  part  of  the 
holding  already  granted  by  the  bishop.  Between 
1245  and  1269  William  de  Hamsterley  gave  to  the 
hospital  a  piece  of  land  48  ft.  by  1 8  ft.  next  his 
capital  messuage  of  Whitton,  between  the  land  of 
Hugh  de  Cliveland  and  the  land  of  John  son  of 
Libya.*  Lands  of  the  hospital  in  Whitton  were 
held  on  lease  in  1617  by  John  Buckle.*  In  1717 
its  estate  here  consisted  of  three  holdings,  each  rented 
at  £z  \is.  8(2'.'"  The  hospital  still  has  an  estate 
here. 


Robert  son  of  Adam  de  Whitton,  who  witnessed 
the  charter  of  William  de  Hamsterley,  and  also  a 
charter  of  William  de  Thorpe  to  Finchale  Priory," 
was  possibly  the  ancestor  of  Thomas  Adamson  of 
Whitton,  mentioned  in  1400.'-  In  1418  land 
here  was  held  by  the  Blakistons  of  Anne  widow  of 
Thomas  Adamson."  Her  heirs  held  this  lordship  in 
1468  and  1483,'^  and  in  1533  it  belonged  to  Roger 
Kirkman."  In  or  about  i  598  Roger  Kirkman  died 
seised  of  a  messuage  or  cottage  and  70  acres  in 
Whitton,  leaving  an  heir  Thomas  Kirkman.'"  The 
later  descent  of  this  holding  cannot  be  traced. 

The  Blakistons'  land  here  followed  the  descent  of 
their  manor  of  Blakiston  till  I  533  at  least.'"  It  may 
have  passed  to  Robert  Ayton,  who  in  1539  granted 
land  here  to  Thomas  Chipchase.'**  Thomas  had  a 
son  Robert,  grandson  Thomas  and  great-great-grand- 
son Thomas  Chipchase.'*  The  last-named  Thomas 
died  in  1763.  His  sister  and  co-heir  Anne,  with  her 
husband  John  Metcalf  and  George  Atkinson,  son  of 
her  sister  Elizabeth,  conveyed  the  estate  in  1764  to 
Edward  Davison  of  Durham,  whose  son  Edward,  a 
clerk  in   Holy  Orders,  was  holding  it  in  1823.-" 

William  Watson  of  Thorpe  Thewles  and  Elizabeth 
his  wife  had  acquired  land  here,  the  extent  of  which 
is  not  known,  from  Sir  William  Gascoigne  in  January 
1609-10.^'  They  conveyed  two  messuages  and  200 
acres  of  land,  meadow  and  pasture  in  Whitton  to 
Roger  Tocketts  in  1614  for  a  term  of  60  years.-i" 
The  freeholders  of  the  vill  in  1684  were  Anthony 
Watson,  William  Watson,  Thomas  Davison,  Thomas 
Chipchase  and  Thomas  Buckle.-'^ 

The  earliest  known  owners  of  the  manor  of 
IITNTARD  (Wyneiard,  xiii  cent.  ;  Wynhyard,  xiv 
cent.),  which  was  held  in  chief  for  half  a  knight's 
fee,-'  were  the  family  of  Chapel  or  Capella.  Robert 
de  Capella  witnessed  a  charter  of  the  time  of  Bishop 
Pudsey  (1153-95)  and  answered  for  half  a  knight's 
fee  in  the  bishopric,  '  of  new  feoffment,'  in  1166.-'^ 
Hugh  dc  Capella  and  Robert  his  son  witnessed  a 
charter  concerning  land  in  Thorpe  Thewles  in  the 
early  13th  century."  This  was  perhaps  the  Hugh 
who  in  1237  was  disputing  possession  of  the  vill  of 
Wynyard  with  Randolf  de  Fishburn.^s  ^  i^ter  Hugh, 
who  lived  in  the  reign  of  Edward  I,  and  was  perhaps 
the  Sir  Hugh  de  Chapell  living  here  in  i  264,"  is  said 
to  have  had  five  daughters  and  co-heirs,  Cecily  wife  of 
Richard  Daldcn,  Laderancia  wife  of  Peter  Wykes,  and 
Orfanca,  Elizabeth,  and  Amice.--  His  widow  Joan 
married  as  a  second  husband  John  de  Denthorpe,  who 
had  the  wardship  of  two  of  the  daughters  and  secured 
for  himself  various  lands  in  the  manor.'*     These    he 


"  Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  ij,  file  182,  no.  41. 
The  lands  ot"  Brian  Palmes  were  said  in 
1620  to  have  been  formerly  in  the  occu- 
pation of  Radclirte  and  to  be  now  in  the 
hands  of  Tweddell  (Exch,  Dep,  Mich, 
18  Jas.  I,  no.  5). 

""  Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  3,  file  182,  no.  41. 

'"Ibid,  file  1S9,  no.  99;  R.  loi, 
no.  105  ;  cl.  12,  no.  5  (2). 

^^  Surtces,  op.  cit.  iii,  82. 

"Ibid.  81,  82. 

««  Ibid.  82. 

^^  Egerton  Chart.  514.     See  above. 

9*  Ibid.  512. 

^  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  80. 

^^  Finchale  Priory  (Surt.  Soc),  1  36-43, 

'  Ibid.  App.  paisim. 

'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  62,  m.  1  d. 


^  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  80. 

•  Finchale  Priory  (Surt.  Soc),  140. 

'  Exch.  K..R.  Misc.  Bks.  xixviii,  fol. 
214. 

*"  Allan,  CoUectiortifor  Sherburn  Hospiial. 

'  Hutchinson,  op.  cit.  iii,  86  n, 

'  Allan,  op,  cit. 

'  Chan.  Proc.  (Scr.  2),  bdle.  436, 
no.  9. 

">  Allan,  op.  cit. 

"  Allan,  op.  cit.;  Finchale  Priory  (Surt, 
Soc),  143. 

'-  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  33,  m.  25. 

"  Dtp.  Kcepet'i  Rep.  xlv,  167. 

"  Dur.  Rcc.  cl,  3,  file  166,  no,  36  ; 
file  167,  no.  1  2. 

"  Ibid,  file  177,  no.  8. 

"  Ibid,  file  169,  no.  53. 

251 


"  Dep.  Keeper' i  Rep.  xlv,  167  ;  Dur. 
Rec.  cl.  3,  file  166,  no.  36;  file  167, 
no.  12  ;  file  177,  no.  8, 

'*  Surtees,  op,  cit,  iii,  83. 

'9  Ibid. 

'"  Ibid, 

•I  Dur.  Rcc.  cl,  3,  R.  94,  m.  29. 

2'a  Ibid.  cl.  12,  no.  2  (3). 

•»  Surtees,  op,  cit,  iii,  84. 

"  Dur.  Rec  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  103, 
300  d.  ;  file  178,  no.  30, 

w  Finchale  Priory  (Surt,  Soc),  2  ;  ReJ 
Bk.  Exch.  (Rolls  Ser.),  418. 

"  Finchale  Priory  (Surt.  Soc),  139, 

»"  Cat.  Pal.  1232-47,  p.  197. 

»'  Haijieht's  Suri:  (Surt.  Soc),  p.  xv. 

"  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  77. 

»'  Ibid. 


A   HISTORY   OF   DURHAM 


Lancton  of  Wyn- 
yard.  Argent  a  lion 
lahU  anJ  a  border  gulet 
engraiUJ, 


gave  in  1 283  to  Sir  Henry  de  Lisle,  who  also  acquired 
kedmarshall.'"  Henry's  heir  was  his  brother  John,'' 
who  had  a  grant  of  Laderancia's  share  of  the  manor 
from  her  husband  Peter  Wykes,  and  gave  all  his  land 
here  to  his  daughter  Katherine,  wife  of  Alan  de 
Langton.'^  Alan  was  described  as  lord  of  Wynyard 
in  1311,  when  his  wife  Katherine  was  still  living.^' 
It  appears  that  she  was  dead 
in  the  next  year,  for  Alan  de 
Langton  granted  to  his  son 
Henry  all  the  lands  in  Wyn- 
yard which  he  held  for  life, 
receiving  in  return  an  annuity 
of  10  lbs.  of  silver  and  an 
undertaking  that  Henry  would 
support  him  with  one  servant 
at  Wynyard.'''  Henry  with 
Margery  his  wife  had  a  grant 
of  a  fourth  part  of  the  manor 
in  I  3  1 6  from  Roger  Fulthorpe 
and  Alice  his  wife.''  This, 
which  was  evidently  one  of  the 

shares  of  the  Capella  heiresses,  Roger  and  Alice  had 
acquired  from  Philip  de  Cuylly.'^  In  1328  Henry 
Langton  had  a  release  of  the  manor  from  John  son  of 
John  de  Lisle,''  whose  heir  he  was  found  to  be  in 
1342.'"  With  his  son  William  de  Langton  Henry 
obtained  a  grant  of  free  warren  in  Wynyard  in  I  3  +  5.'' 
The  manor  at  that  date  was  lield  by  Henry  for  life 
with  remainder  in  tail  to  William,''"  who,  however, 
came  into  full  possession  before  his  father's  death.  He 
died  seised  in  or  about  13+9,  his  heir  apparently 
being  his  brother  John,  who  paid  a  fine  for  relief 
in  that  year.'"  John  Langton  was  dead  in  November 
1350.''-  The  manorof  Wynyard  is  not  mentioned  in 
his  inquisition,  but  it  appears  that  it  reverted  on 
his  death  to  his  father  Henry.'"  In  1 351  Henry 
Langton  had  licence  to  grant  to  another  son  Simon 
and  Alice  his  wife  land  in  the  vill  of  Wynyard.''^ 
Simon  died  seised  of  the  manor  in  or  about  1379,^* 
leaving  a  son  Thomas,  aged  thirteen.''*  In  1433 
Thomas  Langton  granted  the  manor  to  John  Drawles 
and  Thomas  Tracy  for  settlement  on  his  wife  Sybil 
for  her  life.'''  She  died  in  possession  in  1438,  when 
the  ne.xt  heir  was  Sybil  daughter  of  William  Langton, 
brother  of  Thomas.**  The  younger  Sybil  married 
Sir  Roger  Conyers,  a  younger  son  of  the  Conyers  of 
Hornby,'^  and  had  a  son  and  heir  William. ^'-^  Sybil, 
daughter  and  heir  of  William,  married  Ralph  Claxton, 
who  died  in  1524  holding  the  manor  in  right  of  his 
wife.*"  He  left  a  son  and  heir  Ralph,"  who  settled 
Wynyard  in  January  1542-3  on  his  son  William  and 


Margery  his  wife  and  their  issue."'  William  did 
homage  for  the  manor  in  or  about  I  578,"  and  died  in 
1597,  leaving  as  his  heirs  his  daughters  Alice  and 
Anne,  married  respectively  to  William  Blakiston  and 
William  Jennison,  and  Cassandra  wife  of  Lancelot 
Claxton,  and  afterwards  of  Francis  Marley,  daughter 
of  an  elder  daughter  Elizabeth,  who  had  married 
Josias  Lambert.'^  The  manor  had  been  settled  on 
these  heirs  in  i  595.'' 

All  three  shares  were  acquired  during  the  first  half 
of  the  17th  century  by  Alexander  Davison.  In 
1629  William  Jennison  and 
his  son  Henry  conveyed  to 
him  their  third.'"  In  the  same 
year  he  had  a  grant  of  another 
third  from  Sir  Thomas  Blakis- 
ton bart.,  son  of  Alice  and 
William,  and  Ralph  Blakiston 
his  heir."  The  third  share 
had  been  granted  in  March 
1609-10  by  Cassandra  Clax- 
ton and  her  second  husband 
Francis  Marley  to  William 
Jennison,'"  who  after  con- 
veying certain  lands  here  to 
Edward   Ewbank"  and  John 

his  son  in  1621  and  1627,  settled  it  on  his  daughter 
Elizabeth,  on  her  marriage  with  Henry  Liddell.''"  In 
1633  Henry  Liddell  and  Elizabeth,  with  Thomas  son 
and  heir  apparent  of  Henry,  granted  it  to  Alexander 
Davison.'''  Davison  also  acquired  two  messuages  and 
320  acres  of  meadow,  pasture  and  moorland  in  1629 
from  John  Ewbank  and  Philadelphia  his  wife.''^ 


jxn: 


Daviion.  Or  ajesie 
ivavy  btnveen  six  cinq- 
foils  gules. 


Tempest.  Argent  a 
bend  engrailed  bettveen 
six  martlets  sable. 


Stewart,  Marqucaa 
of  Londonderry.  Or  a 
bend  cheeky  argent  and 
azure  between  two  lions 
gules. 


Wynyard  was  sequestered  among  the  lands  of 
Alexander  Davison  and  his  son  Thomas  in  1644.^^ 
Thomas  had  a  son  Alexander,  to  whose  younger  son 


^•^  Surtccs,   op.   cit.    iii,   77  j     cf.    Reg. 
Palat.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  ii,  1198-1200. 
*'  Surteea,  op.  cit.  iii,  43. 

"  Ibid.  43, 77. 

'»  Reg.  Palat.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  i,  40, 

73- 

''  Ibid,  ii,  1 198-1200. 

''  Surtecs,  op.  cit.  iii,  77. 

"  Ibid. 

"  Ibid.  77  n. 

*'  Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  21  d. 

'«  Reg.  Palat.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  iv, 
327.  *»  Ibid. 

"  Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  5,  no.  2,  fol.  45  ; 
no.  12,  fol.  30  d.  'The  last  entry  makes 
it  evident  that  the  mention  of  '  Josn 
daughter  of  Henry  de  Langton  '  as  the 
Kcir  of  William  is  a  mistake  for  John, 
son    of   Henry. 


"  Ibid.  no.  2,  fol.  48. 

*'  Ibid.  no.  12,  fol.  48  d.  John's  heir 
was  his  brother  Henry  (ibid.  no.  2,  fol.  48). 

*'  Ibid.  R.  30,  m.  7d. 

*'  Ibid.  no.  2,   fol.  103. 

*"  Ibid.  John  Nevill  of  Raby  is  said 
(ibid.  fol.  1 10)  to  have  died  in  possession 
of  the  manor  in  1  388.  He  was  probably 
the  guardian  of  Thomas. 

*'  Ibid.  R.  36,  m.  12. 

'"  Ibid.  no.  2,  fol.  300  d. 

"  Foster,  Dur.  Fisir.  PeJ.  203  ;  Dr[>. 
Keeper  i  Rep.  xxxvi,  4. 

">  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  174,  no.  5. 

»  Ibid. 

i'  Ibid. 

*'  Ibid,  file  178,  no.  30. 

'^  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xxxvii,  94. 

"  Dur.    Rec.   cl.   3,   file    192,  no.   74, 

252 


85  ;  R.  94,  m.  24  J  tVilU  and  Invent. 
(Surt.   Soc),    ii,   272. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  192,  no.  74,  85  ; 
cf.  cl.  12,  no.  2  (l). 

"  Ibid.  R.  106,  no.  23  ;  cl.  12,  no.  4  (2). 

"  Ibid.  cl.  12,  no.  4  (2)  ;  cl.  3,  R.  106, 
no.  24  ;  Chan.  Proc.  (Ser.  2),  bdle.  375, 
no.  17;  cf.  Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  3,  file  189, 
no.  69  \  file  184,  no.  99. 

'*  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  94,  no.  13. 

"  Ibid.  cl.  12,  no.  3  (1). 

'"  Ibid.  cl.  3,  R.  102,  m,  9  ;  no.  4 
(2);  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  78. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  107,  no.  61  ;  cl. 
12,  no.  4  (3). 

"  Ibid.  cl.  12,  no.  4  (2);  cl.  3,  R. 
106,  no.  14. 

"  Rec.  Com.  for  Comf.  (Surt.  Soc),  13, 
'5.  "91  3S- 


STOCKTON   WARD 


GRINDON 


Alexander  Wynyard  is  said  to  have  passed. '^-^  In 
1723  it  was  conveyed  by  Alexander  Davison,  son, 
according  to  Surtecs,*'"'  of  the  last-named  Alexander, 
to  George  Vane  and  John  Morland.*'*  This  con- 
veyance was  perh.ips  in  trust  for  a  sale  to  Thomas 
Rudd,  who  is  said  to  have  purchased  the  manor  from 
Alexander. *■•*  Land  in  the  manor  was  conveyed  by 
Thomas  Davison  of  Norton  to  Thomas  Rudd  in 
1737.^'  Thomas  Rudd  sold  his  estate  to  John 
Tempest  •'"  of  Painshaw  (q.v.),  and  it  has  passed  with 
that  property  to  the  Marquess  of  Londonderry. 

A  mill  at  Wynyard  is  mentioned  in  i  549.'''' 

The  church  of  ST.  THOMJS  OF 
CHURCHES     CJNTERBURr  is    now    in    ruins. 
With  the  e.xception  of  the  east  end 
the  walls  stand  their  full  height,  but  the  roofs  have 
entirely  disappeared,  and  since  the  erection  of  the  new 
church  in  the  village  in  1848  the  building  has  been 
neglected  and  exposed  to   the   weather. 
It  consists  of  a  chancel    23  ft.   6  in.   by 
16  ft.  6  in.,  with  chapel  on  the  south  side 
10  ft.  10  in.  by  II  ft.,  nave  50  ft.  4  in. 
by  2  I  ft.  6  in.,  and  south  porch  9  ft.  by 
7  ft.,  these  measurements  being  internal. 
There  was  also  a  bell-turret,  containing 
two  bells,  over  the  west  gable. 

The  oldest  part  of  the  structure  is  the 
chancel  arch  and  part  of  the  walls  of  the 
chancel,  which  are  of  1 2th-century  date, 
but  the  church  was  rebuilt,  apparently 
on  the  old  plan,  by  Bishop  Pudsey  at  the 
end  of  the  same  century,  and  the  whole  iq     5     q 

of  the  nave  is  of  this  date,  its  style  being  "^ 

distinctly  Transitional.  The  chapel  on  the 
south  side  of  the  chancel  was  added  in  the 
14th  century  probably  for  a  chantry,  but 
was  known  Luer  as  the  Fulthorpe  porch.     In  1788  the 
church  was  'nearly  rebuilt'  and  the  lead  of  the  roof 
replaced   by  slate. ^     The    porch    appears   to   be   an 
addition  or  rebuilding  of  this  time,  when  new  windows 
were  inserted  at  the  east  end  of  the  nave  walls  and 
the  chancel  largely  reconstructed. 

The  chancel  arch  still  stands  and  is  semicircular  in 
form,  of  a  single  square  order  without  hood  mould, 
springing  from  chamfered  imposts  which  run  back  some 
distance  along  the  wall  at  each  side.  The  north 
wall  of  the  chancel  is  refaced  with  2-in.  brick  on  the 
outside,  or  may  have  been  rebuilt  in  1788,  the  old 
stone  being  re-used  on  the  inside.  The  jambs  of 
the  north  window,  however,  appear  to  be  old.  The 
greater  part  of  the  east  wall  has  been  destroyed,  but 
the  south-east  corner  remains  and  shows  the  same 
brick  facing.  There  have  been  two  steps  up  to  the 
altar  pace,  but  no  ancient  ritual  arrangements  remain. 
The  old  altar  slab  of  Tecs  marble  is  now  in  the  church 
at  Thorpe  Thewles.  On  the  south  side,  now  opening 
into  the  chapel,  is  an  original  small  round-headed 
window  with  wide  internal  splay,  to  the  east  of  which 
is  a  two-light  square-headed  opening  inserted  when 
the  chapel  was  erected,  or  shortly  afterwards.  The 
chapel  is  separated  from  the  chancel  by  a  pointed 
arch  of  two  chamfered  orders  dying  into  the  wall  at 
the  springing,  and  is  built  of  rubble  masonry,  the 


walls  being  about  8  ft.  6  in.  high.  The  piscina 
remains  in  the  usual  position  in  the  south  wall,  and 
the  east  window  is  of  three  trefoiled  lights.  On  the 
south  side  is  a  two-light  window  the  head  and  mullion 
of  which  are  gone,  and  on  the  west  a  single-light 
opening  with  ogee  head  in  one  stone. 

The  nave  is  built  of  large  squared  stones  in  courses 
and  has  two  original  lancet  windows  on  the  south 
side,  one  on  the  north,  and  another  at  the  west  end. 
The  heads  are  all  in  two  stones  and  without  hood 
moulds,  and  the  openings  are  1 4  in.  wide.  The  two 
later  windows  at  the  east  end  of  the  north  and  south 
walls  probably  take  the  place  of  former  lancets,  and 
in  the  south-east  angle  is  an  arched  brick  recess  which 
formed  the  fireplaceof  the  1 8th-century  Wynyard  pew. 
The  south  doorway  has  a  pointed  arch  of  two 
moulded  orders  and  hood  mould,  the  outer  order 
springing  from  angle  shafts  with  carved  capitals  and 


■  I2iy  CliNTURY 

□  cll90 

BU-M  ClCNTURV 

131788 

10        20        30 


Chapel 


*o 


so 


Scale  of  Feet 

Plan  of  Grindon  Church 

bases,  and  the  inner  continued  to  the  ground.  One 
of  the  shafts  is  gone,  but  the  doorway,  the  detail  of 
which  is  very  good,  is  in  a  fair  state  of  preservation. 
The  square-headed  north  doorway  is  now  built 
up.  The  porch,  like  the  rest  of  the  building,  is 
roofless,  and  the  lower  part  of  the  bell-turret  alone 
remains. 

In  the  churchyard,  to  the  south-east  of  the  building, 
is  a  stone  coffin  and  a  mediaeval  grave  slab,  on  which 
the  name  '  Roger  de  Fulthorp  '  is  visible.  It  probably 
was  originally  in  the  Fulthorpe  porch. 

The  new  church  of  the  HOW  TRIKITY,  erected 
at  Thorpe  Thewles  in  1 848,  was  subsequently  taken 
down  and  replaced  by  the  present  building,  dedicated 
to  the  honour  of  ST.  JAMES,  in  1 886-7.«»  It  is  of 
stone,  in  the  style  of  the  13th  century,  and  consists 
of  chancel,  nave,  south  porch,  and  west  tower  and 
spire.  The  tower  contains  one  bell,  cast  by  Taylor 
of  Loughborough,  in  1887.™ 

The  plate  consists  of  a  chalice  and  paten  of  1886, 
given  in  the  following  year  by  Miss  Parkin  ;  two 
pewter  plates,  one  inscribed  '  Bought  for  y'  use  of 
Grindon  Church  1724.  R.  C.  and  J.  R.  Chu"  W.'  ; 
and  a  pewter  flagon  with  the  mark  of  Edmund  Harvey 
of  London.''^ 

The  registers  begin  in  1655. 

A  new  church  school  was  built  in  1 899. 


•'»  SurtcM,  op.  cit.  iii,  1 66.         «">  Ibid. 
«*  Feet  of  F.  Diir.  East.  9  Geo.  I. 
"»  Surtccs,  loc.  cit. 
"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  121,  m.  11. 


^  Surtccs,  op.  cit.  iii,  78. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  178,  no.  30. 

^*  Surtccs,  op.  cit.  iii,  75. 

^*  It  was  designed  by  Mr.  R.  J.  Johnson. 

253 


^*^  One  of  the  bclU  of  the  old  church 
was  sent  to  Loughborough  to  be  uicd  in 
the  casting  of  the  new  bell. 

'^  Proc,  Soc,  Antiq.  Newcastlcf  iv,  20. 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


The  church  of  Grindon,  described 
ylDFOlf'SON  as  then  newly  built  in  honour  of 
St.  Thomas  the  Martyr,  was  given 
by  Bishop  Hugh  Pudsey  to  Sherburn  Hospital  at  the 
foundation  of  that  house,"'  to  which  it  seems  to  have 
been  at  once  appropriated.  Mention  of  a  vicar  occurs 
in  1 1 94.''  The  governors  of  Sherburn  Hospital  sold 
the  patronage  in  1858  to  the  6th  Marquess  of 
Londonderry,  whose  descendant  the  present  Marquess 
now  owns  it." 

There  was  a  chapel  at  Whitton  about  1 184,  when 
land  attached  to  it  was  granted  to  Sherburn  Hospital," 
and  one  in  Wynyard  in  13 12,  when  Henry  de 
Langton,  lord  of  Wynyard,  undertook  to  find  two 
chaplains  to  celebrate  for  the  soul  of  Henry  de  Lisle, 
one  in  the  church  of  Grindon,  the  other  in  the  chapel 
within  the  manor  of  Wynyard."'  Neither  of  these 
chapels  is  again  mentioned. 

In    18 16  George  Fleetham,  by  a 

CHJRITIES     codicil  to  his  will,  bequeathed  ^^80, 

the  dividends  arising  therefrom  to  be 


applied  in  schooling,  clothing,  or  apprenticing  of  four 
poor  children  under  the  age  of  fourteen  years  residing 
in  the  township  of  Thorpe  Thewles.  The  legacy  is 
now  represented  by  ^^88  11;.  consols  with  the  official 
trustees,  the  dividends  of  which,  amounting  to  £z  4/. 
yearly,  are  applied  in  small  rewards  to  school  children 
to  encourage  attendance  at  the  Grindon  National 
Schools,  Thorpe  Thewles. 

The  Burton  Holgate  Grindon  Church  charity,  for 
the  promotion  of  religious  education  in  the  parochial 
schools  and  for  the  distribution  of  religious  literature, 
was  founded  by  the  Rev.  William  Cassidi  by  deed, 
dated  7  January  1876,  to  perpetuate  the  memory  of 
the  Rev.  Thomas  Burton  Holgate,  formerly  vicar 
of  Bishopton.  The  trust  funds  arc  invested  in 
stock  of  the  North  Eastern  Railway  Company 
and  consols  held  by  the  official  trustees.  By  an 
order  of  the  Charity  Commissioners  of  4  February 
1907  the  stock  was  apportioned  to  the  educa- 
tional foundation  and  the  endowment  of  the  church 
charity." 


HART 


Hert  (xiv  to  xvi  cent.). 

The  parish  of  Hart  is  bounded  by  the  sea  on  the 
north-east.  It  contains  the  townships  of  Hart  on  the 
north,  Elwick  on  the  west,  Dalton  Piercy  on  the  south 
and  Throston  on  the  east,  also  Thorpe  Bulmer  and 
Nesbit  Hall.  Under  the  provisions  of  the  Local 
Government  Act  of  1894,'  Throston  was  divided 
into  two  parts,  the  eastern  half  forming  the  district  of 
Throston  in  the  borough  of  Hartlepool,  while  the 
western  half  is  known  as  Throston  Rural.  Rather 
less  than  half  the  total  area  is  under  cultivation. 
There  are  2,400  acres  of  pasture  land  and  24  of 
plantation.*  The  soil  is  clay,  subsoil  Magnesian 
Limestone.  The  coast  of  the  parish  is  composed  of 
sandhills,  forming  a  break  between  the  rocks  of 
Hartlepool  and  those  of  Monk  Hesleden.  The  sea 
is  slowly  encroaching.  Behind  the  sandhills  arc  open 
links  called  Hart  Warren,  where  there  is  a  rifle 
range.  There  are  village  greens  at  Dalton  Piercy 
and  Elwick. 

The  road  from  Durham,  which  runs  east  and  west 
through  the  village  of  Hart,  divides  into  two  branches, 
one  Iciding  to  West  Hartlepool,  the  other  to  Hartle- 
pool. The  road  from  Wolviston  to  Easington  passes 
through  the  villages  of  Elwick  and  Dalton  Piercy, 
running  north  and  south. 

As  early  as  1832  a  railway  for  minerals  was  con- 
structed which  passed  through  the  parish  of  Hart,  and 
in  1 85 1  the  Hartlepool  Railway  line  was  opened. 
The  latter  has  since  been  taken  over  by  the  London 
and  North  Eastern  railway.' 

The  principal  occupation  of  the  inhabitants  is 
agriculture. 

There  is  a  Wesleyan  chapel  in  Elwick  village. 

There  are  earthworks  at  Low  Throston.* 


On  the  south  of  the  parish  of  Hart  is  the  township 
of  Dalton  Piercy  (Dalton  in  Hertncss  xili  cent.;  later 
Dalton  Percy).  A  branch  from  the  Sunderland  and 
Stockton  road  runs  north-east  to  the  little  village  of 
Dalton  Piercy.  Dalton  Beck  flows  north  and  south 
on  the  east  of  the  village,  and  immediately  to  the 
north  of  it  passes  through  a  wooded  valley  called  the 
Howls.  The  addition  of  Piercy  is  derived  from  the 
Percys  of  Alnwick,  who  held  the  manor  in  the  13th 
and   14th  centuries. 

Its  near  neighbourhood  to  the  port  of  Hartlepool 
produced  in  Hart  an  unenviable  number  of  witches 
and  women  of  immoral  life.  In  1454  '  Helena  de 
Inferno,  alias  morans  in  inferno,  alias  Meldrome,' 
seems  to  have  been  as  bad  as  her  name  implied.^  On 
28  July  I  582  Alison  Lawe  of  Hart  was  prosecuted  for 
being  '  a  notorious  sorcerer  and  enchanter.'  Two 
women  of  the  neighbourhood  had  consulted  her  and 
asked  her  for  cures  for  the  sick.  Fortunately  this  was 
before  the  outbreak  of  the  witch  superstition  in  the 
1 7th  century,  and  Alison  was  condemned  only  to 
stand  with  a  paper  on  her  head  once  in  Durham 
market,  once  in  Hart  Church  and  once  in  Norton 
Church.  She  w^as  peacefully  buried  at  Hart  six  years 
later  on  5  August  1588.*  In  1596  Ellen  Thompson 
'fornicatrix  and  excommunicated'  'was  buried  of  ye 
people  in  ye  chaer  at  ye  entrance  unto  ye  yeate  or 
stile  of  ye  church-yard  on  ye  East  thereof.'  On 
12  February  1641  Old  Mother  Midnight  of  Elwick 
was  buried,  but  it  does  not  appear  how  she  earned 
her  name.' 

Seflat  in  Elwick  is  referred  to  about  1 1 50.'  At 
the  beginning  of  the  13th  century  Kirtel  in  the  field 
of  Nelson  and  Caldewelleflat  are  mentioned.' 
Thruscross  in  Hart  occurs  in  I  539.'°    Thick  Meadows 


''  Allan,  op.  cit. 

^*  Surtees,  op.  cit.  lii,  76. 

'*  Inform,  from  Mr.  H.  Jepson,  clerk 
to  the  governors  of  Sherburn   Hospital. 

'^  Allan,  op.  cit. 

"^  Rtg.  Palai.  Duntlm.  (Rolls  Scr.),  ii, 
1 108-1200. 


"  See  y.CH.  Dur.  i,  406. 

'  Stat.  56  &  57  Vict.  cap.  73. 

'  Statistics  from  Bd.  of  Agric.  (1905). 

^  Sharp,  Hist,  of  Hartlepool,  Supplement, 
1851,  p.  19  ;  Fordyce,  Hist,  and  Antiij, 
0    the  Co.  Palat.  of  Dur.  ii,  246. 

*  y.CH.  Dur.  i,  358. 

254 


'  De[>.  and  Ecd.  Proc.  (Surt.  Soc),  35. 

*  Surtees,  Hist,  of  Dur,  iii,  97  ;  Sharp, 
Hist,  of  Hartlepool,  1 1 2- 1 3  n. 

'  Hart  Parish  Reg. 

®  Brown,  Guishro'  ChartuL  (Surt.  Soc.), 
ii,  323. 

'  Ibid.  324.  '°  Ibid.  p.  xxxiv. 


STOCKTON    WARD 


HART 


and  Temple  Garth  are  mentioned  in  1633."  Quali- 
mour,  or  Qualimour  Close, occurs  in  1725.'^  There 
are  still  remains  of  i6th  and  17th-century  houses  in 
the  village  of  Elwick.'^  Place-names  of  the  village 
in  1653  were  the  Town  Street,  Thrum's  Lane,  the 
Town  Wyde,  North  Home,  and  Three  Nooke  Close. '^ 

The  Anglo-Saxon  crosses  and  sundial  in  the  church 
of  Hart  show  that  the  vill  existed  before  the  Con- 
quest.'* The  late  D.  H.  Haigh  in  his  work  on  The 
Anglo-Saxon  Sagas  (1861)  elaborated  the  theory  that 
Hart  was  the  site  of  Heort  or  Heorot,  the  hall  of 
Hrothgar  in  the  Beowulf  Saga.  He  identified  the 
mere  and  hill-stream  of  the  Saga  with  a  large  pool 
now  drained  called  Bottomless  Carr  and  the  How 
Beck  which  used  to  flow  from  it."'  The  identification, 
however,  has  not  been  generally  accepted. 

Thomas  Ellerker  (1738-95),  a  Jesuit,  who  was 
'  one  of  the  ablest  professors  of  theology  that  the 
English  province  ever  produced,'  was  born  at  Hart." 

In  the  Rising  of  the  North  in  1 569  seventeen 
men  from  Hart  joined  the  rebels,  and  four  were 
executed. '"*  In  1587  the  parish  suffered  severely 
from  the  plague,  and  it  was  noted  in  the  parish  register 
that  '  8g  corses  were  buried,  whereof  tenne  were 
strangers.'  In  1652  it  was  noted  that  John  Pasmore 
was  buried  'On  Black  Monday  29  March.  There 
was  a  star  appeared  in  the  South-east,  ye  sun 
eclipsed.' 

In  1666,  on  the  alarm  of  a  Dutch  invasion.  Hart 
was  one  of  the  places  where  beacons  were  erected." 
A  windmill  at  Hart  is  mentioned  in  1314,2"  1361,-' 
and  later. "-  Elwick  mill,  which  is  still  standing,  is 
mentioned  in  1606.''  A  mill  at  Dalton  Piercy  is 
mentioned  in  a  charter  of  c.  1270."'' 

A  deed  of  about  1 1  50  sets  forth 
MANORS,  tfc.  that  in  DALTON  there  were  265 
acres  in  demesne  held  by  the 
Bruses.-*  Hence  it  appears  that  at  that  time  Dalton 
was  held  by  Robert  de  Brus,  but  later  it  seems  to 
have  passed  to  the  Balliols  of  Barnard  Castle.-'' 
Ingram  de  Balliol,  a  member  of  a  younger  branch, 
was  apparently  enfeoffed  by  the  main  branch  of  the 
family,  and  held  the  manor  early  in  the  13th  century 
for  four  parts  of  a  knight's  fee.'-'"  The  overlordship 
of  the  lords  of  Barnard  Castle  continued  till  the 
1 6th  century.^'  Ingram's  daughter  Ellen  was  the 
second  wife  of  William  de  Percy,  and  brought  as  her 
dowry  Dalton  in  Hartness.*^  After  her  husband's 
death  in  I  245  she  granted  the  vill  to  her  second  son 
Ingram  and  his  issue,  with  remainder  to  her  sons 
Walter  and  William   Percy.      Ingram   died   childless 


in    1262,"^    and    the    manor    was    divided   between 
William  and  Walter  Percy. 

William  Percy  was  a  canon  of  'Vork.  He  granted 
j^4  rent  from  certain  lands  in  Dalton  Piercy  for 
life  to  Master  Richard  de  St.  Lawrence.^'  Later  he 
made  over  his  half  of  the  manor  to  his  brother 
Walter,  to  be  held  by  the  service  of  a  pair  of 
white  gloves  at  the  Nativity  of  St.  John  Baptist, 
with  reversion  to  William  if  Walter  died  childless.'^ 
Walter  evidently  died  without  issue,  and  his  own 
moiety  of  the  manor  came  again  into  the  possession  of 
his  mother,  who  granted  it  to  her  nephew  Henry  de 
Balliol  in  trust  for  the  heir  of  her  eldest  son  Henry 
Percy.5'  Henry  Balliol  transferred  the  tru^t  to 
William  Percy  the  canon,  who  already  held  the  half 
of  the  manor  which  he  had  previously  granted  to 
Walter.  He  conveyed  the  whole  to  Henry  son  of 
Henry  de  Percy,  probably  on  his  coming  of  age.^* 
Dalton  was  thus  united  again  to  the  honour  of  Percy, 
to  which  the  younger  Henry  succeeded  in  1284. 
After  the  death  of  his  son  Henry  de  Percy  in 
1352,  Dalton  Piercy  was  held  in  dower  by  his 
widow  Idonia,  who  granted  it  to  her  younger  son 
Roger,  her  eldest  son  Henry  confirming  the  grant  on 
7  September  1354.''  Roger,  however,  died  child- 
less, and  the  manor  reverted  to  Henry. 

In  I  370  it  was  stated  that  Sir  Henry  de  Percy,  lord  of 
Alnwick,  son  of  Henry  above  mentioned,  had  granted 
the  manor  of  Dalton  Piercy  to  John  de  Neville,  lord  of 
Raby,  who  appointed  attorneys  to  receive  seisin  of 
it.'^  In  June  1 371  John  de  Nevill  granted  the 
manor  of  Dalton  Piercy  with  rents  from  free  tenants 
and  bondmen  and  the  mills  to  feoffees"  whom  in  1372 
he  authorized  to  deliver  seisin  of  the  manor  to  John  , 
D'Ogle  and  Margaret  his  wife  for  their  lives. ^ 

The  manor  descended  to  Ralph  son  of  John  de 
Nevill,  created  Earl  of  Westmorland  in  1397.^*  On 
12  January  1 440-1,  after  the  death  of  Joan 
Countess  of  Westmorland,  widow,  it  was  found  that 
the  late  earl  had  demised  Dalton  next  Elwick  and 
other  manors  for  the  term  of  his  life  to  William 
Tunstall  and  others. '^  It  descended  in  the  Earls  of 
Westmorland  until  the  forfeiture  of  1569.^"  The 
lands  late  of  the  Earl  of  Westmorland  in  Dalton 
Piercy  and  elsewhere  were  granted  in  1605  to 
Thomas  Lord  Ellesmere  and  others  for  500  years, 
evidently  in  trust  for  Charles  Duke  of  York,^*  to 
whom  as  Prince  of  Wales  they  were  granted  in 
161 6. ''i^  They  were  granted  in  1628  to  Edward 
Ditchfield  and  others  trustees  for  the  Corporation 
of  London.''-       In  1645  Dr.  Christopher  Potter  had 


11  Exch.  Dcp.  Dur.  Mich.  9  Chas.  I, 
no.  31. 

"  Proc.  Soe.  Antiq.  Nt-wcaitU  (Scr.  3), 
iv,  156. 

"  Ibid.  (New  Scr.),  vi,  178. 

'*  Royalist  Comp.  in  Dur.  and  Nor  thumb, 
(Surt.  Soc),  iii,  341. 

'5  y.C.H.  Dur.  i,  132,  2+0. 

"  D.  H.  Haigh,  The  Anglo-Saxon  Sagas, 
20  et  seq. 

"  Diet.  Nat.  Biog. 

"  Sharp,  Mem.  of  the  Rebellion  oj  1569, 
p.  250. 

"  Arei.  Ael.  (Old  Scr.),  i,  196-7. 

">  Reg.  Palat.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  ii, 
126;. 

"  Chan.  Inq.  p.m.  36  Edw.  Ill,  pt.  i, 
no.  52. 

"  Chan.  Inq.  p.m.  13  Ric.  II,  no.  14  ; 
15  Hen.  VI,  no.  55. 


"  Surtees,  Hist,  and  Antiq.  of  Co.  Palat, 
of  Dur.  iii,  97  n. 

"  Percy  Chart.  (Surt.  Soc),  14. 

^'  Guishro*  Chartul.  (Surt.  Soc),  ii,  323. 

=«  See  Barnard  Castle. 

"  Reg.  Palat.  Dunelm.  (Rolli  Scr.),  ii, 
801. 

"Ca/.  Inj.  p.m.  (Edw.  II),  v,  411  ; 
Dur.  Rec  cl.  3,  file  168,  no.  14  ;  Exch. 
Misc.  Bks.  xxxvii,  314. 

^^  Percy  Chart.  (Surt.  Soc),  pp.  vi,  375. 

'»  Ibid.  376  n. 

"  Ibid.  375.  "  Ibid.  14. 

"  Ibid.  374-;.  "  Ibid.  374. 

"  Ibid.  214  ;  cf.   Cat.    Close,  1349-54, 

422. 

'«  Anct.  D.  (P.R.O.),  B  3782. 
"  Ibid.  B  3778. 
^'^  Ibid.  D  1040. 
"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  164,  no.  17^. 


<»  Ibid,  file  168,  no.  14;  file  169, 
no.  31  ;  file  177,  no.  82  ;  Reg.  vi,  18, 
42  ;  Exch.  Misc.  Bks.  xxxvii,  fol.  313. 

"  Pat.  3  Jas.  I,  pt.  vii,  m.  2  ;  Dur. 
Rec.  cl.  3,  Reg.  ii,  228J;  see  Cal.  S.  P. 
Dom.  1603-10,  pp.  40:,  540,  e,^z  ; 
Dalton  Piercy  was  surveyed  w  ith  Brance- 
peth  in  1607  (Ld.  Rev.  Misc.  Bks. 
cxcii,  35),  and  its  boundaries  ascertained 
in  1614  (Exch.  Spec  Com.  3765). 

<'a  Pat.  14  Jas.  I,  pt.  x,  no.  I  (m.  9)  ; 
cf.  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  2,  no.  2  (3). 

"  Pat.  4  Chas.  I,  pt.  xxxiii,  m.  1 5. 
Ditchfield  conveyed  to  Geo.  Clay  and 
Humph.  Shalcrosse  in  1630  (Close,  9 
Chas.  I,  pt.  xviii,  no.  22).  In  1748  the  fee 
farm  rent  was  conveyed  by  William 
Ashe  (formerly  Wyndham)  and  Edward 
Goddard  to  Francis  Filmer.  Com.  Pleas 
D.  Enr.  Trin.  21-2  Geo.  II,  m.  95. 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


an  estate  here  with  a  rental  of  £61  16/.  which  was 
sequestered  and  let  to  William  Chilton.*'  Chilton 
possibly  purchased  it,  for  Robert  Chilton,  sen.,  and 
Robert  Chilton,  jun.,  were  among  the  freeholders  in 
1684..'^  William  Chilton  had  land  here  and  in 
Seaton  Carcvv  in  1731.'^  No  manorial  rights  in 
Dalton  Piercy  are  mentioned  after  1569,  when  the 
manor  appears  to  have  been  reckoned  a  member  of 
Brancepeth. 

The  early  history  of  the  manor  of  HART  is  not 
distinguishable  from  that  of  the  whole  district  of 
HJRTNESS  (Heorternesse,  ix  cent.  ;  Heortternisse, 
xi  cent. ;  Hertenes,  xii  cent.  ;  Herternesse,  xiii  cent.  ; 
Herternes,  xiv  cent.  ;  Hcrtnes,  xvi  cent.).  The 
boundaries  of  this  district  are  not  exactly  known,  but 
it  seems  to  have  included  BiUingham  in  the  9th 
centurj'.  In  the  12th  century  Hartness  extended 
into  the  parishes  of  Hart  and  Stranton,  and  the  town- 
ship of  Thorp  Bulmer,  and  later  that  of  Elton. 
Hartness  lay  within  the  wapentake  of  Sadberge,  but  the 
services  for  this  district  were  not  mentioned  in  the 
grant  of  the  wapentake  to  Bishop  Hugh  Pudsey  in 
I  190.^^  Consequently  the  position  of  the  district  with 
respect  to  the  county  was  uncertain,  and  the  in- 
habitants until  quite  a  late  period  maintained  that 
they  were  not  within  the  county  of  Durham.'"'" 

The  churches  of  Fiartness  and  Tynemouth  are 
said  to  have  been  spoiled  by  the  Danes  in  the  year 
800.^'  Bishop  Ecgred,  who  lived  c.  830-46,  gave  to 
St.  Cuthbert's  church  his  vill  of  BiUingham  (q.v.)  in 
Hartness.''^  Regenwald  the  Dane  invaded  Durham 
c.  923,  and  gave  to  one  of  his  followers,  Scula,  lands 
which  extended  from  Eden  to  BiUingham — that  is, 
perhaps,  the  district  of  Hartness.'*^  When  Malcolm 
of  Scotland  invaded  England  in  1070  he  occupied 
Hartness  and  thence  ravaged  the  lands  of  St. 
Cuthbert.60 

Hart  and  Hartness  became  part  of  the  Brus  fee 
by  about  liig."'  Robert  de  Brus  I  died  about 
1 141  and  was  buried  at  Guisborough.*'' 

Between  1 1 46  and  11 51  a  list  of  the  vills  in 
Hartness,  with  the  amount  of  demesne  land  in  each, 
was  drawn  up.  In  H.art  there  were  141  i  acres  of 
demesne,  and  108  acres  which  Roger  de  Camera 
held  of  the  demesne.  The  other  vills  mentioned 
are  Thorp  (Bulmer),  Elwick,  Dalton  (Piercy), 
Stranton,  Tunstall,  Seaton  (Carew)  and  Owton.'^ 

Robert  de  Brus  had  two  sons,  Adam,  his  heir,  and 
Robert,  his  second  son,  to  whom  he  gave  his  lordship 
of  Annandale   in    Scotland.     In    the    battle   of   the 

♦'  Royalist  Comp,  P.  Dtir.  and  Northumh. 
(Surt.  Soc),  25,  37,  no. 

*'  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  98.  A  Robert 
Chilton  WIS  tenant  at  Dalton  Piercy  in 
1569  (Exch.  Misc.  Bks.  xxxvii,  fol.  313), 
and  this  Robert  Chilton  in  1607  (Ld. 
Rev.  Misc.  Bks.  cxcli,  fol.  35,  71). 

'^  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  23,  fol.  4. 

*^  Surtees,  op.  cit  i,  cxxviii  ;  Dur. 
Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  24  d.  ;  cl.  3,  R.  92, 
m.  16  d.  ;  Rig.  Palat.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.), 
iii,  46  ;  iv,  121  ;  see  Lansd.  MS.  902, 
fol.  Zl^h  et  8cq. 

<sa  Cf.  Pari.  R.  (Rec.  Com.)  iv,  430  ; 
Exch.  Dep.  Mich.  28-29  Eliz.  no.  13. 

'"  Matthew  Paris,  Chran.  Maj.  (Rolls 
Ser.),  i,  367,  530. 

*'  Simeon  of  Dur.  Opera  (Rolls  Ser.), 
i.  53. 

"  Ibid.  209. 

'°  Ibid,  ii,  190, 


irgent  a  lion 


"-^  Dugdale,  Moti.  vi,  267  ;  Guiihro' 
Chartul.  (Surt.  Soc),  paaim, 

^*  Dugdale,  op.  cit.  vi,  267,  obit,  of 
Robert  de  Brus,  1 141  ;  cf.  Sim.  of  Dur. 
(Rolls  Ser.),  ii,  312  (who  gives  1142). 

"  Guiihro'  Chartul.  (Surt.  Soc),  ii,  323. 

"  Dugdale,  loc.  cit. 

*'  Guiihro'  Chartul.  (Surt.  Soc),  ii, 
322-4  ;  Great  R.  of  the  Pipe  2-4  Hen.  II 
(Rec.  Com.),  178. 

^*  The  date  given  by  Simeon  of  Dur- 
ham (ii  3ii).  Cf.  for  the  date  of  death  the 
FunJatorum  Historia  of  Gisbrough  Priory, 
which  gives  it  as  1167  (Dugdale,  Mon, 
vi,  267),  but  is  an  untrustworthy  source  ; 
also  a  charter  of  the  Archbishop  of  York 
confirming  a  grant  by  Adam  de  Brus  and 
Ivetta  his  wife  of  the  church  of  Thorp 
[Hist,  of  Church  of  York  [Rolls  Ser.  J,  iii, 
76),  which  seems  from  the  witnesses  to 
be  later  than  1143,  but  vhich  may  not 


Standard  (11 38)  Robert  the  elder  and  Adam  his 
son  fought  on  the  English  side,  but  Robert  the 
younger  (called  Le  Meschin)  was  with  the  Scots 
and  was  taken  prisoner.  King  Stephen,  however, 
gave  him  into  his  father's  custody.  According  to 
tradition  he  complained  on  this  occasion  that  he 
could  not  get  wheaten  bread 
in  Annandale,  whereupon  his 
father  gave  him  the  lordship  of 
Hart  and  Hartness  in  Durham 
to  be  held  of  the  elder  branch 
of  the  family,  the  lords  of 
Skelton  in  Yorkshire. ''=  This 
story  is  probably  not  authentic, 
though  it  is  certain  that  Hart 
was  held  of  the  elder  by  the 
younger  line,  who  largely  en- 
dowed the  monastery  of  Guis- 
borough  with  property  there." 

The  overlordship  of  Hart  was  inherited  by  Robert's 
eldest  son,  Adam,  lord  of  Skelton,  who  married 
Ivetta,  daughter  of  William  de  Arches,  and  died  in 
1 143.**  He  was  succeeded  by  his  son  Adam,  who 
married  Agnes  daughter  of  Stephen  Earl  of  Albemarle. 
The  date  of  his  death  is  uncertain,  but  it  was  before 
the  end  of  I  198,  when  his  son  Peter  paid  a  fine  for 
his  father's  lands. '^ 

In  1200  it  was  agreed  between  William  de  Brus 
of  Hart  (see  below)  and  Peter  de  Brus,  lord  of 
Skelton,  that  William  should  hold  the  manors  of 
Hart,  Stranton,  and  Hartlepool  of  Peter  for  the 
service  of  two  knight's  fees.'''^  Peter  son  of  Peter  de 
Brus  of  Skelton,'''  while  the  manor  w.is  in  his  hands 
as  guardian  of  Robert  de  Brus,  a  minor,  disputed 
the  Bishop  of  Durham's  right  to  wreck  upon  the 
shores  of  Hartness,  but  lost  his  case  (1228-37).°^ 
After  the  death  of  the  last  Peter  de  Brus,  lord  o{ 
Skelton  in  1272,*-^  the  overlordship  was  claimed  by 
the  representatives  of  his  sister  Lucy,  wife  of  Marma- 
duke  de  Thweng,  to  whom  the  fee  in  Hartness  was 
assigned  in  1281,  and  also  by  Walter  de  Fauconberg, 
who  married  Agnes  the  eldest  sister  and  co-heir,  who 
succeeded  to  Skelton.  The  king,  in  asserting  the 
rights  of  these  claimants  to  the  custody  of  the  manor 
after  the  death  of  Robert  de  Cliftbrd  in  I  3  14,  came 
into  conflict  with  the  Bishop  of  Durham.^' 

Robert  de  Brus  II,  lord  of  Hart,  otherwise  called 
Robert  le  Meschin,  married  Euphemia,  and  died 
about  1194."^  His  son,  Robert  de  Brus  III,''^  had 
died  before  1 191,'^'''^  and  Robert  II  was  succeeded  by 

be  contemporary  with  the  grants  it  con- 
firms. 

*'  Farrer,  Early  Torhhire  Chaiteri,  ii,  I2. 

<»  Feet  of  F.  Northumb.  Trin.  i  John. 

^*  Dugdale,  op.  cit. 

«  Reg.  Palat.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  iii, 
46-8,  60  ;  see  also  Sadberge  and  Hartle- 
pool. 

'-a  Excerpia  e  Rot.  Fin.  (Rec.  Com.), 
ii,  582  ;    Cat.  Inj.  p.m.  Hen.  Ill,  265. 

^^  Reg.  Palat.  Dunelm.  ii,  1050,  1059  ; 
iv,  121,  129  ;  Assize  R.  225,  m.  i  d,  j  Cal, 
Close,  1279-88,  p.  1071. 

^  Farrer,  Early  Yorkshire  Charters,  i-,  6  ; 
Guisho'  Chartul.  (Surtees  Soc),  ii,  327  n.  ; 
Cal.  Doe.  Scotland,  i,  32,  34,  35,  37-8,  39 
(entries  from  the  Pipe  Rolls). 

**  Cal.  Dae.  Scotland,  i,  29,   107. 

"a  This  is  assuming  that  the  references 
to  Robert  de  Brus  down  to  I  1 94  are  to 
Robert  dc  Brus  the  father  and  that  Robert 


256 


STOCKTON    WARD 


HART 


his  younger  son  William  de  Brus.**  In  1 198  William 
de  Brus  made  an  exchange  of  land  in  Northumberland 
with  Adam  de  Carlisle,  and  pledged  his  land  in 
Hartness.*"'  He  married  Christina  and  was  dead  in 
12  I  5.8*  William's  son  Robert  de  Brus  IV,'^^  called 
the  Noble,  married  Isabel,  second  daughter  of  David, 
Earl  of  Huntingdon,  the  younger  brother  of  Mal- 
colm IV  of  Scotland,  and  thus  brought  into  the 
family  the  royal  blood  which  gave  his  descendants  a 
claim  to  the  throne  of  Scotland.™  Robert  the  Noble 
died  apparently  before  1230,  and  was  succeeded  by 
his  son  Robert  de  Brus  V,  the  first  competitor  for 
the  throne  of  Scotland.'' 

Robert  de  Brus  V  is  mentioned  as  the  tenant  of 
Hartness  under  Peter  de  Brus  in  I2ji,'-  and  dated 
a  charter  at  Hart  in  1288.''  He  died  31  March  1295, 
and  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Robert  de  Brus  VI,"^  the 
second  competitor,  who  married  Marjory,  daughter 
and  heir  of  Niel  Earl  of  Carrick,  and  thus  brought 
this  title  into  the  family.'^  Robert  de  Brus  VI  died 
in  I  304,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  son  Robert,  Earl 
of  Carrick,  afterwards  King  of  Scotland.'^ 

In  1306  Robert  Brus  VII  murdered  John  Comyn 
in  the  church  of  the  Grey  Friars  at  Dumfries,  and 
was  accordingly  outlawed  by  Edward  I,  who  declared 
his  lands  forfeit.'^  At  this  time  the  king  was  in 
the  midst  of  a  quarrel  with  Bishop  Bek,  and  had 
seized  the  temporalities  of  Durham  into  his  own 
hand.  He  took  possession  of  Brus's  forfeited  lands, 
although  the  bishop  claimed  forfeitures  of  war  within 
his  liberty.'* 

Edward  I  granted  Hart  to  Robert  de  Clifford  in 
May  1306.'^  Bishop  Bek  appears  to  have  acquiesced 
in  this,  but  subsequent  bishops  of  Durham  carried  on 
a  long  and  almost  fruitless  struggle  to  regain  possession 
of  the  forfeitures.  The  king.  Parliament,  and  the 
law  courts  were  always  re-idy  to  acknowledge  the 
bishop's  theoretical  rights,  but  practically  the  lands 
remained  in  the  hands  of  the  king's  grantees  and  the 
king  exercised  rights  of  overlordship.^ 

Robert,  first  Lord  Clifford,  was  killed  in  the  battle 


of  Bannockburn,  24  June  1314.*^  Bishop  Kellaw 
appointed  a  bailiff  on  19  August  to  administer  his 
lands,  the  custody  of  which  was  also  claimed  by  the 
mesne  lords.*^  On  2  May  i  3  I  5  the  royal  escheator 
seized  the  manor  into  the  king's  hands  and  the  custody 
was  afterwards  granted  to  Humphry  de  Bohun,  Earl 
of  Hereford,  during  the  minority  of  the  heir  Roger.*' 

Roger,  second  Lord  Clifford,  took  part  in  Lan- 
caster's insurrection  ;  his  lands  were  seized  by  the 
king  in  1322  and  granted  to  John  of  Brittany,  Earl 
of  Richmond.**  The  manor  of  Hart,  with  the  rest 
of  the  Clifford  lands,  was  restored  to  his  brother  and 
heir  Robert  in  i  327.** 

Robert  died  in  i  344  seised  of  the  manors  of  Hart 
and  Hartness  which  had  formerly  been  held  by  Peter 
de  Brus,  Robert  de  Clifford, 
aged  fourteen,  being  his  son 
and  heir.  The  manor  was 
worth  ;^loo  and  was  held  of 
the  Bishop  of  Durham  by  the 
service  of  two  knights'  fees  and 
suit  at  the  court  of  Sadberge 
every  three  weeks.**  Bishop 
Bury  at  once  appointed  a 
keeper  of  the  manor  of  Hart,*' 
but  as  before  the  king  granted 
out  the  custody  of  the  minor's 
lands  there,  which  he  bestowed 
upon   Maurice  de  Berkeley,** 

the  brother  of  Robert  de  Clifford's  widow.*'  The 
young  Lord  Clifford  died  before  17  March  1346, 
when  thecustody  of  his  lands  was  granted  to  Thomas  de 
Beauchamp,  Earl  of  Warwick,  during  the  minority  of 
his  brother  and  heir  Roger,*^  to  whom  the  earl  married 
hi»  daughter  Maud.  This  grant  was  extended  to 
Hart  in  October  i  3  \.6.^^ 

Isabel,  widow  of  Robert,  third  Lord  Clifford, 
received  a  third  of  Hart  as  dower.*^  In  1357 
Roger,  fifth  Lord  Clifford,  received  licence  to  settle 
his  manors  of  Hart  and  Hartlepool  upon  himself  and 
his  wife  Maud.*'     He  died  on  13  July  1389  ;  after 


-l 

1 

\ 

J 

kl 

l> 

Clifford.    Cbecky  or 
and  azure  a  fette  guUi, 


the  son  was  the  Robert  de  Brut  who  in 
1 183  married  Isabel  daughter  of  William 
the  Lion  of  Scotland,  who  was  married 
again  in  1191  (^Chron^  de  Mailroi  [Banna- 
tyne  Club],  92,  99). 

*"  See  Dugdale,  Mon.  vi,  269. 

"  Fell  cfF.  10  Ric.  1  (Pipe  R.  Soc), 

53-54- 

^  Douglas,  Scots  Peerage  (ed.  Paul), 
ii,  429  et  Bcq.  i  Cal,  Doc.  Scotland,  i,  110. 

««  Ibid. 

'^  Douglas,  loc.  cit. 

"  Cat.  Doc.  Scotland  i,  350  ;  Robert  de 
Brus  the  Noble  is  generally  said  to  have 
died  in  124;  [cf.  Dougias,  loc.  cit.),  but 
there  was  an  heir  of  Robert  de  Brus,  a 
mtDor  in  1230  ;  see  charter  to  borough  of 
Hartlepool  printed  in  Sharp,  Hiit,  of 
Hartlepoolf  App.  p.  i. 

"  Cal.  Inj.  p.m.  (Edw.  I),  ii,  189. 

■'  Cal.  Chan.  R.  1 257-1 300,  p.  412. 

^*  Chronicon  H^altert  de  Hemingburgh 
(Eng.  Hist.  Soc),  ii,  69  ;  Cal.  Doc.  Scot- 
land,  ii,  164,  217.  His  widow  Christina 
(widow  of  Adam  de  Jessemuth)  had  dower 
in  Hart  (ibid.  217).  His  first  wife  was 
Isabel  de  Clare.  Annates  Monastics  (Rolls 
Ser.),  i,  1  29. 

'^  Chron.  de  Maslros  (Binnatyne  Club), 
219. 

'•  Cat.  Doc.  Scotland,  ii,  388,  400. 


"  Cal.  Chart.  R.  i  300-26,  p.  69.  He 
was  crowned  King  of  Scotland  in  the  fol- 
lowing March. 

"*  Lapsley,  Ttii  Co.  Palat.  of  Dur. 
(Harvard  Hist.  Studies),  42  et  seq.  ; 
r.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  16;  Cal.  Pat.  1330-4, 
p.  360. 

'•'  Hartlepool  was  granted  in  the  follow- 
ing October.  Cal.  Pat.  i  301-7,  p.  436  ; 
Cal.  Chjr  .  R.  1300—26,  p.  69. 

^  Lapsley,  loc.  cit.  ;  Hist.  Dunelm. 
Script.  Tres  (Surt.  Soc),  pp.  88,  95, 
118,  cccclii  ;  Reg.  Pal.  Dunelm.  iv,  129, 
182;  Cal.  Close,  1327— 30,  p.  144;  Cat. 
Pat.  1330-4,  p.  360;  Chan.  Muc.  bdle. 
57,  file  I,  no.  4  ;  cf.  Exch.  Dep.  Mich. 
28  and  29  Eliz.  no.  1  3. 

*'  G.E.C.  Peerage  (new  ed.),  iii,  291. 

"  Reg.  Palat.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  i, 
595  ;  ii,  '059. 

'•  Pari.  R.  (Rec.  Com.),  i,  362-4  ;  cf. 
418  b  ;  Cal.  Pat.  1313-17,  p.  549.  The 
Bish'  p  petitioned  Parliament  on  the  sub- 
ject of  his  right  to  the  escheat  (Fjr/.  S.  loc. 
cit.). 

"  Cal.  Chart.  R.  1300-26,  pp.  441, 
443- 

**  Cal,  Close,  1327—30,  p.  158.  A  month 
earlier  Robert  de  ClifTord  ••  keeper  of  the 
manor  had  been  ordered  to  amove  the 
king's  hands  in  favour  of  Bishop   Lewis 

257 


consequent  on  a  decision  by  Parliament 
that  the  Bishop  was  entitled  to  forfeitures 
of  war  within  his  libcrty(ibid.  p.  144).  The 
Bishop  brorght  a  suit  in  Chancer)*  agiinst 
Robert  de  Clifford  after  the  restoration  to 
the  Utter  (Chan.  Misc.  bdle.  57,  file  1, 
no.  4  [6  Ed  V.  III]). 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  24  d.  j 
Cal.  Inq.  p.m.  viii  (Edw.  Ill),  p.  381  (see 
for  this  inquisition  a  list  of  the  lands  held 
of  the  manor  of  Hart  by  knight  service. 
Castle  Eden  formed  part  of  the  Bnis  fee, 
but  from  the  wording  of  a  charter  in 
Guisho'  Ckartul.  [Surtees  Soc.  ii,  329]  it 
does  not  seem  to  have  been  io  Hartness)  ; 
Cal.  Pat.  1343-5,  p.  298. 

*'  Richard  d' Aungervitte  of  Bury  (Surt. 
Soc),  204. 

*•  Cal.  Fine  R.  1337-47,  p.  381  ;  Cal. 
Pat.  1345-8,  p.  II  ;  Cat.  Close,  1343-6, 
pp.  503,  624. 

«»  G.E.C.  under  Chfford  and  Berkeley. 

»»  Cal.  Pat.  1345-8,  pp.  58,  96.  G.E.C. 
Peeragf  {new  ed.)  says  before  1  Nov.  1345 
in  France.  "  Ibid.  p.  194. 

"Co/.  Fat.  1354-8,  p.  572.  She 
married  Thomas  de  Musgrave  and  died 
in  1362  (ibid.;  Chan.  Inq.  p.m.  36 
Edw.  Ill,  pt.  i,  no.  $2;  Cal.  Close,  1 360-4, 

F-  153)- 

"  Cal.  Pat.  1354-8,  p.  527. 

33 


A   HISTORY  OF   DURHAM 


his  death  it  was  found  that  he  held  the  manor  of  Hart 
of  the  king,  and  that  his  son  and  heir  was  Thomas, 
aged  twenty-six.®^  Thomas,  sixth  Lord  Clifford, 
survived  his  father  for  only  two  years.  He  died  on 
4.  October  1391,  leaving  a  son  and  heir  John,  aged 
two.'*  John's  grandmother  Maud,  widow  of  Roger, 
fifth  Lord  Clifford,  died  on  28  February  14.02-3, 
and  John,  now  aged  thirteen,  inherited  the  lands 
of  which  she  w.is  enfeoffed  at  Hart.'* 

John,  seventh  Lord  Clifford,  married  Elizabeth 
daughter  of  Henry  Percy  (Hotspur),''''  and  the  manor 
of  Hart  was  settled  upon  them  and  their  heirs  on 
20  October  14.14.''*  John  was  killed  at  the  siege  of 
Meaux  in  March  1421-2.^'  His  widow  died  on 
16  October  1436,  when  Hart  passed  to  their  son 
Thom.is,  eighth  Lord  Clifford,  aged  twenty-two.'"" 
He  married  Joan  daughter  of  Thomas  Lord  Dacre  of 
Gilsland,  and  was  killed  at  the  battle  of  St.  Albans 
22  May  1455.'  His  heir  was  his  son  John,  ninth 
Lord  Clifford,-  Clifford  the  Butcher  who  appears  in 
Shakespeare's  Henry  VI,  part  3.  He  was  killed 
28  March  1461  on  the  eve  of  the  battle  of  Towton. 
His  wife  Margaret,  called  Lady  de  Vesci,  fled  with 
her  infant  children,  the  heir  being  Henry,  aged  seven, 
and  for  many  years  they  lived  in  concealment  in 
Yorkshire  and  Cumberland.' 

John,  ninth  Lord  Clifford,  was  attainted  in  the  first 
year  of  Edward  IV  (4  November  1 461),  and  his  lands 
forfeited  to  the  king.  Hart  does  not  seem  to  have  been 
granted  out  again,  and  in  1485  the  att.iinder  was 
reversed  and  Henry,  tenth  Lord  Clifford,  was  restored.'' 
He  married  as  his  first  wife  Anne  daughter  of  Sir  John 
St.  John  of  Bletso  (co.  Bedford).'  On  the  restoration 
of  the  Cliffords  the  Bishop  of  Durham's  struggle  to 
reassert  his  right  over  Hart  and  Hartlepool  began  again. 
According  to  the  Durham  historian.  Bishop  Foxe  was 
translated  from  Durham  to  Winchester  in  I  501  on 
account  of  his  quarrel  with  the  Earl  of  Cumberland 
[Lord  Clifford]  over  Hartlepool.^ 

Henry,  tenth  Lord  Clifford,  died  in  1523,  when 
he  was  succeeded  by  his  son  Henry,  created  first  Earl 
of  Cumberland  in  1525.''  In  I  528  Cardinal  Wolsey, 
then  Bishop  of  Durham,  received  a  grant  of  the 
manor  of  Hart  and  town  of  Hartlepool  on  surrender 
by  Henry  Lord  Clifford  of  the  patents  granted  to  his 
ancestors  by  Edward  I,  with  an  acknowledgment  of 
the  bishop's  royal  rights  there.'  This  triumph  did 
not  last  long,  as  it  soon  became  part  of  the  king's 
policy  to  weaken  the  church  as  much  as  possible,  par- 
ticularly in  the  north,  where  the  Roman  Catholics 
were  strong.  In  1533,  a  year  before  the  attempted 
abolition  of  the  bishop's  palatine  power,  a  bill  was 
brought    in   providing   that    whereas    the    Bishop  of 


"  Chan.  Inq.  p.m.  ij  Ric.  II,  no.  14. 

"  Ibid.  15  Ric.  II,  pt.  i,  no.  17. 

^  Ibid.  4  Hen.  IV,  no.  37. 

®'  Whitaker,  Hist,  and  Antiq.  of  Craven, 
3.6. 

9»  Chan.  Inq.  p.m.  15  Hen.  VI, 
no.  55. 

^  G.E.C.  op.  cit  il,  293. 

'"»  Chan.  Inq.  p.m.  1  5  Hen.  VI,  no.  55. 

'  G.E.C.  loc  cit. 

'  Whitaker,  op.  cit.  249-50. 

'  G.E.C.  op.  cit.  iii,  294 ;  Dugdalc, 
Bar.  i,  3+3. 

*  Ca:.  In  J.  Hen.  yil,  ii,  349,  351, 

'  G.E.C.  loc.  cit. 

^  Hiit.  Dunelm.  Script.  Tres  (Surt.  Soc), 
150  J    s;c    Letters   and    Papers   iHuttr.    of 


reigns  j/  Ric.  Ill  and  Hen.  P'll  (Rolls 
Ser.),  i,  99. 

'  G.E.C.  op.  cit.  iii,  295. 

'  L.  and  P.  Hen.  Vlll,  iv,  5111. 

*  Sec  H iuse  of  Lords  Jour,  i,  6od  (19 
Jan.  1513);  Harl.  Chart.  5S,  E  5 
(printed  in  Topographer,  Aug.  1790,  vol. 
iii,  p.  115).  I  he  bill  was  read  three 
times  in  the  House  of  Lords,  but  it  is 
not  found  among  the  statutes  for  that 
year. 

'"  G.E.C.  op.  cit.  iii,  567. 

"  Chan.  Inq.  p.m.  (Ser.  2),  clvi,  48. 

"  Acts  ofP.C.  1554-6,  p.  166. 

"  Cal.  S.  P.  Dom.  1547-80,  p.  167. 

'<  Ibid.  335. 

"  Chan.  Inq.  p.m.  (Ser.  a),  clvi,  48. 

258 


Durham  claimed  that  the  lordship  of  Hartlepool 
lay  within  the  bishopric  of  Durham,  while  the  people 
of  the  lordship  claimed  that  it  lay  in  Northumberland, 
henceforward  it  should  form  part  of  the  North  Riding 
of  Yorkshire.' 

Henry,  first  Earl  of  Cumberland,  died  in  I  542,  and 
was  succeeded  by  his  son  Henry,'"  but  Hart  and 
Hartlepool  were  left  for  life  to  his  second  son.  Sir 
Ingram  Clifford,  kt.,"  who  was  ordered  by  the  Privy 
Council  in  1 555  to  cause  his  tenants  of  Hart  and 
Hartlepool  to  make  contribution  to  the  repairing  of 
Sunderland  bridges,  as  the  rest  of  the  inhabitants  of 
Durham  had  done."  About  1560  the  Earl  of 
Cumberland  petitioned  the  queen  to  grant  him 
certain  lands  in  exchange  for  Hart  and  Hartlepool  ; 
this,  however,  xvas  not  done.''  In  1569  the  inhabi- 
tants of  those  places  refused  to  attend  the  Durham 
musters,  alleging  that  they  belonged  to  the  county  of 
Northumberland.''' 

Henry,  second  Earl  of  Cumberland,  died  in 
January  1569-70,  leaving  a  son  and  heir  George, 
aged  twelve."  This  was  the  famous  third  Earl  of 
Cumberland,  who  'performed  nine  viages  by  sea  in 
his  own  person,  most  of  them  to  the  West  Indies.'  " 
The  first  of  these  expeditions  was  undertaken  in  I  580 
to  recoup  his  fortunes.  Early  in  that  jear  he  con- 
veyed his  manors  of  Hart,  Hartness,  Hartlepool, 
Throston,  Over  Throston,  Nether  Throston,  and 
Nelston  to  Robert  Petre  and  John  Morley,  who  on 
16  May  1587  transferred  them  to  John  Lord  Lumlcy.'^ 

Aj  he  had  no  children  surviving.  Lord  Lumley 
settled  his  estates  in  1607  on  Richard  Lumley,"  a 
distant  cousin."  Lord  Lumley  died  on  i  i  April 
1 609.-"  Richard  Lumley  was  made  Viscount  Lumley 
of  Waterford  in  1628.  His  lands  at  Hart  were  seized 
by  the  sequestrators  before  20  August  1644,  and  the 
rectory  of  Hart  was  leased  to  Richard  Malam."'  After 
the  Restoration  the  manor  followed  the  descent  of 
Lumley  Castle  until  1770,  when  it  was  sold  by 
Richard  fourth  Earl  of  Scarbrough  to  Sir  George 
Pocock,  a  distinguished  admiral.^-  Sir  George  died 
in  1792,-'  and  was  succeeded  by  his  son  George 
Pocock,  created  a  b.nronet  in  1821,-''  who  about  1830 
sold  the  estates  to  William  Henry,  then  Marquess 
and  afterwards  Duke  of  Cleveland.^' 

By  will  dated  I  5  June  I  836  the  Duke  of  Cleveland 
left  his  lands  at  Hart  and  Hartlepool  upon  trust  for 
Frederick  Aclom  Milbank,  the  second  son  of  his 
daughter  Lady  Augusta  Henrietta  Milbank.  The 
duke  died  on  29  January  1842,  and  was  succeeded  at 
Hart  by  Frederick  Aclom  Milbank.'^  The  latter  was 
created  a  baronet  in  1882  and  died  in  1898.-'  He 
was  succeeded  by  his  eldest  surviving  son.  Sir  Powlett 

^*  Surteel,  Hist,  and  Antip  of  Durham, 
iv,  95. 

"  Pat.  28  Elii.  pt.  iv,  m.  36  ;  29  Eliz. 
pt.  xiii,  m.  26  ;  Close,  29  Eliz.  pt.  vi. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  1S2,  no.  56  j 
cl.  12,  no.  2  (2). 

'^  Sec  Lumley  Castle. 

'"  Chan.  Inq.  p.m.  (Ser.  2),  cccxi,  109  ; 
Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  182,  no.  56. 

**  Rec.  Com.  for  Comp.  (Surt.  Soc),  i. 

^  Sharp,  Hist,  of  Hartlepool,  62. 

"  Diet.  Nat.  Biog. 

'*  Sharp,  Hist,  of  Hartlepool,  64. 

'*  Fordyce,  op.  cit.  ii,  240. 

»«  Ibid.  241. 

^  Burke,  Peerage,  Baronetage  and 
Knightage. 


STOCKTON   WARD 


HART 


MiLBANK,     baronet. 
Gules    a    zaitire    azure 

urink/eii  ivilA  drops  sjhle 
betiveen  tzvo  lior.s'  heads 
cut  off  at  the  neck  in  [he 
chiej  and  the  fsot  and  as 
many  rises  in  the  jianks 
alt  argent. 


Charles  John  Milbank,  bart.,  who  died  on  30  January 
1918,  and  his  son  Sir  Frederick  Richard  Povvlett 
Milbank  is  the  present  owner. 

A  letter  from  Thomas  Lord  ClitTord  to  the  Bishop 
of  Durham,  written  about  1438  was  dated  at  Hart.^' 
There  was  a  chapel  attached 
to  the  manor  in  1344,  which 
points  to  a  residence  at  that 
date.     In  1436  an  'aula 'with 

4  rooms,  2  barns,  and  a  chapel 
is  mentioned  in  an  extent  of 
the  manor.*' 

In  the  confirmation  of 
Henry  I  to  the  priory  of 
Guisborough,  12  bovates  of 
.  land  are  included  with  the 
churches  of  Hartness.'"  Robert 
de    Brus    the    Noble   granted 

5  oxgangs  in  Stranton  and  one 
in  Hart  to  the  monastery." 
The  priory's  lands  in  Hartle- 
pool, Hart,  Stranton,  Eden, 
and  Elton  were  confirmed  by 
Robert  son  of  Robert  Brus  IV.^-  In  1344  the  Prior 
of  Guisborough  held  4  oxgangs  and  seven  cottages  in 
Hart  by  knight  service.^' 

After  the  Dissolution  in  1539-40  the  monastery 
was  found  to  possess  lands  worth  1 1  5/.  ^J.  yearly  in 
Hart.'*  The  premises  in  Hart  belonging  to  Guis- 
borough Monastery  were  acquired  by  the  Earl  of 
Cumberland,  and  in  1587  were  bought  with  the 
manor  of  Hart  by  Lord  Lumley.'^ 

Sir  John  de  Eppleton  was  laid  to  hold  a  carucate 
of  land  in  Hart  of  Robert  de  Clifford  in  1344."' 
In  February  1358-9  it  was  found  that  Joan  widow 
of  Robert  de  Eppleton  had  died  seised  of  i  carucate 
of  land  in  Hart  held  of  Lord  Cliflbrd.  Her  grandson 
Robert,  son  of  her  son  Thomas  de  Eppleton,  was 
her  heir."  This  land,  called  NORTH  HART, 
together  with  the  rest  of  the  Eppleton  lands,  was 
bought  by  the  Herons  with  whom  it  descended  until 
1409.3*'  Probably  it  was  bought  up  by  the  Lord  of 
Hart,  who  in  1436  held  4  messuages  and  land  at 
North  Hart,  which  is  then  called  a  parcel  of  the 
Manor  of  Hart. 

On  the  north  of  Hart  village,  near  the  northern 
boundary  of  the  parish,  lie  the  farm  and  estate  of 
NELSON  (Nelleston,  Nelestune,  xii  cent.;  Neliston, 
xiii  cent.  ;  Nelston,  xv  cent.).  This  estate  seems  to 
have  been  granted  by  Robert  de  Brus  II  (le  Meschin) 
to  his  cupbearer  Niel,  who  also  held  land  in  Castle 
Eden^^  and  probably  it  received  its  name  (Niel's-tun) 
from  him.  In  the  time  of  William  de  Brus,  son  of 
Robert  II,  Robert  son  of  Niel  granted  to  the  church  of 
Hart  all  his  land  called  Kirtel  in  the  field  of  Nelson, 
and  I  acre  in  Caldewelleflat,  as  an  obit  for  himself 
and  his  lords,    Robert  de    Brus,   senior  and  junior. 


Among  the  witnesses  were  Robert's  brothers  William, 
Geoffrey,  and  Walter.'^  At  some  time  after  1 1 94 
Henry  de  Pudsey  gave  to  the  monks  of  Finchale  the 
land  in  Nelson  which  William  de  Nelson  had  pre- 
viously given  to  him.*"  In  the  time  of  Robert  de 
Brus  IV  (the  Noble),  c.  1215-45,  Geoffrey  son  of 
Niel  granted  to  the  monks  of  Finchale  a  rent  of  3/. 
from  his  vill  of  Nelson  to  maintain  a  light  before  St. 
Godric's  body.*!  The  debts  of  the  lord  of  Nelson  in 
connexion  with  this  rent  are  entered  in  the  Finchale 
account  rolls  of  1354-5." 

In  I  344  Stephen  de  Nelson  held  a  carucate  here  of 
the  Brus  fee  by  knight  service.*'  In  1389  it  was 
found  that  Richard  de  Nelson  was  a  free  tenant  of 
Sir  Roger  de  Clifford,  holding  land  in  Nelson  by 
fealty  and  homage."  Richard  de  Nelson  held  the 
vill  of  Nelson  of  Maud,  the  widow  of  Sir  Roger  de 
Clifford,*'  in  1403,  but  by  1436  the  vill  of  Nelson  had 
apparently  been  acquired  by  the  Cliffords,*^  who  held 
2  messuages,  4  gardens,  and  200  acres  of  arable  Lind 
there  as  parcel  of  the  manor  of  Hart.  From  that  time 
forward  it  remained  in  the  hands  of  the  lord  of  Hart. 

Another  member  of  the  fee  of  Hart  was  THROS- 
TON  (Thurston,  xiv  cent.  ;  Thorston,  Thirston,  and 
Thruston,  xv  cent.  ;  Thurston,  xvii  cent.).  In  1344 
6  bovates  of  land  and  2  salterns  here  were  held  of 
the  lord  of  Hart  like  Morleston  in  Stranton  (q.v.)  by 
Richard  de  Aldeburg  for  life.  This  estate  in  Nether 
Throston  subsequently  followed  the  descent  of 
Morleston  and  after  1 403  of  Tunstall  in  Stranton. 

The  lords  of  Hart  held  lands  in  Over  and  Nether 
Throston  as  parcel  of  the  Manor  of  Hart.*' 

The  church  of  ST.  MARV  MAG- 
CHURCH  DALENE  stands  on  rising  ground  on 
the  north  side  of  the  village  and  consists 
of  a  chancel  25  ft.  6  in.  by  1 8  ft.,  nave  49  ft.  3  in.  by 
23  ft.  8  in.,  north  aisle  44  ft.  6  in.  by  10  ft.  6  in., 
south  aisle  50  ft.  6  in.  by  1 1  ft.  4  in.,  south  porch,  and 
west  tower  i  3  ft.  8  in.  square,  all  these  measurements 
being  internal.  The  total  width  across  nave  and 
aisles  is  49  ft.  9  in. 

The  nave  represents  the  body  of  a  pre-Conquest 
aisleless  church  22  ft.  wide  with  walls  3  ft.  thick,  the 
small  square-ended  chancel  of  which  has  vanished. 
The  east,  west  and  north  walls  remain  in  great  part, 
the  north  arcade  and  the  chancel  and  tower  arches 
having  been  broken  through  the  original  masonry, 
but  the  south  wall  has  been  entirely  removed  and  the 
nave  slightly  increased  in  width  on  that  side.  The 
four  angles  of  the  pre-Conquest  nave,  however,  are 
still  in  position,  the  quoins  showing  more  or  less 
distinctly  outside  in  each  case.  The  great  antiquity 
of  the  building  was  unsuspected  till  1884-5,  when  a 
restoration  took  place  and  the  walls  were  stripped  of 
their  plaster.^  Six  fragments  of  pre-Conquest  crosses 
carved  with  interlaced  patterns  were  also  discovered 
at  the  same  time,  together  with  an  early  sundial.''* 


"  Priory  of  Finchale  (Surtccs  Soc),  71. 

^  Cat.  In^.  p.m.  Tiii,  384  ;  Chan.  Inq. 
p.m.  15  Hen.  VI,  no.  55  (lile  S3). 

•"  Guishrct'  Chariul.  (Surt.  Soc),  i,  1 3. 

'^  Ibid,  ii,  34.1  ;  Dugdale,  Alon.vi,  269. 

^'  Guishro'  Chartul.  ii,  34^-4. 

"  Cal.  [nj.  p.m.  (Edw.  Ill),  viii,  384. 

"  Guishro'  Chartul.  (Surt.  Soc),  ii, 
p.  xxxiv. 

"  Close,  29  Elii.  pt.  vi. 

«  Cal.  [nj.  p.m.  (Edw.  Ill),  viii,  384. 
No    Eppleton    of  the    name   of  John  is 


found  in  the  descent  of  this  family  in 
Eppleton  (in  Houghton-le-Spring  parish). 
Thomas  de  Eppleton  who  died  about 
1339  was  succeeded  by  his  son  Robert, 
grandson  of  Joan  mentioned  in  the  text. 

^'  Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  59. 

•*  See  Eppleton  in  Houghton-le-Spring 
parish  ;  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  143  d., 
14;  d.,  163  d. 

""'  See  Feod.  Pri'.r.  Dunelm.  1  34  n. 

»'  Guishro'  Chartul.  (Surt.  Soc"),  ii,  324. 

«»  Finchale  Priory  (Surt.  Soc),  22,  23. 

259 


*'  Ibid.  136. 

"  Ibid.  pp.  xixvi,  xixviii,  xl. 

"  Cal.  Inf.  p.m.  (Edw.  Ill),  viii,  3S4. 

"  Chan.  Inq.  p.m.  13  Ric.  II,  no.  14. 

**  Ibid.  4  Hen.  IV,  no.  37. 

««  Ibid.  15  Hen.  VI,  no.  55. 

*'  Ibid.  13  Ric  II,  no.  14  ;  4  Hen.  IV, 
no.  3-. 

**  The  Retijuary  (New  Ser.),  viii,  2. 

<»  See  t'.C.H.  Dur.  i,  240.  The  sun- 
dial is  built  into  the  west  wall  of  the  south 
aisle  inside. 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


Two  lathe-turned  baluster  shafts,  similar  in  type  to 
those  at  Jarrow  and  Monkwearmouth,  have  also 
been  found.  All  these  fragments  are  now  pre- 
served in  the  church  at  the  west  end  of  the  south 
aisle. 

The  tower  is  an  addition  of  the  1 2th  century,  and 
a  south  aisle  .ippears  to  have  been  added  in  the  13th 
century,  the  west  window  and  the  piscina  being  of 
that  date,  though  the  arcade  has  disappeared.  Origin- 
ally the  arcade  would  no  doubt  be  pierced  through 
the  older  wall,  but  it  has  been  replaced  by  later  work 
of  poor  and  thin  detail  which  may  belong  to  the  end 
of  the  1 6th  or  beginning  of  the  17th  century.  The 
round  arches  of  the  north  arcade  and  the  chancel  are 
apparently  of  12th-century  date,  but  the  piers   and 


North  Aisle 

Infflfii..:;..::::;;©;;.:::::: 

Nave 


South  Aisle 


Chancel 


Scale  of  Feet 


Plan  of  Hart  Church 

responds  are  considerably  later,  and  appear  to  be  recon- 
structions of  the  15th  century.  Probably  the  north 
aisle  was  added  a  little  later  th.in  the  tower  and  the 
chancel  rebuilt  on  a  larger  scale  at  the  same  time,  the 
arches  being  broken  through  the  north  wall  and 
the  old  chancel  arch  reconstructed.  The  present 
chancel  is  a  rebuilding  of  1806.  The  porch  is  of 
uncertain  date,  but  may  have  been  erected  when  the 
south  arcade  was  reconstructed.  Sir  Stephen  Glynne, 
who  visited  the  church  in  1 84.3,  described  the  windows 
as  then  having  nearly  all  lost  their  tracery  and  the 
interior  as  being  spoiled  by  '  hideous  coats  of  white- 
wash alternating  with  lampblack '  which  barbarously 
disfigured  the  arches  and  walls."  The  church  was 
restored  in  1884-5  ^""^  again  in  1889-91,  when  all 
the  old  wooden  windows  were  removed,  the  floor 
lowered  3  ft.  to  its  original  level  and  the  nave  reseated. 
In  1898  the  chancel  was  restored  and  the  ancient 
altar  stone  replaced. 

The  chancel  is  built  of  square  coursed  stones,  and 
without  buttresses  or  other  architectural  features.  The 
east  window  is  a  recent  one  of  three  trefoiled  lights, 
and  there  is  a  three-light  segmental-headed  window 
in  each  of  the  side  walls.  The  roof  is  covered  with 
green  slates  with  iron  gutters  and  is  lower,  but  of 


'"  Proc.  Sot.  Antiq.  NevicaitU  (Ser.  3),  Hi,  185. 


Steeper  pitch,  than  that  over  the  nave  and  aisles.  In 
the  middle  of  the  south  wall  outside  is  built  an  old 
carved  stone  with  the  figure  of  St.  George  and  the 
dragon.  It  is  now  partly  obscured  by  the  ivy  with 
which  the  wall  is  almost  entirely  covered. 

The  aisle  walls  are  of  rubble  masonry  and  the 
tower  is  faced  with  square  coursed  stones  averaging 
I  5  in.  by  9  in.,  some  of  the  quoins,  however,  being 
of  much  larger  size,  two  measuring  5  ft.  9  in.  in  length 
and  a  third  6  ft.  The  nave  and  aisles  are  under  one 
wide  low-pitched  leaded  roof,  the  walls  terminating 
in  straight  parapets.  The  porch  has  a  gabled  roof 
covered  with  red  pantiles. 

The  masonry  of  the  pre-Conquest  nave  has  been 
left  bare  inside  and  several  original  features  remain. 

In  the  east  wall  the  archi- 
volt  of  the  chancel  arch 
is  still  in  position  immedi- 
ately above  the  later 
opening.  Ten  voussoirs 
remain  in  position,  the 
arch  showing  on  both 
sides  to  nave  and  chancel. 
Above  this  again  is  a 
triangular-headed  open- 
ing similar  in  type  to 
those  in  the  tower  at 
Norton  Church,  the  head 
formed  of  two  slabs  laid 
against  each  other  in  the 
usual  manner  and  the 
jambs  consisting  of  four 
stones  on  each  side.  A 
length  of  about  8  ft.  of 
the  original  walling  re- 
mains at  each  end  of  the 
north  arcade,  the  aisle 
not  being  carried  west- 
ward the  full  length  of  the 
nave,  and  the  eastern  end 
having  a  long  respond.  Above  the  arcade  in  the 
portion  of  wall  between  the  arches  a  narrow  window 
opening,  not  quite  9  in.  wide  externally,  was  dis- 
covered when  the  plaster  was  stripped  off.  Its  head 
and  internal  splay  had  been  destroyed  when  the  arcade 
was  inserted,  and  the  opening  is  now  built  up  and 
shows  only  from  the  aisle.  The  sill  and  the  west 
jamb  and  one  stone  of  the  east  jamb  alone  are  in 
position.  In  the  west  wall  a  portion  of  a  chamfered 
string-course  of  early  section  consisting  of  three  stones 
remains  on  the  north  side  of  the  tower  arch,  and 
another  portion  of  a  similar  string  occurs  at  the  east 
end  of  the  north  wall,  but  is  now  hidden  by  the 
organ. 

The  semicircular  chancel  arch  consists  of  three 
chamfered  orders  springing  from  half-octagonal  re- 
sponds with  moulded  capitals  and  bases.  The  two 
arches  of  the  north  arcade  are  similar  and  spring  from 
an  octagonal  pier  and  half-octagonal  responds  with 
moulded  capitals  and  bases,  the  outer  order  projecting 
in  front  of  the  pier  on  each  side,  giving  it  the 
appearance  of  a  hood  mould.  The  south  arcade 
consists  of  four  badly-shaped  pointed  arches  of  two 
hollow-chamfered  orders  springing  from  octagonal 
piers  and  from  corresponding  responds,  all  with 
moulded  capitals  and  bases.  The  wall  above  was 
reduced  to   20  in.    in  thickness  at  the  time  of  the 


inn  PRE-CoNQUrST 

12IS  Century 

I32J  Century 

I5III  Century 

W  mcAtoo 

E2il806 


260 


Hart  Church  from  the  South-east 


STOCKTON    WARD 


HART 


reconstruction  of  the  arcade,  thus  giving  a  slightly 
increased  width  to  the  nave,  and  the  detail  is  all  poor 
and  thin.  The  position  of  the  original  wall,  3  ft. 
thick,  is  visible  at  the  west  end,  where  it  h.is  been 
cut  away. 

A  series  of  nine  stone  corbels  carved  with  heads,  of 
12th-century  date,  runs  along  the  wall  of  the  north 
arcade  facing  the  aisle,  but  the  old  roof  has  gone  and 
the  aisle  walls  probably  retain  little  of  the  original 
masonry  except  perhaps  at  the  west  end,  where  a 
small  square-headed  window  remains  high  up  in  the 
wall.  The  two  north  windows  are  of  the  same  date 
as  the  chancel,  but  at  the  east  end  is  a  three-light 
square-headed  15th-century  opening.  The  east  end 
of  the  aisle  is  now  used  as  a  vestry.  Above  the  south 
arcade  facing  the  aisle  is  another  series  of  plain  corbels 
below  the  present  roof,  perhaps  of  13th-century  date, 
and  in  the  south  wall,  in  the  usual  position,  is  an 
early  piscina  with  pointed  recess,  the  bowl  being  in 
the  thickness  of  the  wall.  The  west  window  is  a 
I  3th-century  lancet  with  head  in  two  stones.  The 
hood  mould  has  a  large  nail-head  ornament  and 
flower  terminations,  and  the  sill  is  8  ft.  above  the 
floor  inside.  Below  the  window  are  portions  of  two 
mediaeval  grave  slabs  built  into  the  wall,  and,  higher 
up,  a  stone  found  in  1884-5,  bearing  a  poition  of  an 
inscription  in  incised  Lombardic  letters :  '  Hie  jacet 
.  .   .  jacet  in  tu  .   .   .  fai  .   .   .  .  ' 

The  porch  is  built  of  rubble  masonry,  but  is 
almost  entirely  covered  with  ivy.  There  is  a  descent 
of  three  steps  to  the  nave,  and  the  outer  archway  is  a 
segmental  one  of  two  hollow-chamfered  orders  con- 
tinued to  the  ground.  The  inner  doorway  is  of 
similar  section,  but  the  arch  is  pointed.  There  is  a 
stone  seat  on  each  side,  and  built  into  the  walls  are 
six  early  corbels  with  carved  heads,  three  on  each 
side. 

The  tower  is  externally  of  two  stages  marked  by  a 
chamfered  set-back,  and  terminates  in  a  straight 
moulded  parapet,  probably  of  18th  or  early  19th- 
century  date,  with  nondescript  corner  ornaments. 
The  lower  stage  is  lighted  on  the  south  and  west  by 
two  narrow  lancet  openings,  the  jambs  and  heads 
chamfered  externally.  The  north  side  is  blank,  and 
on  the  east  the  tower  is  open  to  the  nave  by  a  semi- 
circular arch  of  a  single  order  with  a  roll  moulding 
on  each  angle  and  flat  soffit.  The  arch  springs  at  a 
height  of  10  ft.  from  chamfered  imposts  and  angle 
shafts  with  cushion  capitals  and  moulded  bases.  The 
opening  is  an  insertion  in  the  west  wall  of  the  ancient 
nave.  The  lofty  upper  stage  has  a  lancet  on  the 
south  side  in  the  lower  part,  the  belfry  window  above 
being  a  small  square-headed  opening  not  centrally 
placed,  and  the  whole  of  the  north  side  is  blank.  The 
west  belfry  window  is  a  tall  narrow  square-heaJed 
opening,  and  that  on  the  east  a  lancet.  The  tower 
is  without  buttresses  or  vice,  and  the  floor  is  18  in. 
above  that  of  the  nave. 

There  are  two  fonts  ;  the  older  one,  which  is  no 
longer  used  and  stands  at  the  west  end  of  the  south 
aisle,  is  of  1 2th-century  date,  cut  from  a  single  block 


of  stone,  with  a  shaft  at  each  angle  with  cushion 
capital.  The  four  sides  are  quite  plain.  This  font 
stood  in  the  churchyard  till  a  comparatively  recent 
date.  The  other  is  a  very  beautiful  example  of 
15th-century  work,  and  consists  of  an  octagonal  bowl 
2  ft.  6  in.  in  diameter  standing  on  a  shaft  and  pedestal 
of  the  same  form,  all  elaborately  carved.  The  carving 
on  the  eight  sides  of  the  bowl  is  as  follows  :  east 
side,  two  figures,  one  holding  a  book  in  his  right 
hand  and  a  club  in  his  left,  and  the  other  a  book 
and  three  loaves  or  stones  (?  SS.  Philip  and  James)  ; 
south,  two  figures,  one,  much  mutilated,  holding  a 
staff  (?)  in  his  right  hand  and  a  book  in  his  left,  and 
the  other  a  book  in  the  right  hand  and  in  the  left 
a  boat(?)  ;  west,  the  Resurrection,  with  the  emblems 
of  the  Passion  on  either  side  ;  north,  two  figures,  one 
with  a  spear  and  a  book,  and  the  other  a  book  and  a 
saw  (.'SS.  Simon  and  Jude).  The  other  sides  bear  the 
emblems  of  the  four  Evangelists.  The  carvings  on 
the  shaft  are  :  east,  a  crowned  queen  holding  a  book 
and  palm  branch  in  her  hands,  and  through  the 
breast,  from  right  to  left,  a  sword  (?St.  Euphemia)  ; 
south-east,  a  pope  with  the  triple  crown  and  double 
patriarchal  cross  in  his  left  hand  (St.  Gregory  the 
Great)  ;  south,  a  crowned  queen  holding  a  book  and 
a  pair  of  pincers  (St.  Lucy)  ;  south-west,  an  abbot 
with  pastoral  staff  and  book,  and  over  his  arm  a 
maniple  ;  west,  an  abbess  in  coif  and  wimple,  holding 
crozier  and  book  standing  upon  a  dragon  (St. 
Elizabeth)  ;  north-west,  a  bishop  in  pontificals  with 
crozier  and  chain  and  fetter-lock  (St.  Leonard)  ; 
north,  a  crowned  queen,  sitting,  with  a  book  in  her 
left  hand  and  the  model  of  a  church  in  her  right 
(St.  Barbara)  ;  and,  north-east,  an  abbess,  holding  book 
and  key  (St.  Petronilla).  Round  the  bottom  of  the 
bowl  are  eight  demi-angels  holding  shields,  and  round 
the  base  of  the  shaft,  at  the  angles,  four  tonsured  and 
four  untonsured  heads,  between  which  are  four-leaved 
flowers  of  various  patterns." 

The  pulpit  dates  from  1889,  and  all  the  fittings 
are  modern. 

A  stained-glass  windoiv  and  oak  t.iblet  form  a 
memorial  to  the  twenty-one  men  from  this  parish 
who  fell  in  the  Great  War. 

There  is  a  ring  of  three  bells,  inscribed  '  R.  Watson, 
plumber,  Newcastle,  1826.' 

The  plate  consists  of  a  chalice  of  I  571  with  the 
maker's  mark  HW  between  a  pellet  and  star  ;  a  paten, 
without  date  letter,  but  with  the  Newcastle  mark  and 
initials  DL,  inscribed  '  Hart  Church  29  Nov"^  l  S  I  3  '  ; 
a  paten  of  1784-5,  made  by  John  Huitson,  London, 
inscribed  '  Presented  to  Hart  Church  by  the  Rev* 
Edward  Moises,  A.M.  Vicar.  Easter  1844'  ;  and  a 
chalice  of  1842-3  with  the  same  inscription.  There 
is  also  a  plated  flagon.'- 

The  registers  begin  in  1577. 

In  the  foundation  charters  of  Guis- 
ADFOlfSON     borough   Priory,  granted  by  Robert 
de    Brus,    the   earliest   probably   be- 
longing to  the  year    11 19,  the   church   of   Hart    is 
mentioned  among  other  endowments."      In  the  later 


**  Both  fonts  are  illustrated  and  de- 
scribed at  length  in  Trans.  Arch,  Soc.  Dur. 
and  Norihumb.  y\,  206-8.  For  the  15th- 
century  font  sec  also  ibid,  iii,  111-12; 
Sharp,  Hist,  oj  Hartlcpaol  (1851),  207. 

^'  Ftoc,  Soc,  yinfip  NcwcastUf  iii,  221. 

*'  Guisbro^  Ckartul.  (Surt.  Soc),  i,  3,  5, 


6,  12,  14,  16,  114.  In  one  of  the  two 
confirmations  of  Henry  I  and  in  one  of 
the  two  of  Henry  II  (cf.  ibid.  1,  13,  14, 
IS,  16),  the  'churches  of  Hartncss  *  arc 
given  instead  of  the  *  church  of  Hart.' 
In  these  charters  the  church  of  Stranton 
is  not  mentioned  (as   in    other  charters). 

261 


A  ch.irtcr  of  Peter  de  Brus,  the  overlord, 
in  1256,  confirmed  the  *  churches  of* 
Hartness  given  by  Robert  de  Brus,  the 
founder,  with  the  consent  of  the  Bishop 
of  Durham  (ibid,  ii,  326).  Bishop  Richard 
Kellaw  also  confirmed  by  inspeximus  in 
1311a  charter  of  Bishop  Walter  of  1259 


A   HISTORY  OF   DURHAM 


confirmations  of  these  charters  Hart  is  regularly  named. 
The  invocation  of  the  church  is  first  mentioned  in  a 
charter  of  c.  1194,  in  which  it  is  called  the  church 
of  the  Blessed  i^Iary  at  Hart."  Nevertheless  the 
church  is  now,  and  long  h.i5  been,  under  the 
invocation  of  St.  M-iry  Magdalene. 

In  1288  Bishop  IJek  granted  a  licence  to  Prior 
William  de  Middlesburg  and  the  canons  of  Guis- 
borough  to  impropriate  the  vicarage  of  Hart  during 
Prior  William's  life,  so  long  as  the  vicarage  was  duly 
served  by  two  honest  and  discreet  canons.^'  On  the 
death  of  William  the  vicarage  was  to  be  regarded  as 
vacant,  and  if  the  monastery  did  not  present  to  it  the 
power  to  do  so  lapsed  to  the  bishop.^''  In  1308 
Bishop  Bek  further  granted  to  the  monastery  the 
perm.inent  right  to  the  impropriation.  The  church 
of  Hart  and  chapel  of  Hartlepool  were  to  be 
served  by  a  canon,  with  an  allowance  from  the 
revenues  of  the  church,  and  not  by  a  secular  priest, 
as  had  been  hitherto  the  case.*'  In  1 3 1 1  Bishop 
Kellaw  confirmed  the  grants  of  Bishop  Bek  so  long 
as  the  vicarage  was  served  by  two  canons.'** 

To  the  west  of  Hart  churchyard  are  the  remains 
of  a  building  of  the  late  14th  or  early  15th  century, 
which  is  believed  to  have  been  the  residence  of  the 
canons. '' 

On  the  dissolution  of  Guisborough  Monastery  in 
1539  the  patronage  of  the  living  passed  to  the  Crown, 
with  which  it  remained  till  1888,  when  Bishop 
Lightfoot  received  it  in  exchange  for  Satley  church.*'" 
The  present  patron  is  the  Bishop  of  Durham. 

In  1 29 1  the  church  of  Hart,  with  the  vicirage, 
was  valued  at  ;^+o.'''  In  1535  the  total  value  of  the 
vicarage  of  Hart  w.is  estimated  at  ^^  1 2.^'  In  I  5  39-40 
the  rectory  of  Hart,  with  the  chapelry  of  Hartlepool 
and  the  tithe  of  fish,  brought  in  j^22."  In  i  577-88 
the  vicarage  of  Hart  was  worth  ^{^  1 1  I  ~s.,  but  a  17th- 
century   note    states    that    its    v.due     had     risen     to 

Robert  de  Brus  I  seems  to  have  granted  to  the 
monastery  of  Tynemouth  two  tithe  sheaves  from  the 
demesne  lands  of  Hartness.  He  granted  the  church 
of  Hart  to  the  monastery  of  Guisborough  (see 
above),  and  these  two  contradictory  grants  caused  a 
long  dispute  between  the  two  monasteries.  In  1 1 46-5  i 
an  agreement  was  made  that  Tynemouth  should  have 
the  two  tithe  sheaves  from  the  ancient  demesne  land 
and  from  any  new  land  that  might  be  taken  into  the 
demesne,  while  Guisborough  should  have  all  the 
tithes  from  lands  which  were  or  in  future  should  be 
held  in  bondage.''^  This  agreement  was  superseded  by 
another  in  1212,  which  gave  to  Tynemouth  the  tithes 


of  Hart  and  Stranton,  the  tithes  of  Owton  in 
Stranton  parish  (q.v.),  the  corn  tithes  of  Klwick 
township,  and  the  small  tithes  of  the  demesne  lands 
of  Elvvick.  All  the  other  tithes  in  the  two  parishes 
belonged  to  Guisborough.''"  In  1291  the  portion 
of  the  monks  of  Tynemouth  in  the  church  of  Hart 
was  £\o.'''  In  February  1573-4  the  tithe  sheaves 
of  Elwick  belonging  to  the  monastery  of  Tynemouth 
were  leased  to  Thomas  Pearson,"**  and  in  1627  Sir 
Ralph  Delavale  kt.  paid  £4  for  \  year's  rent  to  the 
Crown  for  the  tithes  of  Elwick."'  The  tithes  of 
corn  of  Elwick  were  in  lease,  apart  from  the  other 
tithes  of  Hart,  to  William  Tunstall  for  [^i()  in 
1644,'"  and  they  were  sold  on  29  April  1664  by 
Susan  Luling  of  London,  niece  and  heir  of  William 
Fisher,  deccised,  to  Margaret  Barker  of  London."' 
They  cannot  be  traced  further. 

In  I  541  part  of  the  tithes  of  Hart  were  leased  to 
Thomas  Legh.'-  In  1587  the  great  tithes  of  Hart 
were  leased  for  twenty-one  years  to  Christopher  Free- 
man,"-*  and  in  1605  they  were  granted  to  Henry 
Stanley  and  others,  who  conveyed  them  in  January 
1605-6  to  John  Lord  Lumley.  The  rectory  has 
since  descended  with  the  manor  of  Hart.'^  The 
tithes  of  hay  from  the  '  Broad  Meadows '  and  small 
tithes  called  brevings  were  paid  to  the  vicar.'* 

The  annual  Crown  rent  of  ^^22  from  the  rectory  of 
Hart  formed  part  of  the  provision  for  Queen  Henrietta 
Maria  on  14  March  1626."" 

In  1 644  all  the  tithes  of  Hart  were  leased  to 
Richard  Malam  for  £zoo  per  annum."'  In  1770  the 
manor  of  Hart  was  free  from  all  tithes  except  a  third 
of  the  lamb  and  wool  tithes,  which  were  paid  to  the 
vicar.'**  In  1857  the  vicar  received  tithes  from  the 
farms  called  the  Three  Thorps."' 

The  chapel  of  St.  Helen  lay  on  the  outskirts  of  the 
town  of  Hartlepool,  in  the  north-west  corner  of  one 
of  the  common  fields  called  Farwell  Field  ;  the  chapel 
itself  was  built  upon  Hart  Warren.  In  1816  the 
only  traces  of  it  were  the  name  of  a  well  in  the  field, 
St.  Helen's  Well,  and  a  mound  where  hewn  stones 
were  sometimes  found.*"'  In  1845  the  place  was 
excavated,  not  by  antiquaries,  but  by  builders  in 
search  of  stones.  The  remains  of  a  tiny  chapel  were 
discovered,  the  architecture  of  which,  as  far  as  it 
could  be  traced,  indicated  that  it  was  built  in  the 
1 2th  century.  A  large  stone  coffin  containing  a 
skeleton  was  also  found,  but  no  attempt  was  made  to 
preserve  these  remains.*" 

The  chapel  was  probably  built  by  William  de 
Brus  (c.  1194-1215),  who  gave  to  the  monastery  of 
Guisborough  his  chapel  of  St.  Helen,  Hartlepool,  on 


confirming  'the  churchct  of  Hanncsj 
which  Ralph  [Flambard  1099-1  ijS) 
Bishop  of  Durham  gave'  (ibid,  ii,  338). 
In  another  charter  of  131 1  the  same 
bishop  confirmed  *the  church  of  Hart  and 
the  church  of  Stranton  which  Robert 
Brus  the  founder  gave  and  which  Hugh 
Bishop  of  Durham  [11^3—1195]  con- 
firmed' (ibid,  ii,  339).  The  tithe  offish 
taken  on  the  '  coast  of  Hartness'  formed 
part  of  the  rectory  of  Hart  (see  Cnl.  Cloie, 
i237-+2>  pp.  '69,  >77  and  below). 

^*  Gutibro    Chartul.^  ii,  324. 

*^  The  church  was  served  by  a  vicar  in 
the  1 2th  century  (Cufj/ro' /"r/ory  [Surt. 
Soc],  ii,  324). 

'*  Sharp,  Hht.  of  Hurtlcpool,  no. 

"  Rig.  PiiUr.  bimclm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  ii, 
"37-8. 


»*  Ibid. 

"^  Proc.  .'^of.  Antiif.  Nfwcasrle  (New 
Ser.),  vi,  178. 

'o  Inst.  Bks.  (P.R.O.). 

"  P<i[>!  Nich.  Tax.  (Rec.  Com.),  314. 

"  ralor  Ecd.  (Rec.  Com.),  v,  319. 

^  Guiibro'  Chartul.  (Surt.  Soc),  ii, 
p.  xxxiv. 

"  Bp.  Barnes'  Itijunc.  (Surt.  Soc),  4. 

^  Guishro  Ckartul.  (Surt,  Soc),  ii,  322, 

3i3- 

''  Burton,  Mon.  Ehor.  34i;-6. 

"  Pofit  Nich.  Tax.  (Rec.  Com.),  314. 

'*  Pat.  16  Eliz.  pt.  vi,  m.  13. 

''■'  Prac.  Soc.  Aniiq.  Newcastle  (Ser.  3), 
ii,  276. 

'"  RoyalisI  Comp.  P.  Dur.  and  Norlhumh. 
(Surt.  Soc),  25. 

262 


''  MS.  Deeds  in  Newcastle  Free  Libr. 
Dur.  Misc.  D.  10,  27. 

'»  L.  and  P.  Hen.  nil,  xvi,  p.  728. 

"'  Pat.  29  Eliz.  pt.  xvi,  m.  8.  Former 
leases  had  been  made  to  Thomas  Cotton 
and  Barnard  Duhurste  (Pat.  27  Eliz. 
pt.  V,  m.  19). 

'*  Ibid.  3  Jas.  I,  pt.  vii  ;  Close,  3  Jas.  I, 
pt.  vi. 

''^  Exch.  Dep.  Mich.  9  Chas.  I,  no.  31. 

'*  Rymcr,  Foedera,  xviii,  695. 

'''  Royalist  Comp.  P.  Dur.  and  Northumh. 
(Surt.  Soc),  I. 

'*  Hutchinson, //;j;.  and  Antiq.  of  Dur, 
iii,  22. 

'*  Fordyce,  op.  cit.  ii,  244. 

*"  Sharp,  Hist,  of  Hartlepool,  133. 

•*  Ibid.  Supplement,  33-4. 


STOCKTON   WARD 


HARTLEPOOL 


the  warren  at  Han  for  the  support  of  a  light  on  the 
high  altar.'-  Two  charters  to  Fountains  Abbey, 
apparently  belonging  to  the  13th  century,  mention 
land  in  Hartlepool  near  St.  Helen's  Church.*'  The 
'  vicus  Sanctae  Helenae '  is  mentioned  in  1299.*^'  In 
1 3 14.  a  general  sentence  of  excommunication  was 
pronounced  against  those  who  detained  legacies  and 
other  things  bequeathed  to  the  chapel  of  St.  Helen  in 
the  vill  of  Hartlepool.*'^ 

Ralph  de  Whitewell,  a  bastard,  left  instructions  in 
his  will  that  his  messuage  in  Hartlepool  should  be 
sold  and  the  money  used  as  long  as  it  lasted  for  a 
stipend  to  a  chaplain  in  St.  Helen's  chapel  to  pray 
for  him.  This  bequest  was  ignored  by  Bishop 
Beaumont,  but  recognized  by  Bishop  Bury  on  3  April 
1336.'*  In  1548  the  chapel  had  one  bell  and  a 
silver  chalice." 

There  was  a  chapel  in  the  manor  of  Hart  in  which 
Robert  de  Clifford  founded  a  chantry  before  i  344, 
with   an  endowment  of  £6  yearly.*^     In  1436  this 


chapel  is  mentioned  among  the  appurtenances  of  the 
manor  of  Hart.-' 

For     the     Fultiiorpe    educational 
CHARITIES     charity,  founded  in  1707  by  will  of 
the  Rev.  Christopher  Fulthorpe,  see 
article  on  schools."^ 

John  Farmer,  by  his  will  proved  at  Durham, 
3  January  1879,  bequeathed  jf  100,  the  income  to  be 
divided  among  the  widows  and  orphans  of  fishermen 
lately  residing  in  the  township  of  Seaton.  The  legacy, 
with  accumulations,  is  represented  by  £i<)^  6/.  lOd'. 
India  3  per  cent,  stock,  with  the  official  trustees, 
producing  ;(|  5   19/.  4rf'.  yearly. 

Thomas  Barraclough,  by  his  will,  27  May  1916, 
bequeathed  ;^300,  the  income  to  be  divided  among 
deserving  widows  and  spinsters  over  60  years  of  age, 
resident  in  the  parish  of  Holy  Trinity,  Seaton  Carew. 
The  legacy  was  invested  in  £^1^  15/.  loJ.  5  per 
cent.  War  Stock,  with  the  official  trustees,  producing 
£1^  15/.  loa'.  yearly. 


HARTLEPOOL 


Hiartapoll,  Hertlepole  (xii  cent.)  ;  Hertcrpol  (xiii 
cent.)  ;  Hertilpol  (xiv  cent.)  ;  Hertylpull  (xv  cent.)  ; 
Hartinpooell  (xv  cent.). 

Hartlepool  stands  upon  a  rocky  peninsula  on  the 
coast  of  Durham.  The  peninsula  forms  the  east  side 
of  a  large  but  shallow  bay,  the  Slake,  which  extends 
inland  in  a  north-westerly  direction.  A  neck  of  land 
only  500  yards  across  at  its  narrowest  point,  formed  of 
blown  sand,  connects  with  the  shore  the  headland  of 
magnesian  limestone  on  which  the  town  is  built.  It 
has  often  been  asserted  that  Hartlepool  was  once  a 
tidal  island,  but  there  is  no  proof  of  this.^  The  east 
and  south  coasts  of  the  peninsula  are  defended  by  cliffs 
between  30  ft.  and  40  ft.  high,  and  by  rocks  which 
extend  out  to  sea  for  a  considerable  dist.mce,  but  the 
harbour  has  a  sandy  shore,  and  from  the  earliest  times 
must  have  been  a  refuge  for  ships,  although  its  depth 
at  high  water,  before  the  19th  century,  was  not  more 
than  8  ft.  or  10  ft.  There  was  also  a  smaller  but 
deeper  natural  bay,  the  inner  harbour,  formed  by  a 
promontory  jutting  out  westw.irds  from  the  end  of 
the  peninsula.  The  outer  harbour,  on  the  south  of 
the  promontory,  was  formed  in  the  15th  century  by 
means  of  a  pier. 

When  the  draining  of  the  Sl.ike  and  the  rebuilding 
of  the  town  were  begun  early  in  the  19th  century  the 
trunks  of  trees  and  the  antlers  and  teeth  of  deer  were 
discovered  in  large  quantities  embedded  in  the  clay, 


showing  that  the  land  had  once  been  covered  with 
forest^  ;  even  at  the  beginning  of  the  13th  century 
the  '  wood  of  Hartlepool '  still  existed.' 

The  founder  of  Hartlepool  was  Hieu,  a  religious 
woman,  who,  under  the  direction  of  St.  Aidan,  estab- 
lished a  monastery  for  men  and  women  on  the  pro- 
montory about  640.''  The  cemetery  probably  of  this 
house  was  discovered  in  1833  ;  it  lay  on  the  south- 
east end  of  the  promontory  close  by  the  shore,  about 
I  50  yards  south-east  of  the  present  church  of  St.  Hilda.' 
Although  there  was  no  tradition  of  the  monastery's 
site,  the  field  where  the  remains  were  found  was  called 
Cross  Close.  Hieu  was  succeeded  as  albess  by  Hilda, 
who  left  Hartlepool  for  Whitby  in  657  or  6;8.  After 
this  nothing  more  is  known  about  the  monaster)-,  and 
it  is  said  to  have  been  destroyed  during  the  Danish 
invasions.^ 

In  all  probability  when  the  monastery  was  founded 
the  peninsula  of  Hartlepool  was  uninhabited  and 
covered  with  thick  forest,  but  here  as  elsewhere  the 
presence  of  the  religious  house  would  cause  a  settle- 
ment to  be  made,  and  the  advantages  of  the  b.iy  for 
fishing  would  soon  be  used.  Hartlepool  is  not  men- 
tioned by  name  again  for  the  next  500  years.  The  few 
references  are  to  the  district  name  only  of  Hartness, 
which  at  the  beginning  of  the  12th  century  came 
into  the  hands  of  the  Brus  family.'  By  this  time, 
however,  the  town  was  in  existence,  as  in  1 1  5  3  some 


"  Burton,  Monait.  Ebor.  346. 

^  Ibid.  169.  "  See  above. 

«^  Reg.  Palai.  Dunclm.  (Rolli  Ser.),  i, 
629. 

"  Hutchinson,  op.  cit.  iii,  36  ;  cf.  Reg. 
Palar.  Dunelm.  (Rolls   Ser.),  iii,  283,  415. 

*'  Bp.  Barnei'  Injunc.  (Surt.  Soc),  p.  xx. 

»*  Cat.  Inj.  p.m.  (Edw.  Ill),  viii,  384  ; 
cf.  Cal.  Chic,  1343-6,  p.  624. 

"  Chan.  Inq.  p.m.  15  Hen.  VI,  no.  55. 

*>  r.C.H.  Dur.  i,  407. 

'  A  plan  of  1639  shows  that  at  spring 
tides  the  dry  land  was  not  more  than  60 
yards  across  at  its  narrowest  point  (S.P. 
Dom.  Chas.  I,  ccccxii,  57   [I]). 

'  Sharp,  Hist,  of  Hartlepool  (ed.  1852), 
3,  cf.  Suppl.  p.  13  ;  P'.C.H.  Dur.  I,  27  ; 


Proc.  Soc.  Antij.  Newcastle  (Ser.  3),  iv, 
282. 

'  Guisbro'  Chartul.  (Surt.  Soc),  ii,  324. 

*  Arch.  Aeliana,  xvii,  202.  Bede  gives 
the  name  as  '  Hcruteu,  id  est  insula 
cervi.'  In  one  of  Bede's  MSS.  Heruteu 
has  been  altered  in  a  later  hand  to 
Hcortesig  and  Heorutesig  [BaeJae  Opcrj 
Historica,  cd.  Plummer,  i,  178-9,  2^3). 
Harteseie  is  the  form  given  by  Matthew 
Paris  {C/iron.  Maj.  [Rolls  Ser.],  i,  191, 
302),  who  takes  his  account  from  Bede. 
The  medi.ieval  tract.  The  L  fe  and  Miracles 
of  St.  Begi  (ed.  G.  C.  Tonilinson,  1  S42), 
which  attributes  the  foundation  of  the 
monastery  to  this  saint,  calls  the  place 
where   it  was  founded  Heriteseia,  which 


is  interpreted  Hartlepool  (pp.  14,  54—5  ; 
cf.  Leiand,  Coll.  iii  [iv],  39). 

»  KC.H.  Dur.  i,  212. 

'  Legends  of  St.  Cuthhert,  by  R.  Hegge, 
1663  ed.  p.  33.  The  churches  of  Hart- 
ness and  Tynemouth  were  ravaged  during 
the  Danish  incursion  of  800  (Matthew 
Paris,  Chron.  Maj.  (Rolls  Ser.),  i,  367  j 
I'.C.H.  Dur.  i,  212).  The  first  mention 
of  Hart  as  distinct  from  Hartness  that 
has  been  found  is  early  in  the  1 2th 
century,  when  the  church  of  Hart  was 
granted  to  Guisborough  Priory.  Hartle- 
pool seems  to  have  h-id  an  altematire 
name,  the  Isle  of  St.  Hilda,  in  the  12th 
centur)*  (see  Advowson). 

"  See  Hart  parish. 


263 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


Norwegian    pirates  under   King   Eystein    carried  off 
ships  and  goods  from  Hartlepool.* 

Bishop  Pudsey  took  part  in  the  rebellion  of  the 
young  Prince  Henry  against  his  father,  Henry  II,  and 
on  13  July  1 1 74  forty  knights  and  500  Flemings 
landed  at  Hartlepool  to  support  the  rebels,  under  the 
command  of  Hugh  Count  of  Bar,  the  bishop's  nephew. 
On  the  same  day  the  King  of  Scotland,  the  rebels' 
ally,  was  defeated  and  c.iptured  at  Alnwick,  and  the 
bishop  hastily  sent  the  Flemings  home  again  and  made 
his  peace  with  the  king.' 

It  seems  to  have  been  about  this  time  that  the 
chapel  of  St.  Hilda  was  built  by  the  Brus  family  at 
Hartlepool  on  the  highest  point  of  the  peninsula  at  its 
southern  angle.'"  Some  of  the  charters  relating  to 
the  chapel  give  the  first  outlines  of  the  arrangement 
of  the  town.  Robert  de  Brus  (c.  1 141-94)  confirmed 
the  grant  made  by  Gerard  de  Seton  to  the  church  of 
St.  Hilda  of  a  toft  which  lay  on  the  east  of  the  ceme- 
tery in  exchange  for  that  part  of  the  cemetery  which 
lay  between  the  toft  and  the  old  ditch,  saving  the 
great  road  between  the  toft  and  the  cemetery."  This 
highway  was  prob.ibly  the  main  street  of  the  town, 
afterwards  called  Southgate  ^'  and  now  High  Street. 
It  runs  across  the  end  of  the  peninsula  east  and  west, 
from  the  sea  to  the  sea. 

William  de  Brus  (c.  1 194- 1  zi  5)  confirmed  the  grant 
of  half  the  wood  of  Hartlepool  made  to  the  monastery 
of  Guisborough  by  Simon  of  Billingham,'^  and  the 
same  William  granted  to  the  church  all  the  land 
towards  the  south  which  extended  from  the  cemetery 
of  St.  Hilda's  chapel  to  the  sea  in  one  direction,  and 
to  the  ditch  extending  from  the  chaplain's  toft  to  the 
sea  in  the  other,  saving  the  common  road.'^ 

The  Franciscan  Friars  established  a  house  in  Hartle- 
pool before  1 240.  The  friarage,  as  it  was  always 
called,  lay  to  the  north-east  of  St.  Hilda's  and  had  a 
chapel,  a  cemetery,  and  a  well.''  In  1538  the  house 
was  leased  to  Richard  Threlkeld,'^  and  in  1541  the 
lease  was  renewed  for  twenty-one  years.''  Before  the 
end  of  the  lease  the  house  was  granted  in  fee  to  John 
Doilye  and  John  Scudamore  on  16  June  1545." 
They  seem  to  have  sold  it  to  Cuthbert  Conyers  of 
Layton  (q.v.),  who  by  his  will  dated  28  September 
1558  left  'the  Freers  and  mill  and  lands  in  Hartle- 
pool '  for  life  to  his  two  sons,  Matthew  and  Cuthbert, 
and  the  survivor  of  them,  but  settled  the  whole  of 
his  lands  in  entail  on  his  sons  Ralph,  John,  and  others 
in  succession.''  Ralph  Conyers  was  attainted  for  hit 
share  in  the  rising  in  the  North  in  I569.''*'  His 
lands  were  forfeited  to  the  Crown  during  his  life,  but 
after  his  death  in  1605  they  reverted  to  Ralph  son  of 
his  brother  John,-'  who  seems  to  have  sold  the  friar- 
age to   Robert  Porrett.     On    10  January  1634  the 


trustees  of  Smith's  charity  purchased  the  friarage  from 
Porrett. -2 

The  ruined  building,  which  was  standing  in  the 
early  part  of  the  last  century,  was  a  large  rectangular 
gabled  mansion  with  mullioned  and  transomed 
windows,  erected  probably  in  the  Litter  part  of  the 
16th  or  beginning  of  the  17th  century.  The  walls 
were  tolerably  perfect  in  1825,  but  the  roof  and  some 
of  the  gables  had  disappeared.^'  Very  little  or  nothing 
of  this  building  now  remains  in  the  Hartlepool 
hospital,  which  occupies  its  site  and  has  developed 
from  it.  Used  at  one  time  as  a  workhouse,  the  build- 
ing was  converted  into  a  hospital  in  1867  and  rebuilt 
with  the  exception  of  a  small  portion  at  the  east  end 
in  1889.  The  grounds  are  inclosed  by  an  old  stone 
wall. 

The  friars  preachers  of  Hartlepool  are  mentioned 
in  1259,  ^"^  nothing  more  is  known  of  them." 

A  rental  of  Guisborough  Priory,  dating  prob.ibly 
from  1299,  gives  some  idea  of  the  town  at  that  date. 
The  '  Great  Streat '  there  mentioned  was  probably 
Southgate  Street.  On  the  north  side  of  it  the  monks 
owned  a  well-built  toft  and  garden  and  four  cellars. 
In  St.  Mary's  Street  3^  crofts,  3  tofts  and  gardens  on 
one  side  and  i  3  tofts  on  the  other,  belonged  to  the 
priory.  In  the  street  by  the  sea  from  the  north  to 
the  south  the  monks  owned  a  croft,  four  tofts,  a 
garden  and  an  anAa  tiomus  on  the  east  side  of  the 
street.  They  also  owned  a  croft  '  on  the  Island  of 
St.  Helen  where  the  little  street  of  St.  Epigewina  (?) 
branches  off.'  Between  Northgate  Street  and  South- 
gate  Street  there  used  to  be  an  open  space  called 
Messam  Green  with  several  detached  buildings  in  it, 
and  one  or  two  narrow  alleys  leading  into  the  main 
streets  from  it.  One  of  these  alleys  was  called  Pud- 
ding Street  (Puidingel  Street,-'  xvi  cent.).  A  place 
called  Eland,  where  the  fishermen  used  to  dry  their 
nets,  is  mentioned  in  1398-9,-'  and  was  possibly  the 
same  as  St.  Helen's  Island.  The  street  of  St.  Helen 
is  also  mentioned  in  the  Guisborough  Rental  ;  the 
monks  held  a  toft  and  croft  there  which  had  been 
given  to  maintain  a  light  in  the  dormitory  of  the  lay 
brothers.  The  chapel  of  St.  Helen  lay  without  the 
walls,  and  the  situation  of  the  street  is  unknown.  The 
east  part  of  St.  Helen's  Street  w.is  '  next  to  the  mer- 
chant's street,'  that  is  probably  the  east  part  of  South- 
gate,  where  the  market  cross  stood." 

The  booths  in  Southgate  are  mentioned  in  the  first 
half  of  the  13th  century.  About  1230  the  Prior  and 
convent  of  Durham  granted  a  house  and  a  booth  in 
Southgate  at  Neshend  to  William  son  of  Lambert, 
whose  heirs  held  the  house,  which  had  been  divided 
into  three  booths  and  a  booth  that  was  waste,  in 
1430.     At  this  date  there  were  a  '  Northrawe  '  and 


®  Macpherson,  Annah  of  Commerce,  i, 
331;  Johnitone,  Aniiq.  Celio-Scandicce, 
z68. 

9  y.c.n.  Dur.  ii,  142. 

'*'  Sec  below  under  church. 

"  Guitbro'    Chartul.     (Surt.     Soc),     ii, 

"  Anct.  D.  (P.R.O.),  B+201. 

^'  Guisbro'  ChartuU  (Surt.  Soc),  ii, 
324. 

"  Ibid. 

"  y.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  109  i  Harl.  MS. 
604,  fol.  IC4  ;  Surtees,  <  p.  cit.  iii,  119. 
Land  gr  :nted  for  enlargement  of  dwelling- 
place  in  1356  {Cal.  Fat.  1354-8,  p.  367). 


'«  L.     and    P.     Htn.    Fill,    liv    (i), 

no.  394. 

"  Ibid,  xvi,  p.  725. 

'*Ibid.  X  (i),  g.  1081  (36).  In  1546 
lands  lately  belonging  to  the  Friars 
consisting  of  waste  land  at  the  west  end 
of  Morpethchare,  a  chamber  called  Sir 
John  Long  Chamber  on  the  east  of 
Fishergatc,  3  little  closes  between  the 
chamber  and  the  Friars'  Gate,  a  garden 
called  Conygarth  near  the  eastern  end  of 
the  churchyard  and  waste  land  on  the 
east  side  of  Northgate  Street,  where  the 
Wcy  House  had  once  stood,  near  the  place 
called  Whitbrigge,  were  granted  in  fee  to 

264 


William  Romesden  of  Longley,  co.  York 
(L.  and  P.  Hen.  Fill,  xx  [i],  718  [4]). 

'"  Dur.  f^'iUi  and  Invent.  (Surt.  Soc), 
i,  184. 

*'  Sharp,  Mem.  of  the  Rebellion  of  1569, 
pp.  228,  268. 

"  Dur.  Rec  cl.  3,  ptfl.  182,  no.  14  ; 
Sharp,  Hiii.  of  Hartlepool,  192  n. 

"  Ibid.  192. 

»'  Sketch  by  Capt.  William  Latham, 
1825,  in  Manchester  Reference  Library. 

»  F.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  no. 

'^  Rentals  and  Surv.  ptfl.  7,  no.  29. 

'*  Dur.  Rec  cl.  3,  R.  33,  m.  19. 

"  Guisbro'  Chartul.  (Surt.  Soc),  ii,  437. 


STOCKTON   WARD 


HARTLEPOOL 


'  Suthrawe  '  in  South  Street,  and  a  '  VVestravve  '  in 
Northgate  ;  a  number  of  burgages  and  booths  were 
then  waste.^"* 

The  mayors'  accounts  mention  the  '  town's  house ' 
which  the  burgesses  of  Hartlepool  began  to  build  in 
1600"*;  the  richer  citizens  contributed  10/.  a  year 
for  several  years  to  the  work.  This  hall  probably 
stood  on  the  site  of  the  later  town  hall,  by  the  market 
cross,  on  the  south  side  of  Southgate.^' 

The  Prior  and  convent  of  Durham  had  in  the 
15th  century  a  great  herring-house  in  Northrow  in 
South  Street,  described  as  formerly  belonging  to 
Robert  de  Brus.^*'  This  was  a  shed  where  the 
herrings  were  cleaned  and  cured. 

The  builder  of  the  haven  and  town  walls  is  said  to 
have  been  Robert  de  Brus  I,^"""  but  no  references  to 
the  walls  have  been  found  earlier  than  the  grants  of 
murage  in  the  reign  of  Edward  II,  and  the  evidence 
seems  to  show  that  they  were  built  by  the  townsmen 
as  a  protection  against  Robert  de  Brus  V'll  in  the 
Scotch  wars.  In  131 5,  when  the  latter  invaded 
England,  James  Douglas  plundered  the  town  and 
wasted  all  the  east  coast.'^  The  manor  had  been 
forfeited  by  Brus  in  1306  for  the  murder  of  Comyn 
and  had  been  granted  to  Robert  de  Clifford'^  ;  Brus 
therefore  had  a  grievance  against  the  place,  and  the 
inhabitants  were  panic-stricken  :  there  was  a  tradition 
that  they  fled  to  their  ships  and  left  the  town  to  the 
Scots.^'  A  quantity  of  coins  of  Bishop  Bek  and 
Edward  I,  discovered  at  Hartlepool  about  1841,  were 
probably  hidden  in  the  face  of  this  danger.^''  Soon 
afterwards,  however,  the  townsmen  began  to  take 
active  measures  for  defence.  A  petition  from  the 
mayor  and  commonalty  in  1328  stated  that  Robert 
de  Brus  had  granted  a  truce  to  all  the  bishopric 
except  the  town  of  Hartlepool,  which  he  proposed  to 
burn  and  destroy  in  revenge  for  the  capture  of  a 
ship  laden  with  arms  and  victuals,  and  that  the 
community  had  inclosed  a  great  part  of  the  town 
and  were  building  a  wall  to  the  best  of  their  power. 
They  asked  the  king  to  grant  them  for  the  purpose 
100  marks  due  for  food  bought  from  the  late  king 
by  Robert  de  Musgrave.^*  The  request  was  granted, 
and  the  king  ordered  that  the  work  should  be 
hastened.^* 

Only  that  portion  of  the  wall  on  the  west  side  of 
the  town  now  remains,  and  of  this  a  great  deal  near 


the  north  end  has  been  rebuilt  and  most  of  its  original 
features  lost.  The  existing  wall  is  about  450  yards 
in  length  and  runs  in  a  north-westerly  direction  from 
the  rocks  near  the  pier  to  the  modern  ferry,  at  which 
point  there  was  formerly  a  round  toiver.  From  here 
the  original  wall  ran  in  a  north-easterly  direction 
across  the  inner  harbour  to  the  opposite  shore,  where 
it  was  continued  over  the  isthmus.  Large  portions 
of  this  north  wall  were  standing  in  Hutchinson's 
day,''  and  his  description  of  it,  together  with  Sir 
Cuthbert  Sharp's  illustrations  and  notes  of  the 
changes  wrought  before  1 8 16,  is  the  only  trust- 
worthy record  remaining  of  the  ancient  defences  of 
the  town.'*' 

The  length  of  the  wall  across  the  isthmus  was  over 
300  yards,  and  it  is  stated  by  Hutchinson  to  have 
been  strengthened  at  intervals  by  demi-bastions,  some 
rounded,  others  square.  From  the  edge  of  the  cliff 
where  the  wall  began  the  ground  gradually  fell 
towards  the  harbour,  and  at  about  half  its  length  the 
wall  formed  an  obtuse  angle  '  guarded  with  a  turret 
or  bastion  from  whence  is  a  kind  of  horn  work  pro- 
jecting into  the  field  for  a  considerable  distance,  of  an 
angular  figure,  having  two  terraces  one  above  the 
other,  with  the  remains  of  a  glacis.'  To  the  east  of 
this  were  three  bastions,  the  middle  one  rectangular 
and  the  two  outer  rounded.  To  the  west  were  the 
remains  of  a  sally-port  and  a  third  round  bastion. 
The  wall  terminated  next  the  harbour  in  the  great 
land  gate,  or  chief  entrance  to  the  town,  which  was 
34  ft.  in  width  and  projected  16  in.  in  front  of  the 
main  wall.  The  opening  was  1 1  ft.  3  in.  wide  with 
a  segmental  arch  of  two  rings,  i  3  ft.  in  height.  The 
gate-house  probably  formed  originally  a  strong  tower, 
but  the  upper  part  had  gone  in  Hutchinson's  day. 
'  The  whole  wall,  tower  and  gateway,'  he  says,  '  are 
of  excellent  masonry,  built  of  limestone  which  is  won 
in  the  sea  banks,'  but  before  18  16  two  of  the  bastions 
had  disappe.ired.'^ 

From  the  land  gate  the  wall  was  continued  in  a 
direct  line  across  the  haven,  the  water  at  high  tides 
coming  up  to  the  gate.  This  wall  was  over  8  ft. 
thick,  faced  on  each  side  with  dressed  stones  '  with  a 
parapet  guarded  by  a  breast  wall  and  embrasures,'  and 
was  pierced  by  a  low  pointed  water  gate  for  small 
craft.  In  Sharp's  time  the  water  gate  was  blocked 
in  the  lower  part,  and  the  superstructure,  the  remains 


""  Feod.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc), 
24,  24  n.,  86  ;  Dur.  Acct.  R.  (Surt.  Soc), 
i,  66. 

•8  Dur.  Acct.  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  i,  237. 

"  Sharp,  Hist,  of  Hartlepool,  yg  a., 
105. 

'»  Feod.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc),  24. 
North  Row  was  apparently  at  one  time 
a  residential  quarter.  Two  messuages 
there,  also  once  belonging  to  Robert 
Brus,  one  built  and  the  other  waste,  were 
leased  by  the  Prior  and  convent  with 
the  herring-house  to  Robert  Mundcville 
for  90  years  in  1420.  The  first  messuage 
had  been  the  residence  of  John  Goldsmith 
(probably  John  Gold-mith  mayor  in  1410 
and  1417).  The  houses  lay  between  a 
tenement  which  John  Goldsmith  had 
bought  from  the  corporation  on  the  east 
■nd  a  lane  leading  to  *  Le  Slyke '  on  the 
west  (Ibid.  24  n.). 

"a  Sharp  (op.  cit.  141)  and  Surtees  (op. 
cit.  iii,  no)  say  Robert  de  Brus  V  (ob. 
1294),  but  the  only  authority  seems  to  be 
the   Cottonian   MS.  Jul.    c.   ii,   fol.    318 


(278),  a  16th-century  MS.  compiled  from 
records  in  the  Exchequer  of  Durham  (cf. 
Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  119,  who  in  quoting 
a  statement  from  this  MS.  as  to  the 
founder  of  Hartlepool  Friary  gives  *  Master 
Latton,  one  of  the  visitors  of  the  Northern 
Abbeys  before  the  Dissolution,'  as  the 
author),  which  contains  the  following 
note  :  'The  same  Brus  [i.e.  the  founder 
of  Guisborough  Priory  and  the  reputed 
founder  of  Hartlepool  Friar)']  builded  the 
haven  and  wall  about  the  towne  of 
Hertlepole  with  to  towers  on  eche  syde 
of  the  haven  and  a  chayne  to  be  drawne 
betwcn  them  near  the  haven,  which 
hiTcn  would   hold  a  c  sayle.' 

"  Hitt.  Dunelm.  Script.  Tres  (Surt. 
Soc),  96  ;  cf.  Chron.  of  reigns  of  Ediu.  I 
and  Edtu.  II  (Rolls  Ser.),  ii,  48. 

"  See  Hart. 

'^  Chron.  de  Ldn^forr  (Bannatyne  Club), 
230.  According  to  this  chronicle,  it  was 
in  the  invasion  of  1322  that  Douglas 
raided  the  town  (ibid.  242  ;  cf.  Hist. 
Dunelm.  Script.  Tres  (Surt.  Soc),  102). 


265 


'•  Proc.  Soc.  Antij,  Newcastle  (Ser.  3), 
iv,  211.  In  1 319  some  Scotch  rebeli 
were  captured  in  a  ship  at  Hartlepool 
[Cal.  Close,  1318-23,  pp.  67,  90,  cf. 
p.  201). 

'^Anct.  Pet.  (P.R.O.),  2537;  Co.. 
Doc.  of  Scotland,  iii,  no.  602,  translates 
*  achetez  de  son  pier'  (i.e.  'bought  from 
his  [the  king's]  father*)  as  'bought  f;om 
their  pier,*  evidently  an  error  (cf,  Cal. 
Pal.  1327-30,  p.  233). 

'•  Cal.  Doc.  of  Scotland,  iii,  no.  602  ; 
Cal.  Pat.  1327-30,  p.  233.  About  1330 
the  abbey  of  Durham  contributed  401. 
towards  completing  the  wall  (Dur.  Acct. 
R.  (Surt.  Soc),  ii,  51S). 

'•  Hist,  and  Antij.  of  Dur.  (1785-94), 
iii,  25. 

»' Sharp,  Hiif.  of  Hartlepool  (ei.  1851), 
p.  141  et  seq. 

^*  Sharp  gives  the  distance  from  the 
north-east  cliff  to  the  first  bastion  as 
198  ft.  and  from  this  to  the  fourth 
;;8ft.,  from  the  latter  to  the  land  gate 
16s  fi. 

34 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


of  which  suggested  to  Hutchinson  a  watch-tower,  had 
disappeared.  Further  west  the  wall  was  broken  in 
its  length  by  two  rectangular  bastions,  the  entrance 
to  the  harbour  being  further  west  again,  between  two 
round  towers  36  ft.  apart.  In  Hutchinson's  time 
one  of  these  towers  was  '  very  perfect  save  the  parapet 
and  embrasures,'  but  only  the  'facia  and  foundations' 
of  the  other  remained.  Sharp  (1816)  states  that 
'the  most  perfect  of  the  two  towers  was  a  few  years 
ago  32  ft.  high,'  and  that  at  various  parts  the  remains 
of  quays  had  been  traced,  showing  that  in  all  proba- 
bility they  extended  entirely  round  the  harbour.  The 
harbour  was  nearly  1 2  acres  in  extent,  but  was 
inclosed  for  agricultural  purposes  in  1808  and  the 
tower  at  the  entrance  destroyed.  The  entrance 
was  then  blocked  and  '  every  vestige  of  antiquity 
which  could  be  converted  to  profit '  was  removed." 
Five  years  later,  however,  the  harbour  was  restored  to 
its  original  use,  but  was  silted  up  in  1832.  It  now 
forms  part  of  the  Victoria  Dock. 

The  existing  western  wall  faces  the  outer  harbour, 
and  formerly  had  bastions  at  intervals  and  a  sally-port 
at  about  half  its  length,  but  these  have  disappeared." 
Near  its  south-east  end,  at  rather  less  than  i  50  ft. 
from  where  the  wall  abuts  upon  the  rock,  is  the  old 
gateway  known  as  Sandwell  Gate.  It  stands  at  the 
end  of  Sandwell  Ch.are,  a  narrow  thoroughfare  run- 
ning from  Southgate  Street  to  the  beach.  The  wall 
here  is  8  ft.  3  in.  thick  and  about  18  ft.  high,  and  is 
pierced  by  a  wider  modern  opening  immediately  to 
the  south  of  the  gateway.  The  top  of  the  wall  with 
plain  parapet  and  chamfered  plinth  its  whole  length 
now  forms  a  promenade.  Towards  the  be.ich  the  gate- 
way openmg  is  8  ft.  in  width  with  a  pointed  arch  of 
two  continuous  chamfered  orders,  flanked  on  either 
side  by  angular  buttresses  carried  up  the  full  height  of 
the  parapet.  On  the  town  side  the  entrance  has  a 
segmental  barrel  vault  carried  by  two  chamfered  ribs, 
the  outer  one  forming  the  arch.  The  gateway  is  of 
plain  and  massive  character  and  appears  to  be  part  of 
the  original  early  14th-century  work. 

Beyond  the  wall,  across  the  isthmus,  lay  one  of  the 
toivn  fields,  Farwell  Field;  on  the  north-west  boundary 
of  the  field  were  St.  Helen's  Chapel  and  St.  Helen's 
Well,"  which  thus  lay  outside  the  borough  boun- 
daries. In  1 802  it  was  decided  by  arbitration 
between  the  Mayor  of  H:irtIepool  and  George  Pocock, 
the  lord  of  the  manor,  that  the  boundary  of  Hartle- 
pool was  the  white  or  north  wall."  The  boundary 
between  Farwell  Field  and  Hart  Warren  was  marked 
by  a  low  wall  in  18 16."  Corporation  Road  at  the 
present  day  follows  the  line  of  this  wall. 

The  ferry  with  boats  over  a  certain  creek  into  the 
sea  is  mentioned  in  1436."  It  plied  between  the 
headland  at  the  end  of  Southgate  and  the  tower  at 


the  end  of  the  sea-wall  defending  the  harbour,  and 
belonged  to  the  Cliffords  as  lords  of  Hartlepool. 

On  24  March  1473-4  Bishop  Booth  issued  letters 
addressed  to  all  abbots,  priors,  &c.,  entreating  their 
charitable  aid  for  the  men  of  Hartlepool,  who  proposed 
to  build  a  pier  '  near  the  w.ills  on  the  south  part  of 
the  town,  for  the  safeguard  of  all  ships  and  vessels 
arriving  at  the  port.'  "  The  pier  was  built  due  west 
from  the  headland  called  Crofton  Heugh,  which 
projects  into  the  sea  beyond  the  south  end  of  the 
town  wall.  By  the  building  of  this  pier  the  outer 
harbour  was  made.  When  the  pier  needed  repairs, 
the  mayor  issued  orders  for  the  inhabitants  to  bring 
loose  stones  for  the  work,''  but  this  method  of  main- 
taining the  pier  does  not  seem  to  h.ive  been  very 
effective,  as  in  1565  it  was  already  ruinous. 

The  excellence  of  the  harbour  of  Hartlepool  made 
it  a  centre  for  most  of  the  fighting  on  the  northern 
coasts  from  the  Scotch  wars  onwards.  Its  history 
was  in  consequence  a  turbulent  one  down  to  the 
17th  century.  In  the  14th  century  the  seamen  of 
the  port  were  hampered  by  pirates.  Richard  de  la 
More,  in  1316,  was  sailing  from  Hartlepool  to 
Berwick  with  a  cargo  of  flour,  corn  and  salt  for  the 
English  garrison  there.  Pirates  forced  him  to  take 
refuge  in  Warkworth  Harbour,  where  the  inhabitants 
seized  his  ship,  carried  away  its  cargo,  and  refused  to 
give  the  ship  up."  In  1345  Nicholas  and  William 
Nesbit  obtained  licence  to  sail  from  Hartlepool  with 
two  ships.  La  Nicho/as  and  La  Catelyn,  to  destroy  the 
numerous  pirates  then  at  sea  in  ships  of  war,  and 
convoy  the  king's  subjects  safely  across.  Afterwards 
they  were  to  repair  on  the  king's  service  to  Ports- 
mouth." Possibly  these  were  two  out  of  the  five 
ships  from  Hartlepool,  with  crews  amounting  to  145 
men,  which  formed  part  of  Edward  the  Third's  great 
fleet  at  Calais  in   1346-7.'" 

Towards  the  end  of  the  1 4th  century  a  feud  broke  out 
between  the  Cliffords,  who  were  the  lords  of  Hartle- 
pool, and  the  Lumleys,  who  held  Stranton  (q.v.). 
The  origin  of  the  quarrel  is  unknown,  but  the  men 
of  Hartlepool  supported  the  cause  of  their  lady,  Maud 
widow  of  Roger  de  Clifford."  In  1391  Sir  Ralph 
de  Lumley,  kt.,  brought  an  action  against  Robert  de 
Mapilton  and  117  others,  chiefly  inhabitants  of 
Hartlepool,  for  carrying  off  from  Stranton  one  of 
Lumley 's  boats,  destroying  his  property,  ejecting  his 
tenants  and  assaulting  his  servants."  The  affair 
became  so  serious  that  the  king  interfered  and  ordered 
the  Bishop  of  Durham  to  bring  the  dissensions  to  an 
end."  In  1394  the  mayor,  bailiffs  and  principal 
burgesses  of  the  town  gave  a  recognizance  to  the 
bishop  of  1,000  marks  to  do  no  hurt  or  wrong  to 
Sir  Ralph  de  Lumley,  his  men,  or  his  tenants.  Ralph 
de  Lumley  gave  a  similar  recognizance.^     In  1 403 


"  Sharp,  Hitt.  cf  Harihpool,  151  ;  cf. 
plan  of  the  town  Bhowing  the  walls  in 
1639(5.  P.  Dom.  Chas.  I,  ccccxii,  57  [I  J), 
and  another  small  plan  in  1664  (Ibid. 
Cha«.  II,  cix,  73  [I]).  In  1639  it  wai 
already  only  a  tradition  that  ships  ha  i 
been  within  the  walls  (Ibid.  Chas.  I, 
ccccxii,  ^7).  The  report  of  1664  (Ibid. 
Chas.  II,  cix,  73)  remarks  that  the 
situation  of  the  town  was  strong  with  an 
•old  strong  wall'  (much  decayed)  run- 
ning on  the  south  side  of  the  town  as 
far  as  the  pier,  whilst  from  the  fier  to 
the  wall  on  the  north  side  of  the  neck  of 
land    the    coast  was   in    most   places  in- 


accessible except  for  passages  made  down 
to  the  sea  by  fishermen. 

"  Their  positions  are  given  by  Hutch- 
inson, op.  cit.  iii,  28  ;  cf.  Sharp,  Hiit.  of 
Hartlepool^  1 53.  See  also  illustration, 
ibid.  14.1. 

*-  See  Hart  parish. 

'^  Sharp,  Hiii.  of  Hartlepool,  98  n. 

"  Ibid,  map  facing  p.  169. 

'^  Chan.  Inq.  p.m.  15  Hen.  VI,  no.  55. 

*«  Anct.  Pet.  (P.R.O.),  2537. 

^'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  46,  m.  6  ;  printed 
by  Sharp,  Hht.  of  Hartlepool,  App.  p.  ii. 

«Ca/.  Pat.  1313-17,  p.  597. 

*' Ibid.  1343-5,  p.  555.    The  mariners 

266 


of  Scotland  and  Calais  had  united  to 
attack  the  mariners  and  fishermen  of 
Hartlepool  (Cal.  Close,  1343-6,  p.  579; 
cf.  also  Cal.  Pat.  1358-61,  p.  427). 

">  Hakluyt,  l^oyagei  (1903  cd.),  i, 
297-8  ;  cf.  commission  of  the  Bishop  of 
Durham  to  Reginald  de  Donyngton  and 
John  de  Nesbyt  to  impress  ships  at 
Hartlepool  for  the  northern  fleet  in 
April  1345  (Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  29, 
m.   18  d.). 

*'  y.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  255. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  33,  m.  6,  6  d. 

"  Ibid.  m.  12. 

'<  Ibid.  m.  1 2d. 


'-^_^,^..n^</^  f,,m,-,m.litM^  lcllUS^f,fUtfL.-dl&j^yf,-t//)ut/^^.  J^ Xjuntf/MaI^€Jimn^ia^imi-,^JLn-l^ 


>S^.i.">.t  .. 


«^«  vtAtZlm  a. 


r^Aa/u2Jy  ri%mA  tU  f 


Hartlepool  :  The  Frlary.     Site  now  occupied  bv  the  Hospital 


■  oAetrA  -ifAjt.  OMO^tU  OaleMtajf  ALuarlc^k»«l.uJt,LrAa^n^ 


(i'^A^l^Z/Aji^L^, 


Hakilltuol:    Om,  ui    ihl  Uaie?  ue   iiii   Town   Wall 


STOCKTON   WARD 


HARTLEPOOL 


it  was  found  that  Ralph  Lumley  had  destroyed  Maud 
de  Clifford's  market  and  f.iir  at  Hartlepool."  In 
1410  the  Mayor  and  commonalty  of  Hartlepool 
again  gave  a  recognizance  to  preserve  the  peace  with 
certain  persons,  but  it  does  not  appear  whether  these 
were  adherents  of  the  Lumleys." 

At  least  one  Hartlepool  man  took  part  in  Hotspur's 
rebellion  of  1403,"  and  in  14.05  the  mayor  and  bailiffs 
were  ordered  to  send  victuals  and  ships  to  Berwick  for 
Henry  IV  and  his  army,  who  was  coming  to  punish 
the  rebellion  of  the  Earl  of  Northumberland." 

At  the  time  of  the  Reformation  the  people  of 
Hartlepool  long  remained  faithful  to  the  old  religion. 
In  October  1536,  on  the  outbreak  of  the  Pilgrimage 
of  Grace  in  Yorkshire,  Sir  Francis  Bigod,  who  had 
made  himself  obnoxious  as  one  of  Cromwell's  agents, 
attempted  to  escape  to  London  by  sea,  but  his  ship 
was  driven  by  contrary  winds  to  Hartlepool,  where 
Sir  Francis  took  refuge  in  the  late  mayor's  house. 
As  soon  as  his  presence  was  known  the  townsfolk 
rose  to  capture  him,  and  he  was  obliged  to  flee  again." 

During  the  religious  conflicts  of  the  1 6th  century 
Hartlepool  was  noted  by  both  parties  as  a  suitable 
place  for  the  secret  landing  of  foreign  troops."  At 
the  siege  of  Dunbar  in  1560  it  was  said  that  the 
French  had  a  '  platt '  or  map  of  Hartlepool,  '  where 
they  mind  to  set  men  a  land,  and  to  fortify  the  place; 
which  being  done  they  hoped  to  make  York  the 
bounds  of  England.  This  came  out  by  an  Italian 
who  is  the  fortifier  of  Dunbar.""  In  1565  Hartle- 
pool was  entered  as  one  of  the  three  ports  of  the 
bishopric  in  a  government  list  of  ports  and  harbours 
drawn  up  with  a  view  to  the  suppression  of  piracy." 

In  August  I56l,when  the  English  Government 
was  very  much  excited  by  the  departure  of  Mary 
Queen  of  Scots  from  France  to  Scotland,  orders  were 
sent  to  Hartlepool  to  keep  a  watch  on  the  shipping, 
and  to  search  foreign  craft  coming  into  the  port." 

At  the  Rising  of  the  North  in  1569  the  Spanish 
ambassador  advised  the  earls  to  seize  Hartlepool, 
in  order  that  Alva  might  land  troops  from  the 
Netherlands  there  to  support  the  rebels."  On  the 
outbreak  of  the  rebellion  the  Earl  of  Sussex  gave  orders 
that  Hartlepool  should  be  garrisoned  by  200  men," 
but  the  order  was  not  obeyed  in  time,  and  Christopher 
Nevill,  at  the  head  of  300  rebels,  seized  the  town.'"'' 
All  the  ordnance  which  the  rebels  possessed,  a  falcon 
and  two  slings,  was  taken  from  Brancepeth  to  Hartle- 
pool." Both  Sir  George  Bowes  and  Sir  William  Cecil 
were  very  uneasy  over  the  loss  of  Hartlepool.  A  royal 
ship  which  was  sailing  from  Scarborough  to  Tyne- 
mouth  fired  on  the  town  about  17  December.  The 
rebels  returned  the  fire,  but  the  ship  captured  a 
fishing  coble  with  three  poor  and  half-naked  men  in 
it.     The  prisoners  declared  that  there  were  200  foot- 


men in  the  town  under  the  command  of  one  Stafford, 
and  that  Christopher  Nevill  made  it  the  headquarters 
of  his  100  horsemen,  'and  as  for  shipping  there  is 
none  there,  nor  was  not  a  great  while,  but  4  five-men 
cobles  and  16  small  cobles.'"  By  18  December  the 
rebels  had  fled  from  the  town,"  and  the  Earl  of 
Sussex  sent  Sir  Henry  Gates  to  garrison  it  with 
300  men.'"  This  garrison  was  maintained  somewhat 
longer  than  those  in  the  other  northern  towns,  but 
on  27  December  Sussex  had  decided  that  it  was  a 
superfluous  charge,  as  the  town  was  very  ruinous  and 
the  walls  down  in  many  places."  On  1 7  January 
I  569-70  he  went  to  view  the  town  himself,  although 
'  platts '  of  it  had  been  prepared  for  him,  as  the 
government  considered  it  a  matter  of  importance." 

It  does  not  appear  that  the  government  took  any 
steps  to  repair  the  walls  of  the  town.  In  1588  a 
Bill  was  passed  in  the  House  of  Lords  for  repairing 
the  pier  of  Hartlepool,  but  its  provisions  are  un- 
known." 

An  incident  in  the  perpetual  quarrel  between  the 
Bishop  of  Durham  and  the  lord  of  the  manor,  as 
to  whether  Hartlepool  lay  within  the  bishopric,'* 
occurred  in  1581,  when  a  ship  carrying  Thomas 
Brown  and  about  thirty  men  was  driven  by  stress  of 
weather  to  take  refuge  in  the  harbour.  Brown  was 
believed  to  be  a  pirate  ;  he  and  his  men  were  arrested, 
and  the  biahop  claimed  that  they  ought  to  be  confined 
in  his  gaol  at  Durham,  but  instead  of  this  they  were 
sent  to  Newcastle.  The  bishop  produced  evidence 
that  in  the  time  of  Bishop  Pilkington  (i  561-77)  the 
men  of  Hartlepool  had  been  assessed  for  service  to 
the  queen  as  being  in  Stockton  Ward,  and  that  when 
they  refused  to  pay,  a  distress  was  taken,  namely,  '  two 
kye,'  which  were  put  in  the  poundfold  at  Durham." 
The  dispute  with  the  bishop  was  adjusted  in  1598, 
when  two  arbitrators  decided  that  Hartlepool  was 
within  the  liberties  of  the  bishopric." 

In  January  1638-9  it  was  proposed  to  establish  a 
magazine  of  arms  at  Hartlepool,  as  being  a  more 
defensible  place  than  Durham."  Early  in  February 
Sir  Thomas  Morton  viewed  the  town,  and  reported 
that  '  the  town  and  walls  are  very  ruinous,  and  will 
require  a  great  charge,  and  a  great  time  to  repair, 
boih  of  which  I  suppose,  will  not  be  agreeable  to  the 
present  service  ;  yet  the  cutting  of  60  yards  of  ground 
makes  it  a  perfect  island,  and  no  access  to  it  but  at 
low  water.  In  the  town  are  sufficient  granaries  for 
corn,  and  now,  for  the  most  part,  well  stored.  The 
country  adjacent  is  fruitful  in  corn  and  grass,  and  fit 
for  quartering  an  army,  if  not  too  far  remote.  Those 
of  the  corporation  affirm,  that  with  six  weeks  warning 
they  can  provide  corn  for  an  army,  and  the  like  for 
butter  and  cheese,  if  there  be  an  inhibition  for  carry- 
ing them  out.'    A  plan  of  Hartlepool  and  an  estimate 


"  Chan.  Inq.  p.m.  4  Hen.  IV,  no.  37. 

"  Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  3,  R.  34,  m.  5. 

"  Cal.  Par.  1401-5,  p.  280. 

'*  Ibid.  1405-8,  p.  -'4. 

"  L.  and  P.  Hin.  Fill,  xii  (l),  578. 

">  Ibid,  xviii  (i),  755. 

"  Sharp,  Mem.  of  the  Rebellion  0/1569, 
79  n. 

*'  Acts  of  Privy  Conn.  I  558-70,  p.  278 
et  icq.  ;  for  ihc  commissioners'  report  on 
Hartlepool  lee  Cal,  S.  P.  Dom,  1 601-3, 
AJJ.  1547-65,  p.  573.  The  delenccless 
state  of  the  town  is  shown  by  a  petition 
of  1544  addressed  to  the  Earl  of  Shrews- 


bury, then  Captain-General  of  the  Army 
of  the  North,  relating  an  attack  by 
pirates  on  a  ship  at  Hartlepool,  where 
at  the  time  tllere  was  no  gun  or  powder 
in  store  (Add.  MS.  32655,  fol.  251). 

''^  Proc.  Soc.  Aniij.  Neiicaitle  (New 
Ser.),  viii,  140,  232. 

"  Sharp,  TV/cm.  of  the  Rebellion  of  \  569, 

PP-  79.  '^2.  363- 

"  Ibid.  64. 

*•  Ibid.  79  n.  i  Sharp,  llitt.  of  liarilt- 
pool^  5  1-2  n. 

'■''  Sharp,  Mem.  of  the  Rebellion  of  l$6g, 
pp.  79-80. 


«8  Ibid.  ^'■'  Ibid.  p.  109. 

'»  Ibid.  p.  no. 
"  Ibid.  p.  79  n. 

"'  Ibid.  For  the  Rising  of  the  North 
cf.  Cal.  S.  P.  Dom.  Add.  I  566-79,  pp.  1 29, 

13'.  >32.  '3+.  '45.  1+6.  '+7.  '54.  '6'. 
164,  165,  175. 

'^  Journ.  of  the  Home  of  Lordt,  ii, 
149-152. 

'*  See  Hart  parish. 

"  Eich.  Dep.  Mich.  28  &  29  Elir. 
no.  1 3. 

'•  Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  3,  R.  92,  m.  26  d. 

"'  Cal.  S.P.  D^m.  1638-9,  pp.  325,  349. 


267 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


for  the  proposed  fortifications  were  drawn  up,"  but 
the  scheme  was  not  carried  out.  In  1640,  when  the 
Scots  seized  Newcastle,  the  king  was  warned  to  make 
Hartlepool  secure." 

Lord  Lumley  and  his  family  were  Royalists,  and 
on  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War  Hartlepool  was 
garrisoned  for  the  king,  under  the  command  of 
Sir  Edmund  Carey.  In  April  1644,  when  Leven 
invaded  England,  it  was  reported  that  Hartlepool 
had  fallen  to  him,*"  but  the  town  lay  out  of  the 
Scots'  line  of  march,  and  it  was  not  surrendered  until 
Callendar  advanced  to  Leven's  support,  when  on 
2  5  July  1 644  its  defenders  were  allowed  to  march  out." 

A  Scotch  garrison  was  placed  in  the  town  under 
the  command  of  Lieut. -Colonel  Richard  Douglas," 
who  repaired  the  walls  and  apparently  caused  earth- 
works to  be  thrown  up  across  the  peninsula." 
The  Scots'  occupation  of  this  and  other  northern 
towns  was  very  disagreeable  to  the  English  Parlia- 
ment, but  they  could  not  rid  themselves  of  their 
allies  until  the  tre.ity  at  the  end  of  1646-7."  On 
26  February  1646-7  the  House  of  Commons  ordered 
that  the  new  works  at  Hartlepool  should  be  thrown 
down  and  the  town  disgarrisoned.'^  The  first  part  of 
these  orders  may  have  been  carried  out,  but  the 
second  certainly  was  not,  as  references  to  the  garrison 
at  Hartlepool  occur  in  1648,  1650,  1652,  and  1658, 
while  from  1647-9  'cesses'  were  imposed  upon  the 
inhabitants  'by  reason  of  a  garrison  here.'*' 

In  1657  the  m.iyor  and  burgesses  petitioned  for  'a 
brief  for  a  collection  towards  building  up  their  pier,'  " 
and  in  1662  a  similar  petition  was  referred  to  the 
Lord  Chancellor.'' 

During  the  Dutch  war  of  1664-7  the  attention 
of  the  government  was  attracted  to  Hartlepool.  A 
report  and  map  of  the  place  was  drawn  up  in  1664. 
It  was  said  to  possess  a  competent  harbour  which 
would  receive  a  ship  of  100  tons.  The  port  provided 
a  place  of  safety  for  passing  colliers  in  bad  weather 
and  in  war  time.''  \'essels  pursued  by  the  Dutch 
frequently  took  refuge  in  the  harbour,'"  and  the 
government  continued  the  garrison  there  until  the 
end  of  the  century." 

In  1665  an  attempt  was  made  to  obtain  Parlia- 
mentary aid  for  the  repair  and  maintenance  of  the 
pier,  but  the  Bill  was  defeated."  In  1719  a  small 
duty  for  the  maintenance  of  the  pier  was  imposed  on 
exported  grain."  Every  inhabitant  of  the  town  was 
liable  to  be  called  upon  to  furnish  work  on  the  pier, 
but  repairs  of  this  kind  were,  of  course,  haphazard 
and  unsatisfactory."  Between  1721  and  1732,  how- 
ever, the  greater  part  of  the  pier  was  repaired  by  the 
generosity  of  the  successive  mayors." 


The  price  of  corn  in  I  741  suddenly  rose  from  6/. 
to  I  5/.  per  boll,  causing  serious  riots  in  Hartlepool. 
These  were  stopped  only  by  the  public-spirited  action 
of  William  Romaine,  a  member  of  a  Huguenot 
refugee  family  who  had  settled  in  the  town  as  a  corn 
merchant  and  become  a  capital  burgess.  He  sold  his 
jtock  to  all  comers  at  the  old  price,  and  in  this  way 
relieved  the  immediate  discontent." 

In  the  course  of  the  1 8th  century  the  trade  of 
Hartlepool  diminished  and  the  harbour  was  allowed 
to  fall  into  disrepair.  Hutchinson  in  1794  suggested 
improvements  which  might  be  made  in  it  to  the 
great  advantage  of  the  town."  In  1795  R.  Dodd, 
an  engineer,  issued  a  Report  on  the  various  Improvementi, 
Ciyll  and  Military,  that  might  be  made  in  the  Haven  or 
Harbour  of  Hartlepool^*  but  nothing  was  done  and  the 
town  continued  to  deteriorate.  By  the  beginning  of 
the  19th  century  it  was  known  only  as  a  health  resort, 
and  even  in  this  capacity  it  was  not  very  successful,  as 
the  accommodation  was  poor,  and  the  streets  were 
dirty  and  insanitary.*'  The  inhabitants  lived  in  such 
complete  isolation  that  they  preserved  many  ancient 
customs,  forgotten  elsewhere.  The  fishermen  and 
fishwives  wore  a  distinctive  costume,  and  by  constant 
intermarriage  practically  everyone  in  the  town  was 
related. """  There  is  a  local  tradition  that  during  the 
Napoleonic  wars  a  foreign  ship  was  driven  into  the 
port  with  a  monkey  on  board,  and  that  the  people  of 
Hartlepool,  never  having  heard  of  such  a  creature,  at 
once  hanged  it  as  a  French  spy. 

In  1804  the  corporation  made  another  attempt  to 
obtain  Parliamentary  aid  for  the  repair  of  the  pier, 
as  the  town  was  evidently  in  no  position  to  undertake 
the  work,  but  again  they  were  unsuccessful.' 

In  1808  'a  grant  of  the  harbour  was  unfortunately 
made  to  an  individual  .  .  .  who  immediately  enclosed 
it  for  the  purposes  of  agriculture.' '  A  crop  of  corn 
was  grown  upon  the  dry  Slake,  but  in  1 8  i  3  William 
Vollum,  one  of  the  capital  burgesses,  indicted  the 
inclosure  as  a  nuisance.  The  case  was  tried  at 
Durham,  and  a  verdict  was  given  in  favour  of  the 
town,  thus  saving  not  merely  the  Slake  but  also  pro- 
bably the  harbour,  which  would  have  silted  up  with- 
out the  scouring  action  produced  by  the  sweep  of  the 
backwater  in  the  Slake.' 

Meanwhile  the  severe  storms  of  18  10  carried  away 
a  great  part  of  the  ruined  pier.  Again  petitions  were 
presented  to  the  House  of  Commons,  pointing  out 
that  Hartlepool  w.is  the  only  safe  harbour  between 
Sunderland  and  Bridlington,  a  distance  of  90  miles 
on  a  stormy  coast,  but  still  nothing  was  done.  A 
committee  was  therefore  formed  to  collect  subscriptions 
for  the  purpose,  and  in  181 3,  largely  through  the 


"  Ca/.  5.  P.flom.  i638.9,pp.435-4,5  3i;. 

"  Ibid.  1 640- 1,  p.  202.  There  was  a 
talk  of  putting  foot  and  horse  into  it,  but 
it  ii  not  clear  whether  anything  was  done 
ibid.  201,  cf.  4''>4). 

»>  Arch.  All  (New  Ser.),  xxi,  175. 

8'  Ibid.  :82;  Hht.  MSS.  Com.  Rip. 
»ii,  App.  i,  97a;  liii,  App.  i,  181.  The 
Earl  reported  that  there  were  9  pieces  of 
cannon  in  the  town  and  a  small  quantity 
of  ammunition.  He  proposed  to  establish 
a  magazine  at  Hartlepool  {Thurht  Start 
Papers,  i,  4 1 ). 

"  Welford,  Mon.  in  St.  Nicholai,  Ne-w- 
ctille,  1  35. 

'^  Sharp,  Hilt,  of  Hartlepool,  60,  148  ; 
Cal.  S.  P.  Dam.  1645-7,  P*  54* 


^  Sharp,  Hilt,  of  Hartlepool,  59.60  ; 
Hilt.  MSS.  Com.  Rep,  liii,  App.  i,  232  ; 
Arci.  Ael.  (New  Ser.),  xxi,  140-2. 

^  Journ.  Ho.  of  Com.  V,  98. 

"  Ric.  Com.  for  Comp.  in  Northumb. 
an  J  Dur.  (Surt.  Soc),  92,  93  ;  Sharp, 
Hist,  of  Hartlepool,  60,  82  n.  ;  Cal.  S.  P. 
Dom.  1657-8,  pp.  338-9,  360;  1658-9, 
pp.  38,  78,  94  ;  Hist.  MSS.  Com.  Rep. 
vi,  App.  i,  159,  160. 

•■'  Cal.  S.  P.  Dom.  1657-8,  p.  251. 

"'  Ibid.  1661-2,  p.  339. 

'•  Ibid.  1664-5,  P-  ■4*-  The  plan 
shows  a  number  of  platforms  for  guns 
round  the  coast  of  the  peninsula. 

*"  Ibid.  p.  215  ;  1666-7,  pp.  81,  97  ; 
»«7Z-3.  P-  77  i  >673.  PP-  3*9.  376- 

268 


"  Ibid.  1666-7,  p.  64  ;  1693,  p. 
67. 

"  Journ.  Ho.  of  Com.  viii,  595,  602. 

^^  Sharp,  op.  cit,  157. 

»<  Ibid. 

^^  Hutchinson,  op.  cit.  iii,  32. 

"  Sharp,  Hist,  of  Hartlepool,  89  n. 

''  Hutchinson,  op.  cit.  28-32. 

"  ArcA.  Ael.  (Ser.  3),  iii,  no  j  Sharp, 
Hist,  of  Hartlepool,  163. 

''  Proc.  Soc.  Antij.  Netvcastle  (Ser.  3), 
iii,  273  ;  Sharp,  op.  cit.  Suppl.  8-10. 

>*  Sharp,     Hist,     of   Hartlepool,    175, 

'73- 

•  Ibid.  158. 
»Ibid.  151. 
'  Ibid. 


STOCKTON   WARD 


HARTLEPOOL 


activity  of  Cuthbert  Sharp,  the  town's  historian,  an 
Act  for  improving  the  port  and  pier  of  Hartlepool 
was  passed,  which  provided  that  a  toll  of  zd.  per  ton 
on  every  ship  entering  the  port,  a  rate  of  5/.  a  year 
on  every  coble  belonging  to  the  port,  and  a  part  of 
the  poor  rate,  should  be  devoted  to  the  maintenance 
of  the  pier.' 

Unfortunately,  the  sum  raised  by  subscription  was 
not  large  enough  to  rebuild  the  pier  properly,  while 
the  income  from  the  tolls  was  very  trifling.'  The  affair 
was  allowed  to  drift  on  without  any  real  improvement 
for  many  years.  In  1823  it  was  first  proposed  that, 
in  consequence  of  the  rapid  development  of  railways 
and  the  coal  trade,  the  port  of  Hartlepool  might  once 
more  be  utilized  with  advantage,  but  the  scheme  fell 
through.  It  was  taken  up  again  in  a  more  practicable 
form  in  1 8  30.' 

The  Hartlepool  Dock  and  Railway  Company  was 
formed  in  1831,  and  obtained  in  1832  an  Act  for 
the  building  of  a  railway  line  and  docks.'  By  a 
further  Act  the  promoters  of  the  new  company  took 
over  the  work  of  the  committee  for  the  maintenance 
of  the  pier,  which  had  been  almost  entirely  neglected 
in  recent  years.' 

The  company  was  authorized  to  take  '  the  whole  of 
the  inner  harbour  and  lands  adjoining  thereto,  and  so 
much  of  the  Slake  covered  at  high  water,  contiguous 
to  the  inner  harbour  on  the  west  side  thereof,  and 
also  so  much  of  the  lands  adjoining  the  Slake  on  the 
north  side  thereof  as  shall  not  exceed  in  the  whole 
60  acres.'  After  many  difficulties  the  tide  basin  was 
opened  on  9  July  183;,  when  coal  was  shipped  from 
Thornley  Colliery.  In  order  to  improve  the  feeble 
credit  of  the  company,  the  opening  took  place  before 
either  the  dock  or  the  railway  line  was  ready,  and, 
though  the  experiment  was  for  the  moment  successful, 
it  was  followed  by  much  damage  owing  to  the  imper- 
fect state  of  the  work.' 

In  1837  the  dock  company  obtained  a  further  Act 
of  Parliament  for  'The  Great  North  of  England, 
Clarence  and  Hartlepool  Junction  Railway  Company.' 
In  the  following  year,  i  838,  the  Stockton  and  Hartle- 
pool Railway  Company  obtained  powers  to  construct  a 
line  from  Billingham  to  Hartlepool.'"  There  was 
considerable  rivalry  between  the  two  companies,  but 
they  finally  came  to  an  agreement  that  the  Stockton 
and  Hartlepool  Railway  should  ship  its  coals  in  the 
Hartlepool  docks  instead  of  building  a  dock  of  its 
own  at  the  Slake.  The  V^ictoria  Dock  was  completed 
in  1840  for  the  accommodation  of  the  new  line." 
The  profits  of  the  new  railway  and  dock  were  less 
than  had  been  expected  ;  the  old  dock  comp.iny  and 
the  railway  company  quarrelled,  and  the  latter  in  i  844 
obtained  powers  to    build  docks  for  themselves    on 


the  west  or  Stranton  shore."      This  was  the  origin  of 
West  Hartlepool  (q.v.). 

The  influence  of  Trinity  House  and  of  the  ship- 
owners whose  vessels  used  the  port  forced  the 
commissioners  to  replace  the  small  light  on  the  old 
pier  by  a  new  lighthouse  on  Crofton  Heugh,  which 
was  opened  on  I  October  1847,  and  was  the  first  in 
which  gas  was  used  for  the  light." 

In  1846  the  Hartlepool  dock  and  railway,  the 
Hartlepool  Junction  Railway,  were  taken  over  by  the 
York,  Newcastle  and  Berwick  Railway  Company,  now 
the  London  and  North  Eastern  Railway." 

In  1845  the  commissioners  for  the  port  and  pier, 
to  whom  further  powers  were  given  in  1 837,  were 
reconstituted.  The  Hartlepool  Pier  and  Port  Act 
of  1851  made  further  changes  in  its  constitution. 
By  the  same  act  the  commissioners  were  empowered 
to  make  a  pier  or  breakwater  south-eastward  from 
the  Heugh,  and  to  establish  and  control  the  ferry 
between  Hartlepool  and  the  new  town  of  West 
Hartlepool,  the  profits  to  be  devoted  to  protecting 
the  Heugh  from  the  inroads  of  the  sea.  The  Hartle- 
pool Port  and  Harbour  Act  of  1855  incorporated 
the  commissioners  and  provided  for  an  outer  harbour 
of  refuge  in  the  bay,  two  piers  from  the  shore  and  a 
sea  wall  to  be  built  south  from  Throston  to  protect 
the  Headland.  Under  the  Port  and  Harbour  Act 
of  I  86g  the  commissioners  were  authorized  to  abandon 
the  piers  and  to  build  a  sea  wall  from  the  northern 
pier  of  West  Hartlepool  to  the  stone  jetty  of  the 
commissioners'  harbour." 

In  I  870  a  breakwater  was  built  to  protect  the  north 
of  the  harbour,  and  the  channel  was  dredged  to  give 
a  depth  of  20  ft.  at  the  lowest  tide,  and  has  now  been 
deepened  to  25  ft.  By  1885  the  commissioners  had 
built  a  part  of  the  sea  wall  authorized  in  1855  ;  the 
corporation  was  then  empowered  by  Act  of  Parliament 
to  finish  it  and  make  a  promenade  along  it,  also  to 
acquire  Galley's  Field  for  purposes  of  recreation."* 

The  development  of  the  port  necessarily  led  to  a 
great  increase  in  population  and  to  an  extensive  re- 
building of  the  town.  Of  all  the  antiquities  which 
it  once  possessed,  only  St.  Hilda's  Church  remains  ; 
the  rest  were  swept  away  as  rapidly  as  possible,  and  a 
few  vain  attempts  to  save  the  most  interesting  were 
treated  with  contempt."  The  original  Hartlepool 
still  showed  the  lines  of  the  mediaeval  town,  huddled 
together  in  the  narrow  space  of  the  peninsula,  dirty, 
insanitary  and  picturesque.  If  it  h.id  been  rebuilt  in 
the  interests  of  the  public  health  no  reasonable  person 
could  have  objected,  but,  unfortunately,  while  its 
picturesque  features  were  destroyed,  the  dirt  and  lack 
of  sanitation  were  worse  than  ever."  The  immediate 
result  was  severe  outbreaks  of  cholera  in  1832  and 


•Sharp,  Hill,  of  Hartlepool,  n8-6l  ; 
Local  and  Pen,  Acts,  53  Geo.  Ill,  cap. 
xxn'. 

*  Sharp,  op.  cit.  166. 

*  Sharp,  op.  cit.  Suppl.  4, 

'  Ibid.  5-6  ;  Local  and  Perional  Acii, 
2  and  3  Will.  IV,  cap.  Uvii. 

^  Sharp,  op.  cit.  I  2  ;  Local  and  Personal 
Ads,  2  and  3  Will.  IV,  cap.  Uviii. 

'  Sharp,  op.  cit.  18-19. 

'**  Ibid.  21  ;  Local  and  Personal  Acts, 
7  Will.  IV  and  I  Vict.  cap.  xcv. 

*'  Sharp,  op.  cit.  40.  The  Stockton 
and  Hartlepool  Railway  Company  was 
incorporated  in  1S42  {Local  and  Personal 
Acts,  4  and  5  Vict.  cap.  xc). 


"  Sharp,  op.  cit.  41. 

"  Ibid.  44-50. 

"  Ibid.  50.  The  Act  vrai  obtained  in 
1848  [Local  and  Personal  Acts,  \l  and  12 
Vict.  cap.  cxxxi).  The  lease  was  for  31 
years  from  i  July  1848.  At  its  expira- 
tion the  docks  and  railway  were  to  be 
amalgamated  with  the  York,  Newcastle 
and  Berwick  Company  (Sharp,  loc.  cit.). 

'*  Ibid.  52-5  ;  Exch.  Dep.  Spec.  Com. 
no.  7147  \    see   Local  and  Personal  Acts, 

7  Will.  IV    and    1   Vict.   cap.   Ixxri-iii  ; 

8  and  9  Vict.  cap.  cxxxii  ;  14  and  i; 
Vict.  cap.  cxvii  ;  18  and  19  Vict.  cap. 
cxxvi  ;  31  and  33  Vict.  cap.  Ixxxii  ;  Pari. 
Acctt.  and  Papers,  1868-9,  liv,  F.419.   The 


toll  of  II.  \d,  on  decked  vessels  using  the 
port  given  to  the  commissioners  by  the 
Act  of  1837  had  formerly  been  taken 
by  the  corporation  for  the  repair  of  the 
walls  (see  Pari.  Accts.  and  Tapers,  1835, 
XXV,  p.  1533).  It  was  restored  to  the 
new  corporation  in  1851  {Local  and 
Personal  Acts,  14  and  15  Vict.  cap.  xvi), 
but  was  again  transferred  to  the  com- 
missioners for  their  new  works  by  the 
Act  of  1855. 

"a  Local  Acts,  48  and  49  Vict.  cap.  xci. 
"  For  the  removal  of  the  North  Gate 

in    1836  see    Sharp,  Hist,  of  Hartlepool, 

Suppl.  35. 

"  Ibid.  24  and  note. 


269 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


1849,**  and  the  evil  effects  are  experienced  to  this 
day,  while  on  the  score  of  beauty  it  may  be  said  that 
with  the  exception  of  the  church  there  is  not  a  single 
building  or  street  in  Hartlepool  which  possesses  the 
slightest  architectural  dignity.  Some  improvements, 
however,  there  were;  the  Hartlepool  Gas  and  Water 
Company  was  formed  in  1846,  and  the  citizens  were 
no  longer  dependent  for  their  water  upon  two  wells 
and  the  rainfall. 

The  whole  area  of  the  borough  is  built  over  except 
the  Town  Moor*"  and  the  cemetery  on  Hart  Warren. 
In  1889  the  promenade  along  the  sea  front  to  the 
lighthouse,  forming  the  chief  open-air  recreation  place 
for  the  town,  was  finished. 

The  old  town  hall  in  Southgate  Street  had  been 
rebuilt  about  1750.-"  A  borough  hall  and  market 
buildings  in  Middlegate  Street  were  erected  in  1866, 
«nd  the  corporation  acquired  a  large  hall,  now  used 
as  a  town  hall,  in  Lumley  Street  in  1902.  A  new 
borough  hall  was  built  in  1926.  The  Hartlepools 
Port  Sanitary  Hospital  was  opened  at  Throston  in 

1877. 

One  of  the  most  stirring  experiences  in  the  history 
of  Hartlepool  occurred  on  16  December  1914,  when 
the  town,  together  with  West  Hartlepool,  was  bom- 
barded by  three  German  cruisers  for  slightly  over  half 
an  hour.  The  first  shell,  fired  at  8.15  a.m.,  missed 
the  lighthouse,  but  wrecked  part  of  the  house  on  its 
left,  liilling  two  women.  The  most  serious  damage 
was  done  in  Old  Hartlepool,  especially  beyond  and 
behind  the  land  batteries,  which  replied  effectively  as 
far  as  their  guns  of  medium  calibre  allowed.  One 
shell  fell  in  the  Royal  Engineer  lines  and  others  in 
those  of  the  18th  (Service)  Battalion  of  the  Durham 
Light  Infantry.  The  roof  of  St.  Hilda's  Church  was 
partly  wrecked,  the  gasometer  was  set  on  fire,  and 
many  houses  were  hit  at  the  farther  end  of  West 
Hartlepool.  Including  g  soldiers,  128  persons  were 
killed,  many  being  women  and  children,  and  over 
400  were  injured. 

John  Wesley  frequently  visited  Hartlepool,  which 
is  mentioned  in  his  Journal  in  1757,  1759,  1761, 
1766,  1784,  1786  and  1790;  he  was  always  well 
received,  but  his  labours  did  not  have  much  per- 
m.ment  effect,  and  in  1786  he  wrote:  '  Surely  the 
seed  will  spring  up  at  last  even  here,  where  we 
seemed  so  long  to  be  ploughing  on  the  sand.'  ^' 
A  small  congregation  was  gathered  by  the  means  of 
a  wealthy  Wesleyan,  Mr.  Middleton,  who  gave  his 
name  to  the  district  of  Middleton  between  the 
two  Hartlepools.  After  meeting  in  private  rooms 
for  some  time,  the  congregation  built  a  chapel  on 
the  Town  Wall  about  1793.  A  new  and  larger 
chapel  was  built  in  Northgate  in  1839.-- 

There  are  two  United  Methodist  chapels,  built  in 
i860  and  1876,  and  a  Primitive  Methodist  chapel, 

'"  Sharp,  Iliit.  of  Harilej>i>!>!,  24  n. 

'^  See  below. 

'"  Sharp,  Hist,  of  Hartlepool,  10;. 

"  Wesley,  Journ.  (ed.  5),  ii,  4.15,  492  ; 
iii,  62,  255  ;  iv,  279,  333,488. 

"  Sharp,  Hist,  of  HartUpool,  Suppl. 
92-4  ;    Dur.  Rcc.  d.  3,  132,  no.  5. 

*^  Sharp,  op.  cit.  95. 

"  Ibid.  96. 

"  Ibid.  98. 

»«  Ibid.  100. 

''Ibid.  102. 

^  Ibid.  103. 

"Pat.  21  Ric.  If,  pt.  i,  m.  31. 


built  in  I  85  I. -5  St.  John's  Presbyterian  Church  of 
England,  in  Brougham  Street,  was  built  in  1882-3 
to  take  the  place  of  an  earlier  chapel  built  in  1839.-'' 
A  Congregational  chapel  was  built  in  1843-4.^' 
The  Baptist  chapel  was  built  in  1851-2.^'^ 

It  has  been  mentioned  above  that  the  Roman 
Catholic  element  in  Hartlepool  continued  strong 
from  the  i6th  century,  but  the  first  Roman  Catholic 
chapel  was  not  opened  until  1834,  when  a  very 
small  one  was  built  and  given  to  the  congregation 
by  John  Wells.-'  The  present  Roman  Catholic 
church  of  St.  Mary  was  built  in  1850-1.-" 

Hartlepool  being  within  the  manor 
BOROUGH  of  Hart  (q.v.)  belonged  in  the  12th 
century  to  the  Brus  family.  Richard  II 
confirmed  in  1397  a  charter  of  Adam  de  Brus  grant- 
ing to  his  burgesses  of  Hartlepool  the  customs,  laws 
and  statutes  of  the  burgesses  of  Newcastle.^^  This 
is  the  earliest  known  charter  of  the  borough.  The 
names  of  the  witnesses  ■'''  indicate  that  the  grantor 
was  the  Adam  de  Brus,  lord  of  Skelton,  who 
succeeded  his  father  in  1143.'^  In  February 
1 200-1  a  charter  to  the  same  effect,  granting  also 
that  the  men  of  Hartlepool  should  be  free  bur- 
gesses, was  obtained  from  King  John,  the  burgesses 
paying  for  it  a  fine  of  30  marks. '^  Hartlepool  was 
the  only  Durham  borough  to  receive  a  royal 
charter.  It  belonged  to  the  wapent.ike  of  Sad- 
berge,  which  the  bishop  had  acquired  in  1190, 
but  as  it  was  part  of  the  fee  of  the  powerful  Brus 
family  it  maintained  an  uncertain  independence  of 
the  episcopal  jurisdiction.'^  A  market  on  Wednes- 
day and  a  three  days'  fair  were  granted  by  the  king 
to  William  de  Brus  in  the  year  of  the  charter  to  the 
town,'*  and  were  confirmed  to  his  son  Robert  in 
1215,  when  the  date  of  the  fair  was  given  as  the 
feast  of  St.  Laurence  and  the  two  days  following.'' 
Nevertheless  this  grant  had  apparently  not  come  into 
force  in  12 18,  possibly  as  a  result  of  some  protest 
from  the  bishop.  In  that  year  Robert  de  Brus 
agreed  that  his  mother  should  have  a  third  of  the 
market  and  fair  in  dower,  provided  that  either  of 
them  could  get  possession  of  these  liberties."* 

In  1230  the  burgesses  obtained  a  new  charter 
from  Bishop  Richard  le  Poor  by  which  the  fair  on 
St.  Laurence's  Day  (and  a  fortnight  afterwards)  was 
granted  to  them.  They  also  had  a  grant  of  a 
market,  the  day  being  changed  to  Tuesday.  The 
charter  added  other  important  privileges  to  those 
granted  by  King  John  and  Adam  de  Brus.  It 
allowed  the  burgesses  to  have  a  mayor  as  their  chief 
officer,  and  to  e.stablish  a  gild  merchant  ;  and  it 
definitely  stated  that  they  held  their  tenements  by 
rents  and  no  other  services.  The  bishop  reserved 
to  himself  and  his  successors  all  due  customs,  in- 
cluding the  prisage  of  wine,  and  '  reasonable  emption 


»»  Cf.  Guishro'  Chat  lul.  (Surt.  Soc),  ii, 
282,  327-8  n. 

^'  See  Hart  manor.  Tradition  relates 
(sec  Hart)  that  Robert  de  Bi  us  I  enfeoffed 
his  younger  son  Robert  of  the  manor  of 
Hart,  and  what  scanty  evidence  there  is 
supports  the  supposition  that  the  elder 
branch  never  held  Hart  in  demesne  (see 
Guisbro^  ChoTtuL  [Surteci  Soc. ],  ii,  322—3, 
324).  In  this  case  Adam  de  Brus  must 
have  granted  his  charter  to  the  burgesses 
as  o\erlord. 

^''  Rot.  Chan.  1 199-1216  (Rec.  Com.), 
86  ;   Pipe   R.  3  John,  m.  12.      An  early 

270 


reference  to  burgage  tenure  occurs  in  a 
charter  of  Robert  de  Brus,  before  1191, 
in  which  he  granted  a  mantura  in  Hartle- 
pool with  houses  and  toft  and  two  fishing 
boats  to  the  monks  of  Durham  in  free 
alms  quit  of  every  custom  and  service 
which  might  be  exacted  from  land  or 
burgage  (Farrer,  Early  Torks.  Ckarterif 
ii,  8). 

^^  See  Hart  parish  and  below. 

'*  Pipe  R.  3  John,  m.  18. 

'»  Rat.  Lit.  Claus.  (Rec.  Com.),  I, 
217. 

39  Cal.  Doc.  o/Scotl.  i,  123. 


Hartlepool  Chircii  i  rom  tiii;  Strkkt,  looking  East 


STOCKTON    WARD 


HARTLEPOOL 


of  goods  such  as  the  king  has  in  the  boroughs  of 
his  barons.'  Another  saving  clause  was  that  the 
bishop's  men  and  the  men  of  the  Prior  and  convent 
of  Durham  were  to  be  free  from  toll  in  Hnrtlepool.'^ 
This  charter  was  confirmed  by  the  Prior  and  convent 
of  Durham,  as  was  a  similar  charter  granted  by  the 
bishop  to  Peter  de  Brus  of  Skelton,  who  was 
holding  Hartlepool  during  the  minority  of  the  heirs 
of  the  immediate  lord,  Robert  de  Brus.  In  both 
charters  the  prior  and  convent  reserved  their  right 
to  buy  food  in  Hartlepool  and  the  liberties  granted 
them  by  William  and  Robert  de  Brus.  In  the 
confirmation  to  Peter  de  Brus  they  reserved  the  right 
of  the  heir  when  he  should  be  of  full  age.'"  Finally 
the  king  himself  inspected  and  confirmed  the  bishop's 
charter  in  1234.'^ 

In  spite  of  the  grant  of  market  and  fair  to  the 
burgesses  it  was  found  by  quo  warranto  in  1293  that 
both  belonged  to  Robert  de  Brus,  then  lord  of  the 
manor.'"'  Documents  of  the  14th  and  15th  cen- 
turies make  it  clear  that  the  lords  of  the  manor 
retained  possession  of  the  tolls  and  stallage.'"  They 
had  besides  control  of  the  port  with  keelage  and 
prisage  of  fish,  perquisites  of  court,  and  the  rents 
from  the  burgage  tenements,  the  mills,  bake-house  and 
common  oven.''-  Sometimes  the  profits  of  the  borough 
were  let  to  farm. 

In  1 3 14,  on  the  death  of  Robert  de  Clifford  at 
the  battle  of  Bannockburn,  Bishop  Kellaw  seized 
Hartlepool'"  and  at  once  farmed  it  to  Richard 
Mason,  who  paid  ^^84  yearly  for  the  vill  with  the 
ovens,  water-mills  and  the  mill  of  Hart. ^''  In  1389 
the  borough  was  let  to  various  tenants,  who  possibly 
represented  the  burgesses,  for  j^io.^^ 

When  John  in  1 201  granted  to  Hartlepool  the 
liberties  of  Newcastle-upon-Tyne,  the  latter  town 
was  governed  by  bailiffs.'"'  The  first  civic  officers  of 
Hartlepool  were,  therefore,  probably  bailiffs,  but  by 
Bishop  le  Poor's  charter  the  burgesses  were  em- 
powered to  have  a  mayor. 

The  earliest  reference  to  a  mayor  of  Hartlepool  is 
in  1306,  when  he  appealed  to  Edward  I  about 
damage  done  to  one  of  the  ships  of  the  port  by 
Norwegians.'"  From  1315  a  mayor  regularly 
appears  as  chief  officer  of  the  town.^*     There  were 


still  town  bailiffs,  who  were  apparently  elected 
officers  subordinate  to  the  mayor,  and  should  be 
distinguished  from  the  bailiffs  and  collectors  of 
customs  appointed  by  the  lord  of  the  manor,  the 
bishop  and  the  king.  In  1393  the  mayor,  bailiffs 
and  some  of  the  burgesses  were  bound  over  as 
representatives  of  the  community  to  keep  the  peace 
with  Ralph  de  Lumley.^'  Grants  of  murage  were 
made  during  the  14th  and  early  15th  century  to  the 
mayor  and  bailiffs  on  behalf  of  the  burgesses.  These 
grants  illustrate  one  feature  of  the  history  of  the 
borough — the  continual  rivalry  between  king  and 
bishop  for  the  supreme  influence  there.  The  burgesses 
took  advantage  of  this  rivalry  to  obtain  charters  first 
from  one  authority  and  then  from  the  other,  so  that 
their  right  to  take  murage  was  almost  continuous  for 
nearly  a  century.^"  In  1410,  however,  the  king 
revoked  his  most  recent  grant,  declaring  that  it  was 
to  the  prejudice  of  the  bishop.^' 

During  the  15  th  and  i6th  centuries  the  municipal 
organization  seems  to  have  merged  in  that  of  the 
gild  merchant  authorized  by  Bishop  le  Poor  in 
1230.  No  records  exist  of  the  early  history  of  the 
gild,  but  it  is  probable  that  the  gild  officials,  who 
controlled  the  trade  of  the  town,  must  have  had 
more  power  than  the  municipal  officers.  An  undated 
petition  to  the  Crown,  probably  of  the  14th 
century,  asking  that  the  burgesses  of  Hartlepool 
might  be  quit  of  toll  throughout  the  realm  as  were 
the  burgesses  of  Newcastle-upon-Tyne,  was  perhaps 
presented  by  the  gild.'^-  By  i  544  the  bailiffs  had 
given  place  to  aldermen,  who  were  perhaps  originally 
gild  officials,^'  and  the  mayor,  who  was  elected  by  the 
aldermen,^''  was  probably,  also,  the  chief  officer  of  the 
gild.  It  seems  clear,  also,  that  the  terms '  free  burgess ' 
and  '  free  merchant '  were  interchangeable  at  the  end 
of  the  1 6th  century.'"  The  original  qualification 
for  a  burgess  had  been  the  possession  of  a  burgage 
tenement.  Of  these  there  were  120  in  1437,^*'  but 
a  large  number  were  then  in  the  possession  of 
religious  bodies,"  and  some  were  waste.^'  In  1565 
there  were  66  householders,  many  of  the  houses  being 
in  decay.  The  greater  number  belonged  to  the 
queen,  as  successor  of  the  ecclesiastical  lords. ^' 

In    1587    Lord    Lumley    bought    the    manor    of 


^'  Sharp,  Hilt,  of  Hartlepool^  App.  p.  i. 

^^  Ibid.  69  n.,  70  n.  ;  CkihWo''  Ckartul. 
(Surt.  Soc),  ii,  325  (a  more  correct 
version  than  Sharp's  of  the  prior  and 
convent's  deed  consenting  to  the  Bishop's 
charter  lo  Peter  de  Brus)  ;  see  also 
Lansd.  MS.  902,  fol.  71,  where  there  is 
a  copy  of  a  charter  of  confirmation  from 
the  prior  and  convent,  containing  a  more 
ample  clause  a?  to  their  right  of  buying 
victuals.  This  refers  to  the  prior  and 
convent's  right  of  pre-emption  as  against 
the  borough  custom  of  *  lot,'  i.e.  the 
practice  of  sharing  a  purchase  of  pro- 
visions among  the  burgesses,  who  might 
each  chim  sufficient  for  the  needs  of 
his  household  at  the  price  paid  by  the 
original  p\irchaser  (Bateson,  Borough 
Customs  [Selden  Soc.],ii,  pp.  Ixvii  ct  seq., 
166  n.,  180  n.). 

"  Chart.  R.  39  4  40  Edw.  Ill,  m.  8, 
no.  27. 

<"  Plac.  de  Quo  IVarr.  (Rec.  Com.),  604. 

*'  Chan.  Inq.  p.m.  13  Ric.  II,  no.  14  ; 
4  Hen.  I'V,  no.  37. 

"  Ibid.  ;  Pldc.  de  Quo  IVarr.  loc.  cit.  ; 
Cal.  ln<f. p.m.  (Edw.  Ill),  viii,  384;  Chan. 
Inq.  p.m.  15  Hen.  VI,  no.  55,    Some  of 


these  rights  had  probably  been  reserved 
by  the  Brus  family  in  charters  which  no 
longer  exist.  At  the  end  of  the  12th 
century  Bishop  Hugh  Pudsey  in  the 
charter  which  created  the  borough  of 
Sunderland  reserved  to  himself  the  same 
right  of  pre-emption  of  fish  as  Robert  de 
Brus  had  at  Hartlepool  (Surtecs,  Hist,  of 
Dur.  i  [2],  298). 

*■*  See  Hart  parish. 

"  Reg.  Paint.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  ii, 
1265.  Richard  Mason  was  bailiff  in  the 
following  year  (Sharp,  op.  cit.  70).  About 
1380  the  herring-house,  common  oven, 
windmill,  and  tolls  within  the  borough 
were  entered  among  the  bishop's  posses- 
sions {Hatjield's  Surv.  [Surt.  Soc], 
197-8).  It  is  uncertain  how  they  came 
to    be    in   his   hands. 

*'  Chan.  Inq.  p.m.  13  Ric.  II,  no.  14. 

"  Brand,  H:st.  and  .intii.  of  Newcasile- 
upoii-T}nr^  ii,  392. 

"  Anct.  Corresp.  xviii,  81;  ;  cf.  Cal.  Pat. 
1301--,  p.  490;  Anct.  Pet.  (P.R.O.), 
2537,  11161. 

**  Sharp,  Hist,  of  Hardepool,  70-2. 

*'-' Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  33,  m.  12  d.  For 
this  quarrel  see  ibove. 

271 


^»  Cat.  Pat.  1313-17,  p.  347;  i3H-7i 
p.  250;  1327-30,  p.  233;  1330-4, 
p.  48  ;  Reg.  Palat.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.), 
iii,  350  ;  Cal.  Pat.  1364-7,  p.  33  ;  Dur. 
Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  32,  m.  4  ;  Sharp,  Hist,  of 
Hartlepool^  App.  p.  ii  ;  Cal.  Pat.  1391-6, 
p.  1 18  ;  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  33,  m.  2  d.,  21; 
Cal.  Pat.  1399-1401,  p.  355. 

"  Cal.  Pat.  1408-13,  p.  264. 

'"^  Anct.  Pet.  (P.R.O.),  5767.  It  wa« 
made  in  the  name  of  the  men  of  Hartle- 
pool. 

*'  A  petition  from  the  town  to  the 
Earl  of  Shrewsbury  in  that  year  was 
presented  bv  the  aldermen  and  brethren 
(Add.  MS. '32655,  fol.  251). 

"  Cal.  S.  P.   Dom.  Add.  1547-65,  p. 

573- 

"  See  the  burgess'  oath  (Sharp,  Hist. 
of  Hartlepool,  74,  105  n.). 

"  Chan.  Inq.  p.m.  i  5  Hen.  'VI,  no.  37. 

*'  Feod.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc),  24, 
1 38;  Halmote  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  200;  cf. 
Cal.  S.  P.  Dom.  I  ;4--65,  p.  573  ;  Rentals 
and  Surv.  ptf.  7,  no.  29,  fol.  41  d.,  42  d. 

"  Feod.  Prior.  'Dunelm.  loc.  cit. 

"  Cl/.  S.  P.  Dom.  MJ.  1547-65, 
P-  573- 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


LuMLEY.  Argent  a 
Jesse  gules  between  three 
parrots. 


Hart  (q.v.),  including  the  town  of  Hartlepool,  from 
the  Earl  of  Cumberland.  He  was  anxious  to  pro- 
mote the  welfare  of  his  new  tenants,  and  by  his 
assistance  on  3  February  1 591-3  the  burgesses  of 
Hartlepool  obtained  a  new 
charter  from  the  Crown.  By 
thii  charter  Hartlepool  was 
constituted  a  free  borough,  and 
the  mayor  and  burgesses  were 
formed  into  a  body  corporate 
with  a  common  seal.  Edmund 
Bell  was  appointed  the  first 
mayor,  but  from  henceforward 
the  mayor  was  to  be  chosen  on 
the  Monday  after  Michaelmas 
Day  every  year  by  the  common 
council  from  one  of  themselves. 
He  was  to  have  two  serjeanis 

at  mace.  The  council  was  to  be  composed  of  twelve 
capital  burgesses,  the  first  twelve  being  appointed  in  the 
charter,  but  hereafter  on  any  vacancy  occurring  the 
remaining  councillors  and  the  mayor  were  empowered 
to  choose  the  new  member  from  among  the  common 
burgesses.  The  unity  of  the  organizations  of  town 
and  gild  was  recognized.  The  mayor  and  burgesses 
were  to  have  a  court-house  or  gildhall,  and  to  hold 
a  court  or  assembly  there,  where  they  should  draw 
up  itatutes  for  the  government  of  the  town  and  the 
regulation  of  its  trade  and  enforce  them  by  penalties. 
These  meetings  were  called  '  gilds.'  *°  The  weekly 
market  on  Tuesday,  the  fair  at  the  feast  of  St. 
Lawrence,  and  a  court  of  pie-powder  were  granted 
to  the  corporation."  In  securing  this  charter  for 
the  borough.  Lord  Lumley  surrendered  most  of  his 
owrn  privileges.  It  may  be  that  the  market  and  fair, 
destroyed  by  his  ancestor  at  the  beginning  of  the 
15th  century,  had  never  since  been  of  importance. 
Leland  places  Hartlepool  among  the  market  towns, 
however,  and  it  must  have  been  to  some  extent  a 
source  of  revenue  to  its  lords.  It  seems  most  probable 
that  Lord  Lumley  before  securing  the  charter  made 
a  bargain  with  the  burgesses.  In  1 593  the  new 
corporation  granted  to  him  and  his  heirs  in  return 
for  his  aid  half  the  fines  of  the  court,  and  h.ilf  the 
fines  for  creating  free  burgesses  or  free  merchants  ; 
they  also  acknowledged  his  right  to  keelage,  and 
granted  to  him  stall.ige  on  market  days  from  every 
shop  or  booth  \ti.,  and  for  the  passage  of  every  horse 
on  fair  and  market  days  \d.  The  descendants  of 
Lord  Lumley  sometimes  leased  these  dues  for  terms 
of  years  to  the  corporation." 

The  town  records  begin  in  the  i6th  century, 
at  first  in  a  few  disconnected  entries,  but  regularly 
from  1566.  On  19  October  1599  Robert  Porrett, 
the  mayor  and  the  common  council,  drew  up  a 
series  of  orders  for  the  town.  Earlier  books  of 
records  are  referred  to  from  time  to  time,  but  they 
are  now  lost." 

The  list  of  statutes  drawn  up  by  the  common 
council  in  1599  was  divided  into  sections  headed 
Orders  for  the  Church,  Orders  for  the  Town, 
Orders   for    the     Shipping,  Orders    for    Innholders, 


Orders  for  Hiring  and  Retaining  Servants,  Orders 
for  Butchers,  Orders  for  the  Sands  and  Fishermen, 
Orders  for  the  Pasture.*'  The  most  interesting  of 
these  orders  show  that  the  ancient  custom  of  parting 
a  purchase  among  the  burgesses  was  still  in  force  in 
I  599,  as  it  had  been  in  1230  : — 

Ytt  yi  ordeyned,  yt  whatioever  inhabytante  of  this  towne 
goeth  aborde  of  any  shippe  or  hoyc  w'thin  this  wycke  or  har- 
borough,  and  biiycth  anic  manrr  of  corne,  victuaUs,  bcare,  or 
anic  other  goods,  or  comodytics  whatsoever,  bee  it  but 
portage  of  anie  value,  w'thout  the  lycens  of  the  maior,  and 
before  there  bee  a  pryce  thereof  sett  down  by  the  sayd  maior 
of  the  sayde  corne,  goodes,  or  other  merchandysc  or  victuals, 
that  then  hee  or  they  soe  oftendinge  shall  not  onely  paye  for 
everye  tynie  soe  offendinge  to  the  use  of  this  town  ten  shillings, 
but  alsoe  the  sayd  goods  or  comodities  soe  by  hyme  or  theme 
boughte  to  be  taken  from  the  partycs  soe  buyinge  and  the 
same  to  be  secjuestred  att  the  discresayon  of  the  maior,  twelve 
chiefe  burgesses,  comon  counaell  of  this  town,  or  the  greater 
parte  of  theme. ^'^ 

Ytt  ys  ordeyned,  for  the  avoydinge  of  all  contraversyes 
which  hereafter  may  growc  betwixte  the  freemen  of  this  town 
and  the  forryners  for  the  buying  of  fyshe  and  askinge  part 
thereof,  that  evrye  freeman  of  this  town  buyinge  a  cobble  of 
fyshe  shall  enjoy  the  same,  without  partinge  with  anie  forryner. 
But  if  the  forryner  be  the  fyrst  buyer  of  anie  suchc  cobble  of 
fyshe,  and  a  freman  being  presente  att  the  buyinge  therof  and 
askinge  parte  of  the  same,  the  sayd  freman  or  frcmen  soe 
askinge  parte,  shall  enjoy  [it]  ;  if  the  freman  bee  not  the  fyrst 
yt  askethe  parte  of  such  fysche,  butt  the  seconde  or  the  thirde, 
then  ytt  ys  ordeyned  yt  the  freman  shall  have  butt  parte  with 
the  others  that  before  hyme  asked  parte  thereof. 

Ytt  ys  ordeyned  yt  the  maister  or  some  other  of  evrye  cobble 
of  this  town  shall  make  twoo  pennye  worth  of  fyshe  to  any  of 
their  neighbors  askinge  the  same  for  there  own  p'vysyon,  yf 
they  have  nott  made  foure  pennye  worthe  foorth  before,  upon 
payne  to  paye  for  evrj-e  tyme  nott  soe  doeing  .  .  ,  vld.*'*' 

No  mention  was  made  in  the  charter  of  1593  of 
the  court  leet,  which  was  apparently  the  court  of  the 
lord  of  the  manor.  Twelve  years  after  the  charter, 
however,  a  recorder  appears  in  the  town  records," 
and  it  appears  that  he  and  his  successors  held  courts 
leet  and  baron  for  the  borough,  the  former  dealing 
with  debts  under  40J."  These  courts  were  said  in 
the  19th  century  to  be  held  by  prescription,  and  the 
recorder  was  called  the  steward  of  the  manor  court." 

Two  'gilds '  were  held  yearly,  one  in  April,  when 
the  grand  jury  or  jury  of  presentment,  called  the  gild 
jury,  was  chosen,  the  other  in  October  for  the  election 
of  the  mayor.  The  duty  of  the  gild  jury  was  to 
present  offences  against  the  town  by-laws  before  the 
courts  leet  and  baron.  In  1624  the  oath  of  the  gild 
juryman  was  entered  in  the  corporation  books.'"  The 
gild  jury  received  an  allowance  from  the  corporation, 
and  also  had  a  gild  dinner  once  a  year,  which  was 
distinct  from  the  corporation  dinner.  The  corpora- 
tion received  '  gild  essoign  pence,'  which  were  fines 
from  jurors  who  were  absent  from  the  gilds."  In 
1 716  the  gild  jury,  on  behalf  of  the  inhabitants, 
petitioned  the  council  that  the  cess  regularly  levied 
by  the  mayor  for  a  yearly  feast  should  be  devoted  to 
the  repair  of  the  church  and  walls." 

Orders  for  the  regulation  of  trade  were  made  some- 
times by  the  common  council,  sometimes  by  the  general 
gild.  In  1626  the  mayor  and  twelve  burgesses  ordered 
that  no  one  should  give  work  to  any  foreigner  or 
stranger  in  any  shop  or  chamber  under  penalty  of 


"  See  below. 

"  Pat.  35  Eliz.  pt.  ix  ;  Sharp,  Hist,  of 
Hartlepool,  54,  7Z-3,  App.  pp.  iv-ix. 

"  Sharp,  Hist,  of  Hartlepool,  74,  79  n., 
81  n. 

"  Ibid.  74-9. 


«  Ibid.  77. 


"  Ibid. 

««  Ibid.  178. 

"  Ibid.  50,  100. 

«»  Ibid.  103. 

*'  Munic.  Corp.  Com.  /;</>.  (183$),  xxiv, 

'533- 

272 


'"  Sharp,  Hitr.  oj  Hartlepool,  89  n., 
90  n.  ;  Hartlepool  Munic.  Rec.  (penes  the 
Town  Clerk),  i. 

"  Mayor's  Accts.  penes  the  Town 
Clerk  ;  Sharp,  op.  cit.  90  n. 

^'  Sharp,  op.  cit.  89  n. 


STOCKTON    WARD 


HARTLEPOOL 


3/.  4<^."     On    15   April    1673   it  was  ordered   at   a 
general  gild  : 

That  whosoever  he  be,  of  any  merchant  trade,  or  house- 
carpenter,  joyner,  ship-carpcntcr,  draper,  taylors,  plumers,  glaisers, 
cordiners,  butchers,  glovers  and  skinners,  whitesmiths,  black- 
smiths, wallers,  wine  coopers,  tallow  chandlers,  et  alias,  that 
shall  presume  to  come  in,  and  within  the  liberty  of  this  corpora- 
tion, to  trade  or  occupye  any  such  trade,  without  the  liberty  or 
consent  oft  any  such  who  are  injoyned  to  the  prejudice  of  the 
free  trades,  and  companyes  within  the  corporation,  as  now  is 
ordered  for  the  good  off  the  free  burgesses  and  inhabitants 
theiroft,  and  for  the  better  preservation  off  all  the  companijcs 
and  incouragement  of  them,  to  them  and  their  successors  for 
ever  licrcafter,  we  doe  hereby  order  and  have  fully  agreed  upon, 
that  whatsoever  he  be  that  shall  com  within  the  corporation 
aforesaid,  shall  pay  to  the  use  off  the  major  and  burgesses  of  this 
townc  for  every  such  time  soe  offending  as  he  or  they  shall 
trade,  complent  being  made  by  one  or  two  more  of  the  companys 
aforesaid    to  the  major  and   burgesses,  for  every  such  offence 


The  companys  of  tradesmen  shall  from  time  to  time  and  at 
all  times  hereafter  within  their  hall  or  com'on  hall  and  meet- 
ings, order  and  with  the  consent  of  their  warden  and  major 
partt  of  them  at  theire  quarterly  meetings,  make  such  lawes  and 
orders,  for  the  better  incouragement  of  their  trades  and  callings 
hereafter,  for  the  better  suppressing  of  all  those  yt  shall  hereafter 
make  any  brash  within  the  corporation  to  the  damage  of  all  or 
any  of  the  said  companyes  aforesaid,  shall  upon  every  such  offence 
pay  to  the  warden  of  the  said  company,  over  and  above  the  fine 
above    mentioned,  for   every   time    soe    offending    the   sum   of 


On  3  October  16S1  the  mayor  and  burgesses 
ordered  that  Nicholas  Corner  and  George  Patteson, 
tailors  and  freemen  of  the  town,  should  at  all  times 
be  ready  to  work  at  any  of  the  chief  burgesses'  houses, 
under  penalty  of  3/.  4^/."  In  1722  Robert  Wheat 
was  fined  first  10/.,  and  then  £1  for  working  as  a 
weaver  in  Hartlepool,  though  no  freeman."  From 
the  order  of  1673  it  appears  that  the  tradesmen  were 
still  in  the  habit  of  holding  gild  meetings  for  the 
regulation  of  the  separate  trades.  There  do  not 
seem  to  have  been  any  chartered  trade  companies  in 
Hartlepool,  as  there  were  in  Durham  and  Gateshead. 
As  the  population  of  the  town  was  small,  and  the 
principal  trade  was  fishing,  there  were  probably  not 
more  than  half  a  dozen  masters  in  any  one  trade,  and 
the  expense  of  forming  so  small  a  company  was  not 
worth  while.  Probably  all  the  masters  of  all  the  trades 
met  in  their  common  hall,  and  kept  records  of  their 
meetings  apart  from  the  corporation  records."  By 
the  beginning  of  the  19th  century  no  trace  was  left 
of  the  trade  companies  or  the  gild  meetings." 

A  list  of  the  town  officers  appointed  by  the  mayor 
was  drawn  up  in  1656  as  follows  :^ 

One  town  clerk,  one  serjeant,  two  chamberlains, 
three  auditors,  four  constables,  four  bread  weighers, 
four  pier  masters,  two  ale  tasters,  two  grassmen,  one 
herd,  two  sand  cleaners,  two  viewers  of  weights,  one 
measurer  of  cloth.''  From  this  it  seems  that  the  two 
Serjeants  at  mace  granted  by  the  charter  had  been 
reduced  to  one.  The  mayor's  stipend  was  at  first 
44;.,  but  in  1606  it  was  entered  as  j^io  ;  this  rise, 
however,  was  not  formally  confirmed  by  the  common 
council  until  1631.'°  The  first  town  clerk  occurs 
in  1604. 

On  3  December  1675  the  mayor  and  corporation 


resolved  that  by  Queen  Elizabeth's  charter  they  had 
the  same  power  as  the  corporation  of  Newcastle-upon- 
Tyne  to  levy  a  toll  on  grain  brought  into  the  town, 
and  that  they  would  levy  the  toll  accordingly."  The 
town  revenues,  independent  of  the  cesses  levied  by 
the  common  council,  arose  from  tolls  on  corn,  ale,  fish, 
timber,  and  agricultural  produce,  harbour  dues,  stallage 
at  the  markets  and  fairs,  and  hawkers'  licences."  As 
the  trade  of  the  town  declined  the  amount  realized 
from  these  dues  diminished  until,  at  the  beginning  of 
the  19th  century,  it  was  only  about  £iz  i  year. 
This,  however,  would  have  been  sufficient  for  the 
very  small  expenses  of  the  town  government  if  it  had 
not  been  for  the  law  suit  over  the  town  boundaries, 
which  was  brought  by  the  corporation  against  the 
lord  of  the  manor  in  1802."  The  cost  of  the  suit 
saddled  the  corporation  with  an  annuity  of  ^^24  a 
year.  After  this  there  was  an  annual  deficit  of  some 
£\i  or  j^i  3,  which  had  to  be  met  out  of  the  mayor's 
pocket,  while  he  was  also  expected  to  provide  salaries 
for  the  constables.''*  The  result  of  this  was  that  it 
became  more  and  more  difficult  to  find  men  willing 
to  carry  on  the  corporation. 

In  1835  the  Municipal  Corporation  Commissioners 
visited  the  town  and  found  the  corporation  greatly 
decayed.  There  were  only  twenty-six  resident  free- 
men and  about  twelve  who  were  non-resident.  The 
freemen  had  exemption  from  the  tolls,  which  were 
reported  to  be  burdensome,  and  rights  of  pasture  on 
the  Town  Moor.'''  Freedom  was  attained  by  birth, 
apprenticeship,  complimentary  presentation,  or  some- 
times by  purchase.  As  there  had  not  been  more 
than  four  instances  in  the  preceding  twenty  years  of 
a  person  taking  up  his  freedom  by  purchase,  it  is 
evident  that  the  privilege  was  no  longer  regarded 
highly.  The  largest  number  of  capital  burgesses 
at  the  mayor-choosing  in  recent  years  had  been  six, 
while  there  were  usually  only  three  or  four.  The 
mayor  was  chosen  from  the  capital  burgesses  in 
rotation  ;  he  was  frequently  non-resident,  and  some- 
times never  attended  to  take  the  oath,  but  in  that 
case  he  appointed  a  deputy  mayor.  The  number 
of  capital  burgesses  was  then  nine,  and  only  three 
were  resident.  The  town  officers  were  the  recorder, 
town  clerk,  and  serjeant  at  mace,  chosen  by  the 
common  council.  There  were  two  constables,  who 
were  insufficient  to  keep  order  while  the  new  docks 
were  being  built,  and  the  town  was  neither  watched 
nor  lighted.  The  report  ends  in  a  note  that  after 
the  inquiry  at  Hartlepool  the  commissioners  received 
a  letter  stating  that  a  fuo  warranto  had  been  issued 
against  the  mayor  for  exercising  that  office,  and  that 
he,  being  aware  his  election  was  invalid,  had  dis- 
claimed." In  consequence  of  this  report,  Hartlepool 
was  not  included  in  the  Municipal  Corporations  Act 
of  1835. 

After  the  mayor's  disclaimer  the  corporation  fell 
into  abeyance.  In  the  words  of  a  contemporary, 
'Now  commenced  a  period  of  disorganisation  and 
misrule  unequalled  in  any  town  in  the  kingdom  of 
similar  pretensions — no  resident  magistrate,  no  con- 


^^  Hartlepool  Munic.  Rec.  i. 

'^  Sharp,  Hiii.  of  Hartlepool,  84  n. 

"  Ibid.  86  n. 

'«Ibid.  89  n. 

"  Against  the  entry  of  15  April  1673 
is  written  a  reference  to  fol.  1 2.  When 
Sir  Cuthbert  Sharp  was  collecting  mate- 


rials for  hit  Hittory  of  Hartlefool  at  the 
beginning  of  the  19th  century  folio  12 
had  disappeared,  and  it  has  never  been 
recovered. 

'^  Sharp,  op.  cit. 

"  Ibid.  82  n. 

'^  Ibid.  79  n. 


«'  Ibid.  850.  "  Ibid.  102  n. 

«»Ibid.  98,  102.  »*  Ibid.  102-3. 

**  Sec  below. 

*®  Munic.  Corp,  Com.  1st  Rep.  App.  iii 
(Pari.  Accls.  and  Papers,  1835,  xxv), 
p.  1529  et  seq.,  Northern  Circuit,  Hartle- 
pool. 

35 


A  HISTORY  OF   DURHAM 


trol,  no  police,  the  township  constables  incompetent 
and  inefficient  and  literally  objects  of  ridicule.  The 
whole  town  lay  at  the  mercy  of  the  lawless  labourers 
employed  in  excavating  the  docks.'  In  spite  of  all 
these  inconveniences  the  inhabitants  were  slow  to 
move,  and  it  w.is  not  until  l6  January  I  839,  after  an 
interregnum  of  nearly  five  years,  that  a  public  meeting 
of  the  inhabitants  and  freemen  was  held,  and  a  com- 
mittee appointed  to  take  measures  to  restore  corporate 
government.'"' 

The  committee  consulted  Sir  William  Follett,  who 
advised  that  the  corporation  should  be  revived  by  a 
new  charter,  to  be  obtained  from  the  Crown  by 
petition  of  the  freemen,  and,  if  necessary,  of  the  other 
inhabitants.  He  considered  this  course  would  be 
preferable  to  an  application  for  the  creation  of  an 
entirely  new  corporation  under  section  141  of  the 
Municipal  Corporations  Act,**  as  it  was  doubtful  in 
the  latter  case  whether  the  new  corporation  would  be 
entitled  to  the  possession  of  the  corporate  property  of 
the  old,  while,  by  obtaining  a  new  charter  to  revive 
the  old  corporation,  its  continuity  would  be  assured.*' 
There  seems  to  have  been  a  good  deal  of  trickery  in 
connexion  with  the  new  charter,  but  it  is  difficult  to 
follow  the  intrigue,  as  the  author  of  the  Supplement  to 
Sharp's  History,  writing  so  near  the  time,  was  naturally 
cautious.  It  appears  that  the  committee  drew  up  a 
draft  of  a  charter,  applying  the  principles  of  the 
Municipal  Corporations  Act  to  the  new  corporation 
of  Hartlepool.  On  22  June  1841  this  draft  was 
approved  by  the  Attorney  and  Solicitor-General,  who 
directed  that  it  should  be  laid  before  a  public  meeting 
of  the  inhabitants  of  Hartlepool  in  order  that  they 
might  be  able  to  object  to  any  of  its  provisions.  On 
13  August  1841  the  Lord  Ch.incellor  declared  that 
he  was  satisfied  that  the  charter  had  been  laid  before 
the  people  of  Hartlepool,  and  that  they  had  accepted 
it  without  protest  ;  but  it  is  significant  that  the  date 
and  place  of  the  alleged  meeting  are  not  mentioned 
in  the  Supplement,  and  the  author  goes  on  to  state 
that  much  disappointment  was  felt,  when  the  new 
charter,  dated  24  September  1841,  appeared,  that  it 
was  a  simple  renewal  of  the  old  charter  of  Eliz.ibeth. 

From  this  it  appears  that  the  committee  either 
engineered  the  public  meeting  so  that  only  their 
own  friends  were  present,  or  else  submitted  to  a 
genuine  public  meeting  the  draft  charter  which  was 
in  accordance  with  the  Municipal  Act,  and  after- 
wards substituted  for  it  the  provisions  of  the  Eliza- 
bethan charter.  The  government  of  the  town  was 
now  in  the  hands  of  the  twelve  men  who  h.id  found 
means  to  have  their  names  inserted  in  the  charter  as 
aldermen.  The  opponents  of  the  charter  said  that 
its  only  redeeming  feature  was  the  fact  that  the 
mayor  for  the  time  being  was  also  to  be  a  justice  of 
the  peace  in  virtue  of  his  office  ;  thus  order  was 
restored  in  the  borough. °" 

The  new  aldermen  may  have  acted  for  their  own 
advantage,  but  they  found  themselves  involved  in  a 


"'  Hist,  oj  HarlUpool,  Supp.  68-9. 

S8  Stat.  5  &  6  Will.  IV,  cap.  76. 

**'  Sharp,  op.  cit.  68-9. 

'0  Ibid.  71. 

"  Ibid. 

"  Ibid.  76,  App.  pp.  i-xiii. 

"  Local  Act,  46  and  47  Vict.  cap.  cxlix 
(Hartlepool  Borough  Extension  Act)  ; 
Local  Act,  60  and  61  Vict.  cap.  cxxxviii. 
The  Throston  Local  Board  District   was 


formed  in  1871  (under  the  provisions  of 
the  Local  Gov.  Act  of  1858)  out  of  parts 
of  Throston  and  Stranton  {Lond.  Ga-z. 
16  June    1871,    2798  i   15    Sept.    1871, 

397°)- 

^■'  Journ.  of  the  Home  of  Commons, 
31  May  1614  and  14  March  1620.  In 
connexion  with  the  last  point  it  may  be 
noted  that  the  celebrated  seminary  priest 
John   Host    landed  at   Hartlepool  on  his 

274 


great  deal  of  labour  and  trouble.  They  came  into 
office  'hampered  with  a  debt  of  j([  1,200,  without  a 
shilling  of  revenue,  with  the  corporate  property  in  a 
state  of  unequivocal  confusion  :  and  in  numerous 
instances  the  occupants  thereof  hurled  defiance  at  the 
corporation,  disputing  their  rights  and  despising  their 
authority.'"  The  feeling  in  the  town  in  favour  of 
reform  was  so  strong  that  the  aldermen  soon  aban- 
doned their  former  policy  and  declared  themselves 
enthusiastic  municipal  reformers.  In  the  year  1850 
a  petition  for  a  new  charter  was  presented,  and  on 
5  December  1850  the  present  governing  charter  was 
granted,  embodying  the  principles  of  the  Municipal 
Corporations  Act.  The  town  council  consisted  of  a 
mayor,  four  aldermen,  and  twelve  councillors."^  Under 
the  Hartlepool  Borough  Extension  Act  of  1883  there 
are  six  aldermen  and  eighteen  councillors.  In  the 
same  year  the  Local  Board  Districts  of  Throston  and 
Middleton  were  added  to  the  borough  and  in  1897 
parts  of  Throston  Rural  and  Hart.'" 

A  bill  was  introduced  into  the  House  of  Commons 
in  16 14  and  again  in  1620  to  give  Parliamentary 
representation  to  the  county  of  Durham.  It  was 
proposed  that,  in  addition  to  members  for  the  county 
and  city  of  Durham,  either  the  borough  of  Hartlepool 
or  the  borough  of  Barnard  Castle  should  be  repre- 
sented. The  arguments  in  favour  of  Hartlepool  were 
that  it  was  the  only  haven  in  the  bishopric,  for 
Sunderland  was  as  yet  but  a  hamlet,  and  that  it 
was  a  pl.ice  of  ancient  strength.  In  the  end,  how- 
ever, it  was  omitted  from  the  bill,  on  the  grounds 
that  it  belonged  to  a  private  person,  not  to  the  king, 
th.it  it  was  so  poor  a  town  there  was  no  person  in  it 
of  sufficient  wealth  to  sit  in  Parliament,  and  that  it 
was  much  given  to  popery.'''  In  1867  Hartlepool 
was  constituted  a  parliamentary  borough  returning 
one  member."-'' 

The  common  lands  of  Hartlepool  consisted  of  the 
Town  Moor,  the  Farwell  Field,  and  certain  ways  to 
these  two  places,  which  were  called  chares  or  stripes. 
The  Town  Moor  lies  on  high  ground  to  the  north- 
east of  the  old  town,  between  the  town  and  the  sea, 
its  e.nstern  boundary  being  the  cliffs  of  the  coast.  The 
Farwell  Field,  as  already  stated,  lay  on  the  isthmus  to 
the  north  of  the  town,  beyond  the  town  wall,  but 
within  the  borough  boundary.  The  chares  were  the 
ways  from  the  town  to  the  fields  used  by  the  burgesses. 
The  early  history  of  the  town  fields  is  unknown,  as  the 
common  p.isture  is  first  mentioned  in  the  Orders  of 
1599,  when  it  was  ordained  that  the  mayor  and 
common  council  must  view  every  horse  or  mare  before 
it  was  allowed  to  graze  there,  and  must  be  satisfied 
that  the  animal  was  worth  at  least  4  marks.  It  was 
also  ordained  that  no  horse  should  be  allowed  to  graze 
there  between  St.  Martin's  Day  (11  November)  and 
St.  Helen's  D.iy  (21  May).'* 

Presentments  relating  to  the  town  fields  were  made 
at  the  borough  court,  where  two  grassmen  were 
appointed  to  manage   the  business  of  the  pasture.'* 

missionary  expedition  to  the  north  of 
England  1580-93  (Add.  MS.  75,  fol.  44  ; 
Chaloner,  Missionary  Priests,  312  ;  cf. 
Cat.  S.  P.  Dom.  1611-18,  p.  395;  S.  P. 
Dom.  Chas.  I,  xxxvi,  16,  17,  17(1)). 

S'a  Public  Act,  30  and  31  Vict.  cap. 
102. 

^^  Sharp,  Hist,  of  Hartlepool,  79. 

''  Hartlepool  Corp.  Rec.  {penes  the 
Town  Clerk),  ii. 


STOCKTON    WARD 


HARTLEPOOL 


In  1720  an  order  for  viewing  cattle  stinted  (i.e. 
allowed  to  graze)  upon  the  moor,  similar  to  that  for 
horses,  was  made  by  the  common  council.  Every 
common  burgess  and  burgess'  widow  had  a  right  to 
stint  one  horse  and  one  cow  on  the  common  pasture."' 
In  1834  the  Municipal  Commissioners  found  that 
'each  freeman  being  a  resident  householder  has  a 
right  of  pasturage  on  the  town  moor  for  one  cow 
throughout  the  whole  year  and  for  one  horse  from 
May  Day  to  Martinmas.'  The  cattle  depastured 
must  be  their  own  property.  The  privilege  is  esti- 
mated as  being  worth  about  ^^lo  a  year.'**  While 
the  corporation  was  in  abeyance  from  1834  to  1841 
many  encroachments  were  made  upon  the  common 
fields.  The  aldermen  nominated  in  the  charter  of 
1841  were  declared  to  have  the  privileges  of  freemen, 
a  discovery  which  caused  much  indignation  among 
the  older  freemen,  but  it  had  the  good  result  that  the 
new  corporation  was  directly  interested  in  the  settle- 
ment of  the  problem  of  the  town  fields  and  therefore 
accomplished  it.°' 

By  an  action  brought  in  1841  against  one  of  the 
encroachers  on  common  land  they  established  their 
right,  and  on  2  I  May  I  846  a  committee  w'as  appointed 
by  the  corporation  to  deal  with  the  question  of  the 
freemen's  lands.'''"  On  28  July  1847  the  committee 
presented  a  report,  which,  after  stating  the  privileges 
of  the  freemen,  continued  : — • 

This  privilege  of  paiture  has  been  much  curtailed — the 
pasturage  of  large  tracts  of  lands  called  chares  (being  narrow 
strips  of  land  leading  to  the  Moor  and  Farwell  Field)  and 
formerly  containing  the  richest  and  most  luxuriant  herbage,  has 
been  destroyed  by  persons  owning  the  adjacent  property  throwing 
down  the  fence  walls,  and  opening  out  and  fronting  their  houses 
thereon  ;  thus  improving  their  own  property  at  the  expence  of 
the  corporation,  the  freemen,  and  intiirectly  of  tire  inhabitants 
at  large.  The  parties  thus  offending  are  a  very  numerous 
body,  and  excuse  their  encroachments  by  saying  that  they  were 
made  during  the  abeyance  of  the  corporation  between  the  years 
1833  and  1841. 

The  committee  recommended  :  — 

That  the  Town  Moor  and  the  Farwell  Field  with  all  their 
appurtenances  should,  for  ever  hereafter,  be  put  under  the 
control  of  the  municipal  body,  by  whatever  name  it  is  to  be 
designated  for  the  use  of  the  town  ;  and  held  in  common  with 
all  other  corporate  property,  to  be  appropriated  in  the  best 
manner  for  realising  a  revenue  for  the  town,  with  a  due  regard 
to  the  health,  comfort  and  convenience  of  the  inhabitants. 
That  every  freeman  and  widow  of  a  freeman  whilst  resident  in 
the  borough  of  Hartlepool  shall  receive  from  the  revenues  of 
the  corporation  an  annuity  of  ^12  lor.  secured  by  forgoing 
every  claim  and  privilege.  .  .  .  That  all  persons  having  inchoate 
rights  of  freedom,  as  apprentices  and  the  eldest  sons  of  freemen, 
shall  be  entitled  to  the  same  annuity  as  freemen  ....  on  their 
attaining  the  age  of  21,  all  annuities  to  last  only  during 
residence  and  to  cease  with  the  death  of  freemen  and  their 
widows.' 

The  committee  also  recommended  that  an  applica- 
tion should  be  made  for  an  Act  of  Parliament  to  put 
these  resolutions  into  force,  but  owing  to  mutual 
jealousy  the  governing  body  had  much  difficulty  in 
acting  with  the  freemen,  who  were  apt  to  raise  their 


demands  for  compensation.  In  consequence  of  these 
difficulties  the  Act  was  not  obtained  until  185 1.  It 
provided  that  the  freemen  should  appoint  a  Pastures 
Committee  to  manage  the  common  lands  while  still  in 
the  hands  of  the  freemen,  and  to  negotiate  with  the 
corporation  for  the  extinction  of  the  freemen's  privi- 
leges. When  the  freemen  had  received  full  compen- 
sation and  the  land  had  passed  into  the  hands  of  the 
corporation,  the  latter  were  authorized  to  build  on 
the  Farwell  Field  and  to  turn  the  chares  into  streets. 
The  Town  Moor  was  to  be  kept  as  a  public 
recreation  ground,  and  not  more  than  3  acres  of  it 
might  be  used  for  building  sites. ^  Accordingly  it  is 
the  public  recreation  ground  at  the  present  day. 

The  town  possesses  the  matrices  of  three  ancient 
seals — the  obverse  and  reverse  of  the  common  seal 
and  the  mayor's  seal.  The  first  bears  a  hart  at  bay 
in  a  pool  with  a  hound  on  its  back,  a  rebus  upon  the 
name  of  Hartlepool  ;  the  inscription  is  '  S.  Com- 
munitatis  dc  Hcrterpol.'  The  second  bears  in  the 
centre  St.  Hilda  with  a  priest  on  each  side  of  her 
standing  at  an  altar  ;  on  each  altar  is  a  chalice,  and 
over  each  descends  a  pelican  liolding  a  nimbed  host 
in  its  beak  ;  over  these  a  sun  and  a  moon  ;  the  whole 
under  a  canopy  like  a  church  with  central  tower  and 
low  spire.  The  inscription  is  '  Subveniat  Famul. 
nobil.  Hilda  suis.'  These  designs  are  probably  of 
the  early  13th  century.  The  third  seal  is  rather 
later.  It  bears  St.  Hilda  with  a  bishop  on  each  side 
of  her,  all  standing  on  a  lodged  hart  and  under  a 
canopy  of  three  gables.  The  inscription  is  '  Sigillium 
Officii  Maioris  de  Hertilpol.'    All  three  are  of  brass.' 

The  corporation  also  owns  two  maces  and  a  loving 
cup,  presented  by  Henry  Earl  of  Darlington,  mayor 
in  1818,  and  a  chain  presented  by  Alderman  Grooves 
in  1879. 

Markets  were  held  in  the  15  th  century  on  both 
Tuesday  and  Friday.^  The  charter  of  Elizabeth  fixed 
Tuesday  as  the  market  day.'  It  was  changed  before 
1720  to  Monday  and  again  between  1808  and  18 16 
to  Saturday.'"  A  corn  market  on  Saturdays  was 
established  in  1851.  In  1866  a  market  was  provided 
by  the  corporation,  but  in  1883  it  was  discontinued 
under  the  Hartlepool  Borough  Extension  Act  as  it 
had  been  carried  on  at  a  loss.  The  single  yearly 
fair,  lasting  for  a  fortnight,  established  in  1593' 
became  in  course  of  time  four  fairs  of  one  day  each  on 
14  May,  2  1  August,  9  October  and  27  November. 
These  fairs  were  much  frequented  by  clothiers  in 
the  1 8th  century,  but  were  little  attended  at  the 
beginning  of  the  next  century." 

In  a  fishing  town  and  trading  centre  like 
Hartlepool  shipbuilding  must  have  been  one  of  the 
industries  from  early  times.  In  1299  the  master  of 
the  '  Navis  Dei '  of  Hartlepool  was  employed  by  the 
king  to  carry  victuals  in  his  ships  to  the  garrisons  of 
Stirling  and  Edinburgh.*-^    Merchant  ships  were  often 


"'  Sharp,  Hist,  of  Hartlepool,  106. 

•*  Munic.  Corp.  Com.  Rtp.  1 83;, 
Northern  Circuit,  Hartlepool,  p.  1533. 

"  Sharp,  Hist,  of  Hartlepool,  Supp.-7i. 

>»»  Ibid.  71-2. 

'  Ibid.  73-4. 

'  Ibid.  App.  p.  xiv  et  seq.  ;  Local  and 
Personal  Acts,  14  and  15  Vict.  cap.  xvi, 
printed  in  ibid.  Supp. 

'  Proc.  Soc.  Ani:q.  NeiL'castle  (New 
Scr,),  X,  370  ;  Sharp,  Hist,  of  Hartlepool, 
II,  106;  cf.  Anct.  Corrtsp.  xviii,  85,  for 


a  petition  of  the  mayor  and  commonalty, 
1  326,  with  seal. 

*  Chan.  Inq.  p.m.  4  Hen.  IV,  no.  37. 

*  Sharp,  Hiit.  of  Hat  tlepool,  App.  p.  viii. 

'  Cox  and  Hall,  Mag.  Brit.  (1720),  i, 
610;  Carlisle,  Topog.  Diet.;  Gorton, 
Topog.  Diet.  ;  Sharp,  Hiit,  of  Hartlepool, 
73  n.,  121,  i6(j  n. 

'  There  were  f.urs  on  St.  Lawrence's 
Day  and  the  Feast  of  the  Invention  of 
the  Holy  Cross  in  1403  (Chan.  Inq.  p.m. 
4  Hen.  IV,  no.  37). 

275 


*  Sharp,  Hist,  of  Hartlepool,  169  n.  ; 
Carlisle,  op.  cit. ;  Gorton,  op.  cic. 

^a  fVarJrohe  Accounts  of  EJ'w.  I  (Soc. 
of  Ant.),  271  ;  See  Cal.  Pat.  1292-1301, 
p.  455.  Hartlepool  was  a  port  for 
Norway  in  the  13th  century  (Doc.  Itlustr. 
of  Hist,  of  Scotland,  ed.  Stevenson,  i,  133, 
138,  145).  In  12-5  the  Bishop  of 
Orkney  stayed  there  and  astonished  the 
inhabitants  with  stories  of  the  wonders  of 
Iceland,  natural  and  supernatural  [Chron. 
de  Lantrcost,  97). 


A   HISTORY  OF   DURHAM 


requisitioned  from  Hartlepool  for  the  Scotch  and 
French  wars  of  the  13  th  and  14th  centuries.*''  The 
town's  contribution  to  the  northern  section  of  the 
grand  fleet  which  Edward  III  brought  before  Calais 
in  1346  was  five  ships  and  145  sailors.*'^  About 
the  middle  of  the  14th  century  the  family  of 
Nesbit  seem  to  have  been  the  principal  shipowners  in 
the  town.'  A  ship  called  '  La  Marie  '  of  Hartlepool 
belonged  in  1395  to  Robert  Houdene,  who  w.is 
authorized  to  embark  50  pilgrims  in  it  for  Santiago.-'^ 
In  1565  there  was  one  ship,  the  '  Peter,'  belonging 
to  the  town  ;  in  1672  there  were  two  small  vessels.'-''' 
A  shipbuilding  yard  was  opened  at  Hartlepool  in 
1836  by  Mr.  Denton,  who  was  afterwards  joined 
in  p.irtnership  by  William  Gray.  In  1864  the  firm 
of  Denton,  Gray  &  Co.  launched  their  first  iron 
ship.  The  firm  moved  to  West  Hartlepool  in  1871.*"^ 
At  the  present  day  the  principal  firms  are  the 
Hartlepool  engine-works  of  the  amalgamated  com- 
pany of  Richardsons,  Westgarth  &  Co.,  Sir  William 
Allan  &  Sons  and  Sir  Christopher  Furness,  West- 
garth  &  Co.,  marine  engine  builders,  and  the 
Irvines  Shipbuilding  and  Dry  Dock  Co.,  shipbuilders. 

The  fisheries  of  H.irtlepool  are  its  oldest  industry. 
In  I  360  it  was  said  that  the  livelihood  of  the  men  of 
Hartlepool  'depends  entirely  on  their  fishing  on  the 
sea.' '"  The  mayor  and  aldermen  of  Newcastle-upon- 
Tyne  in  1560  declared  that  'Hartlepool  hath  been 
time  out  of  mind  a  fisher  town,  and  so  long  as  the 
inhabitants  of  the  same  framed  and  applied  themselves 
to  their  occupation  of  fishing,  their  town  prospered.' '^ 
The  commissioners  of  1565  reported  that  there  were 
three  5-men  boats  and  seventeen  small  cobbles  be- 
longing to  Hartlepool,  all  occupied  in  fishing,  which 
employed  fifty-one  persons,  all  fishermen  and 
not  mariners.'^  A  suit  in  1 560-1  gives  some 
trade  terms  then  in  use.  The  case  concerned  the 
delivery  at  Hartlepool  to  two  London  fishmongers  of 
1,000  codfish,  'good  swete  and  mercandizable,  of 
27  inches  by  besome  and  upward,  skynne  and  blew- 
berde  owtcaste,  and  no  sayntes  ffyshe  taken  owt.'  '^ 
Sharp  gives  an  interesting  aciount  of  the  fisheries  at 
the  beginning  of  the  19th  century.'^ 

In  1650  Lord  Lumley,  as  impropriator  of  the 
rectory  of  Hart,  which  included  tithes  of  fish  at 
Hartlepool,  brought  an  action  against  the  fishers  of 
Hartlepool  '  touching  a  duty  of  a  20th  part  or  rent  of 


all  fish  brought  to  the  port,'  and  obtained  a  decree  to 
receive  it  until  the  fishermen  should  try  the  right 
at  law."  In  171  8  the  lord  of  the  manor  brought 
another  suit  against  the  owners  of  fishing  vessels, 
when  it  was  proved  that  there  had  long  been  a 
customary  payment,  but  its  amount  was  uncertain. 
The  court  fixed  the  sum  at  I  z./.  in  the  [^  on  all 
fish  caught  by  fishermen  of  the  parish,  all  reasonable 
charges  being  first  deducted.'^  By  the  beginning  of 
the  19th  century  this  had  been  commuted  for  a 
fixed  annual  payment  of  8/.  per  cobble." 

The  foreign  trade  of  Hartlepool  fluctuated  as  the 
political  importance  of  the  place  varied.  In  1275 
the  king  ordered  the  bailiffs  of  Hartlepool  to  arrest 
the  goods  of  any  Zealand  merchants  in  the  town 
for  robberies  committed  upon  London  merchants 
in  Zealand.'*  In  1305  similar  orders  were  sent 
concerning  merchants  of  Amiens,  St.  Omer,  and 
other  French  towns,"  but  these  were  merely  general 
orders,  and  did  not  necessarily  mean  that  there 
were  such  merchants  in  the  town.  In  1279  the 
goods  of  Bremen  merchants  in  England  were  to 
be  arrested  in  satisfaction  for  the  losses  of  four  Hartle- 
pool merchants  while  trading  in  Bremen.-"  In  1339 
there  was  a  complaint  relating  to  the  '  Cuthbert ' 
of  Hartlepool,  a  ship  belonging  to  John  de  Nesbyt, 
a  Hartlepool  merchant,  which  was  seized  off  the 
coast  of  Denmark  and  detained  by  the  men  of 
'  Hardenwyk,  Swoll,  Staver  Camp,  Lubye,  Strel- 
sond  and  Rostok,'  while  trading  in  '  Estland.'  The 
merchant  petitioned  Edward  III,  who  wrote  to  the 
Emperor  to  demand  that  justice  should  be  done." 
Edward  the  First's  war  with  Scotland  probably 
gave  an  impetus  to  the  trade  of  Hartlepool,  as  the 
town  was  used  as  a  depot  from  which  stores  were 
transported  to  the  troops.^- 

The  articles  of  trade  at  Hartlepool  were  corn,^' 
the  neighbourhood  being  very  fertile,  herrings  and 
other  fish,-^  wine,  wools  -'  and  hides.  Bishop  Bury's 
charter  of  murage  in  1339  enumerated  the  articles 
coming  to  the  town  on  which  toll  might  be  levied, 
including  corn,  hides  of  horses  and  cattle,  meat, 
fat  hogs,  salmon,  lampreys,  fleeces,  sheep  skins,  skins 
of  small  animals,  cloth,  linen  web,  canvas,  Irish 
cloth,  'galeward,'  worsted,  turf,  silk,  cypress,  wine, 
ashes,  honey,  wool,  hay,  reeds,  fodder,  nets,  tallow, 
woad,  alum,  copperas,  argol,  verdigris,  onions,  garlic, 


"' Ca/.  Chit,  1296-1302,  pp.  99, 
121;  1302-7,  p.  76;  1318-23,  pp. 
524,  53'  i  '323-7.  P-  643;  '333-7. 
PF-  43'.  573;  '354-60,  p.  10;  Cal. 
Pal.  1343-5,  P-  55  5  )  -So'.  Hcoiiac 
(Rec.  Com.),  i,  55,  83,  91-2,  129, 
209-10,  232,  248,  279,  309,  317,  365, 
J67,  684.  In  1335  Nicholas  de  Brun- 
toft,  the  maj-or,  fitted  out  two  warships 
at  his  own  expense  for  service  against 
the  Scots.  He  was  allowed  to  act  as  I 
free-lance  instead  of  taking  his  orders 
from  the  admiral  of  the  fleet  (ibid,  i, 
357-8). 

•e  Halduyt,  Voyaget  (1903  ed.),  i, 
297-8.  Yarmouth  contributed  the  highest 
number,  43  ;    Newcastle-on-Tyne,  17. 

«  Cat.  /"aM  338-40,  p.  378  ;  1340-43, 
P-  385  ;  '343-5.  P-  555  i  ^a/.  Cloie, 
•343-6.  P-  579- 

'a  Cal.  Pat.  1391-6,  p.  565. 

•b  Cal.  S.  P.  Dom.  1601-3,  ^'i<^- 
'547-65.  P-  573;  'bid.  1672,  p.  53; 
cf.  ibid.  1 649-50, p.  244;  i673-s,p.453. 


Between  Christmas  1727  and  Christmas 
1728  19  ships  arrived  at  London  from 
Hartlepool  (Maitland,  Hitt.  of  Londoity 
1262-3). 

•c  V.C.H.  DuT.  ii,  307. 

'"  Cal.  Pat.  1358-61,  p.  427. 

"  S.  P.  Dom.  Eliz.  xiii,  no.  13. 

"  Cal.  S.  P.  Dom.  1601-3,  ^''<'- 
'547-65.  P-  573- 

'^  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  82,  m.  10. 

'*  Sharp,  Hist,  cif  Harikfool,  178  et  seq. 

'^  £xch,  Dep.  Mich.  1650,  no.  3  ;  cf. 
Chan.  Proc.  (Ser.  2),  bdle.  452,  no.  80; 
Sharp,  Hist,  of  Hartlepool^  132  n, 

"  Exch.  Dep.  Mich.  5  Geo.  I,  no.  11  ; 
Exch.  K.  R.  Dec.  (Ser.  4),  xxi,  no.  285. 

'^  Sharp,  Hsst.  of  Hanlepooly  1320. 

'*  Cal.  fine  R.  1272-1307,  p.  57. 

"  Ibid.  502,  519. 

'"  Cal.  Pat.  1272-81,  p.  301. 

"  Ibid.  1338-40,  p.  378  i  lee  ibid. 
1340-3,  pp.  54-5.  The  men  of  Hartle- 
pool were  accused  of  a  similar  crime 
against  a  merchant  of  Estland    in    1403 

276 


(ibid.  1401-5,  p.  359).  In  1477  Lord 
Lumley  and  Sir  George  Lumley  were 
said  to  have  acted  as  '  wreckers '  when  a 
Hamburg  ship  bearing  a  cargo  of  fish 
from  IceLind  to  London  was  stranded  on 
the  coast  near  Hartlepool  (ibid.  1478-85, 
p.  23).  The  matter  was  referred  to 
Richard  Duke  of  Gloucester,  Admiral 
of  England  (ibid.).  The  bishop  also 
appointed  commissioners  (Dur.  Rec.  cl, 
3,  R.  54,  m.  5). 

"  Ca/.  Chit,  1296-1302,  p.  77; 
1302-7,  p.  522  ;  Rot.  Scotiae  (Rec.  Com.), 
i,  116,  125-6;  cf.  Cal.  Closty  1354-60, 
p.  223,  655,  for  the  French  wars. 

"Ibid.     1350-4,  p.  375;      Cal.  Pal. 

'307-'3.  P-  43°;  '36';4.  P-  467; 
Dur.  Acct.  Rolls  [Sun.  Soc),  iii,  692,  693  ; 
Rot.  Scotiae  (Rec.  Com.),  i,  565  ;  Anct.  D. 
(P.R.O.),    D    1105. 

"  Dur.  Aat.  R.  (Surt.  Soc),  3,  13, 
18,  22,  24,  27,  33,  69,  72,  460,  484, 
534,  664,  666,  696. 

"  Reg.Palat,  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  iv,  50. 


HaRTLEPOOI.    Clll-RCM    FROM    Till:    SoUTll-W£ST 


IIaRTLIPOOI.    ClIURfll    l-ROM    TlIK    SoUTll-EAST 


STOCKTON    WARD 


HARTLEPOOL 


herrings,  boards,  hand-mills,  faggots,  salt,  cheese, 
butter,  wood,  lime,  coal,  figs,  raisins,  oil,  nails,  iron, 
tin,  brass,  copper,  dried  lish,  candles,  pitch,  tar.'^ 
To  these  the  charter  of  1384  added  leather,  wax, 
pepper,  almonds,  cummin  seed,  teazles,  spices,  fine 
linen,  fruit  and  live  animals.-" 

The  first  recorded  appointment  of  a  collector  of 
customs  at  Hartlepool  is  on  14  June  1305,  when 
the  king  appointed  Andrew  de  Bruntoft,  afterwards 
mayor,  and  Peter  du  Mareys  to  collect  the  new 
customs  (payable  by  foreign  merchants  under  the 
Cartti  Mercatoria  of  1303)  at  the  port  of  Hartlepool, 
and  to  keep  one  part  of  the  coket  seal-*;  in  1307 
Andrew  de  Brumpton  was  appointed  to  collect  the 
custom  on  wine."^  In  the  same  year,  1307,  Bishop 
Anthony  Bek  was  ordered  to  restore  to  the  king 
the  custom  on  wool,  hides,  and  woolfells,  which  he 
had  been  collecting  for  his  own  use  as  part  of 
his  royal  rights  in  the  bishopric.^"  In  1334.  the 
energetic  Bishop  Richard  de  Bury  made  a  vigorous 
effort  to  assert  his  prerogative  in  collecting  the 
customs  on  wine.  He  was  so  far  successful  that  he 
obtained  an  acknowledgment  of  his  right  from  the 
king,  and  appointed  John  de  Nesbyt  chief  butler 
for  the  town  of  Hartlepool  in  1334,  but  although 
the  office  was  maintained  until  the  beginning  of 
the  15  th  century  the  bishop  very  soon  ceased  to 
obtain  any  profit  by  it,''  as  the  king  began  again  to 
appoint  his  own  collectors  of  customs  both  on  wine 
and  wool  almost  immediately  after  his  recognition 
of  the  bishop's  right. ^- 

Meanwhile  the  relations  between  Newcastle-upon- 
Tyne  and  Hartlepool  with  regard  to  the  customs  were 
becoming  involved.  The  earlier  appointments  to  the 
office  of  collector  of  customs  cover  only  Hartlepool,^-" 
and  down  to  1347  the  butler  or  his  deputy  who 
collected  the  customs  on  wine  acted  generally  for 
Newcastle,  Hartlepool  and  Yarm.^^""  After  1341 
no  separate  collectors  of  customs  seem  to  have  been 
appointed  for  Hartlepool.-'-'^  Probably  from  this 
date  the  Newcastle  collectors  included  Hartle- 
pool in  their  jurisdiction."  There  were  a  troner  and 
a  weighing  beam  at  Hartlepool  in  the  14th  centurj',''' 
and  a  place  called  '  le  Weyhouse,'  which  once  stood 
on  the  east  side  of  Northgate  Street,  is  mentioned 
in  I  545.'^ 

The  wool  trade  of  Hartlepool  was  temporarily 
destroyed  by  the  statute  of  the  staple  of  1353,  which 
made  Newcastle  the  staple  town,  from  whence  alone 
might    be    shipped    the   wools  of   Northumberland, 


Durham,  Cumberland,  Westmorland,  Richmond  and 
Allerton.2''  The  mayor  and  burgesses  of  Newcastle 
watched  Hartlepool  with  a  jealous  eye,  and  in  1560, 
on  the  first  symptom  of  its  recovery  from  this 
blow,  they  sent  a  petition  to  the  government  de- 
claring that  Hartlepool  was  a  member  of  the  port  of 
Newcastle,  and  that  hitherto  the  trade  of  Hartlepool 
had  been  confined  to  the  fisheries,  but 

within  the  space  of  seven  years  or  thereabouts  there  be  certain 
persons  come  from  London  for  such  debts  as  they  be  there 
owing,  to  inhabit  at  Hartlepool  because  it  is  a  town  of  privilege 
— who  not  only  practice  with  strangers  repairing  to  Hartlepool 
to  employ  the  money  of  the  same  strangers  in  wool  .  .  .  but 
also  thev  ...  do  ship  wools,  fells,  lead  and  other  merchandise, 
sometimes  paying  custom,  and  many  times  depart  without  any 
custom  paying,  fur  that  there  is  neither  searcher,  customer, 
controller,  or  weigh-master  there,  saving  only  one  of  themselves 
as  deputy  to  the  customers  of  the  port  of  Newcastle,  by  whose 
oversight  they  may  use  what  liberty  they  list ;  so  that  without 
speedy  reformation  our  young  men  of  Newcastle  ,  .  .  perceiv- 
ing the  liberty  there,  the  small  charges,  and  the  transporting  of 
the  wool  shipped  there  to  Amsterdam,  to  Haarlem  and  other 
towns  in  Holland,  where  we  are  compelled  by  our  ancient  grants 
to  ship  the  wools  of  Newcastle  only  to  Barro  in  Brabant,  that  the 
same  our  young  men  will  leave  the  town  and  inhabit  Hartle- 
pool. 

Moreover,  the  merchants  of  Hartlepool  were  shipping 
wool  from  parts  of  Yorkshire,  such  as  Pickering  Lythe, 
which  were  not  appropriated  to  Newcastle,  and  as 
this  wool  was  much  better  and  finer  than  that  which 
was  shipped  at  Newcastle,  the  Newcastle  wools  were 
falling  in  price  and  estimation."  The  Newcastle 
merchants  were  crying  out  long  before  they  were 
hurt,  according  to  the  report  of  the  harbour  com- 
missioners in  1565,  who  represented  Hartlepool  as 
being  a  very  small  place,  with  only  one  ship  belong- 
ing to  the  port  ;  '  the  town  has  been  a  good  haven 
and  is  strongly  walled,  and  many  ships  of  200  tons 
burden  may  lie  within  the  town  and  pier  ;  but  the 
latter  is  in  decay  and  many  houses  also,  whereof 
the  greater  number  are  the  Queen's  and  belonged 
to  abbeys,  friaries,  chantries  and  gilds.'  '^* 

In  spite  of  the  opposition  from  Newcastle  the  ship- 
ping of  lead  from  Hartlepool  continued,  as  appears 
from  the  will  of  John  Feathcrstone  of  Hartlepool, 
6  March  1567  ;  he  exported  lead  from  Stanhope,  the 
seat  of  his  family,  and  the  inventory  of  his  goods 
shows  the  value  and  quantities  of  what  he  sold.^' 

Although  it  does  not  appear  upon  what  Newcastle's 
claim  that  Hartlepool  was  a  member  of  the  port  of 
Newcastle  was  based,  it  was  generally  acknow- 
ledged in  the  17th  century.  There  is  a  silver  seal  of 
that  period  belonging  to  the  custom-house  which  bears 


"  Sharp,  Hist,  of  Harrhfool,  144-5, 
and  see  above, 

"  Ibid.  ;  App.  p.  ii. 

'^  Cul.  Fine  R.  1272-1307,  p.  5J2  J 
see  pp.  502>  5i9- 

''Ibid.  1507-19,  p.  10.  In  1309 
Andrew  de  Bruntoft  was  appointed  the 
chief  butler's  deputy  at  Hartlepool 
(Ca/.  Pat.  1307-13,  p.  190). 

^"Cal.Pul.  1301-7,  p.  543. 

^^  Lapsley,  Co.  Palal.  of  Dur,  276. 

''  Cal.  Pat.  1334-8,  pp.  340-1  ;  1338- 
40,  pp.  12,  163,  210,  211,  349,  350, 
392,423. 

^-a  Cf.  Cal.FineR.  1272-1307, pp.  355, 
384;  1319-27,  pp.  81,  145,  194,  205, 
212,254;  1327-37,  pp.  79,  102,  227, 
z6o,  261,  265,  297,403,  505  ;  i337-47i 
pp.     105     (with    which    cf.    Cj/.    Chief 

»337-9.  P-  50').  ^2^1  ^^3- 

'-b    Cf.   Cat.   Pat.    1307-13,    p.    190; 


1317-21,  p.  338;  1324-7.  P-  'S4; 
'327-30>  P-  >°7  i  •33°-4.  PP-  39^.  434 
(cf.  Cat.  Close,  1333-7,  p.  58)  i  133+-8, 
pp.  340,  341  i  1338-40,  pp.  12,  210, 
349;  1343-5.  P- 360;  '345-8,  p.  253. 
After  1347  only  a  few  notices  of  a 
deputy  butler  at  Hartlepool  have  been 
fo\md.  In  1384  there  was  a  deputy 
butler  for  Newcastle  and  its  members, 
probably  including  Hartlepool  (Cj/.  Pat. 
1381-5,  p.  489).  There  was  a  deputy 
butler  for  Newcastle,  Scarborough,  Whitby 
and  Hartlepool  in  1401  (Ca/.  Pat. 
1399-1401,  p.  364},  and  in  1405  and 
1413  one  for  Hull,  Scarborough  and 
Hartlepool  (ibid.  1405-S,  p.  17;  1413- 
16,  p.  10).  In  the  17th  century  a  deputy 
butler  acted  for  Newcastle,  Hartlepool 
and  several  other  port*  (Exch.  Dep.  Mich. 
14  Cbas,  I,  no.  14  ;  East,  i  Jai.  II, 
no.  16). 

277 


"c  Down  to  1 341  controllers  of  the 
customs  were  appointed  for  Hartlepool, 
for  Hartlepool  and  Newcastle  or  for 
Hartlepool  and  Yarm  [Cat.  Pat.  1330-4, 
Pi-.  68,429,434,  545  ;  1338-40,  p.  263  ; 
1340-3,  p.  197).  In  134S  a  controller 
was  appointed  for  Newcastle  and  all 
places  to  Hartlepool  (Ibid.  1348—50, 
p.    130  i    cf.  1391-6,  p.  343). 

"  Ibid.  1324-7,  p.  184. 

"Ibid.  1345-8,  p.  362;  Cat.  Close, 
1346-9,  p.  580  ;   1349-54,  p.  67. 

"  L.  ami  P.  He,,,  nil,  xxi  (1),  3  5*  (4)- 

«  Stat.  3  Edw.  IV,  cap.  I  ;  4  Edw.  IV, 
cap.  2  and  3  ;  12  Edw.  IV, cap.  5  ;  14  Edw. 
IV,  cap.  3  ;   Pari.  R.  (Rec.  Com.),  v,  273. 

'^  S.  P.  Dom.  Elii.  xiii,  13. 

•«  Cal.  S.  P.  Dom.  1547-65,  p.  573. 

'»  Dur.  ff'ills  and  In-vent.  (Surt.  Soc), 
i,  274  i  cf.  L.  and  P.  Hen.  llll,  xii  (i), 
927. 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


the  inscription,  '  S.  Hartlepoole  Mem.  de  P.  N.  Castri 
s  Tyne.'  *"  Several  cases  relating  to  the  prisage  of 
wines  took  place  in  the  17th  century.'"  In  1664  a 
report  on  the  town  mentions  the  poverty  of  the 
corporation,  due  to  the  coal  trade  of  Newcastle,  as 
Hartlepool  had  no  manufactures  of  its  own.  It 
was  stated  that  there  were  '  Norway  merchants '  settled 
in  the  town  for  purposes  of  trade  and  they,  with 
the  fishermen  and  tradesmen,  formed  its  chief 
inhabitants.''^  In  1680  the  port  had  declined  so 
much  that  the  principal  custom  establishment  was 
removed  to  Stockton,  leaving  only  inferior  officials  at 
Hartlepool. ^^ 

In  consequence  of  the  great  increase  of  trade  after 
the  building  of  the  railway  and  docks,  Hartlepool  was 
constituted  a  separate  port,  extending  for  three  miles 
from  the  so'.ith  side  of  Seaton  to  the  promontory  on 
the  north  of  Castle  Eden,  with  a  customs  house  of  itJ 
own  on  6  January  1845.** 

The  principal  export  at  the  present  day  is  coal. 

The  right  of  wreck  at  Hartlepool  belonged  to  the 
Bishop  of  Durham.  His  claim  was  disputed  be- 
tween 1232  and  1240  by  Peter  dc  Brus,  who 
seized  a  ship  which  had  been  wrecked  on  the  coast 
of  Hartness  ;  for  this  he  was  fined  50/.  at  the  bishop's 
court  of  Sadberge.  Indignant  at  this  judgement, 
Peter  senthis  servants  to  Hartlepool  to  carry  ofFGerard 
de  Seton,  a  burgess,  who  had  given  evidence  in 
favour  of  the  bishop's  right.  Gerard  was  imprisoned 
in  Skelton  Castle,  until  the  bishop  solemnly  excom- 
municated all  those  who  had  taken  and  held  him 
prisoner.  This  forced  the  captors  to  let  their  prisoner 
go,  and  Peter  de  Brus  was  fined  £zo.  In  the  end 
the  Earls  of  Albemarle  and  Lincoln  negotiated  a 
compromise  between  the  bishop  and  Peter  de  Brus. 
The  bishop  forgave  Peter  the  fines,  and  Peter 
acknowledged  the  bishop's  right  of  wreck. ^*  When 
the  power  of  the  bishops  waned,  however,  the  lord 
of  the  manor  claimed  the  right  of  wreck  unopposed. 
On  I  December  1631  Lord  Lumley  leased  certain 
dues  to  the  mayor  and  burgesses  of  H.irtlepool,  but 
reserved  '  wrecks  of  all  kinds, '''^  and  in  1802  arbi- 
trators determined  that  '  all  wrecks  of  the  sea  cast  on 
shore  in  any  part  of  the  manor  of  Hart,  including 
the  township  of  Hartlepool,  belong  to  G.  Pocock 
(the  lord  of  the  manor),  and  all  wrecks  of  the  sea 
floating  within  the  liberties  of  the  port  of  Hartlepool, 
belong  to  the  mayor.'  *^* 

The  church  oi  ST.  HILDA  stands 
CHURCHES  in  a  fine  position  near  the  head  of 
the  crescent-shaped  limestone  pro- 
montory on  which  the  town  of  Hartlepool  was 
originally  built.  Nothing  now  remains  above  ground 
of  the  buildings  of  Hilda's  monastery,  but  there  can 
be  little  doubt  that  they  stood  in  close  proximity  to 
the  ancient  cemetery  before  alluded  to  and  thus  at 
some  little  distance  from  the  existing  church. 

The    church  ■"   consists   of  a  clearstoried  chancel 


(37  ft.  by  22  ft.)  and  nave  (83  ft.  6  in.  by  21  ft.  6  in.) 
with  north  and  south  aisles  overlapping  the  chancel 
(about  8  ft.  6  in.  wide),  south  porch,  and  engaged 
west  tower  (18  ft.  by  20  ft.),  with  transeptal  cham- 
bers (20  ft.  6  in.  by  10  ft.  on  the  north  and  19  ft. 
6  in.  by  8  ft.  6  in.  on  the  south).  With  the  exception 
of  an  earlier  south  doorway,  the  church  was  erected 
about  I  I  89  to  1 2 1  5,  and  completed  probably  in  i  2  3  7." 
The  earlier  building,  to  which  the  south  doorway 
belonged,  was  probably  the  first  church  on  the  present 
site,  and  may  have  been  erected  during  the  life- 
time of  Robert  Brus  I,  the  founder  of  Guisborough 
Priory,  who  died  in  II 41.  However  that  may  be, 
it  is  evident  that  when  Robert  Brus  II  gave  the 
church  of  Hart  and  the  chapel  of  Hartlepool  to 
Guisborough  Priory  some  sort  of  building  was  then 
standing.  Its  complete  rebuilding  at  the  end  of 
about  half  a  century  may  perhaps  be  attributed  to 
the  desire  of  the  Brus  family  for  a  place  of  sepulture 
worthy  of  their  importance.  A  ruined  tomb  stand- 
ing in  the  churchyard  to  the  east  of  the  quire,  but 
within  the  lines  of  the  destroyed  chancel,^'  is  prob- 
ably that  of  Robert  III,  or  his  brother  William, 
who  died  about  121;.'''  The  idea  of  the 
new  building  may  have  originated  with  Robert  II, 
and  its  erection  was  perhaps  begun  by  his  son 
Robert  III  ;  but  the  latter's  short  tenure  of  the  pro- 
perty makes  anything  more  than  a  beginning  out  of 
the  question,  and  the  evidence  of  the  fabric  would 
seem  to  show  that  it  is  substantially  the  work  of 
William  de  Brus,  lord  of  Hartlepool  about  1194- 
121  5.  Beginning  with  the  east  end  and  proceeding 
westwards  the  nave  arcade  was  probably  begun  by 
I  200,  the  aisles  (including  the  south  doorway)  having 
been  first  set  out  and  perhaps  built  up  to  a  certain 
height.  There  then  seems  to  have  been  an  interval 
of  some  years  before  the  arcade  was  proceeded  with, 
the  clearstory  and  tower  not  being  built  till  about 
1230-40.  The  interdict  of  121  5  may  account  for 
this  suspension,  and  thus  for  the  discrepancies  of 
detail  in  what  is  otherwise  a  complete  and  uniform 
design.  In  the  interior,  while  there  is  a  general 
harmony  between  the  details  of  the  nave  arcade  and 
the  ground  stage  of  the  tower,  the  soffit  mouldings 
and  shafts  of  the  eastern  arch  of  the  tower  are  more 
delicate  in  design  than  those  of  the  nave  piers,  and 
while  the  nave  piers  have  large  disk-shaped  abaci, 
the  abaci  of  the  tower  piers  are  divided  in  keeping 
with  the  shafts  and  capitals.  As  completed  before 
the  middle  of  the  13th  century  the  church  consisted 
of  a  clearstoried  chancel  and  nave  of  equal  width  and 
height  and  nearly  equal  in  length,  both  with  north 
and  south  aisles,  and  western  tower.  This  is  so 
abnormal  a  plan  for  the  date,  that  it  is  probable  that 
it  was  at  first  set  out  with  a  tower  between  nave 
and  chancel,  which  was  shortly  abandoned  and  its 
area  thrown  into  the  chancel.  Nearly  the  whole  of 
the  eastern  half  of  the   building  has,  however,  now 


*"  Sharp,  Hilt,  of  Hartltpool,  Supp.  61  ; 
cf.  Proc.  Soc.  Ant,  Nevicaiile  (Ser.  3),  iii, 
156,  169. 

"  S.  P.  Dom.  Ch.li.  II,  cii,  73.     "  Ibid. 

*'  Brewster,  W/jr.  j'lt/ ^nr;y.  of  Stockton- 
upon-Trti  {1796),  64;  Sharp,  Hisi.  of 
HartUftool,  108. 

"  Sharp,  Hist.  ofHartU^ooi,  Supp,  62-3  ; 
Exch.  Spec.  Com.  no.  7147. 

"  Reg.  Palat.  Duntlm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  iii, 
46-8;  ct.   Lansd.  MS.   902,  fol.   119  d. 


The  king  claimed  wreck  at  Hartlepool  in 
1360  (Cat.  Pai.  1358-61,  f.  517). 

*'  Sharp,  Hist,  oj  Hdriltpool,  p.  81  n. 

«a  Ibid.  p.  9S. 

^'  For  the  architectural  history  of  the 
church  see  Rev.  J.  F.  Hodgson  in  Arch, 
All.  xvii,  201-43,  ^""i  J.Tavernor  Perry 
in  Anri^.  (New  Ser.),  viii,  S-II,  97-105, 
169-74.  Both  of  these  have  been  used 
in  the  following  description.  There  are 
measured  drawings  in  Perry  and  Henman, 

278 


MeJ.  Antip  of  Co.  Dur,  (1867),  plates 
32-43  inclusive  ;  and  see  platei  in  Billtng8| 
Arch.  Antip  of  Co.  of  Dur.  42,  44. 

**  Sec  advowson,  below. 

**  Arch.  Ael.  xvii,  212. 

^*^  The  tomb  is  covered  with  a  slab  of 
black  marble  9  ft.  2  in.  long,  4  ft.  8  in. 
wide,  and  8^  in.  thick.  It  stands  1 5  ft.  8  in. 
to  the  east  cf  the  existing  chancel.  The 
sides,  according  to  Billings,  were  charged 
with  the  Brus  lion. 


STOCKTON    WARD 


HARTLEPOOL 


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279 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


perished,  one  bay  of  the  original  chancel,  which  was 
70  ft.  6  in.  long,  alone  remaining,  so  that  the  evi- 
dence of  its  suggested  development  is  not  complete. 

The  west  tower,  with  its  built-up  arches,  offers 
many  points  of  difficulty.  There  seems  to  be  little 
doubt  that  the  heavy  buttresses  were  planned  from 
the  beginning  to  take  the  thrust  of  the  tower  vault, 
those  on  the  west  side  being  further  designed  to  form 
the  north  and  south  walls  of  a  western  porch.  The 
original  design  was  doubtless  like  that  still  existing  at 
Kelso,  where  the  west  tower  of  the  abbey  church  is 
flanked  by  short  north  and  south  transepts  and  a  western 
building  of  equal  size  and  height  with  the  transepts. 
There  is  no  indication  in  the  style  of  the  buttresses 
that  they  are  later  than  other  parts  of  the  tower,  and 
their  base-mouldings  show  that  their  lower  portion, 
at  any  rate,  is  part  of  one  design  carrying  out  that 
of  the  aisles.  The  west  buttresses  with  their  door- 
ways bear  general  signs  of  belonging  to  the  second 
quarter  of  the  13th  century  and  may  be  ascribed  to 
the  date  given  above  for  the  tower.  The  '  porch,' 
or  western  building,  was  intended  to  be  of  two 
stories,  the  lower  one  vaulted,  as  is  shown  by  the 
corbels  or  capitals  remaining  in  the  angles,  and  by 
the  smaller  angle  buttresses  built  on  to  the  greater 
ones,  and  its  importance  is  indicated  by  its  inde- 
pendent entrances,  the  southern  of  which  is  of  a 
somewhat  elaborate  character." 

There  is  no  doubt  that  the  tower  began  to  fail 
either  in  the  course  of  its  erection  or  shortly  after. 
The  failure  was  probably  due  not  so  much  to  the 
vault  as  to  the  vertical  pressure  of  the  upper  walls 
upon  the  masonry  of  the  ground  stage,  which  stood 
on  a  foundation  which  h.is  only  recently  been  dis- 
covered to  have  been  utterly  inadequate.  When  the 
ground  was  opened  up  during  some  late  repairs 
(previous  to  1894)  it  was  found  that  the  found.itions 
of  the  piers  went  down  only  4  ft.,  or  about  3  it.  short 
of  the  solid  rock,  and  in  some  cases  there  were  '  no 
foundations  at  all,'  the  north-east  angle  having  been 
built  on  the  surface  of  what  appears  to  have  been 
puddled  clay  with  a  few  large  boulders  thrown  in 
amongst  it.'^  The  foundations  of  the  buttresses,  how- 
ever, went  down  to  the  rock  but  were  composed  of 
loose  rubble,  and  under  the  south-east  buttress  was  a 
split,  or  fissure  in  the  rock  about  1^  in.  wide  '  with  a 
current  of  air  blowing  out.'  ^^  A  streak  or  pocket  of 
clay  also  crossed  the  centre  of  the  site  of  the  tower 
from  north  to  south.  The  settlement,  or  disruption 
of  the  tower  resulting  from  these  causes  was 
remedied,  or  attempted  to  be  remedied,  mainly  by 
building  up  the  tower  arches  and  a  number  of  the 
window  openings  in  the  upper  stages.  As  the  fillings 
in  of  some  of  these  windows  contain  small  lancet 
lights  the  work  must  have  been  done  very  shortly 
after  the  tower  was  completed,  if  not  actually  before 
the  upper  stages  were  finished.  Seeing  that  these 
'  remedies '  added  considerably  to  the  weight   to  be 


borne  by  the  foundations,  it  is  not  surprising  that 
the  tower  has  ever  since  been  in  a  more  or  less  in- 
secure state  and  is  still  supported  internally  by  timber 
shoring.  The  south-west  pier,  containing  the  newel 
staircase,  was  strengthened  by  a  mass  of  masonry  built 
against  it  on  the  outside.  Whether  the  tower  was  ever 
crowned  by  a  spire  it  is  now  impossible  to  say,  but  it 
seems  clearly  to  have  been  so  intended  ;  the  settlement 
occurring  at  so  early  a  period,  however,  probably 
caused  the  spire  to  be  abandoned,  the  tower  being 
completed  with  p.irapet  and  pinnacles. 

No  change  in  the  plan  took  place  during  the 
middle  ages,  and  practically  the  only  alterations  made 
seem  to  have  been  in  the  15th  century,  when  the 
north  aisle  wall  and  a  good  deal  of  the  south  were 
pulled  down  and  new  windows  inserted.  Most  of 
these  have  since  been  replaced  by  modern  copies. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  18th  century  the  church 
was  in  a  state  of  disrepair;  but  a  petition  to  Quarter 
Sessions  in  1 7 14  recommending  the  queen  to  grant 
Letters  i'atent  for  its  repair  produced  no  result,''' 
and  two  years  later  the  building  is  described  as 
'  ruinous.'  In  I  7  1 9  the  quire  was  stated  to  be  '  almost 
entirely  unroofed,  and  the  steeple,  pillars  and  walls 
...  so  much  decayed  by  length  of  time  that  the 
whole  fabrick  will  inevitably  fall  to  the  ground  unless 
speedily  prevented  by  taking  down  and  rebuilding 
some  and  repairing  the  decayed  part?  thereof  A 
sum  of  about  j^  1,700  was  collected  by  brief,  and  the 
work  of  repair  put  in  hand  in  I  72  I  ;  but  a  scheme 
for  rebuilding  agreed  to  in  September  of  that  year  •''* 
was  evidently  not  carried  out,  for  in  May  1724  Bishop 
Talbot  gave  leave  to  take  down  the  roof  and  to  cover 
the  church  with  a  flat  one,  and  for  the  chancel  to  be 
reduced  to  15  ft.  within  the  walls.  This  was  done, 
the  old  chancel  being  practically  swept  away, 
leaving  but  a  single  bay  at  its  west  end.  A  straight 
end  wall  was  erected  immediately  to  the  east  of  the 
remaining  piers,  and  the  arches  themselves,  together 
with  those  between  the  nave  and  chancel  aisles,  were 
built  up.  There  is  nothing  to  show  that  the  decay 
and  ruin  of  the  chancel  was  so  complete  as  to  neces- 
sitate its  demolition,  and  it  seems,  therefore,  probable 
that  its  destruction  was  due  to  poverty  and  indif- 
ference. No  drawings  of  it  in  its  perfect  condition 
are  known  to  exist,  but  the  remaining  bay  indicates 
that  it  was  contemporary  with  the  nave  and  almost 
exactly  similar  in  all  its  details.  Foundations  of 
eastern  parts  which  have  from  time  to  time  been  dug 
up  show  the  length  to  have  been  as  stated  in  the 
bishop's  licence  to  take  down.  In  spite  of  the 
decision  that  the  windows  should  be  wrought  '  after 
the  same  model  as  they  now  are  '  this  docs  not  appear 
to  have  been  done,  the  drawing  in  Surtees  ^*  showing 
the  aisle  windows  of  three  plain  square-headed  lights 
under  semicircular  hood  moulds,  and  there  was  at 
that  time  '  a  clumsy  south  porch,' ''  probably  an  i  8th- 
century  addition.      Surtees  describes  the   interior  as 


^'  Antij.  viii,  172. 

"  Arch.  Ael.  xvii,  239,  243. 

"  Ibid.  243. 

^*  The  mayor  and  others  petitioned  the 
justices  of  the  peace  praying  that  they 
would  recommend  the  queen  to  grant 
Letters  Patent  for  the  repair  of  the 
church.  The  poverty  of  the  inhabitants 
was  pleaded  and  the  cost  was  estimated 
at  ^1,884  and  upwards  (Sharp,  op.  cit. 
pp.  113-14)- 


^■^  It  was  agreed  on  22  September  1721 
that  the  church  and  chancel  should  be 
continued  its  full  length  and  breadth  ; 
that  the  roof  should  be  flattened  to  4  ft. 
or  6  ft.  pitch  and  that  the  north  wall,  if 
advisable,  should  be  taken  down  and 
rebuilt  :  *  but  in  fear  the  cash  arising 
from  the  brief  may  not  answer  the  ex- 
pectation, the  said  wall  shall  be  referred 
unto  the  last  ;  that  the  said  church  shall 
be  new  Bagged,  paved,  and  whitened,  and 

280 


in  respect  to  the  glory  of  the  antirjuity  of 
the  said  church  what  repairs  the  windows 
may  want,  they  shall  be  wrought  after 
the  same  model  as  they  now  arc,  and  as 
for  the  chancel  it  it  referred  until  the 
Earl  of  Scarbro's  consent  is  got  I'n  writing 
and  that  the  steeples  both  in  and  outside 
be  repaired  '   (Sharp,  op.  cit.  p.  115). 

^^  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  99.  Engraved  by 
John  Ic  Keux  after  Edward  Blore. 

*'  Ibid.  116. 


Hartlepool  Church  :    'J'he  Chancel  Arch  and  Xave  Arcade 


STOCKTON    WARD 


HAkTLErOOL 


*  neatly  pewed  with  oak  '  with  a  gallery  at  the  west  end. 
In  1838  the  tower  buttre^scs,  one  of  which  had 
fallen,  were  restored  and  the  interior  of  the  building 
renovated.  A  further  internal  restoration  took  place 
in  1 85 1-2,  in  which  latter  year  the  present  south 
porch  was  built.''''  In  1866-7  the  nave  was  restored 
again,  the  floor  being  lowered  so  as  to  show  the 
bases  of  the  piers,  a  new  roof  was  erected,  and  the 
whole  of  the  interior  reseated.  In  1869  the  chancel 
was  rebuilt  in  its  present  form.*'  Tlse  tower  was 
restored  in  1893.  Subscriptions  are  now  (1927) 
being  raised  to  restore  the  church  to  its  ancient 
gr.iiideur.  Plans  have  been  prepared  by  Mr.  W.  D. 
CarOe,  M.A.,  F.S..\.,  for  carrying  out  the  work  at  a 
cost  of  j^3 3,000,  towards  which  ^26,500  has  been 
raised,  including  j^ I  2,000  from  Sir  William  Gray, 
bart.  The  proposed  wo.-k  includes  the  extension  of 
the  chancel  to  its  original  length,  opening  out  of  the 
tower,  rebuilding  the  south  porch,  restoration  of 
the  G.ililee  Chapel,  repairs  to  the  nave  and  new 
heating  appar,)tus. 

The  church  throughout  is  built  of  stone  and  the 
roofs  are  covered  with  modern  green  slates.  The  new 
chancel  consists  of  three  bays  with  aisles.  Externally 
the  chancel  stands  1 2  ft.  in  front  of  the  east 
walls  of  the  aisles  with  windows  north  and 
south,  and  all  the  modern  work  follows  the  design  of 
the  older  parts.  The  east  end  is  lighted  by  two 
triplets  of  tall  lancets,  one  above  the  other,  with  a 
smaller  single  light  in  the  gable,  as  at  Darlington  ; 
but  here  it  is,  of  course,  a  purely  modern  arrangement, 
no  evidence  existing  of  the  original  eastern  termination 
of  the  destroyed  quire.  Externally  the  whole  of  the 
quire,  with  the  exception  of  the  aisle  walls  in  the 
western  bay,  is  modern,  the  outside  iaces  of  the  western 
clearstory  windows  having  been  rebuilt,  but  internally 
the  responds,  arches  and  piers  of  the  original  western 
bay  remain,  forming  the  only  evidence  of  the  original 
plan  of  the  ch.incel.  It  may  have  consisted  of  five 
equal  bays  with  aisles  its  full  length,  or  of  two  com- 
pound bays  and  a  sacrarium  projecting  beyond  as  at 
Tynemouth  Priory.  The  existing  evidence,  how- 
ever, is  insufficient  to  make  a  definite  conclusion 
possible.  The  remaining  western  arches  of  the 
arcade  exhibit  certain  peculiarities  which  have  given 
rise  to  some  conjecture  as  to  the  design  and  arrange- 
ment of  the  destroyed  portion.  The  capitals  of  the 
western  responds,  which  are  attached  to  the  chancel 
arch  piers,  are  considerably  higher  than  those  of  the 
nave  arcade,  but  the  capitals  of  the  piers  range  with 
those  in  the  nave,  the  result  being  that  the  arch 
springs  from  different  levels  and  is  consequently  dis- 
torted. The  probable  deduction  is  that  this  is  the 
remains  of  an  original  scheme  for  a  central  tower, 
abandoned  during  the  course  of  building. 

The  piers  consist  of  eight  clustered  shafts,  alter- 
nately round  and  keel-shaped,  with  moulded  capitals 
and  bases,  and  the  arches  are  of  three  moulded 
orders.  The  west  responds  are  similar  in  character 
to  the  piers,  and  the  modern  eastern  arches  c.irry  out 
the  same  design.  The  clears:ory,  though  similar  in 
character  to  that  of  the  nave,  was  of  slightly  smaller 
dimensions  ;    the   windows,  judging   from    the   two 


remaining  in  the  west  bay  (which  internally  are 
entirely  original),  were  not  placed  immediately  above 
the  centres  of  the  arches,  the  east  jamb,  instead  of 
the  centre  line,  coming  immediately  above  the  centre 
of  the  arch,  the  window  thus  lying  to  the  west.^' 
The  wall  arcading  is  composed  of  richly  moulded 
triplets,  both  internally  and  externally,  those  outside 
having  rich  floreated  capitals  to  the  shafts.  Inside, 
the  mouldings  and  shafts  are  doubled  between  the 
window  openings,  the  outer  shafts  being  carried  on 
projecting  corbels,  the  whole  producing,  even  in  its 
present  fragmentary  condition,  an  effect  of  great 
beauty.  The  walls  were  34  ft.  in  height,  and  the 
arches  of  the  clearstory  arcade  were  acutely  pointed, 
and  the  clearstory  windows  themselves  were  about 
6ft.  3  in.  in  height  by  2  ft.  wide.  Internally,  'in 
order  to  gain  sufficient  depth  for  the  outer  order  of 
the  arcades  the  usual .  .  .  method  of  construction  was 
reversed,  the  thicker  part  of  the  walling  being  placed 
...  at  the  top.  That  is  to  say  that  although  the  inner 
mouldings  of  the  clearstory  arcades  and  their  shafts 
are  set  back,  the  whole  of  the  outer  mouldings  together 
with  the  shafts  that  carry  them,  their  hood  moulds  and 
superincumbent  masonry  are  set  forward  and  com- 
pletely overhang  the  pier  arches  and  wall  surfaces 
below. '^^  The  chancel  arch  is  of  three  moulded 
orders  springing  from  groups  of  five  clustered  shafts 
and  rising  to  almost  the  full  height  of  the  clear- 
stories. The  shafts  have  richly  carved  capitals  with 
transitional  volutes  and  square  abaci.  The  arch, 
which  springs  at  a  height  of  20  ft.  above  the  nave 
floor  and  has  a  clear  width  of  I  5  ft.  6  in.,  has  a  hood 
mould  on  each  side,  and  the  orders  consist  of  roll  and 
fillet  and  hollow  mouldings  set  square,  equally  rich 
on  both  sides.  On  the  east  side  there  is  an  additional 
shaft  carried  up  to  the  height  of  the  west  respond  of 
the  chancel,  with  a  smaller  shaft  above  rising  from  the 
capital.  Towards  the  nave  the  middle  shaft  has  a 
corbel  or  lower  capital  similar  in  design  to  the 
others,  about  3  ft.  below  the  main  capital,  the  use  of 
which  was  prob.ibly  to  carry  the  ends  of  a  rood-beam. 
The  whole  of  the  eastern  end  of  the  old  chancel 
having  perished,  no  ancient  ritualarrangements  remain. 
The  floor  is  tiled  and  raised  two  steps  above  that  of 
the  nave,  and  there  are  three  steps  to  the  sanctuary. 
The  oak  chancel  screen  was  erected  in  1 894,  in 
memory  of  Francis  Green  Morris  (d.  1893).  The 
western  bay  of  the  north  aisle  is  cccupied  by  the 
organ.  The  18th-century  fillings  of  the  arches 
between  the  nave  and  quire  aisles  were  removed 
when  the  new  chancel  was  erected. 

The  nave  internally  consists  of  six  bays  with  north 
and  south  aisles,  the  tot.al  width  of  the  church  at  the 
west  end  being  44  ft.'-'  Like  the  quire,  the  nave  is  faced 
internally  with  wrought  stone,  hut,  though  retaining 
its  beauty  of  detail,  has  suffisred  in  appearance  at  the 
west  end  by  the  filling  in  of  the  tower  arch  and  the 
arches  on  either  side.  The  arcades  differ  in  det.iil  in 
many  respects,  and  the  dimensions  of  the  bays  vary, 
but  the  general  effect  is  one  of  complete  unity  and 
harmony.  The  two  arcades,  though  corresponding 
exactly  in  their  dimensions,  are  not  identical  either  in 
planning  or  decoration,  the  piers  and  the  arch  mould- 


^*'  It  was  the  gift  of  Elizabeth  Vollum 
in  memory  of  William  Vollum  her  hus- 
band and  William  John  Vollum  her 
ion. 


"  The  architect  was  Mr.  J.  B.  Pritchett 
of  Darlington. 

'■**  The  modem  windows  in  the  new- 
second    bay    are,    however,    set    directly 

281 


over     the     arch     like     those      in      the 
nave.  *'  Arch.  Atl.  xvii,  222. 

"'  The  north  aisle  is  9  ft.  and  the  south 
8  ft.  6  in.  wide. 


36 


A   HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


ings  differing  completely  in  detail.  On  the  north 
side  the  piers  are  all  alike,  but  on  the  south  they 
differ  from  each  other  and  from  those  opposite, 
while  the  arches  have  hooJ  moulds  on  the  south  side 
only.  At  the  east  end  of  the  south  aisle  was  a  chapel, 
the  piscina  of  which  remains  in  the  south  wall,  and 
perhaps  for  this  reason  the  east  bay  is  wider  than  the 
others.  The  two  western  bays  are  much  contracted, 
but  the  average  width  between  the  piers  is  about 
10  ft.  6  in."  The  first,  third  and  fifth  piers  are 
square  on  plan  with  a  keel-shaped  shaft  on  each  face. 
The  second  pier  from  the  east  is  circular,  with  eight 
small  circular  shafts  ranged  around  it,  and  the  fourth 
is  of  similar  type,  but  octagonal  in  plan.  The  shafts 
in  each  case  have  separate  capitals  and  base,  the  former 
surmounted  by  a  single  large  circular  moulded 
abacus,  from  which  the  arches  spring  at  a  height  of 
I  2  ft.  3  in.  above  the  floor.  The  arches  are  pointed 
and  of  two  moulded  orders  with  indented  hood 
moulds  similar  to  those  in  the  quire,  app.irently 
indicating  that  the  south  arcade  was  built  from  east 
to  west  immediately  after  the  chancel.  A  horizontal 
moulding  runs  the  full  length  of  the  nave  imme- 
diately above  the  arches,  forming  the  sill  of  the  clear- 
story windows,  and  over  each  pier,  springing  from  a 
moulded  corbel  which  rests  on  the  abacus,  rises  a 
small  circular  shaft,  with  moulded  capital,  the  full 
height  of  the  wall.  These  shafts  carried  the  ends  of 
the  principals  of  the  old  roof,  which  was  of  the  same 
pitch  as  the  existing  modern  one,  and  '  must  have 
been  of  some  trussed  or  arched  form  without  tie- 
beams,'  which  would  '  have  cut  across  and  disfigured  the 
lofty  arch  in  the  tower."* 

The  piers  of  the  north  arcade  consist  of  eight 
clustered  shafts,  of  circular  and  keel-shaped  section 
alternately,  all  with  separate  moulded  capitals  and 
bases  with  large  inclosing  circular  abaci.  The  arches 
are  of  two  moulded  orders.  The  bases  of  the  piers 
of  the  south  arcade  stand  on  separate  circular  cham- 
fered plinths,  but  on  the  north  side  the  circumscribing 
line  is  octagonal  and  the  bases  were  connected  by  a 
low  plinth  a  few  inches  above  the  nave  floor,  which 
may  represent  the  original  height  of  the  floor  of  the 
aisle. 

From  each  of  the  nave  piers  an  arch  of  a  single 
moulded  order  with  hood  mould  on  each  side  is 
thrown  across  the  aisle.  On  the  south  side  the  arches 
spring  from  the  capitals  of  the  columns  and  from 
corbels  opposite,  but  on  the  north  the  inner  springing 
is  from  independent  capitals  applied  to  the  shafts  of 
the  piers  at  a  lower  level,  their  abaci  being  lower  than 
the  neck  moulds  of  the  main  capitals.  In  the  south 
aisle,  more  particularly,  many  of  the  arches  are  curi- 
ously misshapen,  as  though  from  settlement  or  pressure, 
but  the  walls  show  no  signs  of  either.  There  is  no 
sign  of  the  corbels  having  been  raised,  and  the  roofs 
always  cleared  the  arches,  some  of  which  are  quite 
symmetrical."  In  the  south  aisle  the  easternmost 
transverse  arch  springs  on  the  wall  side  from  a  respond 
similar  in  section  to  the  pier  opposite,  thus  further 


emphasizing  the  special  treatment  of  the  eastern  bay. 
On  the  north  side  there  is  no  trace  of  an  altar  having 
existed.  The  old  lean-to  roofs  of  the  aisles  were 
removed  in  the  1 8th  century,  and  the  original  windows 
are  all  gone,  the  only  evidence  of  their  appearance 
being  the  single  light  remaining  in  the  engaged  bay 
south  of  the  tower.  They  were  probably  plain 
lancets  in  groups  of  two  or  three,  most  of  the  light  in 
the  nave  having  come  originally  from  the  clearstory. 
The  existing  aisle  windows  are  of  three  cinquefoiled 
lights  with  tracery  in  the  heads,  and  have  all  been 
renewed  on  the  north  side."  Externally  the  bays  are 
divided  by  buttresses,  and  the  wall  finishes  with  a 
straight  parapet. 

The  clearstory  is  lighted  by  a  single  lancet  to  each 
bay,  with  the  hood  mould  continued  along  the  internal 
face  of  the  wall  as  a  string-course,  but  externally  there 
is  an  arcade  of  three  moulded  lancets  to  each  bay 
filling  the  whole  of  the  space  between  the  buttresses, 
the  middle  one  only  being  pierced.  The  arches  are 
of  two  orders,  the  outer  moulded,  springing  both 
internally  and  externally  from  angle  shafts  with  capitals 
and  moulded  bases.  On  the  south  side  all  the  capitals 
are  carved,  but  on  the  north  they  are  plainly  moulded, 
except  in  the  eastern  bay.  The  easternmost  window 
on  each  side  is  9  in.  taller  than  the  others,  perhaps  to 
throw  additional  light  on  to  the  rood,  but  the  in- 
equality is  skilfully  masked  on  the  south  side  by  the 
hood  mould  being  carried  along  the  wall  at  the  same 
level  throughout,  taking  the  arch  of  the  taller  light 
at  the  springing  and  those  of  the  other  windows  9  in. 
above.  The  difference,  scarcely  marked  inside,  is 
more  noticeable  on  the  exterior.  On  the  north  side 
the  arrangement  of  the  hood  mould  is  all  but  reversed, 
the  wall  having  apparently  been  built  from  the  west 
eastward.  Beginning  at  the  springing  line  of  the 
arches  of  the  western  clearstory  windows  it  continues 
at  that  level  to  just  beyond  the  easternmost  wall  shafts 
where  it  is  stepped  up  9  in.  to  the  taller  end  window. 
The  roofs  of  the  nave  and  chancel  have  overhanging 
eaves. 

The  12th-century  south  doorway  evidently  under- 
went some  alteration  when  it  was  re-used  in  the 
present  structure.  It  originally  consisted  of  two 
orders,  both  richly  moulded  with  zigzag  ornament, 
which  was  continued  down  the  jambs  under  a  cham- 
fered hood  mould  carved  on  the  underside  with  six- 
leaved  flowers.  When  the  stonework  was  refixed  the 
jamb  mouldings  of  the  outer  order  were  moved  out- 
wards along  the  face  of  the  wall,  and  in  the  nooks  thus 
left  were  inserted  circular  shafts  with  moulded  capitals 
and  bases,  the  square  order  of  the  arch  sitting  rather 
awkwardly  on  the  circular  capitals,  and  the  hood 
mould  resting  on  the  outer  zigzags. 

The  tower  consists  internally  of  three  stages,  the 
lower  one  being  the  full  height  of  the  church 
with  a  vault  which  springs  from  capitals  level  with  the 
string-course  under  the  clearstory  window,  and  is  35  ft. 
in  height  to  the  crown.  Over  this  are  the  ringing 
chamber  and  the  belfry,  and  the  tower  terminates  in  an 


^  The  spacing  of  the  bays,  measuring 
between  the  piers  and  counting  from  the 
east  end,  is  as  follows  :  (l)  i  i  ft.  lo  in.  ; 
(2)  10  ft.  11  in.  ;{3)  11  ft.  ;(4)  10  ft.  1 1  in.  ; 
(5)  9  f'-  3i  '■>•  i  (6)  9  ft-  9  '"•  There  is 
apparently  no  structural  reason  for  the 
contraction  of  the  western  bays. 

^  Antiq.  viii,  169. 


^  *  The  only  remaining  way  of  explain- 
ing the  actual  state  of  things,  short  of 
w.-inton  reclcleasncss  or  stupidity,  would 
seem  to  be  that  an  irregular  curvature 
with  an  uneven  springing  line  having 
been  designed  for  the  arches  originally, 
and  a  certain  number  of  voussoirs  cut  to 
that   form,    the    idea,   before   the    arches 

282 


were  actually  turned,  was  abandoned  and 
the  prepared  stones  worked  up  on  a  nearly 
level  springing  line  in  the  way  we  now 
sec*  {Arch.  Aei.  xvii,  232). 

^*  The  tracery  is  modern,  replacing 
*  dreadful  sashes,'  but  probably  reprcsenti 
more  or  less  the  design  of  the  15th-cen- 
tury windows. 


STOCKTON    WARD 


HARTLEPOOL 


embattled  parapet  and  angle  pinnacles.  Externally 
the  lower  stage  is  again  divided  into  two,  correspond- 
ing in  height  with  the  aisle  and  clearstory,  the  aisles 
being  carried  along  the  north  and  south  sides  of  the 
tower  with  lean-to  roofs  between  the  great  buttresses. 
The  tower  measures  internally  about  1 8  ft.  by  20  ft., 
the  greater  length  being  from  north  to  south,  and 
there  is  a  vice,  carried  up  as  a  turret,  in  the  south-west 
corner.  The  ringing  chamber  is  lighted  on  the  north, 
south  and  west  by  pairs  of  moulded  lancets,  and  the 
belfry  stage  has  an  external  arcade  on  the  same  three 
sides  of  four  moulded  arches,  of  which  two  on  each 
face  were  pierced.  On  the  east  side  above  the  roof 
are  two  wider  pointed  windows.  There  is  also  a  blank 
arcade  on  the  north  and  south  sides,  ranging  roughly 
with  the  clearstory  immediately  above  the  aisle  roofs, 
that  on  the  north  side  being  more  or  less  perfect,  but 
only  one  arch  remaining  on  the  south.  Internally  a 
great  deal  of  the  original  detail  is  now  covered  up  by 
the  fillings  of  the  arches,  and  the  whole  is  encumbered 
with  timber  shoring.  The  great  east  arch  to  the  nave 
occupies  the  whole  space  from  the  piers  of  the  arcades 
up  to  the  full  height  of  the  clearstory,  and,  liice  the 
arches  north  and  south  to  the  aisles,  was  richly  moulded, 
but  with  the  exception  of  the  hood  mould  and  part  of 
the  outer  order  all  its  detail  is  now  buried.  Of  the 
original  western  opening  all  that  can  be  said  is  that  it 
was  considerably  wider  than  the  existing  and  slightly 
later  doorway,  and  that  it  had  nook  shafts  separated  by 
rows  of  dog-tooth."  The  vault  has  deeply  moulded 
ribs  meeting  in  a  floreated  central  boss,  but  is  now  in 
a  greatly  shattered  state.  In  the  filling  of  the  western 
arch  is  a  window  of  three  lancet  lights  within  a  single 
arch,  which  now  alone  lights  the  tower  space.  The 
west  wall  of  the  'galllee'  has  gone,  but  sufficient 
masonry  remains  at  either  end  to  mark  its  position. 
The  north  and  south  doorways,  which  are  pierced 
through  the  buttresses,  though  much  decayed,  still 
remain  as  when  erected.  That  on  the  south  side 
consists  of  three  moulded  orders  springing  from  angle 
shafts  with  moulded  capitals  and  bases,  inclosed  within 
a  hood  mould  and  with  an  inner  trefoiled  arch — a 
beautiful  piece  of  I  3th-century  work.  That  on  the 
north  is  much  plainer,  consisting  of  four  chamfered 
orders  on  the  outside  and  two  facing  south,  the  wall 
itself  being  considerably  thicker  than  those  on  the  west 
and  south. 

The  font  was  'the  gift  of  Geo.  Bowes,  Esq.,  1728,' 
and  consists  of  a  circular  scalloped  marble  basin  and 
shaft,  with  contemporary  wooden  cover. 

The  pulpit  and  all  the  fittings  are  modern. 

There  is  a  brass  in  the  floor  of  the  nave  immediately 
in  front  of  the  chancel  arch,  with  a  figure  of  Jane 
Bell,  who  died  in  1593." 

In  the  engaged  portion  of  the  aisle  south  of  the 
tower  are  preserved  a  number  of  fragments  of  old 
masonry,  consisting  of  capitals,  gable  crosses,  &c., 
together  with  three  stone  coffins ''  and  a  mutilated 


female    effigy.     An  ancient  key,  found  in   a  putlog 
hole  in  the  tower  in  1893,  is  now  in  the  vestry. 

The  tower  contains  three  bells  cast  by  T.  Mears  of 
London  in  18  19.     The  clock  dates  from  1895. 

The  plate  consists  of  an  egg-shaped  chalice  of  1813 
and  a  paten  and  flagon  of  1818,  all  made  by  Thomas 
Watson  of  Newcastle-upon-Tyne.  The  chalice  and 
flagon  are  inscribed,  '  Presented  by  the  Corporation 
of  Hartlepool,'  and  the  paten  (which  stands  on  three 
feet)  '1818  Hartlepool.  This  Communion  Plate  was 
presented  by  William  Harry,  Earl  of  Darlington, 
Mayor,  George  Pocock,  Esq.,  M.P.,  Robert  Wilson, 
Esq.,  William  Vollum,  Esq.,  Sir  Cuthbert  Sharp, 
John  Cooke,  Esq.,  Rev.  Will"  Wilson,  William  Sedge- 
wick,  Esq.,  Aldermen,  and  Mr.  Robert  Richardson, 
aided  by  the  liberal  subscriptions  of  the  hon.  &  right 
rev.  Shute  Bishop  of  Durham,  and  the  Rev""  Dr. 
Prosser,  Archdeacon.''" 

The  registers  begin  in  i;66. 

The  church  of  the  HOLT  TRINITl'  was  built 
in  1850-1.  It  is  a  stone  building  in  the  early  14th- 
century  style,  and  consists  of  a  chancel,  nave,  north  and 
south  aisles,  north  and  south  porches,  vestry  and  organ 
chamber  and  western  bellcote.  The  parish,  which 
includes  the  northern  part  of  the  town,  was  formed 
in  1853."  The  living  is  a  vicar.age  in  the  gift  of  the 
Bishop  of  Durham. 

The  church  of  ST.  JNDREIf,  in  Croft  Terrace, 
built  in  1886,  is  a  stone  building  in  the  13th-century 
style,  consisting  of  a  chancel  with  organ  chamber, 
nave,  north  aisle,  south  porch  and  south  tower.  It 
serves  as  a  chapel  of  ease  to  St.  Hilda. 

The  church  of  '  the  Isle  of  St. 
^DFOPTSON  Hilda'  (apparently  an  early  desig- 
nation for  the  present  peninsula  ;  cf. 
the  name  Heruteu  above)  was  granted  to  the  monastery 
of  Guisborough  by  Robert  de  Brus  (II)  and  his  wife 
Eufemia  about  the  middle  of  the  i  2th  century."  In 
the  confirmation  charter  of  Henry  II  of  1 182  the 
'church  of  Herterpol '  was  included  as  well  as  the 
church  of  Hart."  In  1237  William  Archdeacon  of 
Durham  placed  the  Prior  and  convent  of  Guisborough 
in  corporal  possession  of  the  chapel  of  St.  Hilda  of 
Hartlepool,  according  to  their  former  possession  and 
ancient  right,"'  after  the  resignation  of  the  chapclry 
by  Lawrence,  former  Prior  of  Guisborough,  who  on 
his  surrender  of  the  priorship  at  a  date  before  1219" 
was  given  the  chapel  of  Hartlepool  for  his  support  by 
the  papal  legate." 

In  1291  the  chapel  of  Hartlepool  was  worth  jf26 
I  3/.  4<3'.  ficT  annum."  At  the  commission  of  array  in 
1400  the  vicar  of  Hartlepool  appeared  with  a  lance 
and  two  arrows,  the  rector  of  HartLpool  with  three 
lances  and  six  arrows." 

Hartlepool  is  included  in  the  rectory  of  Hart  in 
the  Fa/or  Ecclaiastkus  of  1535."  On  the  dissolution 
of  Guisborough  Monastery  in  1539-40  the  rectory 
of  Hart  with  the  chapelry  of  Hartlepool  and  tithes 


'"  Arch.  Ael.  xvii,  239. 

'*  '  She  was  the  dowghter  of  Laurence 
Thornell  of  Darlington,  gent.,  and  late 
wyfe  of  Parsevel  Bell,  nowe  maire  of  this 
towcn  of  Hartinpoocll,  marchant.' 

**  Two  of  the  coffins  are  of  small  size, 
measuring  3  ft.  8  in.  and  4  ft.  3  in.  in 
length  respectively.  During  the  restora- 
tion of  the  tower  in  1893,  thirteen  grave 
covers  were  discovered  built  up  inside  the 
tower  to  form  the  top  of  an  Early  English 


lancet  window.  On  one  of  the  covers 
was  incised  a  drawing  of  a  mediaeval  ship 
and  on  another  a  child  ;  on  the  right-hand 
side  of  the  cross  is  what  appears  to  be  a 
bottle,  probably  to  represent  a  chris- 
matory  (Rev.  E.  J.  Taylor  in  Froc.  Soc. 
Antij.  ofNe~.vcatlU  (N.  S.),  20  (.1893-4)). 

^^  Proc.  Soc.  Anti^.    IS'c'ZVC.iStUy  iii,  221. 

"  LonJ.  Gaz.  8  Feb.  1853,  p.  331. 

"  Rc^.  of  Archh[:  Gray  (Surt.  Soc.), 
p.  80  n. 


"  Guhbro'  Charlul.  (Sun.  Soc.),  16.  See 
Hart  advowion. 

'*  Guisiro'  Chartul.  (Surt.  Soc),  ii,  325. 

''•'  Lawrence  was  prior  in  1211,  quondam 
prior  in  1219  (Ibid,  i,  xvii). 

"  Reg.  of  Arckhp.  Gray  (Surt.  Soc), 
p.  80. 

"  Pofc  Nich.  Tax.  (Rcc.  Com.),  315. 

'*  Hill.  Duaclm.  Script.  Trci  (Surt. 
Soc),  App.  pp.  clxxxv,  clxxxvi. 

"  yalor  Eccl.  (Rec.  Com.),  v,  So,  319. 


283 


A   HISTORY  OF   DURHAM 


of  fish  there  passed  to  the  Crown."'  The  right  of 
presentation  belonged  to  the  vicar  of  Hart  until  1905, 
when  It  was  transferred  to  the  Bishop  of  Dur- 
ham." 

Hart  rectory  and  Hartlepool  chapel  were  leased  to 
Thomas  Legh  in  1541."  Subsequently  the  rectory 
became  the  property  of  Lord  Lumley."  In  1644 
the  tithes,  including  that  offish,  were  sequestered  as 
part  of  Lord  Lumley's  possessions,  and  let  to  Richard 
Malam."  In  1650,  when  John  son  of  Lord  Lumley 
compounded  for  his  estate,  he  offered  the  rectory  as 
half  the  fine." 

The  clergy  of  Hartlepool  seem  to  have  been  un- 
satisfactory in  the  16th  century,  perhaps  on  account 
of  the  strong  Roman  Catholic  feeling  in  the  town. 
In  1578  the  task  set  for  the  clergy  at  the 
visit.ition  was  '  utterly  neglected  by  Robert  Toyes, 
deacon  of  Hartlepool,'"  and  in  the  following  year 
Nicholas  Lowes,  curate  of  Hartlepool,  was  suspended 
from  his  ministry."' 

After  the  Reform.ition  the  affairs  of  the  church  were 
managed  by  the  corporation.  The  parish  register 
from  I  566  to  1597  was  kept  in  the  corporation  books." 
Orders  for  the  church  were  drawn  up  in  I  599  among 
the  other  orders  for  the  town,  and  the  list  was  supple- 
mented in  1600,  164.0  and  165;.*'  The  mayor  and 
chief  burgesses  chose  the  two  churchwardens,  who 
presented  their  accounts  at  the  borough  court.'" 

The  chantry  of  St.  Nicholas  was  founded  in  St. 
Hilda's  Chapel  at  Hartlepool  before  1396,  when  the 
mayor  and  commonalty  received  licence  from  the 
bishop  to  refound  it  for  the  maintenance  of  one 
chaplain,  and  to  endow  it  with  eight  messuages  in 
Hartlepool  held  of  Maud  de  Clifford."  On  i  Janu- 
ary 1 501-2  Nicholas  Pert,  chaplain,  was  presented 
to  this  chantry  by  the  mayor  and  corporation  on  the 
death  of  John  Crevison."  This  chantry  is  not  men- 
tioned in  the  rakr  Eccksiastkiis  or  in  the  report  of  the 
Chantry  Commissioners  in  1 548. 

The  third  part  of  a  tenement  in  Hartlepool,  which 
had  belonged  to  a  chantry,  was  granted  to  Anthony 
Collins  and  James  M.iylanJ  on  17  March  1585,  and 
was  sold  by  them  on  29  March  of  the  same  year  to 
John  Aubrey  and  Gcr.ird  Pudsey,  who  resold  it  on 
20  November  1 599  to  John  Richardson."  In 
161  5  William  Clopton,  a  collector  of  the  rents  of 
suppressed  religious  houses,  was  charged  with  conceal- 
ing, among  other  money,  rents  from  the  possessions 
of  a  chantry  in  Hartlepool,"  and  in  1609-10  land 
belonging  to  a  chantry  in  Hartlepool  was  granted  to 
Horatio  Earl  of  Lennox.  In  none  of  these  cases  is 
the  name  of  the  chantry  mentioned,  and  it  is  only 
conjecture  that  it  was  the  chantry  of  St.  Nicholas. 

In  1393  the  mayor  and  commonalty  also  had 
licence  to  found  anew  the  chantry  in  the  chapel  of 


St.  Helen  and  endow  it  with  ten  messuages  and  rent 
in  Hartlepool  and  Nelston." 

The  chantry  of  the  Annunciation  of  the  Blessed 
Virgin  Mary  was  founded  by  Bishop  Kellaw.  In 
I  3  1 1  he  proclaimed  that,  as  the  rents  of  the  altar  of 
the  Blessed  Mary  in  Hartlepool  Chapel  were  now 
sufficient  for  the  maintenance  of  a  chantry,  he  would 
ordain  such  a  chantry  unless  cause  to  the  contrary 
should  be  shown  before  a  certain  day."'  In  1314  the 
bishop  pronounced  sentence  of  excommunication 
against  any  person  who  should  detain  legacies  from 
the  altar  of  St.  Mary  in  the  church  of  St.  Hilda." 

In  1396  the  mayor  and  commonalty  of  Hartle- 
pool received  licence  from  the  bishop  to  refound  the 
chantry  of  St.  Mary.  The  endowment  was  for  two 
chaplains,  and  mcluded  thirty-two  messuages,  twenty- 
seven  tofts  and  crofts,  i\  roods  of  land  and  84/.  51/. 
rent,  most  of  it  held  of  Maud  dc  Clifford."  The 
presentation  of  chaplains  to  the  chantry  by  the  mayor 
and  commonalty  occurs  in  1413  and  1435."  On 
15  February  1501-2  the  mayor  and  corporation 
presented  William  Wright  in  place  of  John  Gravcson, 
deceased.'""  The  chantry  is  then  called  the  chantry  of 
the  Annunciation  of  the  Blessed  Mary  the  Virgin. 
In  1535  there  was  only  one  chaplain,  John  Holme  ; 
the  clear  value  was  65/.  i\d.  rent  received  from 
thirteen  burgages.' 

In  1548  the  Chantry  Commissioners  valued  the 
chantry  of  our  Lady  in  the  parish  church  of  Hartle- 
pool at  £6  9;.  ^ti.  There  was  no  stock,  and  the 
goods  and  ornaments  were  not  apprised.' 

On  6  April  1605  the  king  granted  to  Sir  Henry 
Lindley  and  John  Starkey  a  wasted  messuage  in 
Micklegate,  lately  belonging  to  the  chantry  of  St. 
Mary,  and  in  July  1607  they  sold  it  to  Henry  Dethick.' 

In  1395-6  the  mayor  and  commonalty  of  Hartle- 
pool obtained  licence  from  the  bishop  to  give  seven 
messuages  in  Hartlepool  held  of  Maud  de  Cliflbrd  to 
William  Bakster  and  William  Howe,  keepers  of  the 
fabric  of  the  church  of  St.  Hilda,  for  the  purpose  of 
supplying  a  light  at  the  altar  of  the  Blessed  Mary, 
and  for  sustaining  the  quire  of  the  church.' 

Educational      Charities.  —  Henry 
CHARITIES     Smith's  secondary  school  was  founded 
on  26  June  1884.''' 

The  several  elementary  schools  have  been  already 
dealt  with.' 

Eleemosynary  Charities. — In  1679  Sir  William 
Blackett,  by  his  will,  devised  for  the  poor  a  rent-charge 
of  j^2  issuing  out  of  property  at  Newcastle-upon-Tyne. 
The  rent-charge  was  redeemed  in  1873  by  the  transfer 
of  j^67  consols  to  the  official  trustees.  The  annual 
dividends,  now  amounting  to  j^i  1 3.f.  \d.,  are  dis- 
tributed in  small  money  doles,  generally  of  2/.  6d. 
each,  to  poor  widows. 


8"  Guitbro'  Chariul.  (Surt.  Soc),  ii, 
p.  xxxiv.  The  priory  of  Gisbrough  had 
tithe  of  fish  caught  on  the  *  coast  of  Hart- 
nesi'  (Cal.  Cloir,  1237-41,  pp.  169,  177). 

8^  Information  from  Rev.  E.  R.  Ormsby, 
rector  of  St.  Hilda's,  Hartlcpiol. 

«>  L.  and  P.  Hen.  Fill,  xvi,  p.  728. 

^*  Sec  Hart  advowson. 

8*  Rtr.  Com.  for  Comp.  (Surt.  Soc),  i. 

^^  Cat.  Com.  for  Comp.  ii,  920. 

*'  Bp.  Barnes   Injunc.  (Surt.  Soc),  74. 

"  Ibid.  96. 

8*  Sharp,  Hist,  of  Hartltpool,  -ja^ 

«*  Ibid.  Ii2n. 


^  Munic.  Rec  i. 

»'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  33,  m.  15  d. 

^-  Bp.  Barnes  Injunc.  (Surt.  Soc),  App. 
i,  p.  viii. 

"'  Arch.  All.  (New  Ser.),  iii,  25. 

^'  Troc.  Soc,  Antiq,  Neivcastle  (Ser.  3), 
iii,  1 19. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  33,  m.  16  d.  ; 
Rentals  and  Surv.  ptf.  7,  no.  29  ;  Bp. 
Barnes'  Injunc.  (Surt.  Soc),  Ixx  ;  yalor 
Eccl.  (Rec.  Com.),  v,  326.  For  the 
Chapel  of  St.  Helen  without  the  Walls, 
see  Hart  advowson. 

^  Reg.  Palat.  Dunelm.  (RoUi  Ser.),  i,  1 3  6. 

284 


"  Ibid.  629. 

"f  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  33,  m.  i6d. 

^  Sharp,  Htst.  of  Hartlepool^  121  n. 

'«>  Hist.  Dunelm.  Script.  Tres  (Surt. 
Soc),  App.  i,  p.  viii. 

'  l-'alor  Eccl.  (Rec.  Com.),  v,  326  ;  cf. 
Harl.  Roll  D  36,  m.  23  d. 

^  Bp.  Barnes'  Injunc.  (Surt.  Soc),  App. 
vi,  p.  Ixix. 

^  Pat.  3  Jas.  I,  pt.  X  ;  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3, 
R,  94,  m.  27  d. 

'  Ibid.  R.  33,  m.  i6d. 

'  See  '  Schools,'  I'.C.H.  Dur.  i,  40. 

'  Ibid.  403. 


Hartlepool  Chlrch  :    The  Nave  Arcades 


STOCKTON   WARD 


HURWORTH 


John  Farmer,  by  will  proved  at  Durham,  3  January 
1 879,  bequeathed  j^ioo,  the  income  to  be  divided 
among  the  widows  and  orphans  of  fishermen.  The 
legacy,  less  duty,  was  invested  in  £10  North  Eastern 
Railway  4  per  cent,  stocic,  producing  £z  1 6/.  yearly. 

The  same  testator  bequeathed  four  sums  of  ;^ioo 
each  for  investment  at  a  rate  of  interest  not  less  than 
5  per  cent.,  such  interest  to  be  applied  in  aid  of  the 
funds  connected  with  the  lifeboats  at  Scaton,  Hartle- 
pool and  West  Hartlepool,  and  at  Rcdcar  in  the  North 
Riding  of  the  county  of  Yorlc.  The  sum  of  ^^360, 
being  the  amount  of  the  legacies,  less  duty,  was  paid 
by  the  executors  to  the  Royal  Lifeboat  Institution,  in 
respect  of  which  a  remittance  of  [^\  10/.  is  remitted 
yearly  to  each  of  the  four  branches  for  the  benefit  of 
their  lifeboat  establishments. 

James  Groves,  by  a  codicil  to  his  will  proved  at 
Durham  in  1882,  bequeathed  j^i5o,  the  income  to 
be  distributed  at  Christmas  among  all  the  fishermen 
who  might  at  the  time  be  natives  of  and  residents  in 
Hartlepool,  and  not  less  than  fifty  years  of  age.  The 
charity  came  into  operation  on  the  death  of  the 
testator's  widow  in  1 900,  but  owing  to  an  insufficiency 
of  assets  a  sum  of  j^iaj  3/.  9a'.  only  was  paid,  which 
was  invested  in  ;£i38  8/.  id.  consols,  producing 
Li  9/.  yearly. 

The  sums  of  stock  are  held  by  the  official  trustees. 

The  Seamen's  Pension  Fund,  founded  by  Sir 
Christopher  Furness  by  deed  3  July  I  895,  is  endowed 
with  j^i  3,000  5  per  cent.  War  Stock  in  the  name  of 
Viscount  Furness  and  j^l  1,000  4  per  cent.  Funding 
Stock  in  the  names  of  Walter  Furness  and  John 
Thomas  Furness,  bringing  in  an  income  of  ^^  1,090 
a    year.      Pensions    of  [^\o  a  year    are    payable    to 


seamen  resident  in  Hartlepool  or  West  Hartlepool,  ot 
the  age  of  filty  years  and  upwards,  who  have  served 
as  seamen  for  twenty-five  years  at  least,  and  who  at 
some  time  during  such  period  have  served  in  vessels 
trading  or  registered  as  belonging  to  those  ports. 

Church  Estate. — -The  endowments  known  as  the 
Church  property  have  from  time  immemorial  been 
leased  for  the  benefit  of  the  church  of  St.  Hilda,  the 
earliest  lease  extant  being  dated  2;  September  1706. 
The  trust  property  consists  of  a  dwelling-house  and 
three  houses  in  the  High  Street,  a  house  and  shop 
on  Church  Bank,  two  houses  in  St.  Mary  Street, 
and  three  cottages  known  as  Fisher  Row,  and 
j^6 1  3/.  \\d.  consols,  the  whole  producing  yearly 
j^l28  or  thereabouts,  which  is  applied  to  the  repair 
of  the  fabric  of  the  church. 

The  Independent  chapel,  schoolroom  and  trust 
property  at  Brougham  Street  are  comprised  in  an 
indenture  of  lease  of  25  January  1844,  declaration 
of  trust  15  February  1 844  and  indenture  of 
conveyance  13  November  1S85.  Trustees  were 
appointed  by  order  of  Charity  Commissioners  of 
16  February  1923. 

St.  John's  Presbyterian  Church  of  England  trust 
property  is  comprised  in  an  indenture  dated  6  Novem- 
ber 1880. 

Matthew  Henry  Horsley,  by  his  will  proved 
27  May  1925,  gave  j^l,ooo  to  the  trustees  of  the 
Northgate  Wesleyan  Chapel,  the  income  to  be 
applied  towards  the  maintenance  of  the  Horsley 
Memorial  Institute  at  Hartlepool.  The  bequest  was 
invested  in  ^^  1,684  o/.  <^d.  India  3  per  cent,  stock, 
now  with  the  official  trustees,  producing  ^^50  \os.  \d. 
yearly. 


HURWORTH 


Hurdewurda  (xii  cent.). 

The  parish  of  Hurworth  lies  on  the  north  bank  of 
the  winding  Tees,  and  comprises  the  townships  of 
Hurworth  on  the  west  and  Neasham  on  the  east, 
the  former  having  an  area  of  2,438  acres  and  the 
latter  of  1,636,  making  4,074  acres  in  all,  of  which 
74  acres  are  inland  water.  It  is  bounded  by 
Darlington  on  the  west,  where  the  Skerne  forms  part 
of  the  boundary,  Haughton  le  Skerne  on  the  north, 
Dinsdale  on  the  east,  and  Yorkshire  on  the  south. 
The  surface  is  mostly  over  100  ft.  above  the  ordnance 
datum,  but  there  is  a  considerable  expanse  of  lower 
land  in  the  centre,  between  the  vill.iges  of  Hurworth 
and  Neasham,  and  through  it  Cree  Beck  and  another 
stream  flow  south  to  the  Tees.  This  river  makes 
several  sharp  turns  through  the  lower  lands,  though 
its  banks  usually  rise  steeply  from  the  river  on  one 
side  or  the  other,  and  are  in  many  places  clad  with 
trees.  The  village  of  Hurworth  is  pleasantly  situated 
on  one  of  these  steeper  banks.  It  has  the  Grange  on 
higher  ground  to  the  west,  Pilmore  and  Rockliffe  in 
the  river  bend  to  the  south  ;  the  Moor  is  in  the 
north.  To  the  east  the  Tees  turns  sharply  to  the 
south    and    north   again,    and    then    passes   Nevvbus 


Grange  and  the  site  of  Neasham  Priory.  Further 
to  the  east  it  passes  below  the  village  of  Neasham, 
behind  which  the  surface  rises  to  1 80  ft.  above  the 
ordnance  datum.  The  river  again  bends  south,  passing 
the  Hall  and  then  east  towards  the  Sockburn  penin- 
sula. In  the  north  end  of  the  township  are  houses 
called  Low  Maidendale  and  Hunger  Hill.' 

The  old  north  road  from  Yorkshire  over  Croft 
Bridge  towards  Darlington  passes  through  the  west  end 
of  the  township.  The  bridge  wa»  built  on  the  site  of 
an  older  one '••  in  1673,  and  h.is  seven  arches,  of  which 
two  are  within  Durham. ■^  A  village  called  Hurworth 
Place  sprang  up  by  the  bridge  about  the  time  of  the 
making  of  the  railway  in  1829.'  From  the  bridge 
a  road  goes  eastward  through  both  the  villages  on  to 
Dinsdale,  with  a  branch  south-east  to  Sockburn. 
The  main  line  of  the  London  &  North  Eastern 
railw.iy  runs  north  through  the  west  side  of  the 
parish  ;  it  crosses  the  Tecs  about  half  a  mile  below 
Croft  by  a  bridge  made  in  1840,  and  has  a  station 
called  Croft  Spa  close  to  the  public  bridge  ;  the 
old  railway  from  Darlington  to  the  same  place  runs 
alongside  to  the  west.  At  the  east  end  of  Hurworth 
village  there  is  another  bridge  across  the  Tees,  and 


'  A  close  called  Hunger  Hill  was  held 
by  James  Lawson  in  1631  (Uur.  Rcc. 
d.  3,  hie  186,  no.  31). 

^ii  This  was  in  1531  called  *  the  most 
direct  and  sure  way  *  to  the  north  (Surtces, 
Hiit.anJ  AntipofCo.  Pulat.  o/"/)ur.iii,4.o8). 


'  Fordyce,  Hiir.  anJ  Antip  of  Co. 
Palat.  of  Dur.  i,  503.  The  blue  boundary 
•tone  is  on  the  pier  of  the  third  arch  from 
the    Durham   side  and  is  inscribed   dun. 

CONTRIBVAT     NORTH    RIO.    COM.      IBOR.    ET 


285 


COM.    DL'NEL.    STATU   APUD  SESS,   VTHQC   GIN. 

PAC.  AN.  DO.    1673    (Longstaflfc,  Hist,  of 
Darlington,  41). 

'  Fordyce,  op.  cit.     It  is  often  regarded 
ai  part  of  Crotc. 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


there  are  fords  near  Neasham  village  called  High 
Wath  and   Low  Wath. 

The  soil  is  various,  with  clay  in  some  places.  Two- 
thirds  of  the  land,  i.e.,  about  2,600  acres,  were  arable 
seventy  years  ago,'  but  now  the  agricultural  land  is 
divided  into  1,015  •''crcs  of  arable,  2,270  of  perma- 
nent grass  and  279  of  woods  and  plantations.*  Barley 
is  grown,  also  potatoes  and  turnips  and  fruit.  Bricks 
used  to  be  made  near  Croft  and  draining-tiles  at 
Skipbridge.  There  was  formerly  some  weaving  of 
linen  cloth,  and  the  red  sandstone  in  the  river  bed 
was  worked.' 

An  old  subscription  pack,  the  Hurworth  Foxhounds, 
has  kennels  about  a  mile  north  of  the  village.'  There 
are  rifle  targets  in  Neasham. 

There  is  a  village  hall  and  reading  room,  built  in 
1864. 

The  Tees  being  liable  to  sudden  and  violent  floods, 
there  used  to  be  a  man  appointed  to  'warn  the 
water,'  i.e.,  to  give  the  inhabitants  lower  down  the 
river  notice  when  a  flood  had  reached  Neasham.' 

The  history  of  the  parish  has  been  quite  uneventful. 
Of  the  families  holding  manors  in  the  parish  in  the 
1 3th  and  following  centuries  only  the  Chartenays  are 
known  to  have  resided  here.'  Neasham  was  probably 
the  place  where  Margaret,  daughter  of  Henry  VII, 
in  her  bridal  journey  to  Scotland  in  July  1 504, 
paused  on  her  way  from  Northallerton  to  Darling- 
ton :  '  She  was  met  by  Sir  Ralph  Bowes  and  Sir 
William  .Aylton,  well  appointed,  with  a  fair  company 
arrayed  in  their  liveries,  to  the  number  of  forty 
horses,  well  appointed  and  well  horsed.  In  the  said 
place  of  [Neasham]  was  the  said  queen  received  with 
the  abbess  and  religious  with  the  cross,  without  the 
gate  ;  and  the  bishop  of  Durham  gave  her  the  cross 
for  to  kiss.''"  At  the  Dissolution  the  100  acres  of 
demesne  lands  of  the  priory  lay  scattered  among  the 
common  fields  ;  the  house  had  a  grange  at  Little 
Burdon,  a  tenement  and  a  cottage  or  messuage  in 
Neasham,  while  close  by  the  gate  of  the  house  stood 
nine  cottages,  probably  for  the  labourers.'"^  Among 
Neasham  place-names  in  the  1 7th  century  were 
Haire  close,  Tan  flatts,  Middleton  Mouth  and  Little 
Ox  closes.""' 

Six  Hurworth  men  joined  the  Northern  rising  of 
1569,  and  one  of  them  was  executed."  The  pro- 
testation of  1 64 1  was  signed  here." 

The  chief  celebrity  is  William  Emerson,  a  mathema- 
tician. He  was  the  son  of  Dudley  Emerson,  a  school- 
master, and  was  born  at  Hurworth  in  1 70 1 .  Educated 
at  Newcastle  and  York,  he  afterwards  took  pupils  at 
Hurworth,  and  then  devoted  himself  to  mathematics. 
He  died  at  Hurworth  in  1782  and  has  a  monument 


in  the  church.     His  wife  died  two  years  later  ;  there 
were  no  children  of  the  marriage." 

A  parish  council  elected  in  each  of  the  townships 
of  Hurworth  and  Neasham  regulates  local  affairs. 

Names  of  certain  portions  of  the  16th-century 
common  fields  have  been  preserved,  for  among  the 
lands  assigned  to  the  maintenance  of  the  church 
lights  were  buttes  in  the  Greendike  within  the 
Castle  field,  buttes  in  Crakehall  Dike,  an  acre  in 
Goslinge  Myres  and  an  acre  in  Skiton." 

The  Wesleyan  Methodists  and  Primitive  Methodists 
have  chapels  at  Hurworth,  and  the  former  have  another 
at  Hurworth  Place  (Croft),  built  in  1870. 

There  was  a  school  at  Hurworth  before  1770, 
when  it  was  refounded. 

HURirORTH,  which  was  in  the 
MANORS  wapentake  of  Sadberge,"^  was  held  in 
the  1 2th  century  in  thegnage  with 
Hepple  in  Coquetdale,  Northumberland."  The 
earliest  thegn  of  Hepple  whose  name  is  known  is 
Waldef,  whose  daughters  held  land,  apparently  of  their 
father's  gift,  in  Hurworth  and  Neasham.'"  Waldef's 
son  William  was  the  tenant  in  1 161."  He  was 
succeeded  before  1 177  by  his  son,  another  William," 
who  left  three  daughters  and  co-heirs.  Of  these 
Elizabeth  married  William  Bardulf,  who  in  1200 
paid  30  marks  to  hold  the  Northumberland  lands 
for  one  knight's  fee  instead  of  in  thegnage."  Hur- 
worth continued  to  be  held  by  a  money  rent.  Accord- 
ing to  the  14th-century  inquisitions  the  tenants 
also  owed  the  service  of  custody  of  the  gaol  at 
Sadberge.'" 

In  1206  the  king  authorized  the  marriage  of  Eliza- 
beth widow  of  William  Bardulf  with  Ivo  Tailbois, 
who  was  chamberlain  of  Robert  de  V'ipont."  Ivo 
and  Elizabeth  and  Elizabeth's  sisters  held  the  thegnage 
lands  in  Hurworth  in  i  2  i  2  for  a  rent  of  60/."  The 
sisters  married  Richard  de  Chartenay  and  Roger  de 
Butemont  respectively,  who  performed  their  service 
by  the  hands  of  Ivo."  The  name  of  Elizabeth  wife 
of  Ivo  Tailbois  occurs  in  I  21 1  and  Ivo  in  I  21 3." 
In  1218-19  it  W.1S  found  that  the  marriage  of  the 
widow  of  Ivo  Tailbois  was  in  the  king's  donation  and 
that  she  had  married  Nicholas  de  Farendon." 
Shortly  afterwards  it  was  stated  that  Robert  Tailbois 
ought  to  be  in  the  king's  wardship,  but  his  mother 
held  the  land  and  haJ  made  fine  for  his  custody."  In 
1229  Roger  de  Butemont  claimed  in  Hepple  against 
Nicholas  de  Farendon,  Elizabeth  his  wife,  Richard 
de  Chartenay  and  Maud  his  wife."  About  1235 
Nicholas  de  Farendon  and  Elizabeth  held  the  lord- 
ship of  Hepple  in  her  right."  Roger  de  Butemont 
held  a  third  part  of  Hepple  of  Nicholas  and  Elizabeth, 


*  Lewis,  Tofog.  Diet. 

*  Statistics  from  Bd.  of  Agric.  (1905). 

*  Lewis,  op.  cit. 

'  y.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  398.  There  were 
otter  hounds  for  a  time  (ibid.  403). 

*  Mackenzie  and  Ross,  yie'zv  of  Co. 
Dur.  ii,  41. 

'  See  below. 

'»  Leland,  Co!!,  iv,  275.  The  name 
is  misspelt  Hejtham. 

">'  Harl.  R.  D  36. 

"""Chan.  Proc.  (Ser.  2),  bdle.  436, 
no.  3. 

"Sharp,  Mem.  of  Rihellion  of  1569, 
251.  Robert  Browne  of  '  Nysham,'  gent., 
was  indicted  (ibid.  229). 

'"  Hilt.  MSS.  Rep.  V,  App.  125. 


*^  Diet,  Nat.  Biog.  j  Fordyce,  op.  cit. 
499. 

'*  Aug.  Office  Particulars  for  Leases, 
61e  34,  no.  59  ;  Pat.  zz  £liz.  pt.  vii, 
m.4. 

'^a  Rent,  and  Surv.  (Gen.  Ser.),  1012, 

"  Pipe  R.  6  John,  m.  4. 

'*  See  below. 

"  Pipe  R.  7  Hen.  //(Pipe  R.  Soc),  24. 

1*  Ibid.  23  Hen.  II,  84;  25  Hen.  II, 
28  ;  Gt.  R.  of  tie  Pipe,  i  Ric.  I  (Rec. 
Com.),  241. 

>=  ReJBi.  ofExe/i.  (Rolls  Ser.),  ii,  563  ; 
Rot.  de  Ohlaiii  et  Ftn.  (Rec.  Com.),  61  ; 
Rot.  Cane.  (Rec.  Com.),  57  ;  Testa  de 
Nevil!  {Rec.  Com.),  395. 

*"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  76,  92. 

286 


"  Rot.  Lit.  Claui.  (Rec.  Com.),  i,  71. 

"  Teiia  de  NeviU,  loc.  cit.  They  are 
here  described  as  the  heirs  of  Walter 
Fitz  Gilbert,  evidently  a  confusion  due  to 
the  fact  that  Walter  Fitz  Gilbert's  barony 
of  Bohun  had  fallen  to  co-heiresses  at 
about  the  same  time, 

"  Ibid. 

'*  Bo!don  Bk.  (Surt.  Soc),  pp.  xv,  xx. 

'^  Teita  de  Nevill  (Rec.  Com.),  391  : 
Ca!.  Doc.  re!,  to  Scot!,  i,  128. 

«  Testa  de  NeviH,  loc.  cit. 

>'  Ca!.  Pat.  1225-32,  p.  283.  Roger 
was  constable  of  Tonnay,  near  Rochefort 
{Ca!.  Close,  1227-31,  pp.  428-9). 

>»  Testa  de  Neviil  (Rec.  Com.),  384, 
389. 


STOCKTON    WARD 


HURWORTH 


with  other  lands,  by  a  rent  of  i6/.,  and  Maud  de 
Chartenay  held  the  remaining  third  by  the  same  rent." 
The  conditions  at  Hurworth  were  probably  identical, 
but  there  are  no  means  of  tracing  them  in  detail. 

Elizabeth  Tailbois  in  1252  obtained  a  grant  of 
free  warren  for  Hepple,"'and  died  about  1256  holding 
the  knight's  fee  in  Northumberland  and  leaving  a  son 
and  heir  Robert,  aged  forty,"  who  paid  lOO;.  relief 
and  had  livery."  Robert  died  about  a  year  later, 
leaving  a  son  Robert,  of  full  age,"  who  paid  the 
same  relief.^'  Robert  Tailbois  is  recorded  to  have 
made  certain  exchanges  of  land  in  Hurworth,  viz.,  in 
Gesslingmir  with  Richard  de  Cabury  and  in  Grim- 
wathflat  with  Walter  de  Butemond.  This  Walter  sold 
other  land  to  Richard  de  Cabury."  It  is  probable 
that  about  that  time  the  Butemond  or  Butemont  share 
fell  to  the  other  partners  for  lack  of  issue,  for  Robert 
Tailbois  in  1 28 1  was  found  to  have  held  a  moiety  of 
Hepple  ;  his  son  Luke  was  twenty-three  years  of 
age."  In  1 275  the  elder  Robert  Tailbois  had  pos- 
sessed right  of  gallows  and  assize  of  bread  and  ale  at 
Hepple,"  while  in  1293  Luke  Tailbois  and  Richard 
Chartenay  had  infangenthef, 
gallows  and  assize  of  ale 
there  by  ancient  custom.^- 
Luke  Tailbois  was  employed 
by  Edward  I  as  collector  of 
subsidies,  justice,  and  other- 
wise," acting  as  Sheriff  of 
Northumberland  in  1303-4.'° 
He  died  about  I  3  1 6  holding  a 
moiety  of  Hepple  and  leaving 
a  son  William,  aged  thirty,  as 
heir."  In  1337  Sir  William 
Tailbois  had  licence  to  grant 
certain  lands  to  his  son  Henry 
and  his  wife  Eleanor,  daughter 
of  Sir  Gilbert  de  Boroudon," 

through  whom  Henry's  descendants  became  pos- 
sessors of  Kyme,  Lincoln,  about  1436." 

Sir  William  Tailbois  chivaler  died  in  or  before 
I  366  holding  a  third  part  of  the  manor  of  Hurworth 
by  a  rent  of  8/.  and  keeping  the  gaol  of  Sadberge, 
receiving  22;.  rent  for  the  manor  of  Neasham  and 
for  two-thirds  of  the  manor  of  Hurworth  ;  he  also 
had  two-thirds  of  the  advowson  of  the  church.  His 
heir  was  his  son  Henry,  thirty  years  of  age."  From 
this  it  would  appear  that  Sir  WilH.im  was,  like  his 
ancestor  Ivo  in  12 12,  responsible  for  the  whole 
service  of  the  manor.     Henry  Tailbois  died  in  1369 


T.AiLBOis  of  Hur- 
worth. Argent  a  saltire 
and  a  chief  gules  ivith 
three  icallopi  argent 
therein. 


holding  the  manor  of  Hurworth  and  5  oxgangs 
of  land  there  of  the  bishop  by  the  twentieth  part  of  a 
knight's  fee  and  suit  of  court  at  Sadberge  ;  also  three 
cottages  and  1 1  oxgangs  of  land  by  a  rent  of  8/.  6ti. 
and  keeping  Sadberge  gaol.  His  son  and  heir  Walter 
was  eighteen  years  of  age."  This  return  was  corrected 
by  another  taken  in  1373  recording  that  he  held 
the  capital  messuage,  1 6  oxgangs  of  land,  &c.,  half 
the  advowson  ot  the  church,  and  a  third  part  of  the 
mill,  by  a  rent  of  9/.  and  suit  of  court  and  keeping 
with  his  partners  the  gaol  at  Sadberge."  Eleanor 
the  widow  of  Henry  received  her  dower  after  taking 
the  oath  not  to  marry  without  the  king's  licence." 
Walter,  the  heir,  having  proved  his  age,  received  his 
lands  from  the  escheator  in  I  371." 

Walter  Tailbois  in  1386  made  an  exchange  with 
Robert  de  Ogle  by  which  he  received  the  second 
moiety  of  Hurworth  for  his  lands  in  Hepple,"  thus 
putting  an  end  to  the  divided  lordship  in  both  places. 
The  second  moiety  had  descended  with  half  of  Hepple 
in  the  Chartenay  family.  The  immediate  heir  of 
Richard  and  Maud  de  Chartenay  was  perhaps  Philip 
de  Chartenay,  who  with  Nicholas  de  Farendon 
witnessed  a  charter  touching  Hepple " ;  his  son 
Richard  made  a  grant  of  land  in  Hepple  to  Luke 
Tailbois  in  1287,"  the  deed  being  dated  at  Hur- 
worth. He  seems  to  be  identical  with  the  Sir 
Richard  Chartenay  living  at  Hurworth  in  1264" 
whose  name  occurs  in  1293."  He  had  a  brother 
Robert,  to  whom  he  granted  the  manor  of  Hepple," 
and  it  seems  probable  that  the  latter  adopted  the 
name  Hepple  as  a  surname.  In  1304  Robert  de 
Hepple  had  died  seised  of  half  the  manor  of  Hepple, 
leaving  a  son  Robert,"  and  in  1315  Luke  Tailbois 
and  Robert  de  Hepple  held  jointly  the  advowson  of 
Hurworth  Church."  In  1331  Robert  de  Hepple 
had  licence  to  settle  his  moiety  of  Hepple  on  Robert 
de  Ogle  and  Joan  his  wife."  A  similar  settlement 
was  probably  made  for  Hurworth,  since  ten  years 
later  it  was  among  the  lands  of  Robert  de  Ogle 
mentioned  in  a  grant  of  free  warren."  In  1355 
Robert  de  Ogle  the  younger  was  found  to  have 
held  a  moiety  of  the  '  manor  '  of  Hurworth  on  Tees 
jointly  with  Ellen  his  wife  by  grant  of  Robert  de 
Ogle  the  elder  ;  it  was  held  of  the  bishop  in 
socage  by  a  rent  of  1 8/.  and  a  sixteenth  share  of 
the  custody  of  Sadberge  gaol.  Robert  son  and 
heir  of  the  younger  Robert,  then  three  years  of 
age,"  subsequently  made  the  exchange  with  Walter 
Tailbois. 


"  Testa  de  Newll  (Rec.  Com.),  387. 

'"  Cal.  Chart.  R.  1226-57,  p.  380. 

"  Cal.  Inj.  p.m.  (Hen.  Ill),  94. 

"  Excerfia  t  Roi.  Fin.  (Rec.  Com.),  ii, 
1+4. 

'»  Cal.  Inj.  p.m.  (Hen.  HI),  102.  Hi. 
wife  was  named  Margery. 

"  Excerpta  e  Rot.  Fm.  (Rec.  Com.),  ii, 
26S. 

"  Dep.  Keeper  s  Rep.  xlv,  266.  This 
iccms  to  be  the  only  reference  to  Bute- 
mond at  Hurworth  after  1212.  Walter 
Butemond  was  living  in  1261  {FeoJ,  Pnar. 
Dunelm.  [Surt.  Soc.  ],  49). 

•«  Cal.  Inj.  p.m.  (Edw.  I),  ii,  234  ;  Cal. 
Fine  R.  1272-1307,  p.  151. 

"  Hand.  R.  (Rec.  Com.),  ii,  17. 

"  Plae.  de  Quo  fTarr.  (Rec.  Com.), 
598. 

"  Cal.  Pat.  1292-1301,  pp.  297,  516, 
6i2  ;   1301-7,  p.  274,  &c. 


">  P.R.O.  List  ofSherifi,  97.  For  his 
compotus  see  Cal.  Doc.  rel.  ta  Scotl.  ii, 
465. 

"  Cal.  Irnf.  p.m.  (Edw.  II),  vi,  I  i 
Ahhre-u.  Rot.  Orig.  (Rec.  Com.),  i,  232  ; 
Cal.  Fine  R.  1307-19,  pp.  296,  341. 

"  Cal.  Pat.  1334-S,  p.  550. 

"  G.E.C.  Complete  Peerage,  W,  425. 
She  was  the  niece  and  heir  of  Gilbert 
Earl  of  Angus. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  74. 

"  Ibid.  fol.  8oi.  The  Chancery 
Return  (Chan.  Inq.  p.m.  file  213,  no.  36) 
18  illegible, 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  90.  The 
rent  of  i)s.  was  in  part  for  land  in 
Neasham.  Joan  daughter  of  Henry 
Tailbois  married  Andrew  eldest  son  of 
Sir  Andrew  Luttrell  {Cal.  Pat.  1377-81, 
p.  318). 

*'  Cal.  Close,  1369-74,  pp.  40,  45. 


"  Ibid.  253. 

"  Lansd.  MS.  316,  fol.  183  d.  ; 
Hodgson,  Hist,  of  Northumb.  ii  (i),  390, 
citing  Ogle  evidences. 

"  Cal.  Chart.  R.  1226-57,  p.  390. 

*'  Ogle,  Ogle  and  Bothal,  App.  no.  1 5. 

"  HatfieUi  Surv.  (Surt.  Soc),  p.  xri. 

"  See  above. 

"  Ogle,  op.  cit.  App.  no.  13. 

"  C//.  Fine  R.  1272-1307,  p.  4S8  ; 
Cal.  In  J.  p.m.  (Edw.  I),  iv,  12  2.  Robert 
was  also  lord  of  Newlon-le-Willows, 
Yorks.  Sec  K.C.//.  roris.  N.R.  i,  336-7. 

«  Reg.  Ptlat.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  ii, 
712. 

"  Cal.  Pat.  1330-4,  p.  112.  Accord- 
ing to  Hodgson  (op.  cit.  ii  [i],  381) 
Joan  was  the  daughter  and  heir  of  Sir 
Robert  de  Hepple. 

"  Cotton  Chart,  xvii,  13. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  ;,  no.  2,  fol.  54. 


287 


A   HISTORY  OF   DURHAM 


Walter  Tailbois  was  a  knight  in  1389"  and  died 
21  September  141  7  holding  the  manor  of  Hurworth 
(except  half  an  acre)  with  the  advowson  of  the  church 
by  knight's  service,  suit  of  court,  keeping  the  gaol, 
and  a  rent  of  25;.  td.  ;  his  heir  was  a  son  Walter, 
aged  twenty-six. ''  The  younger  Walter  Tailbois 
had  livery  of  his  Durham  lands  in  1417";  he 
died  in  1444  holding  the  manor  and  advowson, 
and  leaving  his  son  William,  aged  twenty-six, 
to  inherit."  William  Tailbois  and  Elizabeth  his 
wife  complained  of  the  finding  of  the  jury  in 
the  inquisition,  and  judgement  was  given  in  their 
favour,  the  manor  of  Hurworth  being  restored  to 
them."  The  family  had  for  more  than  half  a  century 
been  associated  with  Lincolnshire."  Walter  Tailbois 
and  his  son  Walter  were  described  as  '  of  South 
Kyme '  in  1439,"  but  do  not  seem  to  have  been 
summoned  to  Parliament  as  barons  of  Kyme. 

Sir  William  Tailbois,  son  of  the  younger  Walter, 
was  an  adherent  of  the  unpopular  Duke  of  Suffolk, 
and  was  in  1450  ch.irged  with  an  attack  on  Lord 
Cromwell  in  the  Star  Chamber."  He  took  the 
Lancastrian  side  in  the  Wars  of  the  Roses,  was  made  a 
knight  at  the  second  battle  of  St.  Albans,  1 7  February 
1 460-1,  by  Prince  Edward,  son  of  Henry  \'I,"  and 
was  shortly  afterwards  attainted.''  In  May  1464  he 
fought  at  Hexham  and  he  was  beheaded  at  Newcastle 
on  20  July."  Before  this  he  was  styled  Earl  of 
Kyme."  In  1462  the  manor  of  Hurworth  and 
other  estates  were  granted  to  trustees  for  Elizabeth  his 
wife,  daughter  of  the  Yorkist  Lord  Bonvill,  for  her 
life."  Their  son  Sir  Robert  was  restored  in  blood 
in  1472,"  and  at  his  death  in  149;'*  was  recorded 
to  have  held  the  manor  of  Hurworth  and  the  advow- 
son of  the  church  and  rent  from  the  manor  of 
Neasham."  His  son  and  heir  George,  aged  twenty- 
four  at  that  time,  was  made  a  knight  at  the  battle  of 
Blackheath  in  1497,"  but  about  a  year  later  was 
found  to  be  a  lunatic."  He  must  h.ive  recovered, 
for  in  1499  he  obtained  pardon  for  any  intrusions 
made  upon  the   manor  and  vill  of  Hurworth."     In 


1512  he  had  licence  to  alienate  the  manor  of  Sotby," 
and  made  his  will  18  January  1512-13,"'  after 
which  he  joined  the  expedition  to  France  with  a 
retinue  of  twenty-five  men."  In  1517  he  was  again 
a  lunatic,"  and  appears  to  have  remained  insane  to 
the  end  of  his  life,"  about  twenty  years  later."  At 
the  Durham  inquisition  in  1  5  ;9  it  was  found  that 
he  had  held  Hurworth  ;  the  heir  was  his  grand- 
son George,  Lord  Tailbois,  aged  sixteen  years,  being 
son  of  Gilbert,  Lord  Tailbois,  son  of  George."  This 
Gilbert  had  married  '  the  beautiful  Elizabeth  Blount,' 
a  mistress  of  Henry  \'III,''  and  he  was  styled  Lord 
Tailbois,  though  in  the  Parliament  of  1529  his  name 
is  recorded  among  the  knights  as  a  representative  of 
Lincolnshire."  He  died  in  I  530,'"  and  his  son  George 
died  in  1540,''  leaving  a  younger  brother  Robert  as 
heir.™  He  also  died  without  issue  in  1541,  and  the 
inheritance  passed  to  hissister  Elizabeth,  Lady  Tailbois, 
wife  of  Thomas  Wymbish,"  who  had  livery  of  the 
manor  of  Kyme,  &c.,  in  May  1542."  Elizabeth  had 
no  children,"  and  in  1550  joined  with  her  husband 
in  the  sale  of  the  manor  of  Hurworth  and  advowson 
of  the  church  to  Sir  Leonard  Beckwith  of  Sclby,  the 
dower  of  Elizabeth  widow  of  Sir  George  Tailbois 
being  preserved." 

Sir  Leonard  Beckwith  died  on  7  May  i  5  5  7,"  and  his 
son  and  heir  Roger,  then  sixteen  years  of  age,  in  1577 
sold  the  manor  of  Hurworth,  but  not  the  advowson 
of  the  church,  to  Henry  Lawson  of  Neasham  and 
George  Ward  of  Hurworth.'*  The  Lawson  moiety 
descended  with  the  Neasham  Priory  estate"  to  the 
Jenison  family  ;  in  1727  it  was  sold  by  John  Jenison, 
who  had  registered  his  estate  here  as  a  Papist  ten 
years  before,  to  John  Bland.™  The  successor  of  John 
Bland  was  apparently  the  James  Bland  of  Hurworth 
who  died  in  1770,  and  whose  daughter  and  heir 
Barbara  married  William  Wrightson  of  Cusworth 
(Yorks.)."  William  Battle  Wrightson,  her  son  and 
heir,  was  a  landowner  in  Hurworth  in  1855.  He 
died  in  1879  and  was  succeeded  by  his  brother 
Richard  Heber  Wrightson,  on  whose  death  in  1 891 


«"  Cd.  Pat.  1388-92,  p.  59. 

"  Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  3,  no.  j,  fol.  181  d. 

"  Ibid.  R.  35,  m.  13. 

"'  Ibid,  file  164,  no.  65.  In  144.1  he 
had  obtained  the  pope's  licence  for  a  port- 
able altar  and  rescrTation  of  the  Blessed 
Sacrament  (Ca/.  of  Papal  Letters^  ix,  231). 

**  Dfp.  Keeper't    Rep.  xxxiv,  241—2. 

^^  Sec  the  Cal.  Pjt.  under  date, /'ijj;/m  ; 
Wrottesley,  PtJ.  from  Pha  R.  357. 

'»  Cal.  Pal.  1436-41,  p.  271.  See  also 
ibid.  1441-6,  p.  268. 

«'  Pari.  R.  V,  200.  A  letter  of  his  is 
printed  in  Patton  Letters  (ed.  Gairdner), 
i,  96. 

**  Shaw,  Kii.  of  Engl,  ii,  13. 

''  Pari.  R.  V,  477,  480.  Afterwards 
he  took  refuge  in  Scotland  with  the  tjiiecn 
{Paiton  Letters,  ii,  46).  There  are 
numerous  references  to  him  in  Cal.  Pat. 
1461-7. 

"  Hall,  Chron.  260  (under  2  Edw.  IV)  ; 
Misc.  Chan.  Inq.  file  319  (4  Edw.  IV, 
no.  49).  Thomas  Tailbois  was  said  to 
be  son  and  heir  and  fourteen  years  of 
age. 

"  G.E.C.  Complete  Peerage,  iv,  425. 

"  Cal.  Pat.  1461-7,  p.  144.  William 
Lord  Bonvill  was  executed  after  the 
second  battle  of  St.  Albans  (G.E.C. 
Peerage,  i,  375). 

"Pari.  R.  vi,  18. 


'*  Numerous  returns  m  C^l.  Inq.  p.m. 
Hen.  J^Il,  i,  414,  &c.  An  abstract  of 
his  will  is  printed  in  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii, 
408.  He  desired  to  be  buried  at  Kyme. 
Hurworth  is  not  mentioned. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  169,  no.  58. 

"*  Ibid.  ;  Shaw,  op.  cit.  ii,  30. 

"  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xliv,  516. 

"  Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  3,  R.  61,  m.  10.  In 
1499  the  king  ordered  that  should  Sir 
George  become  disabled  his  guardianship 
should  be  entrusted  to  certain  persons 
named  (Pat.  584  [14  Hen.  VII,  pt.  iii]). 

■'  L.  and  P.  Hen.  1111,  i,  3515. 

*»  N.  ana  Q.  (Ser.  8),  iv,  482.  Hur- 
worth is  not  named  in  it. 

"  L.and  P.  Hen.  llll,  i,  3977. 

*'  Ibid,  ii,  2979. 

'^^  In  1528  his  wife  Elizabeth  mentions 
*her  husband's  last  visitation  '  (ibid,  iv, 
4357).  See  also  ibid,  v,  g.  119  (67). 

*'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  177,  no.  31  ; 
cf.  L.  and  I'.  Hen.  VIU,  xiii  [2],  420. 

^'^  Dep.  Keeper  s  Rep.  xliv,  5  I  7.  His 
widow  Elizabeth  received  her  dower  in 
Hurworth  (ibid.  518). 

^  Her  son  by  the  king  was  created 
Duke  of  Richmond.     See  Gen.  ii,  19,  44. 

«  L.  and  P.  Hen.  Fill,  iv,  p.  269I. 
See  also  G.E.C.  Complete  Peerage,  vii,  358. 

^^  Gen.  loc.  cit.  He  was  buried  at 
South   Kyme.     In   1532  Lord    Leonard 

288 


Grey  was  visiting  Gilbert's  widow,  whom 
he  declared  he  would  be  better  contented 
to  marry  than  any  lady  or  gentlewoman 
living  (L.  and  P.  Hen.  I'lII,  v,  1049). 

*»  Ibid,  xvi,  19. 

"  Ibid.  g.  580  (92). 

"  Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  3,  file  177,  no.  55. 
Elizabeth  was  aged  twenty-two.  This 
Robert  Lord  Tailbois  is  omitted  by  G.E.C. 

"  L.   and  P.  Hen.  I'll!,   xvii,   g.    362 

^'  G.E.C.  op.  cit.  vii,  3  59.  For  pedigrees 
of  the  Tallboys  see  Lines.  Ped.  (Harl. 
Soc),  945  J  Hodgson,  op.  cit.  li  (i),  6; 
Surtec3,  op.  cit.  iii,  254  ;  Gen.  ii,  51, 

*^  Adtj.  Chart.  19419  ;  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12, 
no.   1(1);   Dtp.    Keeper^  Rep,  xxxvii,  57. 

^*  Chan.  Inq.  p.m.  (Ser.  2),  cix,  ^5  ; 
Dur. Rec. cl.  3, file  177,00.27.  Sir  Leonard 
had  in  or  about  1538  married  Elisabeth 
daughter  of  Sir  Roger  Cholmelcy.  R"gcr 
Beckwith  was  kinsman  and  heir  of 
Elizabeth  Lady  Tailboys  (Dur.  i't-c.  cl.  3, 
file  191,  no.  65). 

®^  Add.  Chart.  19421  ;  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3, 
R.  1^6,  m.  55.  Sec  also  Chan.  Proc. 
(Ser.  2),  bdle.  107,  no.  54. 

^'  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xHv,  455,  459. 

^^  Estcourt  and  Payne,  Engl.  Cath, 
Non-Jurors^  50  J  Surlces,  op.  cit.  iii,  253  ; 
Fordyce,  op.  cit.  J,  501. 

**  fiurke,  Landed  Gentry. 


STOCKTON    WARD 


HURWORTH 


Wrightson  of  Cu8- 
worth.  Or  a  feiit  cheeky 
argent  and  azure  between 
three  griffoni*  heads 
razed  azure. 


the  estate  devolved  on  his  nephew  William  Henry 
Battle  Wrightson.  Mr.  Robert  Cecil  Battle  Wright- 
son,  son  of  the  latter,  succeeded  his  father,  but  owing 
to  questions  between  him  and  the  rector  as  to  the 
ownership  of  the  lordship,  all 
rights  in  the  manor  of  Hur- 
worth  have  been  made  over  to 
the  Parish  Council."" 

George  Ward  did  homage 
to  the  bishop  in  1578  for  his 
moiety  of  the  manor,  and  took 
the  oath  of  supremacy.'  This 
moiety,  which  consisted  of  10 
oxgangs,  descended  in  January 
1607-8,  after  the  death  of 
George  Ward,  to  his  son  John, 
then  aged  fifty,  in  accordance 
with  a  settlement  made  in 
1579  on  the  occasion  of  the 
son's  marriage  with  Joan 
Charnley.'  John  Ward  was  in  163  I  succeeded  by  two 
granddaughters,  namely  his  son  George's  children 
Frances  wife  of  Francis  Anderson  and  Anne  Ward, 
aged  fifteen  and  eleven.'  Francis  Anderson  and  Frances 
his  wife  leased  land  in  1637  to  John  Burnett  for 
4.  years"*;  and  Anne  with  Cuthbert  Appleby  her 
husband  conveyed  meadow  land  to  Anthony  Lodge 
in  1661."'  Francis  Anderson,  Thomas  Aislaby  and 
Elizabeth  his  wife  were  vouchees  in  a  recovery  of 
a  fourth  part  of  the  manor  of  Hurworth  in  1660, 
and  eight  years  later  Cuthbert  Appleby  and  Anne 
his  wife  conveyed  a  messuage  and  land  here  to  William 
Place.'  A  fourth  part  of  the  manor  was  sold  to 
Robert  Hilton  in  1702'  by  the  heirs  of  Cuthbert 
Marley  and  Anne  his  wife  and  by  John  Pemberton 
and  Mary  his  wife,  daughter  of  Christopher  and  niece 
of  William  Place  who  had  died  without  issue.  In 
1 75  I  Mary  Harrison  conveyed  a  fourth  part  of  the 
manor  with  four  messuages,  300  acres  of  land,  and 
£^0  rent  to  William  Hutchinson.*  There  docs  not 
seem  to  be  any  later  record  of  this  part  of  the  manor. 
The  capital  messuage  with  lands,  &c.,  sold  in  1750 
by  George  Hobson  and  his  daughters  by  Mary  Pyatt 
his  late  wife  to  Francis  Murgatroyd  may  have  been 
attached  to  it.' 

Sir  Thomas  de  Inglebyand  Katherine  his  wife  had 
the  bishop's  pardon  in  February  1376-7  for  acquiring 
half  an   acre   in   Hurworth   held   in  chief.'     It   was 


Ingleby.       Sable 
star  argent. 


probably  at  about  the  same  time  that  Sir  Thomas 
acquired  the  land  held  of  the  lords  of  Hurworth, 
which  was  subsequently  known  as  INGLEBTS 
MA^^OR.  Thomas  died  in  or  before  1380,  and  it 
was  found  that  he  had  held  in  conjunction  with 
Katherine  his  wife  half  an  acre  in  Hurworth  of  the 
bishop  and  eight  messuages  and  eight  score  acres  of 
Walter  Tailbois  by  fealty.  Henry  his  son  and  heir  was 
of  full  age.'  Henry  de  Ingleby,  clerk,  was  in  1383 
found  to  have  held  land  in  Sadberge  ;  his  brother 
John,  aged  twenty-four,  was 
heir.'°  John  Ingleby  of  Rip- 
ley, Yorks,  in  1409  vvas  re- 
corded to  hold  the  half-acre  of 
the  bishop  and  six  messuages, 
3 1  oxgangs  of  land.  Sec,  of 
Walter  Tailbois  by  fealty  ;  his 
son  Thomas  was  of  full  age." 
Thomas  died  in  141  5  holding 
the  same  estate  ;  his  son  and 
heir  William  was  eight  years 
old."  William,  son  and  heir 
of  Thomas  son  and  heir  of  John 
Ingleby,  in  1442  held  land  in 

Hurworth  of  VValter  Tailbois  ;  his  heir  was  a  son  John 
aged  eight."  John  Ingleby  died  21  September  1456, 
just  after  coming  of  age '^  ;  he  left  a  son  and  heir 
William,  who  came  of  age  in  1476  and  hadlivery  of  his 
lands."  He  took  part  in  the  expedition  into  Scotland 
in  1482  and  was  made  a  knight  there  by  the  Duke 
of  Gloucester,  afterwards  Richard  III."  He  died  in 
I  501  leaving  a  son  John,  aged  twenty-four,  as  heir." 
John  died  in  1502,  his  heir  being  his  son  William, 
aged  nine."  The  wardship  was  granted  by  the 
bishop  to  Thomas  Berkeley  and  Eleanor  his  wife, 
widow  of  John  Ingleby."  William  died  in  1528 
holding  lands  in  Hurworth  of  George  Tailbois  and  the 
bishop  ;  his  son  and  heir  William  was  ten  years  of 
age.-°  Cecily  the  widow,  a  daughter  of  George 
T.iilbois,  had  dower  assigned  to  her."  John  Fawcett, 
clerk,  sold  an  estate  in  Hurworth,  perhaps  Ingleby's 
manor,  to  Henry  Lawson  of  Neasham  in  1 567. " 
Henry  Lawson  in  1607  held  the  manor  in  Hunvorth 
late  of  William  Ingleby  and  8  o.\gangs  belonging  to 
it."  The  manorial  rights  subsequently  descended 
with  the  Lawson  estates. 

Another  part  of  the  land  attached  to  the  Ingleby 
Manor  was  acquired  by  William  Wormeley,  who  in 


•»«  Inform,  from  Rev.  A.  T.  Fabcr, 
rector. 

'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  85,  m.  2. 

'  Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  3,  file  182,  no. 
48. 

'  Ibid,  file  186,  no.  59.  In  addition 
to  a  moiety  of  Hurworth  he  had  a  fourth 
part  of  Stodhoc  in  Dinsdalc. 

'a  Ibid.  cl.  12,    no.  5   (l). 

»blbid.  no.  5  (4). 

«  Ibid.  no.  7  (4)  ;  Rccov.  R.  Trin.  12 
Chas.  II,  m.  19. 

'  Surtces,  op.  cit.  iii,  253  n. 

'  Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  12,  no.  28  (4). 

'  Ibid.  cl.  3,  R.  122. 

'  Ibid.  R.  31,  m.  10.  In  i349Thonias 
and  Katherine,  in  right  of  Katherine, 
were  holding  the  manor  of  Newsham  in 
the  parish  of  Appleton-le-Street,  Yorks. 
(Harl.  Chart.  112,  A  29).  In  1279 
Andrew  de  Stanley  paid  a  mark  for  licence 
to  agree  wiih  Adam  son  of  Walter  de 
Hurworth  regarding  lands  in   Hurworth 


(Assize  R.  225,  m.  3  d.).  No  eridence, 
however,  has  been  found  to  connect  this 
holding  with  that  of  the  Inglebys. 

'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  106  d. 
There  is  another  inquisition  on  fol.  106. 
Thomas  was  living  in  Fcbruar)*  1379-80 
(Cat.  Pat.  1577-81,  p.  465).  The 
family  was  seated  in  Yorkshire  and 
there  are  other  inquisitions  in  the  general 
series.  See  also  Foster,  Torks.  Pedj, 
*Ingilby  of  Ripley'  ;  Torks  Fisit.  (Harl. 
Soc),  171. 

'"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  152. 

"  Ibid.  fol.  163. 

"  Ibid.  fol.  173*.  The  half-acre  is  here 
said  to  be  held  of  the  bishop  by  knight 
service. 

"  Ibid.  ;  De/>.  Keeper's  Ref.  xliv,  436. 
For  the  custody  of  the  heir  see  Dur. 
Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  42,  m.  17. 

'*  Chan.  Inq.  p.m.  35  Hen.  VI, 
no.  II.  Some  of  his  lands  were  still 
in   the   king's    hands.      Margery,   widow 


289 


of  John,  had  dower  out  of  the  Durham 
lands  [Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xxxv,  1  I  9). 

1^  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  49,  m.  12. 

"^  Shaw,  op.  cit.  ii,  i8. 

"  Cal,    Inj.    p.m.    Hen.   VII,    ii,    321, 

3+7- 

'*  Cal.  Inq.  p.m.  Hen.  Vll,  ii,  352.  The 
Durham  inquisition  makes  the  date  of 
his  death  12  November  1502  (Dur.  Rec. 
cl.  3,  file  170,  no.  11). 

"  Def.  Keeper',  Rep.  xxxvi,  60.  The 
widow  had  dower  (ibid.  72). 

'"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  174,  no.  15. 
His  will  is  recited  in  the  inquisition. 

"  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xxxvi,  151;  yilit. 
of  Yorks.  (Harl.  Soc),  172. 

"  It  comprised  more  than  4,000  acres 
here  and  in  Neasham,  L/ttle  Burdon, 
Hyndon,  Cockfield  and  Dinsdale  (Dur. 
Rec.  c'.  1 2,  no.  i  [2]).  In  1578,4  oxgangs 
were  sold  to  Henri'  Lawson  by  Robert 
Brown  of  Hewick  (Add.  Chart.   19422). 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  1S2,  no.  36. 

Z7 


A   HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


1603  died  seised  of  4  J  oxgangs  'late  of  Ingleby.' " 
He  had  also  bought  from  Ralph  Tailbois  in  1567  an 
estate  of  14J  oxgangs,"  probably  including  the  13 
oxgangs  of  which  Henry  son  of  Henry  Tailbois  had 
died  seised  in  144.4  "leaving  a  son  John.  This  junior 
branch  of  the  Tailbois  family  held  of  the  lords  of 
Hurworth."  William  Wormeley  left  a  son  Robert, 
who  in  1628  and  1634,  with  Margaret  his  wife  and 
William  Wormeley  his  son  and  heir,  mortgaged  his 
estate  to  Thomas  Thompson,  rector  of  Hurworth, 
and  to  Sir  John  Lister  respectively.  Robert  being  a 
papist,  his   lands  were  sequestered  in  I  644." 

Other  tenants  of  land  in  Hurworth  were  Christopher 
Foreman  (d.  1621)^'  and  Richard  Thompson  (d. 
1628),'°  who  held  of  James  Lawson,  and  Ninian 
Kirsopp  (d.  163  i)  who  held  4  oxgangs  of  the  heirs 
of  James  Lawson  and  John  Ward."  John  Lister  died 
in  1642  holding  I  2  oxgangs  in  Hurworth,  of  which  5^ 
oxgangs  were  held  of  the  Ingleby  Manor,"  receiving 
manorial  rents  from  certain  houses  in  the  township.'' 

According  to  Surtees  the  rector  was  lord  of  '  a  small 
copyhold  manor  '  at  the  beginning  of  the  19th  cen- 
tury,"^  but  nothing  is  known  of  its  history. 

Engelais,  sister  of  Emma  dc  Tees  and  daughter  of 
Waldef  the  thegn,  gave  one  ploughland  in  Hurworth 
to  Neasham  Priory  on  its  foundation,"  and  in  1535 
a  rent  of  5/.  was  paid  to  the  bishop  for  the  priory's 
lands  in  Hurworth."  The  house  itself  received  at 
this  time  j^4  yearly  from  their  lands  here  from  '  the 
heirs  of  Thereby.'  '° 

In  1684  the  freeholders  were  Hamond  Beaumont, 
Cuthbert  Bore,  Thomas  Bromley,  Francis  Buckle, 
Thomas  Bulraan,  John  Burnett,  Anne  Byerley,  Ninian 
Gresham,  James  Hamilton,  Michael  Harrison,  William 
Jennison,  Timothy  Kitchingman,  Benjamin  Lister, 
Anne  Marley,  Judith  Richardson,  George  Slaney, 
Robert  Smith,  William  Walker,  and  Robert  Ward." 
Pilmore  House  was  owned  bj'  Gordon  Skelly  about 
1820^'  and  by  Robert  Surtees  of  Redworth  about 
1855." 

NEJSHJM  (Neshaim,  Nesham,  Nessham,  c.  1 160) 
was  evidently  part  of  the  original  fee  held  in 
thegnage  by  Waldef  the  thegn  of  Hepple.  He 
appears  to  have  given  it  to  his  daughter  Emma,  whose 
descendants  subsequently  held  it  of  the  lords  of  Hur- 
worth."" Emma  daughter  of  Waldef  and  wife  or 
widow  of  Ralph  deTees  founded  about  1 1  50  the  priory 


of  Neasham."  Ralph  her  son,  also  called  Ralph  son  of 
Ralph,  consented  and  added  to  her  gift.*'  This  Ralph 
also  married  an  Emma,  and  in  1 198  she  as  his  widow 
claimed  dower  in  Neasham,  Grimthorpe  and  other 
places  against  his  son,  William  son  of  Ralph.'"  This 
William  was  also  a  benefactor  of  the  priory.  Sir 
William  Bardulf  attesting  the  charter,  which  must 
therefore  be  earlier  than  1206."  William  son  of 
Ralph  died  in  or  before  1 2 1 8  when  his  heir  was 
given  up  to  the  king  by  Robert  de  Roos."  Ralph  son 
of  William  paid  relief  and  had  livery  of  his  father's 
lands  in  Yorkshire  and  Durham  in  1227."  William 
son  of  Ralph  occurs  in  I  253  "  and  I  254,"  and  in  con- 
junction with  Joan  his  wife  in  1269."  Joan  was 
daughter  of  Thomas  son  of  William  dc  Greystock,  and 
was  thus  aunt  of  John  Lord  Greystock,  who  in  1297 
obtained  licence  to  enfeoff  Ralph  her  son  in  the 
manor  and  barony  of  Greystock."  This  Ralph  son 
of  William  married  Margery,  widow  of  Nicholas 
Corbet  and  daughter  and  co-heir  of  Hugh  de  Bolebeck, 
thus  greatly  increasing  his  possessions  "•''  ;  he  was 
a  benefactor  to  Neasham  Priory,  granting  land  called 
Milne-hills  between  Kent  and  the  nuns'  land,  and 
free  milling  ;  Luke  Tailbois  was  a  witness  to  one  of 
his  gifts."  He  took  part  in  the  Scottish  wars  of  the 
time  and  did  other  public  service,  being  summoned 
to  Parliament  in  1295."  He  died,  well  stricken  in 
years,  in  I  316  holding  the  'manor'  of  Neasham  of 
William  Tailbois  by  a  rent  of  1 6s.  a  year,  and  was 
buried  at  Neasham."  His  son  and  successor,  Robert, 
then  a  man  of  about  forty,  died  before  the  following 
April."  The  family  having  obtained  the  Greystock 
estates  now  assumed  Greystock  as  a  surname  and  the 
descent  has  been  traced  in  the  account  of  ConisclifTe 
(q.v.).  The  rent  paid  for  the  manor  is  generally 
given  as  16/.,  but  Sir  Walter  Tailbois  is  said  in 
141  7  to  have  received  zoi.  for  it  from  Ralph  Lord 
Greystock."  In  1436  the  service  of  guarding  one- 
fifth  of  the  gaol  of  Sadberge  was  said  to  be  attached 
to  24  oxgangs  held  of  the  bishop."  The  manor  was 
extended  at  10  messuages,  200  additional  acres  of  land, 
20  acres  of  meadow,  100  acres  of  pasture,  and  a 
water  corn-mill  ;  the  fee  included  a  passage  or  ferry 
over  the  Tees,  with  its  boat,  worth  6s.  it/,  a  year,  and 
the  advowson  of  the  priory  of  Neasham." 

The  manor  descended  to  the  Dacres  and  Howards" 
and  incurred  forfeiture  and  sale  under  the  Common- 


'<  Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  3,  file  182,  no.  9. 

^''  Ibid. ;  cl.  12,  no.  I  (2). 

'^  Ibid,  file  164,  no.  70. 

"Ibid,  file  164,  no.  70;  file  182, 
no.  9. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  4  (2),  4  (5)  ; 
Royalist  Comp.  P.  Dur.  and  Norlhumb. 
(Surt.  Soc),  6. 

-'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  189,  no.  84. 
William,  aged  thirty-two,  was  his  son  and 
heir.  In  1600  Christopher  had  acquired 
their  interest  in  a  third  of  a  messuage 
and  some  85  acres  of  arable,  meadow, 
pasture  and  moorland  from  John  Pepper 
and  Agnes  his  wife,  who  held  for  the  life 
of  Agnes  (Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  2  [i]). 

'»  Ibid,  file  186,  no.  3.  Thomas,  aged 
thirty-seven,  was  his  son  and  heir. 

"  Ibid.  no.  66.  Richard,  aged  forty- 
two,  was  his  son  and  heir. 

"  Ibid,  file  188,  no.  143a. 

''  Inform,  of  the  rector,  the  Rev.  A.  T. 
Faber  ;  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  253. 

^^a  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  267. 


^  Ibid.  253.  This  may  have  been 
HungerhiU;  see  below. 

'^  Valor  Eccl.  (Rec.  Com.),  v,  310. 

'«  Harl.  R.  D  36. 

'^  Surtees,  loc.  cit.  '^  Ibid. 

''  Fordyce,  op.  cit.  i,  ;oi. 

''»  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  164,  no.  65  ;  file 
169,  no.  58. 

'"  Aug.  Off.  Misc.  Bks.  1,  fol.  38, 
printed  Arch.  Ad.  (New  Ser.),  xvi,  268 
et  seq. ;  P'.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  106;  Surtees, 
op.  cit.  iii,  258.  Ralph  was  lord  of  Grim- 
thorpe in  Great  Givendale,  E.  York». 

*'  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

"  Rat.  Cur.  Rtg.  (Rcc.  Com.),  i,  145. 

"  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

*'  Exccrpia  e  Rot.  Fin.  (Rec.  Com.), 
i,  17. 

"  Ibid.  154  ;  cf.  loi. 

««  Cat.  Ckart.  R.  i,  415. 

*"  Cal.  Inq.  p.m.  Hrn.  Ill,  83. 

<*  Excerpta  e  Rot.  Fin.  (Rec.  Com.),  ii, 
494.  William  is  here  called  the  son  of 
Ralph  de  Grimthorpe. 

290 


<' G.E.C.  Complete  Teerage,  iv,  114; 
Cal. Pat.  1292-1301,  pp.  303,  304.  John 
held  the  manor  by  grant  of  Ralph  until 
his  death  in  c.  1305-6  (cf.  Nfwminuer 
Chariul.  (Surt.  Soc),  286). 

"a  Ca/.  Fine  R.  1272-1307,  p.  158; 
Netvminster  Chaitul,  (Surt.  Soc),  287-8. 

^'*  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

^'  G.E.C.  Complete  Peerage,  iv,  115  j 
Cal.  Pat.  1281-92,  p.  273  ;  1293-130I, 
pp.  303,  312,  315,  387,  437.875  i  Cal. 
Cloie,  1296-1302,  p.  40;  Cal.  Fine  R. 
1281-92,  p.  273;  1307-19,  p.  212; 
Ciron.  EJ10.  I  and  Ed-w.  11  (Rolls  Ser.), 
i,  123. 

"  Cal.  Inq.  p.m.  (Edw.  II),  vi,  24  ; 
Ne'zuminster  Chartul.  (Surt.  Soc),  291. 

^^  Cal.  Inq.  p.m.  (Edw.  II),  vi,  32; 
Cal.  Fine  R,  1307-19,  323,  329. 

"  Dur.  Rec  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  181  d. 

»  Ibid.  fol.  280  d.  "Ibid. 

*^  Dep,  Keeper^  Rep.  xliv,  399,  400, 
359,  &c.  ;  xxxvii,  109  ;  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12, 
no.  4  (3). 


STOCKTON   WARD 


HURWORTH 


wealth  with  the  other  estates  of  Sir  Francis  Howard." 

In   1651   complaint   was  made   that  the   horse   boat 

formerly  at  Neasham   for  the   accommodation  of  the 

neighbourhood  was   missing,  to  the   prejudice  of  the 

common  packet  ;  it  was   maintained   by  Sir   Francis 

as  lord  of  the  manor."     The  manor  was  sold  to  Lord 

St.  John,  afterwards  Marquess  of  Winchester,  and  by 

him   to   Sir  William   Blackett,"  who   in  conjunction 

with  Julia  his  wife  sold  it  to  Charles  Turner  in  1699." 

It  descended  to  Charles  Turner's  great-grandson  Sir 

Charles  Turner,   second    baronet."     He   sold   it    to 

William  Wrightson  in  1803,  on  whose  death  in  1826 

it    descended   to   his   eldest   son    Thomas.     Thomas 

about  1  8  50  sold  the  hall  (which 

he  had  built)  and  part  of  the 

estate  to  Col.  James  Cookson, 

but  retained  the  manor.    The 

manor  descended  in  1872   to 

the  eldest  son  of  Thomas,  the 

Rev.    William   Garmondsway 

Wrightson,  who  lived  at   the 

Old  Hall.     The  new  hall  was 

purch.ised  in  1 892  from  Joseph 

the  son  of  James  Cookson  by 

Sir  Thomas  Wrightson   (who 

was     made     a     baronet      in 

1 900),  son  of  the  above-named 

Thomas,   who  also  purchased 

the  Neasham   estate  from  his 

nephew,  son  of  the  Rev.  W.  G. 

Wrightson,  .ind  so  became  lord 

of  the  manor."     Sir  Tho.iias 

died  in  192 1,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  son  Sir  Thomas 

Garmondsway  Wrightson,  the  present  owner. 

NEJSHAM  JBBE}',  as  the  priory  estate  is  now 
called,  was  acquired  from  the  Crown  by  James  Lawson 
of  Newcastle,  brother  of  the  last  prioress,  in  1540."' 
The  prioress  continued  to  live 
at  Neasham,  and  her  will, 
dated  1557,  has  been  printed." 
In  154.3  the  purchaser  had 
licence  to  grant  the  priory 
with  its  lands  in  Neasham, 
Hurworth  and  Dinsdale  to 
trustees,  to  be  settled  on  him- 
self for  life,  with  remainder  to 
his  son  Henr)'  Lawson  and  his 
male  issue,  and  in  default 
to  his  other  sons,  Edmund, 
William  and  George.'*  Henry 
Lawson  died  in  1607  holding 
the  site  of  the  monastery  of 

the  king  and  various  lands  in   Neasham,  Hurworth 
and  other  places."      James  his  son,  aged  thirty-six. 


Wrightson  of  Nea- 
sham, baronet.  Or  a 
fe%ie  inveclcd  and  cheeky 
azure  and  argent  be- 
fween  tiuo  eagUi'  heaJi 
razed  sable  in  the  chief 
and  a  saltire  gules  in  the 
foot. 


Lawson  of  Neasham. 
Argent  a  cheveron 
befween  three  martlets 
sable. 


was  heir.  He  had  livery  of  his  lands  in  1610," 
and  died  in  163 1  holding  the  same  lands  as 
his  father."  His  son  James,  on  whose  marriage  with 
Frances  daughter  of  Sir  William  Vavasour  he  had 
settled  his  estates,  had  died  in  February  1628-9.'° 
James  son  of  the  latter  was  four  years  old  at  his 
grandfather's  death,  when  he  was  found  to  be  the 
heir."'  He  died,  aged  sixteen,  about  1643,  and  his 
co-heirs  were  the  representatives  of  his  aunts — 
Frances,  married  in  1 61  7  to  Richard  Braithwaite,  by 
whom  she  had  a  son  Thomas,  and  Anne  wife  of  Henry 
Jenison,  who  had  a  son  William.  James's  mother,  a 
'  Papist,'  married  Philip  Dolman,  a  'delinquent.' "  The 
estates  were  sequestered  by  the  Commonwealth  autho- 
rities, and  in  1652  Thomas  Braithwaite's  estate  was 
in  the  third  Act  for  Sale,  but  he  was  allowed  to 
compound  for  his  moiety  of  the  estate  at  a  fine  of 
X793  T-  '^'^-  He  was  described  as  a  'recusant 
delinquent.'  "  His  father  Richard,  of  Burneside  near 
Kend.il,  was  the  author  of  Drunken  Barnahy  and  other 
pieces  ;  he  was  a  Royalist  and 
compounded  for  his  seques- 
tered estates."  Two-thirds  of 
William  Jenison's  estate  was 
sequestered  for  his  religion, 
and  it  does  not  appear  that 
any  other  '  delinquency  '  was 
alleged  against  him.  Jenison 
died  in  1655,  and  a  complete 
survey  of  the  estate  was  made. 
It  included  the  '  house  called 
Neasham  Abbey  otherwise 
Neasham  Nunnery,'  with  vari- 
ous closes  called  Flowerpiece, 
Heathan  Slacks,  Brankinholme,  Birkcarr,  &c.  ;  Hun- 
gerhill,  now  in  Neasham,  was  then  considered  to  be 
in  Hurworth."  He  left  a  son  and  heir  Thomas, 
aged  eight,  who  died  without  issue  in  1677,  when  a 
brother  William  succeeded.  William's  son  John  in 
1727  sold  the  manor  of  Hurworth  to  John  Bland, 
as  stated  above."  The  Neasham  estate,  however, 
appears  to  have  been  successfully  claimed  by  Sir  John 
Lawson  under  a  settlement  of  1544,  or  another  of 
1623."*  He  was  made  a  baronet  in  1655,'''  and  in 
1 666  sold  two-thirds  of  the  estate  to  John  Ramsay  and 
one-third  to  Nicholas  Pearson,  who  may  have  been  act- 
ing for  Thomas  Jenison.  In  1672  this  third  part  was 
sold  by  Thomas  Jenison,  Jane  Jenison  and  Nicholas 
Pearson  to  Thomas  Cooper,  under  whose  will  it 
passed  to  Jane  Hargrave.  Her  son  Thomas  Holme 
afterwards  owned  this  portion."  The  owner  of  the 
abbey  in  1855  was  Thomas  Wilkinson";  Mrs. 
Wilkinson  now  holds  it.  It  is  at  present  the  residence 
of  Mr.  George  Tristram  Edwards. 


Jenison.       Azure  a 
bend  befvjeen  two  swans 


"  Cal.  Com.  for  Comb,  iv,  2588. 

"Ibid,  i,  431. 

^  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  2;8.  A  fine  of 
1669 — Robert  and  Brian  Roper  v,  Francis 
Howard  and  Anne  his  wife  —  is  probably 
connected  with  these  sales  (Dur.  Rec.  cl. 
12,  no.  8  [ij).  "  Ibid.  no.  1 1;  (2). 

«'  For  pedigree  see  r.C.H.  Torts.  N.  R. 
'",  375- 

*•  Inform,  from  Sir  Thos.  Wrightson, 
bart.     For  pedigree  see  Burke,  Baronetage. 

"  L.  and  P.  Hen.  riH,  XTJ,  g.  107  (1). 
For  the  history  of  the  priory  see  f'.C.H. 
Dur.  ii,  106  ;  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  260  n. 

"  Dur.  IVills  and  Invent.  (Surt.  Soc), 
i,  156. 


«  L.  and  P.  Hen.  Fill,  xviii  (i),  g.  802 
(66).  Henry  was  a  younger  son.  The 
settlement  was  made  in  15+4.  The  will 
of  George  Lawson  of  Neasham,  dated 
I  580,  is  printed  in  Dur.  fVills  and  Invent, 
(Surt.  Soc),  ii,  22. 

'"  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xliv,  455. 

^''  Pat.  7  Jas.  I,  pt.  i,  no.  12. 

«'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  186,  no.  31.  He 
had  some  dispute  with  his  cousin  Sir 
Ralph  Lawson  (Chan.  Proc.  [Scr,  2J. 
bdle.  316,  no.  2). 

™  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xliv,  459. 

^'  Pedigree  in  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii, 
264. 

"  Royal  Comp.  in  Dur.  (Surt.  Soc),  6, 

291 


130.  Frances  Braithwaite  died  in  163) 
(Surtees,  loc  cit.). 

"  Royal  Comp.  in  Dur.  (Surt.  Soc), 
130-2. 

'*  Diet.  Nat.  Biog. ;  Cal.  CoiK.for  Comp. 
iii,  iSSS. 

"  Royal  Comp.  in  Dur.  (Surt.  Sot), 
255-8.  An  abstract  of  his  will  is  given 
ibid.  256  n. 

"  Pedigree  in  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  263. 

'«»  Dur.  Rec  cl.  3,  hie  186,  no.  31  ; 
Surtees,  op.  cit.  261. 

"  Dugdale,  rssit.  of  Totks.  (Surt.  Soc), 
90  ;  G.E.C.  Complete  Baronetage. 

'*  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  261. 

"  Fordyce,  op.  cit.  i,  504. 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


Gocelin  Surtees  in  1367  held  land  in  Neasliam  of 
John  de  Aislaby,  which  had  been  mortgaged  to  him 
by  Thomas  son  of  Adam  de  Neasham.**"  The 
Overlordship  of  this  land  belonged  to  the  Surtees 
family  of  Low  Dinsdale  (q.v.)/"*  Henry  Tailbois 
of  Hurworth  (d.  1444)  held  his  land  here  of 
Thomas  Surtees."  Thomas  Coundon  of  Neasham 
(d.  1498)  held  his  lands,  jointly  with  Margaret  his  wife, 
of  Thomas  Surtees.**-  His  son  Thomas,  then  thirty 
years  old,  who  died  in  1526,  held  similarly,"^^  and  his 
son,  anotherThomas  Coundon,  succeeded.  In  I  545  he 
died,  leaving  a  son  Thomas,  aged  seven  in  i  548."^  His 
son,  also  Thomas,  recorded  a  pedigree  in  161 2,  when 
his  son  Thomas  was  eight  years  old.***  William  Saycr 
(d.  I  53  l)  held  lands  in  Neasham  of  the  prioress.**''  John 
Sayer  (d.  1635)  left  as  heir  his  niece  Dorothy  Bulmer.**' 
Lawrence  Bayer's  sequestered  lands  in  Neasham  were 
rented  at  £20  in  1645.'*'*  Mention  of  Lawrence  Sayer 
and  Gilbert  Crouch's  land  occurs  in  1670.**'  According 
to  a  plea  of  1604  George  Browne  was  in  possession  of 
a  capital  messuage  and  land  here  which  he  leased 
before  1593  to  William  Greenwell.*''''  William  may 
have  subsequently  bought  the  property,  for  he 
certainly  held  lands  in  Neasham  partly  of  the  Crown 
and  partly  of  the  heirs  of  Thomas  Surtees  ;  his  widow 
married  Marmaduke  Wyvill  before  1604,  and  by 
1619  his  daughters  Eleanor  and  Jane  had  married 
John  Taylor  and  Ralph  Hedworth  respectively.'" 

The  freeholders  in  1684  were  Sir  JohnLawson.bart., 
Robert  Burnett,  Miles  Garry,  the  heirs  of  Thomas 
Lumley,  Thomas  Mowrey,  Noah  Pilkington,  the  heirs 
of  George  Sayer,  and  John  Waite.^' 

The  church  of  JLL  SJINTS  stands 
CHURCH  near  the  east  end  of  the  village  on  the 
south  side  of  the  main  street  close  to  the 
bank  of  the  Tees,  and  when  seen  from  the  opposite 
side  of  the  river,  grouping  picturesquely  with  the 
irregular  roofs  of  the  houses  on  and  along  its  steep 
bank.  The  site  is  an  ancient  one,  and  a  fragment  of 
a  pre-Conquest  cross  was  found  in  1871,^-  but  the 
building  is  almost  entirely  modern  and  of  little  or  no 
antiquarian  interest.  The  whole  body  of  the  church 
w.is  rebuilt  in  183 1-2,  hardly  any  ancient  features 
being  left  s.ive  the  piers  of  the  arcades  and  some 
portions  of  the  outer  walls  of  the  nave.  In  1871 
the  church  was  again  almost  entirely  rebuilt,  the  old 
piers  being  still  retained  together  with  some  portions 
of  the  1 8  3 1  building.  The  fabric,  however,  is  practi- 
cally of  1 8  7 1  date,  and  consists  of  a  chancel  with  short 
north  and  south  aisles,  north  and  south  transepts, 
nave  with  north  and  south  aisles,  south  porch,  and 
west  tower."'  There  is  also  a  small  chapel  at  the 
east  end  of  the  north  aisle.  The  building  is  in  the 
late  Gothic  style,  and   is  faced  with  ashlar,  the  roofs 


being  covered  with  blue  slates.  The  tower  has  an 
embattled  parapet  with  angle  pinnacles  and  a  vice  in 
the  north-east  corner. 

Surtees,  writing  before  1831,  describes  the  old 
building  as  consisting  of  chancel,  nave,  north  porch, 
and  low  west  tower,  the  nave  having  regular  aisles 
each  with  three  pillars  supporting  round  arches.  Two 
of  the  pillars  of  the  south  aisle  were  plain  cylinders 
and  the  rest  octagonal."^  The  east  window  was 
square-headed  and  of  four  lights  divided  by  a  transom. 
The  other  windows  were  modernized  and  irregular. 
The  chancel  arch  was  pointed,  and  on  the  west  front 
of  the  tower  were  three  shields  with  the  arms  of 
Nevill,  Tailbois  and  Dacre.'-'*  Hutchinson,  at  an 
earlier  date,  describes  the  building  in  much  the  same 
terms,"''  from  which  it  would  appear  that  part  of  the 
nave,  at  any  rate,  belonged  to  a  12th-century  church, 
which  had  been  considerably  altered,  perhaps  at  the 
end  of  the  15th  century.  The  two  cylindrical  piers, 
which  have  moulded  capitals,  now  stand  one  on  either 
side  of  the  nave  at  the  west  end,  and  the  semicircular 
arches  have  given  place  to  pointed.  The  three 
shields  are  built  into  the  west  wall  of  the  new  tower 
outside. 

The  church  contains  two  interesting  effigies,  now 
in  modern  recesses  at  the  west  end  of  the  nave  aisles. 
One  of  these  has  the  head  encased  in  a  cylindrical 
helmet  and  the  sword  is  unsheathed  and  held  erect. 
The  feet  are  broken,  and  on  the  left  arm  is  a  shield 
charged  with  three  water  bougets  on  a  fcsse.  The 
figure,  which  is  of  Frosterlcy  marble,  was  discovered 
in  excavating  the  foundations  of  a  house  near  the  site 
of  Neasham  Abbey.-"  The  second  effigy  is  that  of 
Robert  Fitz  William,  who  assumed  the  arms  of  Grey- 
stock  and  died  in  1316.  The  figure  is  in  complete 
mail,  with  sleeveless  surcoat,  and  the  head  rests  on 
two  cushions.  The  hands  are  folded  in  prayer  and 
the  feet  rest  upon  two  lions  in  combat.  The  shield 
bears  the  arms  of  Greystock,  and  is  supported  by  a 
jewelled  belt  passing  over  the  left  shoulder.  Along 
the  sides  of  the  monument  is  carved  foliage,  and 
below  the  legs  are  two  or  three  heads,  apparently  of 
dogs.  The  effigy  w.is  originally  in  Neasham  Abbey, 
whence  it  was  brought  to  Hurworth,  and  it  is  prob- 
able that  the  other  figure  was  originally  in  the  abbey 
also. 

Transepts  were  first  built  in  183 1-2,  each  con- 
taining a  gallery,  and  there  was  a  gallery  also  at  the 
west  end  across  the  first  bay.  The  chancel  as  then 
built  was  considerably  less  in  length  than  at  present."* 

The  font  and  all  the  fittings  are  modern.  The 
quire  stalls  are  of  oak  taken  from  an  old  tithe  barn 
pulled  down  about  1879."" 

There   is  a   monument  with   Latin   inscription  to 


^  Dur.  Rec.  d.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  76  a. 
'"^  Dtp.    Kteper's  Rep.  xliv,   353,  357, 

359>  5H- 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  ptf.  164,  no. 
70. 

''-  Ibid.  ptf.  169,  no.  22. 

^  Ibid.  ptf.  174,  no.  8  ;  Dtp.  Keeper's 
Rep.  xxxvi,  148. 

'*  Ibid,  xxxvii,  9  ;  xliv,  359. 

w  Foster,   yisit.  of  Yorh.    1584,   &c., 

p.  507- 

^  Dtp.  Keeper's  Rep.  xliv,  505. 

"Ibid.  511. 

**  Royal  Comp.  in  Dur.  (Surt.  See), 
30. 

»'  Feet  of  F.  Dur.  Trin.  22  Chas.  II. 


"a  Chan.  Proc.  (Ser.  2),  bdle.  263, 
no.  52. 

■'"  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xliv,  406.  See 
Ch.in.  Proc.  (Ser.  2),  bdle.  263,  no.  52. 

"  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  262. 

^  y.C.H.  Dur.  i,  233.  It  is  now  in 
the  Cathedral  Library  at  Durham. 

^^  The  internal  dimensions  are  as 
follows:  chancel  36  ft.  by  1 8  ft.,  tran- 
septs 23  ft.  6  in.  by  16  ft.  6  in.,  nave 
68  ft.  6  in.  by  17  ft.  9  in.,  north  aisle  5  ft. 
wide,  south  aisle  ;  ft.  10  in.  wide,  tower 
8  ft.  6  in.  by  12  ft.  The  total  width 
across  nave  and  aisles  is  32  ft.  loin.  The 
chapel  is  1 5  ft.  6  in.  by  1 5  ft.  and  the 
porch  7  ft.  by  7  ft.  10  in.     The   architect 

292 


in  1 87 1  was  Mr.  J.  B.  Pritchett  of 
Darlington. 

^*  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  255. 

»^  Ibid. 

*''  Hutchinson,  op.  cit.  iii,  185. 

''  Proc.  Soc.  Aniiq.  Newcastle,  ix,  53  ; 
see  ibid.  (Ser.  3),  iv,  232. 

''^  It  measured  17  ft.  6  in.  square  in- 
ternally. A  plan  of  the  church  dated 
1832,  as  then  recently  enlarged,  hangs 
in  the  vestry.  The  architect  was  Mr. 
T.  Tibbatts.  There  is  also  a  gallery 
plan. 

^'  Proc.  Soc.  Antiij.  Neiucaslle,  ix,  55. 
The  barn  was  built  on  crucks.  It  is 
illustrated  ibid.  56. 


STOCKTON    WARD 


William   Emerson,  the   mathematician,  who   died   in 
1782.     The  inscription  has  been  recut."* 

There  is  a  ring  of  six  bells,  by  Taylor  of  Lough- 
borough, cast  in  1872,  given  in  June  of  that  year 
by  Lucy  Jane  Colling  in  memory  of  her  husband, 
Thomas  Colling.  An  old  bell  by  Samuel  Smith  of 
York  has  been  preserved  :  it  bears  the  inscription, 
'  Gloria  in  Excelsis  Deo.  Leonard  Wastell  Rectour 
1682.     S  :  O  :  C  :  E  :  churchwardens.' ' 

The  plate  is  all  modern,  and  consists  of  two  chalices, 
a  flagon,  and  an  almsdish  of  1 869  and  two  patens 
of  1873,  all  presented  by  the  Misses  Williamson  in 
memory  of  their  father.^  There  are  also  two  chalices, 
two  patens,  a  flagon  and  an  almsdish  presented  in 
1889  under  the  will  of  Robert  Henry  Allan  of  Black- 
well  Hall,  Darlington. 

The  registers  begin  in  1 559. 

In  the  churchyard  is  a  memorial  cross  to  those  who 
fell  in  the  Great  War  which  was  erected  from  sub- 
scriptions raised  by  the  women  and  children  of  the 
parish. 

The  advowson  of  the  church  was 
yiDFOirSON  anciently  appurtenant  to  the  prin- 
cipal manor  of  Hurworth.  Thus 
Luke  Tailbois  and  Robert  de  Hcpple  joined  in  pre- 
sentation about  1315^;  the  king  in  1363  presented 
a  rector  by  reason  of  his  wardship  of  the  heir  of 
Robert  de  Ogle  ■*  ;  and  in  1479  Sir  Robert  Tailbois 
obtained  a  recognition  of  his  right  as  patron.^  The 
advowson  was  included  with  the  manor  in  the  sale  by 
Wymbish  to  Beckwith  in  1550,''  but  excepted  in  the 
sale  by  Roger  Beckwith  to  Lawson  and  Ward  in 
1577.'  A  moiety  was,  however,  prob.ibly  sold  to 
Henry  Lawson  at  th.it  due,  for  '  Lawson  of  Neasham  ' 
was  the  patron  shortly  afterwards,'*  and  in  1607 
Henry  Lawson  was  said  to  have  held  the  advowson,^ 
as  was  his  son  in  1631.^*'  The  Jenisons  inherited 
the  Lawsons'  share,'*  which  was  acquired  in  the  early 
1 8th  century  by  Dr.  Johnson,  the  rector  from  1 7 14 
to  1761."^  Thomas  Johnson,  presumably  his  repre- 
sentative, presented  in  1784.*-  This  part  w-as  later 
held  by  William  Hogg,  who  sold  it  to  the  Rev.  R.  H. 
Williamson,  rector  1832-91.''  The  other  moiety 
was  acquired  by  Robert  Byerley  of  Middridge  Grange, 
to  whom  in  1693  Edward  Beckwith  of  Elvet  in 
Durham,  described  as  grandson   and   heir  of  Roger 


MIDDLETON 
ST.  GEORGE 

Beckwith,  released  all  right  in  the  advowson.'''  Robert 
Byerley  presented  in  1712.'^  This  moiety  was 
afterwards  acquired  by  the  Carr  family,  and  Ralph 
Carr  of  Cocken  presented  in  1761  ;  it  descended 
to  the  Milbankes,  and  was  then  sold  to  Robert 
Hopper  Williamson  of  Whickham,  who  was  one  of 
the  patrons  in  1823,  —  Johnson  being  the  other." 
Mr.  Williamson's  son  was  the  rector  named  above 
who  purchased  the  other  moiety,  and  thus  became 
sole  patron.  He  died  in  1891,  and  was  succeeded 
by  his  nephew,  Mr.  W.  H.  Williamson.  The 
patronage  was  acquired  by  Mr.  T.  H.  Faber  in 
1899  and  is  now  in  the  gift  of  the  Church  Associa- 
tion Trust."" 

The  chapel  of  St.  Oswald  in  the  parish  church  was 
endowed  with  a  bovate  in  the  common  fields,  where 
other  pieces  of  ground  were  assigned  to  the  mainten- 
ance of  lights  ;  all  these  plots  were  granted  by  the 
Crown  in  March  i  579-80  to  Edward  Earl  of  Lincoln 
and  others."* 

In  1 29 1  the  benefice  was  taxed  as  worth  £^\  a 
year,"*  but  after  the  Scottish  devastations  of  the  time 
of  Edward  II  this  was  reduced  to  ^^30  6s.  8^'." 
In  1535  the  estimated  value  was  ^^27  7/.  4a'.,  of 
which  21.  was  paid  to  the  archdeacon.""  The  tithe  of 
hay  belonged  to  Sherburn  Hospital.-' 

The  Poor's  House  Charity  formerly 

CHARITIES     consisted  of  the  Church  Row  House, 

acquired  in  1730  for  the  use  of  the 

poor.     The  property  was  sold  in  1840,  the  proceeds 

being  invested  in  ;^l82  8;.  ()d.  consols. 

William  Andrews — as  stated  in  the  Parliamentary 
Returns  of  1786 — left  ^^20  for  the  poor,  now  repre- 
sented by  j^2i   I  3x.  9//.  consols. 

The  sums  of  stock  belonging  to  these  charities  are 
held  by  the  official  trustees.  The  annual  dividends, 
amounting  together  to  £5  is.  Si/.,  are  distributed  to 
the  poor  in  sums  of  10/.  each. 

The  Mingay  Fund. — In  1859  Mary  Mingay  by 
her  will  bequeathed  j^ioo,  the  income  thereof  to  be 
distributed  in  warm  clothing  at  Christmas  to  poor  old 
men  and  women.  The  legacy,  less  duty,  was  invested 
in  j^g4  14/.  9^.  consols,  with  the  official  trustees. 
The  annual  dividends,  amounting  to  £z  js.  \d.,  are 
distributed  in  articles  in  kind. 

The  National  school  has  been  dealt  with  already.^* 


MIDDLETON  ST.  GEORGE 


Mideltone,  1200  ;  Middeltone,  1230. 

This  parish  contains  but  one  township.  It  lies 
on  the  left  bank  of  the  Tees,  which  here  flows  east 
and  south-east  ;  the  adjacent  parishes  are  Low  Dins- 
dale  on  the  west,  Haughton    le   Skerne   and   Long 


Newton  on  the  north,  and  Egglescliffe  on  the  east. 
The  area  is  2,516  acres,  of  which  15  acres  are 
covered  by  inland  water.  The  principal  industry  is 
agriculture,  the  land  being  thus  occupied  :  arable, 
986J  acres;  permanent  grass,   i,i8i|  ;  woods  and 


'*^  The  monumental  Inscriptions  ia  the 
old  church  arc  given  in  Surtees,  op.  cit. 
ili,  255-6,  and  in  Hutchinson,  op.  cit. 
iii,  185-7. 

'  Proc.  Soc.  Antiq,  Ne'wcastlr,  iii,  287. 

*  Ibid.  This  plate  was  given  in  place 
of  a  former  pewter  set. 

'  Reg.  PaUi.  Duntlm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  ii, 
712. 

*  Cat.  Pal.  1 36 1-4,  p.  4.01. 

'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  55,  m.  2. 

*  Add.  Chart.  19,419  ;  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3, 
R.  78,  no.  2. 

'  Add.  Chart.  19421. 


'*  5/>.  Bjrn^t'  Injunc.  (Surt.  Soc),  4. 

s  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  tile  182,  no.  36. 

'"  Dtp.  Kteprr't  Rep.  xliv,  460. 

''  —  Pincknev  presented  in  1714  ; 
Inst.  Bks.  (P.R.6.J. 

"a  M.I.  to  Dr.  Johnion  (Surtees,  op. 
cit.  iii,  253). 

'*  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  256. 

"  Fordyce,  op.  cit.  i,  502. 

'«  Add.  Chart.  19432. 

1*  Inst.  Bks.  (P.R.O.);  cf.  Surtees,  op. 
cit.  iii,  256  n.  In  1752  Richard  Richard- 
son purchased  the  interest  of  Jane  Ellison 
spinster  of  New  Elvet   in   the  advowson 

293 


of  Hurworth  church  (Close  R.  26  Geo. 
II,  pt.  xvi,  m.  35]. 

"■Surtees,  loc.  cit.  In  1731  Robert 
Carr  left  all  his  messuages  in  Hurworth 
to  his  sister  Elizabeth  Ellison  (Carr,  Hiir, 
of  the  Carr  Fam.  it  (3),  chap.  i). 

"  Inform,  from  the  rector. 

'■'a  Pat.  22  Eliz.  pt.  vii,  m.  4  ;  cf.  Aug. 
Office  Particulars  for  Leases,  file  34, no.  59. 

''  Pofie  Nick.  Tax.  (Rec.  Com.),  3 1 5. 

"  Ibid.  330. 

»"  ralor  Eccl.  (Rec.  Com.),  v,  317. 

"  Ibid.  308. 

"  See  '  Schools,'  r.C.H.  Dur.  i,  407. 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


plantations,  23.'  The  plantations  are  chiefly  placed 
along  the  northern  border.  The  soil  is  clay.  The 
cereals  grown  are  wheat,  barley  and  oats  ;  beans  and 
turnips  are  also  grown.  At  Fighting  Cocks  there 
are  ironworks  ;  also  the  gasworks  for  Middleton 
and  Dinsdale.  The  surface  is  chiefly  an  undulating 
tableland  between  100  ft.  and  14.0  ft.  above  ordnance 
datum,  sloping  steeply  to  the  river,  except  in  the 
south-east  corner,  where  there  is  some  low-lying 
land.-  Here  stands  Lower  Middleton  Hall,  close 
to  the  left  bank  of  the  Tees.  It  is  an  old  three- 
storied  building  with  red  brick  front  having  barred 
sash  windows.  The  front  appears  to  have  been 
erected  in  I  72 1,  the  heads  of  the  lead  spouts  bear- 
ing that  date  along  with  the  initials  r'^i  (R[obert] 
and  I.  Killinghall).  Not  far  from  the  house  is  an 
octagonal  pigeon-house  of  red  brick  with  pantiled 
roof  containing  over  1,500  cells.'  The  site  is  prob- 
ably an  ancient  one.  On  the  lawn  in  front  of  the 
house  is  a  13th-century  cross  of  red  sandstone  set  up 
with  the  lower  end  of  the  shaft  in  the  earth.  The 
design  is  in  the  shape  of  a  large  quatrefoil  with 
spreading  arms,  the  upper  one  of  which  is  missing. 
On  the  north  side  is  a  representation  of  the  Cruci- 
fixion with  the  figures  of  St.  Mary  and  St.  John, 
and  on  the  south  our  Lord  seated  in  majesty,  with 
the  evangelistic  symbols  on  the  arms.* 

To  the  north  of  the  hall  is  the  old  parish  church, 
in  a  lonely  situation  on  the  verge  of  the  higher  land. 
Over  a  mile  westward  is  the  village  of  Middleton 
One  Row,'  standing  along  the  edge  of  the  cliff"  over- 
looking the  river.  Here  is  a  United  Methodist 
chapel.  This  village  is  resorted  to  by  visitors  to  the 
Dinsdale  Spa,  and  cont.iins  the  Ropner  Convalescent 
Home,  originally  founded  about  1894.  To  the 
west  of  it  is  the  Tower  Hill,  the  site  of  an  ancient 
earthwork  of  the  mount  and  bailey  type.^  To  the 
north  is  the  hamlet  of  Fighting  Cocks,  partly  in 
Dinsdale,  which  contains  a  Wesleyan  chapel  and  an 
undenominational  mission  hall.  To  the  east  of  it, 
occupying  the  north  end  of  the  parish  on  both  sides 
of  the  brook  formerly  known  as  Hart  Burn,  are  West 
Hartburn,  Goosepool  and  Oak  Tree  ;  this  last  takes 
its  name  from  a  public-house.  Between  these  and 
the  village  named  is  Middleton  St.  George  Hall. 

At  the  extreme  west  of  the  parish  there  is  a  ford 
across  the  Tees  into  Over  Dinsdale.  Here  stood 
Ponteyse,  the  bridge  of  Tees  ;  it  has  long  been 
destroyed,  but  in  1823  the  foundations  could  still 
be  discerned.'  County  Lane,  the  road  from  the 
bridge,  led  north  below  Tower  Hill,  and  appears  to 
be  part  of  an  ancient  Roman  road.  Pieces  of  land 
near  the  bridge  called  County  Flat  and  County  Acre 
belonged  to  the  manor  of  Traftbrd.*  There  is  another 
ford  near  Low  Middleton,  and  a  ferry  close  bv. 
The  principal  road  on  which  the  village  stands  turns 


north  to  Fighting  Cocks,  where  it  divides  ;  one  branch 
goes  on  along  the  old  Roman  road  to  Sadberge  and  the 
other  turns  west  to  Darlington.  There  are  also 
eastern  branches  to  Stockton  and  to  Long  Newton. 
From  the  village  a  road  goes  east  and  south  past  the 
church  to  Low  Middleton  and  Newsham.  The 
Stockton  and  Darlington  railway  runs  west  across 
the  centre  of  the  parish,  having  a  station  about  a 
mile  north  of  the  village  ;  this  is  named  Dinsdale. 
There  is  a  mineral  line  branching  ofi^  to  Darling- 
ton. 

Hartburn  is  mentioned  in  Reginald's  account  of 
the  miracles  of  St.  Cuthbcrt.  In  King  Stephen's 
time  William  the  Sergeant  had  a  house  there,  and 
fled  thence  to  Sadberge  churchyard  to  escape  a  raid  by 
Roger  Pavie,  the  constable  of  Thirsk,  but  he  was 
captured  and  imprisoned.  St.  Cuthbert  threatened 
the  captor  and  struck  him  with  disease,  and  on  the 
return  of  Robert  de  Eivil,  master  of  the  castle, 
William  was  set  at  liberty.' 

Sir  William  Walworth,  famous  for  the  killing  of 
Wat  Tyler  in  1 381,  was  once  a  partner  in  the 
manor,  but  it  is  not  known  that  he  was  a  native  ; 
he  was  Lord  Mayor  of  London  in  1374  and  1380, 
and  died  in  1381.'"  Three  men  of  Middleton 
St.  George  joined  the  rising  of  1569,  and  one  of 
them  was  executed,  as  was  also  the  man  from  Middle- 
ton  One  Row  who  joined  it.^'  The  Protestation  of 
1641  was  signed  in  the  p.irish,'^  but  the  chief  land- 
owners appear  to  have  been  Royalists  and  had  to 
compound  for  their  estates  under  the  Common- 
wealth. 

The  township's  affairs  are  administered  by  a  parish 
council. 

The  first  occurrence  of  MIDDLE- 
MANORS  TON  is  in  the  return  of  1 1 66,  when  it 
was  held  in  two  moieties  by  William 
son  of  Siward,  who  stated  in  that  year  that  he  held 
one  knight's  fee  in  Gosforth  and  the  moiety  of 
'Milleton'  or  '  Mileton.' *'  Gosforth  by  itself  was 
later  stated  to  be  held  as  two-thirds  of  a  knight's 
fee,  so  that  the  service  for  Middleton  would  be  the 
remaining  third.'''  This  estate,  which  was  called 
OrER  MIDDLETON  or  MIDDLETON  ONE 
ROPf,  descended  with  the  adjoining  Dinsdale  (q.v.) 
in  the  Surtees  family  until  the  partition  made  in  1552, 
when  Marmaduke  son  and  heir  of  Thomas  Surtees,  of 
the  half-blood,  received  it  and  held  it  until  his  death 
in  1573.^'  His  son  John  recorded  a  pedigree  in 
1575,'^  and  John's  son,  Thomas  Surtees,  sold  the 
property  in  1598  to  Anthony  Felton  of  Jarrow,'' 
by  whom  in  1 608  it  was  transferred  to  Arthur  Ald- 
brough '*  ;  he  and  Elizabeth  his  wife  in  1612 
sold  it  to  Christopher  Ayscough  and  Alan  his  son.'' 
Alan  succeeded  his  father  in  1626  and  was  living  at 
Skewsby,  Yorks,  in  1666,  as  appears  by  a  pedigree  he 


'  Statistics  from  Bd.  of  Agric.  (190;). 

»  KC.H.Dur.  i,  355. 

'  Proc.  Soc.  Antij.  NeivcastU,  ix,  65  ; 
(Ser.  3),  iv,  24.8,  where  both  the  hall  and 
pigeon-house  are  illustrated. 

'  See  Arch.  At!.  (New  Ser.),  xvi,  45-6  ; 
Proc.  Soc.  Antiq.  NcwcairU,  iv,  31,  and  v, 
163. 

^  Eraw,  Arawe,  Onraw  are  old  spellings, 
xv-xvi  cent. 

*  r.C.H.  Dur.  i,  355. 

'  Surtees,  Hiti.  and  Antiq.  of  Co.  Palat. 
of  Dur.  iii,  228. 


^  See  Newsham  in  EgglescIifTe. 

'  Reginald,  Lihellu!  de  AJmiranJis  B. 
Cuthberti  yirtutihui  (Surt.  Soc),  193. 

"  Diet.  Nat.  Biog.  Two  wills  of  his 
have  been  printed,  but  thev  contain  no 
references  to  this  parish  (Bentley,  Ex- 
cerf>ta  Historica,  134,  419). 

"  Sharp,  Mem.  of  Rebellion  of  1569, 
p.  251. 

"  Hitl.  MSS.  Com.  Rep.  v,  App.  125. 

"  Red  Bk.  of  Exch.  (Rolls  Ser.),  i,  440. 
On  the  descent  of  Middleton  see  the 
article   by  H.   LongstaflFe   in   Arch.  Ael, 

294 


(New  Ser.),  ii,  69  et  seq.  Wills  and 
other  illustrative  documents  are  there 
printed. 

'<  Teiia  de  Nc-vill  (Rec.  Com.),  392. 

•'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  106,  273  ; 
file  191,  no,  67. 

'*  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  191,  no.  67  ; 
Surtees,  op.  cit,  iii,  235  ;  Foster,  Dur. 
Viiit.  Fed.  293. 

^^  Surtees,  loc.  cit.  ;  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12, 
no.  2  (i)  ;  cl.  3,  file  192,  no.  loi. 

"Ibid.  cl.  3,  R.  94,  m.  15. 

"  Ibid    cl,  12,  no.  2  (3). 


STOCKTON    WARD 


recorded  in  the  Yorkshire  Visitation  of  that  year.-" 
He  was  a  Royalist  in  the  Civil  War  and  his  estates 
were  sequestered  ;  his  son  James,  '  a  Papist,'  appears 
to  have  been  seated  at  MidJleton  One  Row,  and  his 
goods  were  sequestered  by  the  Parliament  in  164.4,2** 
and  the  estate  put  in  the  third  Act  for  Sale  in  1652.^' 
In  the  following  year  the  manor  was  discharged 
from  sequestration,  having  been  purchased  from  the 
Treason  Trustees  in  1 6  5  4  by  Gilbert  Crouch.^-  It  was 
recovered  in  part  at  least,  and  Francis  Ayscough 
seems  to  have  succeeded  his  brother  James,  being 
named  as  a  freeholder  in  1684.-'  Alan  Ayscough 
and  Katherine  his  wife  with  Thomas  Ayscough  and 
Susan  his  wife  conveyed  the  manor  and  lands  here 
to  Thomas  Maynard  in  1 702.*'*  Alan  Ayscough,  son 
of  Alan  and  great-nephew  of  Francis,  had  two  mes- 
suages, &c.,  in  Middleton  St.  George,  which  as  a 
'Papist'  he  registered  in  1717 -''  ;  in  i  720  a  convey- 
ance of  the  manor  was  made  by  him  and  by  Katherine 
Ayscough,  Thomas  Ayscough  and  other  member!  of 
the  family  to  William  Denton."''  It  afterwards  dis- 
appears from  view,  and  the  estate  was  probably  sold 
in  parcels. 

The  hind  sold  to  Anthony  Felton  did  not  include 
the  whole  of  the  Surtees  estate,  for  in  1566  Marma- 
duke  Surtees  conveyed  two  messuages  and  nine  ox- 
gangs  of  land  here  held  of  the  bishop  by  knight  service 
to  John  Hedworth  of  Harraton  for  the  purposes  of  a 
settlement  on  John  and  Anne  his  wife,  daughter  of 
George  and  Jane  Hall.-^'  John  Hedworth  died  in 
1603,  and  on  the  death  of  Anne  in  March  161  7-8 
the  land  passed  to  Ralph  their  son,  then  a  middle- 
aged  man.-*''  Ralph  and  Eleanor  his  wife  conveyed 
the  property  to  William  AUanson  and  James  Dale  in 
1619.25': 

The  second  moiety  called  NETHER  MIDDLE- 
TON  01  MIDDLETON  ST.  GEORGE  was  answered 
for  in  1 1 66  by  Godfrey  Baiard  or  Baard,  who  stated 
in  answer  to  the  king's  writ  that  he  held  the  third 
part  of  a  knight's  fee  in  Northumberl.)nd  ;  he  had 
half  the  inheritance  of  two  sisters,  the  other  half 
being  held  by  Roland  Baard  with  one  of  the  sisters.-* 
Godfrey  occurs  in  the  Pipe  Rolls  from  i  160,-"  and  in 
1165  paid  33/.  4^/.  for  relief  of  his  lands.-*  He  was 
dead  in  1  i  86,  when  his  land  was  in  custody.  Ralph 
Baard,  his  heir,  rendered  scutage  in  the  next  year.-' 
When  Richard  I  granted  the  wapentake  of  S.idberge  to 
Bishop  Hugh  in  1189  he  stated  that  he  included 
therein  the  service  of  the  son  of  Godfrey  Baard, 
evidently  Ralph,  for  two-thirds  of  a  knight's  fee  in 
Middleton  and  Hartburn.'**     The  service  is  that  of 


MIDDLETON 
ST.    GEORGE 

Surtees  and  Baard  together,  so  that  either  the  former 
name  has  been  omitted,  or  else  Baard  was  then  re- 
sponsible to  the  king  for  the  whole  service.  In  1197  the 
son  of  Roland  Baard  answered  for  part  of  the  bishop's 
debt."  It  seems  probable  that  he  also  was  a  Ralph. '- 
One  of  the  Baard  shares  descended  in  the  family 
till  the  14th  century.  There  is  little  evidence  to 
indicate  which  this  was,  but  the  succession  of  Ralphs 
and  Rolands  suggests  that  it  was  Roland's  de- 
scendants who  continued  in  the  male  line.  Ralph 
Baard  was  holding  a  sixth  part  of  a  knight's  fee  in 
Nether  Middleton  about  l2lo,^andin  1235-6  a  local 
jury  returned  that  Ralph  son  of  Roland  Baard  was  a 
minor  who  ought  to  be  in  the  bishop's  custody,  but 
that  the  wardship  had  been  granted  by  the  bishop  to 
Richard  de  Wykes  ;  Roland's  land  was  worth  .^4.''* 
In  1240  Roland  Baard  presented  to  a  moiety  of  the 
church.'*  His  estate  descended  to  Ralph  Baard,  who 
presented  to  his  moiety  of  the  rectory  some  time  before 
1312,'*  and  was  living  in  1313."''  Roland  Baard 
died  in  or  before  1320  holding  a  moiety  of  the 
'manor'  of  Nether  Middleton  and  Hartburn  by 
fealty  and  a  rent  of  2/.  3^'.,  doing  suit  at  the  wapen- 
take court  of  Sadberge.  His  heir  was  his  son  Ralph, 
aged  twenty-seven.''  In  1345  the  king  ordered  an 
inquiry  as  to  the  age  of  Roland  son  and  heir  of 
Ralph  Baard,  and  it  was  proved  that  he  was  of  full 
age.  He  had  been  baptized  at  Middleton.  The 
moiety  of  the  manor  of  Middleton  St.  George  and  a 
moiety  of  the  church  were  held  of  the  bishop  by 
suit  at  Sadberge  Wapentake  and  1 3</.  rent  at  the 
exchequer  of  Durham  ;  two  messuages  and  4  oxgangs 
of  land  in  West  Hartburn  were  held  by  13^'.  rent.'* 
Livery  was  granted  to  the  heir."  In  1352-3  the 
wardship  and  marriage  of  Ralph  son  and  heir  of 
Ralph  Baard  were  granted  to  John  de  Birland  and 
Margery  his  wife.^"  The  heir  seems  to  have  died 
without  issue,  for  in  1364  Roland  Baard  was  found 
to  have  held  the  above  moieties  by  fealty  and  a  rent 
of  2/.  z^J.  at  the  exchequer  ;  Ralph  his  son  and  heir 
was  twenty  years  of  age.'"  Ralph  was  in  possession 
in  1367,  but  had  been  succeeded  by  William 
Walworth  before  1378.^-  This  is  believed  to  be 
the  Sir  William  already  mentioned,  whose  brother 
Thomas  Walworth  calls  Thomas  Baard  his  cousin  in 
1409." 

The  next  step  is  uncertain.  John  Killinghall  in 
1 41 6  was  recorded  to  hold  the  manor  of  Nether 
Middleton  of  the  bishop  in  socage  by  g^d.  rent  and 
also  four  messuages  and  8  oxgangs  of  land  in  Over 
Middleton   of  Sir    Thomas    Surtees;   his   son   John 


'"  Dugdale,  Fisit.  of  rsrh.  (Surt.  Soc), 

345- 

"a  Ric,  Com.  for    Comj>.   (Surt.  Soc), 

106. 

"  Ibid.  106-7  )  Dugdale,  loc.  cit. 

*'  Ric.  Com.  for  Comf.  (Surt.  Soc), 
106-7  )  Close  R.  1654,  [t.  niv,  m.  27. 

"  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  226—7.  Dorothy 
Ayscough  made  a  conveyance  of  lands 
here  to  Ralph  Stephenson,  Margaret  his 
daughter  and  William  Bierman  in  1663 
(Dur.  Rcc  cl.  12,  no.  6  [2]). 

"a  Dur.  Rec  cl.  12,  no.  16  (3). 

"  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  227 ;  Estcourt  and 
Payne,  Engl.  Carh.  t>^on~juror%y  57.  His 
mother  Catherine  had  an  annuity  out  of 
the  estate  (ibid.  50). 

'■■  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  20  (4). 

"a  Ibid,  cl.  3,  tile  184,  no.  109. 


'">  Ibid.  no.  69  J  cf.  ibid,  R.  94,  m.  48. 

"c  Ibid.  R,  loi,  m.  29;  cf.  ibid.  cl.  12, 
no.  2  (3). 

'«  Red  Bk.  of  Exch.  (Rolls  Ser.),  442  ; 
cf.  Pift  R.  14  Hen.  Il{Pi^i:  R.  Soc),  172, 

'■  Pipe  R.  7  Hen.  II  (Pipe  R.  Soc),  25. 
In  the  roll  tor  1 161-2  he  is  associated  with 
William  sonof  Aluric  (of  Dilston,  North- 
umberland) for  the  payment  of  scutage 
(ibid.  8  Hen.  II,  10). 

'»  Ibid.  1 1  Hen.  II,  27. 

"  Hodgson,  Hill,  of  Northumb.  iii  {3), 

^^  Surtees,  op.  cit.  i,  p.  cxxvii  ;  CaL 
Chjrt.  R.  1300-26,  p.  394. 

"  BoUon  Bk.  (Surt.  Soc),  App.  p.  v. 

"  He  is  probably  to  be  identified  either 
with  the  Ralph  Bard  de  Middleton  or  with 
Ralph  Bard  de   Hartburn,  who  together 

295 


witnessed  a  charter  in  the  late  12th 
century  (Feod.  Prior.  Dunelm.  [  Surt.  Soc], 
1  $0  n.  ;  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  229). 

"  Tes!a  de  Xevill  (Rec  Com.),  395, 

"»  Assize  R.  224,  m.  2. 

"  Archhp.  Grays  Reg.  (Surt.  Soc), 
87-8. 

^  Reg.  Palat.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  ii, 
1167.  ^  Ibid.  1240. 

''  Dur.  Rec  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  i. 

»*  Reg.  Palar.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  iv, 
365. 

"  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xxxi,  App.  p.  52. 

"Ibid.  118. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  ;,  no.  2,  fol.  71. 

"  Cf.  the  tenure  of  Cocelin  Surtees 
with  that  of  his  nephew  Thomas  (Dep. 
Keeper  I  Rep.  xlv,  App.  260-1). 

"  Test.  Ehor,  (SurL  Soc),  i,  354. 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


KlLLINCHALLof 

Middleton  St,  George, 
GuUt  a  ragged  bind 
argent  befween  three 
ihea'vet  or. 


was  twenty-t«o  years  old.^''  The  rent  is  only  3.  third 
of  the  old  rent,  but  possibly  dower  or  the  portions  of 
younger  children  account  for  this  ;  West  H.irtburn 
is  not  mentioned.  Livery  was  granted  to  the  heir, 
after  an  inquiry  in  which  the 
tenure  was  found  to  be  soc- 
age.'" John  died  in  1442 
holding  the  manor  and  leaving 
a  son  of  the  same  name,  aged 
thirty,^"  who  in  1453  con- 
veyed his  lands  in  Middleton 
to  his  son  Thomas  and  Isabel 
his  wife."  He  died  in  1485, 
leaving  an  augmented  estate, 
his  son  Thomas  being  forty- 
eight  years  of  age.'"*  Thomas 
died  in  Febru.iry  1493-4, 
leaving  a  son  Hugh  as  heir  ; 
his  wife  Isabel  survived  him.''^ 
Hugh   in  I  509  was  found  to 

have  held  two-thirds  of  the  manor  of  Nether  Middle- 
ton,  and  the  advowson  of  the  church  for  a  rent  of 
3/.  31/.,  lands  in  Middleton  One  Row,  Somercloses  and 
Fogcloses  in  West  Hartburn,  and  various  other  lands. 
His  heir  was  his  son  William,  aged  fifteen.^"  Eliza- 
beth, his  widow,  had  dower  assigned  to  her,  and 
married  Edward  Oglethorp.''  William  Killinghall 
died  in  1526,  leaving  by  his  wife  Eleanor  a  son 
Francis,  aged  eight.  He  had  held  two-thirds  of  the 
manor  of  Nether  Middleton  of  the  bishop  by  a  rent 
of  zs.  \d.  for  the  whole,  the  advowson  of  the  church, 
lands  in  Middleton  One  Row  of  the  heirs  of 
Thomas  Surtces,  the  manor  of  West  Hartburn  of 
the  bishop  by  knight's  service,  and  other  lands. '^ 
Eleanor  had  dower  assigned  out  of  the  manors. •''' 

Francis  Killinghall,  who  was  a  captain  in  the 
garrison  of  Berwick,  died  in  1587,  having  sold  his 
estate.^'^  Ralph  Tailbois  of  Thornton  acquired  the 
manor  of  Nether  Middleton  from  him  in  1569,'''  and 
in  1573  sold  it  to  Roland  Johnson.'*  Roland  Johnson 
at  his  death  in  1583  was  seised  of  two-thirds  of 
the  manor.'^  His  son  Cuthbert ''  appears  to  have 
sold  his  estate  in  parcels  to  Ninian  Girlington, 
Richard  Maddock  and  John  Gaines.  Girlington 
acquired  the  '  Grange '  and  the  manorial  rights,*''* 
Maddock  the  '  Red  House,'  *'  and  Gaines  a  capital 
messuage  and  various  closes."'^  In  I  599  John  Girling- 
ton,^' while  retaining  the  Grange,  sold  the  manor 
and  advowson  to  Richard  Heighington.^-  Heigh- 
ington  seems  to  have  sold  them  to  Henry  Killing- 


hall, on  whom,  with  Anne  his  wife,  Richard 
Maddock  settled  the  manor  in  1606,  with  remainder 
in  tail  to  their  son  William. '^^  Henry  died  in  1 620  *'* 
and  William  in  1644  ;  John  son  of  William  Kill- 
inghall, as  a  Royalist,  had  his  lands  sequestered  in 
that  year  and  compounded,  taking  the  Negative 
Oath.  He  died  in  1652,  his  widow  Margaret 
taking  the  Engagement  in  the  same  year.'"''  His 
son  William  recorded  a  pedigree  in  1666,  when 
he  was  twenty-seven  years  of  age."'  He  died  in 
1695  ^^  and  his  eldest  son  William  in  1703,  leaving 
a  sister  and  heir  Margaret  (d.  1706)  ;  the  estates  on 
her  death  passed  to  her  cousin,  Robert  Killinghall, 
son  of  John,  and  he  held  them  until  his  death  in 
,7j8  66a  ]-ijs  son  John  '^' died  unmarried  in  1762,*'^ 
having  bequeathed  his  estates  to  a  cousin,  William 
Pemberton,  son  of  William,  son  of  Elizabeth,  sister 
of  Robert  Killinghall.  He  died  in  1778  and  his 
son  William  in  1801  .^"^  This  last  William  bequeathed 
his  estates  to  his  maternal  aunts,  of  the  family  of 
Cocks  of  Plymouth,  and,  though  the  Killinghall  heir 
(George  Allan  of  Blackwell  Grange)  claimed,  the  be- 
quest was  held  valid.'''*  From  the  parish  registers  it 
appears  that  Elizabeth  and  Sally,  daughters  of  Elisha 
Cocks  of  Plymouth  Dock,  changed  their  name  to 
Pemberton  on  inheriting  in  1801  ;  they  were  buried 
at  Middleton  in  1809  and  181  1  respectively.**^ 
Henry  Cocks  was  proprietor  in  1833  '■''  and  H.  A.  W. 
Cocks  in  1848  and  until  about  1898.  The  hall  was 
sold  in  1895.  Since  1902  the  principal  landowners 
h.ive  been  Mr.  A.  G.  Rudd  of  Stockton-on-Tces  and 
Dr.  Robert  Smith. 

The  estate  sold  to  Richard  Maddock  was  by  him 
conveyed  in  1596  to  Thomas  B.ink,™  who  sold  it 
ten  years  later  to  William  Allanson."'  Its  later 
history  is  not  known.  The  Grange  was  sold  by 
John  Girlington  in  1610  to  Christopher  Wyvill 
and  William  Carr.'-  They  conveyed  it  in  16 14 
to  Sir  Conyers  Darcy  of  Hornby  Castle,  Yorks./' 
who  in  161 8  sold  a  messuage  and  320  acres  here  to 
John  Lord  Darcy,  with  whom  was  associated  Sir 
Thomas  Bellasis  and  Sir  William  Lister.'* 

The  sixth  part  of  a  knight's  fee  which  had  been 
held  by  Godfrey  Baard  and  his  son  seems  to  have 
come  before  1 193  to  Walter  and  Robert  de  Cambc 
(de  Cadomo,  de  Caen,  de  Kam,  de  Cham).'°  They 
were  the  nephews  of  Simon  the  chamberlain  of 
Bishop  Hugh  Pudsey  and  acquired  land  in  Cornsay 
and  Hedley  ''^  (q.v.).  The  nature  of  their  interest  in 
Middleton  is  uncertain,   but    in    1240    Muriel    and 


i78d. 


<s  Ibid. 


"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol. 

*^  Ibid.  R.  35,  m.  9-10  d. 

">  Ibid,  file  16+,  no.  47. 

<'  Ibid,  file  168,  no.  2,  3, 

*'  Ibid,  file  169,  no.  62. 

i"  Ibid.  no.  2,  fol.  I.        ^'  Ibid.  fol.  3,  9. 

^-  Ibid,  file  174,  no.  1 1. 

''  Dtp.  Kecper'i  Rep.  xliv,  445  ;  Close, 
38  Hen.  'VIII,  pt.  ii,  no.  55. 

"»  Surtees,  Dur.  iii,  222. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  1  (2)  ;  cl.  3, 
R.  84,  no.  38  ;  R.  156,  m.  34. 

"Dur,  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  156,  m.  46; 
Arch.  Ael.  (New  Ser.),  ii,  81. 

'•^  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  191,  no.  107, 

"  Ibid, 

'*  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  222.  *'  Ibid, 

™  Dur,  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  99,  no.  2. 

*'  John  Girlington  burdened  his  estates 
here  and  in  Yorkshire  with  an  annuity  of 
j^90    to    Robert    Comyn,  who   endowed 


with  it  Chilcott's  Free  School  at  Tiverton 
[Char.  Com.  Rep.  [Devon],  191 1,  p.  756), 
"  Dur,  Rec.  cl.  3,  R,  92,  m.  21, 
^  Surtees,  loc.  cit,  Henry  conveyed 
\  manor  to  John  and  Thomas  Killinghall 
without  licence,  probably  in  connexion 
with  this  settlement  (Dur,  Rec.  cl,  3, 
ptfl.  182,  no.  38  ;  cf.  39). 

"3  The   Reg.  of  Middleton  St.  George 
(Dur.  and  North.  Par.  Reg.  Soc),  44. 

"  Arch.  All.  (New  Ser.),  69  et  seq. ; 
Rec.  Com.  for  Comp,  (Surt.  Soc),  260,  61, 
^^  Foster,  op.  cit.  199. 
"^  The  Reg.  of  Middleton  St.  George 
(Dur.  and  North.  Par.  Reg.  Soc),  52.  In 
June  1 69 1  he  conveyed  to  John  Spear- 
man the  manor, 

"^  Arch.  Ael.  (New  Ser.),  ii,  97-101, 
^"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  125,  no.  17, 
•'a  The    Reg.   of  Middleton    St.   George 
(Dur.  and  North,  Par.  Reg.  Soc),  60. 


"b  Ibid,  65  ;  Arch.  Ael.  loc  cit.  101- 
104. 

^  Arch.  Ael.  loc.  cit, ;  Surtees,  op,  cit, 
iii,  223,  The  Pembertons  were  of 
Aislaby. 

'»=>  The  Reg.  of  Middleton  St.  George 
(Dur.  and  North.  Par.  Reg.  Soc),  67. 

^  Mackenzie  and  Ross,  f^ietv  of  co. 
Dur.  ii,  77, 

^^  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  222. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  loi,  m.  25, 

"  Ibid.  R.  94,  m,  35. 

'•*  Ibid.  R.  96,  no.  22. 

"  Ibid.  R.  101,  no.  18;  ibid.  cl.  12, 
no.  3  (2). 

"•^  Pipe  R.  7  Ric.  I,  m.  2  ;  1  John, 
m.  8  d.  ;  2  John,  m.  i  ;  Testa  de  Ne-vill 
(Rec.  Com.),  39;. 

'^  Rot.  Lit.  Claus.  (Rec.  Com.),  2  lA,  40  ; 
cf.  Rentals  and  Surv.  (Gen,  Ser.),  ptfl.  21, 
no.  29,  fol.  104  d. 


296 


STOCKTON   WARD 


Alice  Baard  were  said  to  have  presented  to  that  part 
of  the  advowson  which  the  Cambcs  subsequently 
held.''  It  seems  probable,  therefore,  that  they  were 
the  heirs  of  Ralph  son  of  Godfrey  B.iard,  and  that 
they  had  married  Walter  and  Robert  de  Cambe.'" 
Walter  de  Cambe  seems  to  have  been  succeeded 
by  Hugh  called  de  Middleton."^  His  heir  is  not 
certainly  known,  but  may  have  been  the  John  de 
Cambe  who  before  1312  presented  his  son  John  to 
the  vicarage."*' 

Robert  de  Cambe  was  in  1337  found  to  have 
held  of  the  bishop  the  moiety  of  a  messuage  and 
30  acres  in  Nether  Middleton  by  I3</.  for  castle  ward 
and  suit  at  the  court  of  Sadberge  ;  John  his  son  and 
heir  was  twenty-two  years  of  age.**'  In  I  341  John 
de  Cambe  of  Nether  Middleton  entered  into  various 
recognizances,'*- and  in  1353  John  son  and  heir  of 
John  de  Cambe  proved  his  age.*'  Gocelin  Surtees 
in  1367  was  s.iid  to  have  held  6  oxgangs  of  land  in 
Nether  Middleton  of  the  heirs  of  John  de  Cambe 
by  a  rent  of  i  lb.  of  cummin  and  2^d.  "*  ;  Alexander 
Surtees  in  1380  also  held  of  the  heirs  of  John  de 
Cambe. '^  A  later  Gocelin  Surtees  (1383)  held  three 
messuages  and  6  oxgangs  of  land  of  the  same  heirs 
by  I  lb.  of  cummin.*'''  Matania  de  Cambe,  sister  of 
John,  in  1385  held  her  messuage  and  12  oxgangs  of 
land  of  the  bishop  by  knight's  service,  a  rent  of  13a'. 
and  suit  of  court  ;  Walter  de  Cambe,  aged  thirty, 
was  the  heir,  but  his  kinship  is  not  recorded.**' 
Walter  de  Cambe  succeeded,***  but  was  dead  in  June 
1397,  when  it  was  found  that  he  had  held  a 
capital  messuage  and  10  oxgangs  of  land,  &c., 
in  Nether  Middleton  in  fee  tail  and  a  messuage  and  2 
oxgangs  in  fee  simple  ;  all  were  held  of  the  bishop  by 
knight's  service,  suit  of  court  at  Sadberge  and  i  3</. 
rent.  His  heir  was  a  son  John,  aged  twenty-six.*' 
Robert  Cambe,  perhaps  a  brother  of  John,  held  the 
estate  in  1408,  when  his  son  William,  aged  seven, 
was  found  to  be  the  heir.'*^  He  proved  his  age 
in  February  1422-3  ^'  and  died  shortly  before 
1430-1,"^  leaving  a  widow  Katherine,  who  soon 
afterwards  married  John  Scman.^'  The  next  to 
appear  is  William  Cambe,  after  whose  death  in 
1 5 1 1  it  was  found  that  his  son  Thomas  was 
heir  of  his  lands  in  Middleton  St.  George.^*  Being 
twenty-four  years  of  age  Thomas  had  livery,'-** 
and  in  15  19  he  sold  his  estate  in  Shildon  to  Eliza- 
beth Killinghall.'*'  She  was  then  described  as  of 
Middleton  St.  George,  and  had  probably  already 
purchased  his  land  here. 

Elizabeth  was  the  widow  of  Robert  Killinghall, 


MIDDLETON 
ST.  GEORGE 

who  in  I  508  had  held  lands  in  Sadberge  and  else- 
where,"' and  Robert  may  have  been  the  son  of  John 
Killinghall  who  acquired  lands  in  Bishopton  (?  New- 
biggin)  in  1482.'*'  She  died  in  1541  holding  her 
husband's  estate  and  a  third  part  of  the  manor  of 
Middleton  St.  George,  with  lands  and  tenements 
therein,  the  advowson  of  the  rectory,  and  a  fishery  in 
the  Tees,  all  held  of  the  bishop  by  knight's  service." 
William,  her  son  and  heir,  then  thirty-six  years  of 
age,  died  in  1559,""  when  his  brother  John  suc- 
ceeded, and  he  dying  in  1574  was  followed  by  his 
son  Henry,'  who,  as  related  above,  afterwards 
acquired  the  Baard  Manor  and  the  advowson  of  the 
sinecure  rectory.  It  seems  probable  that  the  greater 
part  of  the  manor  followed  the  descent  in  his  family 
which  is  given  above.  In  1607,  however,  Henry 
Killinghall  made  a  settlement  of  all  his  manor  of 
Middleton  St.  George  on  himself  and  Anne  his  wife 
for  their  lives,  with  remainder  to  William  Killinghall 
and  his  issue.-  At  Henry's  death  in  1620  he  was  said 
to  hold  only  a  third  part,'  but  these  fractional  ex- 
pressions are  very  loosely  used. 

The  twelfth  part  of  a  knight's  fee  in  Middleton 
which  was  held  about  1 2 10  by  Robert  de  Cambe  or 
Middleton  *  is  not  subsequently  treated  as  part  of 
the  manor,  and  cannot  be  traced  with  certainty.  It 
may  possibly  be  identified  with  Goosepool.' 

irEST  HARTBURN  (Hartburn,  Hertburn, 
c.  1200  ;  West  Hertburn,  xiv  cent.)  was  held  with 
Nether    Middleton    as    one    estate,    and    part   of  it 

consequently  descended   in  the    Baard    and    Cambe 

families.     The     Baard     share 

was  sold  in   1548   by  Francis 

Killinghall  to  William  Wrenn,* 

who  died  in    1559,  leaving  a 

son  and  heir  Anthony.'     An- 
thony died   in  1595   seised  of 

half  of  a    messuage  and  400 

acres  in  West  Hartburn.*    His 

son    Sir    Charles    Wrenn    of 

Binchester^  was  succeeded  in 

March  1 620-1  by  a  son  and 

heir     Lindley     Wrenn,     who 

sold    the    estate    in    1628    to 

Francis   Forster    and    George 

his  son.i"  John  Forster,  son  of 

Francis,  held  it  in  1694,*^  and 

in  1 7 1  7  registered  his  freehold 

in   West  Hartburn   as  worth 

/71  10/.  ayear.*^  It  was  sold  by  —  Bowlby  in  1763  to 

—  Masterman,  whose  granddaughter.  Miss  Glanville, 


Wrinn.  Argent  a 
cheTeron  tahle  betvteen 
three  liom^  headi  razed 
lable  ivith  three  Virerts 
argent  on  the  cheveron 
and  a  chief  guUt  charged 
tuilb  three  croiilett  or. 


"  Archhp.  Grafs  Reg.  (Surt.  Soc), 
87-8. 

'*  If  this  conjecture  is  correct  it  seems 
that  two  heiresses  married  two  brothers 
twice  in  the  history  of  Middleton.  See 
above. 

"  Surtees,  op.  cit.  ii,  340. 

«"  Reg.  Palat.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  ii, 
1 1 67. 

*'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  i\b. 

'^  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xxxi,  App.  54-5. 

^  Ibid,  iv,  App.  133. 

"'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  z,  fol.  y6b. 

»•■'  Ibid.  fol.  105*.         *«  Ibid.  fol.  151*. 

*'  Ibid.  fol.  154*. 

"  Ibid.  fol.  1 56A.  The  heir  was  Alice 
wife  of  Richard  de  Scouacle,  aged  thirty. 

«»  Ibid.  fol.  128.  '■•»  Ibid.  fol.  163. 

"  Ibid.  fol.  21S.  Livery  was  given 
{Def,  Keeper's  Rep.  xxxiii,  App.  174). 


"'  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xxxiii,  App.  14S. 

"  Ibid.  149. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  3,  fol.  16. 

'■■'  D,p.  Keeper's  Rep.  xxxvi,  App.  99. 

9'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  71,  m.  8  d.  He 
is  here  described  as  of  Theddlcthorpe 
(Lines.). 

"'  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xliv,  444. 

''  Ibid.  324. 

•''  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  177,  no.  56. 
Her  will,  dated  1527,  is  printed  by  Long- 
stafte  {.-irch.  .-lei.  [New  Ser.],  ii,  83).  She 
had  presented  to  the  rectory  in  1531 
(Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  224). 

'""  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  6,  fol.  58. 

'  Arch.  Ael.  (New  Ser.),  ii,  S6,  where 
Longstarte  prints  John's  will,  dated  1 572. 

'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  93,  m.  I2  ;  cf.  file 
182,  no.  38. 

^  Ibid,  file  189,  no.  34, 

297 


*  Sec  above. 

*  See  below. 

•i  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  i  (1). 
Katherine  wife  of  Francis  Killinghall 
and  Alice  wife  of  John  Harrison,  with 
their  respective  husbands,  had  sold  a 
messuage  and  some  290  acres  of  land  on 
the  east  tide  of  West  Hartburn  to  Wrenn 
in  the  previous  year  (Ibid.). 

^  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  226. 

^  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  192,  no.  59. 

'  Ibid.  He  had  joined  with  his  father 
and  mother  in  a  conveyance  of  this  land 
in  August  1595  (Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12, 
no.  2  [I]). 

'"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  porlfl.  189,  no.  43  ; 
R.  102,  no.  25  ;  cl.  12,  no.  4  (2). 

"  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

"  Estcourt     and     Payne,   Engl.    Cath. 


Nonjuror Sj  52, 


38 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


sold  it  before  1823  to  the  Rev.  W.  Fountaine  Addison, 
rector  of  the  parish.'*  The  trustees  of  the  Rev.  W.  F. 
Addison,  who  died  in  1893,  are  still  landowners. 

The  holding  of  the  Cambes  passed  into  the  pos- 
session of  the  younger  line  of  Killinghall,  and  in 
1595  Henry  Killinghall  and  William  his  son  and 
heir  conveyed  their  '  manor '  and  land  there  to 
Edward  Blakiston,"  who  in  1607  granted  the 
same  amount  of  land  and  what  was  said  to  be  a 
fourth  part  of  the  manor  to  Margaret  Pinkney.'* 
Christopher  Hall  of  West  Hartburn,  having  been 
adjudged  a  delinquent,  asked  leave  to  compound  in 
1650,  but  it  is  not  clear  what  l.ind  he  had  in  this 
township.  He  died  in  August  1650  without  issue, 
and  his  executors  were  his  brother  Thomas  Hall 
and  Margery  Pinkney  ;  she  died  in  1651,  and  one 
Lawrence  Pinkney  seems  to  have  claimed.  It  was 
alleged  that  Margery's  name  was  being  used  to  pro- 
tect Hall's  estate." 

GOOSEPOOL,  or  the  part  of  Hartburn  within 
Long  Newton,  seems  to  have  been  acquired  by  the 
Balliols,  for  in  1306  it  was  recorded  that  the  service 
of  the  twelfth  part  of  a  knight's  fee  was  due  from 
Hartburn,  formerly  John  de  Balliol's  land."  About 
1 348-60  John  de  Meynill  obtained  licence  to 
acquire  a  fourth  part  of  the  manor  of  Goosepool 
(Gespoll)  from  Hugh  Galon.'*  Thus  it  is  probable 
that  the  estate  was  broken  up  into  small  parcels. 
Thomas  Ashby  of  Sadberge  was  in  1 42 1  found  to 
have  held  lands  in  Hartburn  of  Sir  Robert  Conyers 
on  the  east  side  of  the  brook,  and  of  John  Killinghall 
on  the  west  side  ;  part  of  it  had  been  purchased 
from  Robert  Fulthorp.  John,  the  son  and  heir 
of  Thomas,  being  dead,  the  Hartburn  lands  were  to 
descend  to  Thomas  Garmondway,  aged  forty,  as  son 
of  Joan  sister  of  Thomas  Coke,  father  of  Alice,  mother 
of  John  Ashby.'*  Though  from  this  Conyers  appears 
to  have  been  lord  of  the  Goosepool  part  of  Hart- 
burn, it  is  not  named  in  the  inquisitions  of  the  family. 

Ralph  Paul  died  seised  of  land  here  held  of  the 
manor  of  DinsJale  in  1568.^"  His  son  William 2' 
settled  it  on  himself  and  his  issue,  with  remainder  to 
Robert,  Richard,  Christopher  and  Henry  Paul. 
William  died  without  issue,  and  the  manor  passed 
from  Robert  to  his  son  Francis,  who  died  without 
issue  in  161 5  seised  of  a  capital  messuage  called 
P^UL  HARTBURN  (Pawle  Hartburne,  xvi  cent.), 
and  was  followed  by  Henry  son  of  Christopher,-'^ 
who  granted  the  estate  in  1621  to  Robert  Ellis, 
the  transfer  being  completed  in  1630.^*  Robert  Ellis 
died  in  possession  in  1622,  leaving  a  son  and  heir 
also  called  Robert,^*  who  as  Captain  Robert  Ellis 
incurred  sequestration  of  his  lands  in  West  Hartburn 
and  elsewhere.-^  This  estate  had  descended  to  three 
co-heirs  by  1729  ;  they  sold  to  Elizabeth  Hall,  who 
in  1733  devised  it  to  her  son  William  Sleigh,  and 
his  trustees  in  1778  sold  to  trustees  under  the  will 
of  Ralph  Carr.2« 

The    freeholders    in    the    parish 

^^  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  2  (i)  ;  cl.  3, 
R.  92,  m.  3. 

'5  Ibid.  R.  94,  m.  3  ;  cl.  12,  no.  2  (2). 

16  The  fi^,f.  of  MMleion  St.  Giorgc 
(Dur.  and  North.  Par.  Reg.  Soc),  47  ; 
Rrc.  Com.  for  Comf.  (Surt.  Soc),  224-9  i 
Foster,  op.  cit.  149. 

"  Reg.  Palat.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  ii 
801  ;  iii,  32. 


in     1684    were 

century  date.'^-'* 

"  Dur.     Rec.     cl. 

3,      no,     12,     fol. 

227  d. 

"  Ibid.  no.  2,  fol.  207  d. 

'"  Ibid,  file  191,  no.  49. 

"  Ibid. 

"  Ibid,  file  189,  no.  58  ;  R 
cf.   Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  220. 

-■'  Dur.   Rec.   cl.    12,  no.  3  (2),  4  (2)  ; 
Dip.  Keeper's  Rep.   xliv,  486, 

-'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  189,  no.  86. 


Francis  Ayscough,  —  Bearman,  Thomas  Cunning- 
ham, Cuthbert  Garth,  William  Killinghall,  Thomas 
Thoroton,  Christopher  Ward,  Jane  Wilson,  and  the 
heirs  of  Robert  Yong. 

The  church  of  ST.  GEORGE " 
CHURCHES  consists  of  a  chancel  with  north 
vestry,  nave,  south  porch,  and  small 
west  tower.  Divine  service  is  now  held  only  in  the 
church  in  the  afternoons  of  the  third  Sunday  in  each 
month. 

The  site  is  an  ancient  one,  but  no  portion  of  the 
existing  structure  is  older  than  the  latter  half  of  the 
13th  century.  The  only  parts  of  this  date  now 
standing  are  the  chancel  arch  and  the  south  and  west 
walls  of  the  nave.  Towards  the  end  of  the  1 8th 
century,  when  the  spa  was  established,  the  nave  was 
widened  by  pushing  out  the  north  wall,  the  chancel 
was  rebuilt,  and  nearly  all  the  original  architectural 
features  of  the  building  destroyed.  New  roofs  were 
erected  covered  with  blue  slates  and  with  flat  plaster 
ceilings  inside,  the  old  muUioned  windows  were 
destroyed,  the  tops  of  the  openings  renewed  in  brick, 
and  wooden  frames  inserted.  The  vestry  was  built 
at  the  same  time.  In  1888  the  tower  was  added  by 
Henry  A.  W.  Cocks,  patron  and  lord  of  the  manor, 
in  place  of  a  former  west  bellcote,  and  in  the  same  year 
the  building  was  repointed,  the  flat  ceilings  removed, 
open  benches  inserted  in  place  of  the  old  pews,  new 
wooden  windows  put  in  and  a  general  restoration 
effected.^* 

The  chancel  has  a  window  of  three  lights  at  the 
east  end  and  one  on  the  south  side.  There  is  also  a 
priest's  doorway,  the  square  head  of  which  is  old, 
probably  belonging  to  a  former  and  narrower  door- 
way in  the  same  position.  The  chancel  arch  is  of  two 
orders,  the  outer  plastered  and  of  square  section  and 
the  inner  one  chamfered,  springing  on  either  side 
from  semi-octagonal  corbels  supported  by  human 
heads,  a  man's  on  the  north  side,  and  a  woman's 
with  protruding  tongue  on  the  south. 

The  nave  is  lighted  by  two  windows  on  the  north 
and  one  on  the  south  side.  The  latter  has  an 
original  square  head,  but  the  opening  is  filled  with  a 
modern  wooden  frame.  All  the  other  windows  in 
the  building  have  pointed  brick  heads  and  wooden 
frames  of  three  pointed  lights.  The  porch  has  a 
plain  coped  gable  and  semicircular  brick  arch,  but 
the  original  jamb  stones  remain  below  the  springing. 
The  inner  doorway  has  a  square  head  and  there  is  a 
scat  on  either  side. 

The  tower,  of  a  nondescript  Gothic  character, 
detracts  in  no  small  measure  from  the  appearance  of 
the  building.  It  was  built  up  against  the  west  gable, 
but  is  now  leaving  the  building  and  leaning  westward. 
It  contains  an  old  bell  without  inscription. 

The  font  is  ancient  and  consists  of  a  circular  tub- 
like   sandstone    bowl    on    a    stepped  base    and    high 
octagonal  plinth.     The   bowl   may   be  of  late   1 2th- 
The  pulpit  is  modern. 

^^  Rec.    Com.  for   Comp.    (Surt.    Soc), 

-**  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  220. 

^'  By  a  not  uncommon  variation  it  is 
called  St.  Gregory's  in  Reg.  Palat.  Dunelm, 
(Rolls  Ser.),  i,  125. 

^^  Proc.  Soc.  Antiq.  Neivcaitlty  ix,  6^. 

2*^  The  font  is  figured  and  described  in 
Trans.  Dur.  Arch.  Soc.  vi,  241.  For  plate 
see  Proc,  Soc,  Ant'tq.  Newcastle^  iv,  131. 


99» 


298 


MiDDLETON  St.  George  Church  from  the  South 


Long  \e«  ion  Church  from  THf  Sovth-wt^t 


STOCKTON    WARD 


LONG  NEWTON 


The  plate  consists  of  a  small  chalice  and  paten 
of  1868  ;  a  flagon  of  1829  given  in  1836  by  the 
Rev.  William  Addison  Fountain,  rector  ;  and  a 
set  of  two  chalices,  two  patens,  a  flagon  and  an 
almsdish  of  1888,  presented  in  1889  under  the 
will  of  Robert  Henry  Allan  of  Blackwall  Hall, 
Darlington. 

The  registers  of  marriages  and  burials  begin  in 
1616  ;  that  of  baptisms  in  1652.  They  have  been 
printed  down  to  1812.^* 

The  church  of  ST.  LJf^RENCE  at  Middleton 
One  Row  was  built  in  1871,  and  is  a  stone  building 
in  the  13th-century  style,  consisting  of  a  chancel, 
nave,  vestry,  south  porch  and  bell-turret  with  spire. 
In  it  are  preserved  a  Saxon  sundial  ^^  and  two 
mediaeval  grave  covers,^^  one  of  elaborate  design,  all 
of  which  had  formerly  been  built  into  the  walls  of 
the  old  church. 

It  has  been  related  above  that 
ADfOllSON  the  Baard  fee  in  Middleton  had 
been  divided  into  two  before 
I  166,  and  this  division  extended  to  the  rectory,  for 
about  I  200  two  rectors,  John  and  William,  attested 
a  charter.^-  In  i  240,  on  the  death  of  a  rector,  the 
Archbishop  of  York  ordained  that  one  moiety 
should  be  held  as  a  rectory,  the  other  as  a  vicarage  ; 
the  patronage  belonged  to  the  tenants  of  the  two 
moieties  of  the  Baard  fee.^^  In  1291  the  portion 
of  Peter  de  Cerecy  was  taxed  as  worth  £()  6s.  8V., 
and  that  of  Geofi'rey  de  Schilvede  as  worth  ^^4.** 
In  I  312  the  bishop  confirmed  the  ancient  division 
of  the  church  into  two  parts  ;  the  sinecure  moiety 
was  held  by  William  de  London,  who  had  been 
presented  by  Ralph  Baard,  and   the  working  moiety 


was  held  by  John  de  Cambe,  with  the  title  of  vicar 
only,  on  the  presentation  of  John  de  Cambe,  his 
father.^  The  Scottish  devastations  here,  as  else- 
where, necessitated  a  reduction  in  the  valuations,  and 
in  1 3 1 8  these  were  ^^4  1 3/.  \d.  and  £2  61.  id. 
respectively.'*  In  the  returns  of  1545  the  rector's 
income  was  estimated  at  £\  a  year,  out  of  which  he 
paid  5/.  to  the  rector  of  Egglesclifte  and  2/.  to  the 
archdeacon.*' 

The  rights  of  patronage  descended  with  the  Baard 
and  Cambe  portions  of  the  manor,  and,  as  has  been 
shown  above,  were  both  acquired  by  the  second  line 
of  Killinghall  early  in  the  17th  century.^  The 
last  presentation  to  the  sinecure  rectory  appears  to 
have  been  made  in  1625.''  Probably  the  Civil 
War  made  a  breach  in  old  custom  sufficiently  long 
to  enable  the  patron  to  keep  the  sinecure  moiety  in 
his  own  hands  from  that  time.  A  terrier  of  1792 
printed  by  Surtees  records  that  a  moiety  of  the 
tithes,  &c.,  went  to  the  rector,  the  patron  having 
the  other  moiety.^"  In  succession  to  Killingh.dl  and 
Pemberton,  Elisha  Cocks  was  patron  in  or  about  1 820, 
Henry  Cocks  in  1833,  H.  A.  W.  Cocks  in  1848-98. 
More  recently  the  Bishop  of  Durham  has  acquired 
the  patronage. 

There  is  a  tradition  that  a  chapel  formerly  existed 
in  Goosepool  for  the  ancient  '  vill  of  West  Hart- 
burn.''"-  A  chapel  at  Ponteys  Bridge,  subject  to  the 
church  of  Dinsdale,  was  in  existence  in  or  about  1200, 
when  benefactions  were  made  to  it  by  Cecily  daughter 
of  Gilbert  de  Heworth.**  It  was  dedicated  to  St. 
John,  and  existed  as  late  as  I50i.''* 

The  schools  have  been  dealt  with 


CHARITIES 


elsewhere.'" 


LONG  NEWTON 


Lang  Newton,  1260. 

The  parish  and  township  of  Long  Newton  is 
bounded  by  Egglesclifte  and  Middleton  St.  George 
on  the  south,  Haughton  le  Skcrne  on  the  west, 
Bishopton  and  Elton  on  the  north  and  Stockton  on 
the  east.  The  village  with  the  parish  church  stands 
near  the  centre  upon  a  long  ridge  of  slightly  elevated 
land  extending  from  south-west  to  north-east  between 
two  bnmches  of  the  Hartburn  or  Coatham  Beck.  To 
the  south  and  east  of  the  ridge  the  surface  is  lower, 
descending  to  50  ft.  above  the  ordnance  datum  at 
the  extreme  east  ;  to  the  north-west  it  is  usually 
higher,  attaining  200  ft.  at  the  boundary  of  New- 
biggin.  Coatham  Stob  or  Coatham  Conyers  occupies 
a  projecting  part  of  the  township  at  the  east  end. 
Call  Hill  and  West  Moor  are  in  the  south,  Hard- 
stones  and  Haughthorn  in  the  west,  Bewley  Hill, 
Larberry  and  Fox  Hill  in  the  north.  The  area  is 
4,311  acres.     Part  of  Goosepool,   in  the  township  of 


Middleton  St.  George,  has  been  commonly  regarded 
as  within  the  parish  of  Long  Newton.' 

The  principal  road  is  that  which  goes  westward 
from  Stockton  to  Darlington,  passing  through  the 
village.  To  the  north  there  is  a  road  from  Norton 
to  Darlington,  and  to  the  south  one  from  Yarm  and 
Egglesclifte  to  Darlington  ;  from  the  village  roads 
lead  north  and  south  to  join  these  roads,  and  another 
road  goes  south-west  to  Middleton.  The  Stockton 
and  Darlington  section  of  the  London  and  North 
Eastern  Railway  crosses  the  south  end  of  the  parish. 

The  soil  is  varied,  in  parts  a  strong  clay  ;  wheat 
and  oats  are  grown,  also  beans.  A  little  before  the 
middle  of  the  19th  century  3,000  acres  were  arable,- 
and  the  distribution  is  1,484  acres  of  arable,  2,472 
of  permanent  grass  and  143  of  woods  and  planta- 
tions.' The  plantations  are  in  detached  portions, 
partly  along  Coatham  Beck  and  partly  on  the 
northern  border.     Stone  quarries  used  to  be  worked.* 


**  Dur.  ami  Northumb.  Par.  Reg.  So^. 
xii  (1906).  Transcribed  and  edited  by 
Herbert  Maxwell  Wood,  M.A. 

»»  See  r.C.H.  Dur.  i,  240. 

"  Proc.  Sm.  yjniij.  Niivcaiilt  (Ser.  3), 
IT,  244.  One  of  the  grave  covers  is 
figured  ibid.  232. 

^*  Feod.  Prior.  Dunrlm.  (Surt.  See), 
14S,  i$o.  William  Baard  was  rector  in 
1228  (ibid.  249) 


"  Archhp.  Grayi  Reg.  (Surt.  Soc), 
87-8. 

"  Pope  Kiih.  Tax.  (Rec.  Com.),  315. 

"  Reg.  Fatal.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  ii, 
116;. 

«  Pope  Nich.  Tax.  (Rec.  Com.),  330. 

»'  P'alor  Eccl.  (Rec.  Com.),  t,  317. 

*''  Christopher  Pincknev  presented  in 
1705  (Inst.  Bks.  [P.R.O.]). 

'^  See  list  in  Surtees. 

299 


*°  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  224. 

"  Ibid.  226. 

"  Ibid,  ii,  229  ;  iii,  394  ;  FioJ.  Pritr. 
Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc),  162. 

**  Surtees,  op.  cit.  ii,  228. 

"  y.C.H.  Dur.  i,  408. 

^  See  the  account  of  Middleton  St. 
George.  '  Lewis,  Topog.  Diet. 

'  Statistics  from  Bd.  of  Agric.  (190$). 

*  Lewis,  op.  cit. 


A   HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


The  principal  events  in  the  history  of  the  place 
are  noticed  in  the  accounts  of  the  manors  and  the 
church.     The  Protestation  of  164.1  was  signed  hcre.^ 

The  Wesleyans  and  the  Primitive  Methodists  had 
preaching  rooms  in  Long  Newton  in  1833*;  the 
present  Wesleyan  chapel  dates  from  1 90 1.  The 
Wilson  Church  Institute  was  built  in  1887. 

LONG  NEirrON  was  probably  early 
MANORS  a  member  of  the  barony  held  by  the 
Balliol  family.  The  service  for  it  was 
claimed  by  the  Bishop  of  Durham  because  it  belonged 
to  the  wapentake  of  Sadberge.  In  1 231  John  de 
Balliol  came  to  an  agreement  with  the  bishop 
by  which  he  was  in  future  to  hold  it  as  to  one 
moiety  by  the  fourth  part  of  a  knight's  fee  and  as  to 
the  other  moiety  by  a  rent  of  ;^io.'  This  diJ  not 
end  the  disputes,  for  in  1254  some  of  Balliol's  men 
seized  the  church  of  Long  Newton  and  were  excom- 
municated and  arrested  ;  in  return  some  of  the 
bishop's  men  were  seized  and  imprisoned  in  Barnard 
Castle.^  Long  Newton  and  Newsham  were  given 
by  the  younger  John  de  Balliol  to  Bishop  Antony 
Bek  shortly  before  his  forfeiture'  in  1295.  The 
vill  of  Long  Newton  was  then  worth  £l^.o  ji.  i  !</., 
including  j^io  a  year  which  had  been  granted  to 
Alan  de  Tccsdale.'"  There  were  some  tenants  by 
knight's  service.il  Two  ploughlands  had  been  held 
by  William  de  Falderley  by  grant  of  Devorgil  de 
Balliol ;  after  William's  death  about  i  299  Bishop  Bek 
gave  them  to  Ralph  son  of  William  (afterwards  de 
Greystock),  who  gave  an  annuity  of  ^^5  a  year 
therefrom  to  Gilbert  Hansard.'-  The  reeve  of 
Long  Newton  is  mentioned  in  1307,  and  the  vill  is 
accounted  for  in  the  bishop's  roll  of  the  following 
year.''  Before  131 5,  however,  it  must  have  been 
claimed  successfully  by  the  Earl  of  Warwick,  holder 
of  the  barony  of  Balliol,  who  died  seised  of  it  in  i  3  i  5. 
His  free  tenants  were  Walter  Cyrzei,  holding  by 
the  twelfth  part  of  a  knight's  fee,  suit  of  court  and 
5/.  ^d.  rent  ;  Peter  Cyrzei  by  the  twelfth  part  of  a 
fee,  suit  and  6s.  %d.  ;  Thomas  del  Spens  by  the 
twenty-fourth  part  of  a  fee,  suit  and  6s.  Sd.  ;  John 
de  Bermeton  by  the  twenty-fourth  part  of  a  fee,  suit, 
2/.  and  1  lb.  of  pepper  rent  ;  Margery  de  Croft  by 
the  twenty-fourth  part  of  a  fee,  suit  and  1 3/.  4/  ; 
Thomas  de  Denton  by  suit  and  81/.  ;  Beatrice  de 
Berwick  by  suit  and  i6<j'.  rent.''' 

The  heir  being  only  a  year  old  the  estates  re- 
mained long  in  wardship.  The  minister's  accounts 
of  1318  show  that  /18  8/.  6J.  was  received  from 
the  tenants  of  17  oxgangs  of  land  held  in  demesne, 
;^8  from  the  windmill  at  Long  Newton  and  the 
water-mill  at  Newsham  in  EgglesclitFe,  26s.  i  id. 
from  demesne  meadows,  57/.  id.  from  free  tenants, 
£2^  5/.  9./  from  the  twenty  bond  tenants  for  43 
oxgangs  of  land,  i  acre  and  the  common  oven,  and 


43/.  ^d.  from  sixteen  cottars  ;  a  certain  custom  of 
brewing  rendered  6s.  Sd.,  the  perquisites  of  courts, 
59/.  ^d.,  I  lb.  of  pepper  and  i  lb.  of  cummin,  i  3  J/ — 
£61  8s.  I  i^d.  in  all."  The  windmill  needed  repairs, 
and  Elizabeth  de  Umfravill,  Countess  of  Angus,  who 
had  £^0  a  year  from  Long  Newton, '°  was  liable  for 
half.  In  1324-5  the  free  tenants  paid  40/.  at 
Martinmas  and  6s.  lld.  at  Pentecost;  Caldecote, 
which  was  rented  at  1 3/.  ^d.  and  was  perhaps  the 
holding  of  Margery  de  Croft,  was  waste.  The 
pound  of  pepper  from  John  de  Bermeton  was  worth 
li^d.  The  bond  tenants  paid  ^^15  o/.  ^d.  ;  other 
rents  are  recorded,  and  also  the  cottars'  names. 
The  poverty  of  the  tenants  by  reason  of  the 
destruction  caused  by  the  Scots  accounted  for  various 
declines  in  the  receipts  ;  there  was  nothing  from  the 
bracinage.      Perquisites  of  courts  yielded  4/." 

The  holding  continued  to  descend  in  the  same  way 
as  Barnard  Castle  and  the  other  members  of  Gainford. 
In  1384  the  bishop  had  j^io  from  the  Earl  of 
Warwick  in  Long  Newton,  the  old  rent  of  half  the 
vill,  and  70/.  from  lands  of  John  de  Balliol,'"  perhaps 
in  Newsham.  After  the  final  forfeiture  by  Edward 
Earl  of  Warwick  in  1499''  it  was  held  by  the  Crown, 
being  gr.inted  out  at  various  times  ;  for  example,  to 
Dudley  in  the  time  of  Edward  VI,™  and  by  Edmund 
Nevill  '  otherwise  Earl  of  Westmorland  '  to  Robert 
Carr  Earl  of  Somerset  in  1 614.-'  It  was  also  included 
in  the  grant  to  Charles  Prince  of  Wales. -^ 

A  Crown  receiver's  roll  of  1552  shows  that  the 
nominal  rents  of  Long  Newton  were  £^2  los.6^d., 
and  of  Cirkland  j^l  I  11;.  lid.,  but  the  'decays' 
amounted  to  as  much  as  ^27  19/.  j^d.  No  courts 
had  been  held  during  the  year.-' 

Court  Rolls  of  the  time  of  James  I  are  preserved 
in  the  Public  Record  Office.^-' 

In  1628  the  lordship  of  Barnard  Castle,  &c.,  was 
sold  by  the  Crown  to  Edward  Ditchfield  and  others, 
the  sale  including  the  rents  of  assize  of  the  free 
tenants  and  all  lands  in  Long  Newton.^'  This 
estate  was  no  doubt  acquired  with  the  rest  by  Sir 
Henry  Vane  the  elder.-''  He  seems  to  have  given  it 
to  Sir  George  Vane,  his  second  son,  who  made  it 
his  seat  and  when  recording  his  pedigree  described 
himself  as 'of  Long  Newton  '  in  1666.-'  He  had 
been  knighted  by  Charles  I  in  1640,^*  and  married 
Elizabeth  daughter  and  heir  of  Sir  Lionel  Maddison 
of  Rogerley.  He  was  Sheriff  of  Durham  in  1645,^^ 
and  treasurer  of  the  committee  of  the  county. 
He  died  in  1679,  and  was  buried  at  Long 
Newton.'"  His  eldest  surviving  son  Lionel, 
who  in  January  1 680-1  married  Catherine 
Fletcher,"  succeeded,  and  about  17 10  was  followed 
by  his  son  George.  At  the  death  of  George  in 
1750  the  estates  descended  to  a  son  Lionel, 
who    died    unmarried    in     1793.'^        His    brother, 


^  Hilt.  MSS.  Com.  Refi.  v,  App.  125. 

*  Mackenzie  and  Ross,  ^ii'w  of  co, 
fatal,  of  Dur.  ii,  62. 

'  Surtees,  Ilitt.  and  Anti(j.  of  co.  Palat. 
of  Dur.  iii,  212,  quoting  a  copy  in  the 
Hunter  MSS. 

*  Rot.  Lit.  Claus.  39  Hen.  HI,  pt.  i, 
m.  7  i. 

'  Rtg.  Palai.  Dunelm.  (Rolls Ser.),  ii,  799. 
I"  Ibid. 

"  Ibid.  801  ;  Peter  de'Tyre2'(Cyreze) 
and  others. 

"  Ibid,  ii,  800  ;  iii,  31. 


'^  Bohion  Bk.  (Surt.  Soc),  p.  xxxiii. 

"  Cal.  !,ij.  p.m.  (Edw.  II),  V,  406, 
412. 

'■•  Mins.  Accts.  (Gen.  Ser.),  bile.  835, 
no.  2. 

"=  Cal.  Pal.  1313-17,  p.  567. 

"  Mins.  Accts.  bdle.  835,  no.  4. 

">  Haljicld's  Surv.  (Surt.  Soc),  198. 

^^  Chan.  Inq.  p.m.  (Ser.  2),  xvi,  7. 

*"  Pat.  4  Edw.  VI,  pt.  vii  ;  7  Edw.  VI, 
pt.  viii. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  d.  2,  no.  2  (3). 

'-  Pat.  14  Jas.  I,  pt.  XX. 

300 


»'  Harl.  R.  (B.M.),  D  36,  m.  13. 

"  Ct.  R.  (Gen.  Ser.),  portf.  171, 
no.  7. 

^  Pat.  4  Chas.  I,  pt.  xxxiii. 

"  See  Cal.  S.  P.  Dom.  1636-7,  p.  108. 

"  Foster,  Dur.  Fisii,  Pcd.  315. 

"  Shaw,  Kis.  of  Engl,  ii,  208. 

''  P.R.O.  List  of  Sheriff:,  42. 

*'^  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  214. 

^'  Foster,  loc.  cit.  ;  Hisi.  MSS.  Com. 
Rep.  xii,  App.  vii,  396. 

"  Pedigree  in  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  214  ; 
Musgrave,  Ohit.  (Harl.  Soc). 


STOCKTON    WARD 


LONG  NEWTON 


Dr.    Henry     Vane,     sometime     Fellow    of  Trinity 
College,  Cambridge,^^  was  rector   of  Long  Newton 


by    marriage    with 
John    Tempest   of 


Vane  of  Loag  New- 
ton. Axure  three  left- 
hand  gauntlets  or  and  a 
quarter  gules. 


and  prebendary  of  Durham  ; 
Frances  daughter  and  heir  of 
Sherburn  he  made  a  consider- 
able increase  in  the  family 
estates,  to  which  he  succeeded 
in  1793,  having  been  made  a 
baronet  in  1782.^^  He  died 
a  year  after  succeeding,  and  his 
son  Sir  Henry,  who  took  the 
additional  surname  of  Tem- 
pest, deserted  Long  Newton 
for  Wynyard,  the  mansion  at 
the  former  place  going  to 
ruin.2''  He  died  in  181 3, 
when  the  baronetcy  became 
extinct,  and  the  estates  de- 
scended to  his  daughter 
Frances  Anne  Emily,  who  in 

18 19  married  Charles  Stewart,  third  Marquess  of 
Londonderry  ;  from  her  they  have  descended  to  the 
present  marquess.^'' 

Only  scattered  notices  occur  of  the  various  free 
tenements  recorded  in  the  inquisition  of  Guy  Earl 
of  Warwick.  John  de  Cirezi  was  in  1307  found  to 
have  held  a  messuage,  five  tofts  and  300  acres  in  Long 
Newton  of  the  fee  of  Balliol  ;  Margaret  his  widow 
held  the  lands  as  dower ;  Walter  was  his  son  and 
heir.^'  Walter  son  of  John  de  '  Cirseye  '  occurs  in 
'335.^*  Jofi"  son  of  Walter  '  Cirsy '  in  1345,'^  and 
Walter  in  1346  and  1350.*"  An  ancestor  was 
perhaps  the  Walter  '  Arsy  '  or  '  Carsey  '  who  was  one 
of  the  bishop's  knights  in  1264.^^ 

CALDECOTE  was  in  1367  held  by  Goscelin 
Surtees  of  the  Earl  of  Warwick  ;  it  contained  100 
acres  of  land,  and  he  also  had  another  8  acres  in  the 
township.''-  In  the  inquisition  taken  in  1378,  after 
the  death  of  his  nephew  and  heir  Thomas  Surtees 
of  Dinsdale,  the  100  acres  are  said  to  be  held  of  the 
earl  by  1 3/.  412'.  rent  and  the  8  acres  of  William 
Wawen  by  ^d.  rent.^^  Alexander  son  of  Thomas  held 
the  same  twelve  years  later."  The  8  acres,  but  not 
Caldecotes,  occur  again  as  held  by  Sir  Thomas 
Surtees  in  1435.'*  Caldecotes  seems  to  have  been 
acquired  by  the  Conyers  family  of  Coatham  Stob.^^ 

Robert  Killinghall  in  1508  had  land  here  held  of 
the  lord  of  Barnard  Castle.''^  It  appears  to  have 
been  acquired  from    Henry    Killinghall  by  Richard 


"  He  became  LL.D.  in  1761. 

^*  G.E.C,  Complete  Baronetage,  v, 
224. 

'^  Fordyce,  Hist,  and  Antiq.  of  co.  Palat. 
of  Dur.  ii,  215. 

"  See  the  account  of  Wynyard  in 
Grindon. 

^'  Cal.  Inq.  p.m.  (Edw.  I),  iv,  273. 

'»  Reg.  Palat.  Dunclm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  iii, 
169.  His  brother  Hugh  was  a  deacon 
(ibid.  196]. 

"  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xxxi,  App.  121. 

*^  Ibid.  121,  123.  Thomas  Cirezi  was 
rector  of  Redmarshall  in  1374-5  (ibid, 
xxxii,  App.  271). 

*'  Hutchinson,  Hist,  and  Antipof  Dur, 
i,  221  ;  Far,  Coll.  (Hist.  MSS.  Com.),  ii, 
88. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  76  d. 

"  Ibid.  fol.  99  d. 

"  Ibid.  fol.  10;  d. 

«  Ibid.  fol.  273. 


*'  See  below  under  Coatham. 

*'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  172,  no.  3. 

*'*  Ibid.  no.  6,  fol.  58  ;  R.  94,  ni.  39, 
4;  ;  file  183,  no.  11,  In  154^  Francis 
Killinghall  conveyed  2,100  acres  of  land 
in  Long  Newton  and  several  other  places 
then  held  by  Eleanor  Laylow,  widow, 
his  mother,  to  William  Wrenn  (Ibid.  cl. 
12,  no.  I  [i]).  This  may  have  included 
Caldecote. 

*'  Ibid,  file  189,  no.  8  ;  Thomas,  his 
son  and  heir,  was  aged  sixteen.  Mattliew 
was  another  son. 

■^"  I'jlor  Eat.  (Rec.  Com.),  v,  85. 

*'  ;..  and  P.  Hen.  rlll,  xv,  g.  8  3  I  (64)  ; 
xvi,  g.  678  (2;)  ;  xix  (1),  g.  444  (10). 

"Ibid,  xxi  (2);  g.  648  (25). 

"  Falor  Ecel.  (Rec.  Com.),  v,  322. 

=■'  Ibid.  310. 

"  Harl.  R.  (B.M.),  D  36,  m.  6. 

''  Pat.  II  Jas.  I,  pt.  XXV. 

'"  Chan.  Proc.  (Ser.  2),  bdle.  8,  no.  41. 


Maddock,  who  died  in   1611.''*     John   Hartburn  of 
Carlton  (d.  1619)  '*'■'  had  2  oxgangs  held  of  the  king. 

A  small  amount  of  land  in  Long  Newton  was 
held  by  the  hospital  of  St.  James  at  Northallerton."^ 
On  the  suppression  of  the  house  it  was  granted  by 
the  Crown  in  1540  to  Richard  Moryson,"'' but  it  was 
afterwards  repurchased  and  given  to  Christ  Church, 
Oxford.^-  Rent  here  belonged  to  St.  Margaret's 
chapel  in  Barnard  Castle  *'  and  to  Neasham  Priory.'^ 
The  Hospitallers  had  a  rent  of  12a'." 

A  fulling-mill  in  Long  Newton  was  sold  by  the 
Crown  in  161  3  to  William  Whitmore  and  others."*^ 

A  claim  to  the  office  of  bailiff  in  the  township  was 
made  early  in  Elizabeth's  reign  by  Stephen  Bracken- 
bury,  one  of  the  queen's  gentlemen  ushers.  He  said 
that  the  office  had  been  granted  to  him  by 
Edward  VI,  with  its  fee  of  30/.  ja".  and  other 
perquisites  ;  after  he  had  enjoyed  it  for  three  years 
his  Letters  Patent  were  stolen,  and  after  a  time  came 
into  the  hands  of  Ralph  Pollard  and  Christopher  Hall, 
who  refused  to  surrender  them,  whereupon  he 
appealed  to  the  chancellor.*'' 

COATHAM  STOB  (Cotom,  xiii-xvi  cent.  ; 
Cottam,  xvi  cent.),  otherwise  COATHAM  CON- 
I'ERS,  was  apparently  part  of  the  Surtees  fee.  A 
rent  of  61.  from  the  manor  belonged  to  the  lords  of 
Dinsdale  in  the  14th  century.'**  Appurten.inces  in 
Long  Newton  are  mentioned  in  a  conveyance  of 
part  of  the  manor  of  Dinsdale  in  1549''''  which  may 
be  the  rent  and  right  of  overlordship  in  Coatham. 

The  tenant  in  demesne  in  the  late  13th  century 
was  Ralph  de  Coatham,  who  died  in  1298  holding 
besides  this  manor  land  in  Northumberland.  His 
heirs  were  his  daughter  Alice  and  John  de  Conyers, 
son  of  his  second  daughter,  Scolastica.''"  The 
Conyers  family  appears  to  have  inherited  the  whole 
of  Coatham.  John  Conyers  'of  Stubhouse  '  made  a 
grant  of  land  in  Cronkley  (Northumberland)  in 
1306.'''  His  son  Robert  had  apparently  succeeded 
him  by  1323.^-  The  latter  may  have  been  the 
father  of  Robert  Conyers,  the  next  tenant.  By  his 
marriage  with  Juliana  daughter  and  heir  of  John 
Percy  the  younger  Robert  became  lord  of  Ormesby 
in  Cleveland."--'  He  died  in  1390,  leaving  by  her  a 
son  Robert,  who  was  heir  to  his  estates  in  Coatham 
and  Ormesby. ''2  The  younger  Robert  was  already 
settled  at  'Stubhouse'  in  February  1382-3,  when 
Elizabeth  his  wife  was  co-executrix  with  Sir  Robert 
Conyers  of  the  will  of  Goscelin  Surtees.^*'    The  heir 

*'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  99  d., 
10;  d.,  1 12  d. 

»9  Ibid.  cl.  12,  no.  I  (i). 

«"  Cal.  Inj,  p.m.  (Edw.  I),  iii,  383-4  ; 
Cal.  Fine  R.  1272-1307,  pp.  403,  424, 
432.  Christian  widow  of  Ralph  was  to 
receive  assignment  of  dower  in  1299 
[Cal.  Close,  1296-1302,  p.  281). 

"  Hist,  of  Northumh.  (Northumb.  Co. 
Hist.  Soc),  vi,  208.  He  was  probably 
a  younger  son  of  the  house  of  Conyers  of 
Sockburn. 

"  De  Banco  R.  Mich.  17  Edw.  Ill, 
m.  301,  311.  A  Robert  dc  Conyers  01 
'Stubhouse'  occurs  about  1340  {Dep, 
Keeper's  Rep.  xxxi,  .-^pp.  54). 

"a  Chan. Misc. bdlc. 86,  file  32.  no.  870. 

«schan.  Misc.  bdle.  86,  file  32,  no. 
870;  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xlv,  166,  175; 
r.C.H.  rorks.  A'.  R,  ii,  278  ;  cf.  ffUiby 
Ckartul.  (Surt.  Soc),  507. 

''a  De  Banco  R.  433,  m.  467. 


301 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


of  the  younger  Robert  was  his  son  John,  apparently 
the  Sir  John  Conycrs  of  Ormesby  who  died  in 
1438.'^'  Coatham  is  not  mentioned  in  Sir  John's 
will  and  does  not  subsequently  follow  the  descent 
of  Ormesby,  so  that  it  is  probable  that  it  was 
given  to  a  younger  son  of  the  house.  John  Conyers 
died  seised  of  the  manor  in  1533,  and  was  said  to 
leave  a  son  and  heir  John,  aged  eleven.''  It  seems 
probable,  however,  that  John  was  .ictually  his  grand- 
son, and  died  soon  afterwards,  for  in  another  inquisi- 
tion on  the  elder  John,  taken  ten  years  later,  it  was 
stated  that  his  heir  was  Robert  son  of  his  son  Ralph, 
aged  twenty-one.'^' 

Robert  Conyers  by  his  will  proved  in  or  about 
1566  left  his  'manor  and  lordship  of  Coatham'  to 
his  son  Ralph,  while  reserving  the  profits  of  a  third 
of  the  manor  to  provide  portions  for  his  three 
daughters."  This  Ralph  took  an  active  part  in 
the  rising  of  1569,  and  on  its  suppression  he  was 
attainted  and  his  lands  were  confiscated  to  the 
Crown. '^''  The  manor  was  worth  £2%  8/.  ^d. 
a  year,  and  there  were  rents  from  Long  Newton 
of  £\  I  is.  ;  the  outgoings  included  the  Crown 
rent  of  1 3/.  44'.  for  Coatham  and  1 3/.  \d.  for 
Long  Newton,  and  annuities  to  kinsmen  amount- 
ing to  j(^i8  li)s.  4d'.''  Four  years  later  the  manor  or 
capital  messuage  called  Coatham  Conyers  or  Coatham 
Stubbs  or  Coatham  Hall,  together  with  lands  of 
Robert  Conyers  in  Long  Newton  and  Elton,  were 
granted  to  Roger  Manners  to  be  held  by  the  fortieth 
part  of  a  knight's  fee  and  13/.  i^d.  rent."'^  He  ex- 
changed tiiese  for  other  lands  in  1576,"'  and  in  1585 
the  manor  was  granted  at  farm  to  James  Conyers, 
whose  patent  was  for  twenty- 
one  years  only.'^^  In  1606 
it  was  granted  with  Robert 
Bowes'  capital  messuage  at 
Grindon  to  Sir  John  Ramsay, 
who  at  about  the  same  time 
was  created  Viscount  Had- 
dington.'^ He  sold  it  in  161  5 
to  Edward  Cropley  "^  of 
London,  whose  son  John 
Cropley  and  Edward  his  son 
were  vouchees  in  a  recovery 
in  1657.^^  John  was  created 
a  baronet  in  i66i  and  died 
in  1676.''''  His  son  Edward, 
made  a  knight  in  1661,  died  in  1665,  and  his 
widow  Martha  married  Sir  Edmund  Bowyer  of 
Camberwell,''  who  held  it  in  her  right  in  1684. 
Sir  John  Cropley,  son  of  Edward,  died  unmarried 
in  1 71 3,  having  devised  his  estates  to  Joseph 
(Micklethwaite)  Lord  Micklethwaite,  who  owned 
Coatham  in  1720  and  died  unmarried  in  January 
1733-4-'*       It    would    seem    to    have    belonged    to 


Cropley,  baronet. 
Ermine  a  chief  gula 
charged  ivith  three  oivh 
argent. 


Richard  (Lumley)  Earl  of  Scarbrough,  who  died  in 
January  1739-40,  for  it  was  held  under  the  terms  of 
his  will  by  James  Lumley  of  Lumley  Castle  in  1763, 
when  he  bequeathed  it  to  his  nephew  George  Dunk 
Earl  of  Halifax.  Five  years  later  Lord  Halifax 
conveyed  this  manor  with  those  of  Little  Chilton  and 
Grindon  in  Ayclifte  to  William  Denison  of  Leeds. 
William  died  in  1785  having  by  will  devised  all  his 
estates  here  and  in  Little  Chilton  and  Grindon  to  his 
brother  Robert  for  sale,  with  the  proviso  that  Coatham 
should  only  be  sold  if  certain  conditions  were  fulfilled. 
Robert  Denison  died  childless  in  1785,  and  under 
his  will  these  manors  were  held  by  trustees  for  John 
Wilkinson,  son  of  the  John  Wilkinson  who  had  been 
one  of  William  Denison's  trustees.  The  young  John 
Wilkinson  assumed  the  name  of  Denison  and  on  his 
death  in  1820  was  succeeded  by  his  son  John  Evelyn 
Denison,  who  barred  the  entail  in  the  following 
yej,.  "8a  It  ^yjs  afterwards  the  property  of  John 
Denison,  and  about  1850  it  was  acquired  by  Mr. 
J.  S.  Sutton  of  Elton  '^  ;  he  sold  it  to  the  late  Thomas 
Appleby,  from  whose  representatives  Coatham  Stob 
was  purchased  in  1910  by  Messrs.  E.  and  B. 
Bainbridge.*''  The  partnership  was  later  dissolved, 
and  on  the  death  of  Mr.  J.  E.  Bainbridge  his  widow 
occupied  the  property. 

In  1364  a  grant  of  lands  in  Coatham  lately  owned 
by  Goscelin  Dayvill,  tmitor,  was  made  to  Robert  de 
Herle  and  others.*'  Richard  Strangwayes  in  1559 
was  found  to  have  held  his  lands  in  Coatham  of 
Robert  Conyers.**- 

In  1684  the  freeholders  of  the  parish,  in  addition 
to  Lionel  Vane  and  Sir  Edmund  Bowyer,  were  John 
and  Robert  Colling,  John  Fewler,  William  Hobman, 
Robert  Newham,  Robert  Peart,  and  Robert 
Thorpe.*' 

The  church  ofS7'.  My//??' was  entirely 
CHURCH  rebuilt  in  1856-7  by  the  Marchioness 
of  Londonderry,  and  consists  of  a  chancel 
30  ft.  6  in.  by  17  ft.  6  in.,  with  organ  chamber  on 
the  south  side,  nave  55  ft.  by  20  ft.,  south  aisle  38  ft. 
by  10  ft.  gin.,  and  south-west  porch  9  ft.  by  loft., 
all  these  measurements  being  internal.  There  is  also 
a  turret  containing  one  bell  over  the  west  gable.  On 
the  north  side  of  the  chancel  and  open  to  it  by  an 
arcade  of  three  pointed  arches  is  the  mausoleum  of 
the  Vane  family,  built  also  by  the  Marchioness  of 
Londonderry,  where  the  family  monuments  are  all 
placed.  It  is  33  ft.  long  by  17  ft.  6  in.  in  width  and 
is  in  the  style  of  the  13th  century  with  vaulted  stone 
roof,  the  rest  of  the  building  being  in  the  style  of  a 
century  later.  The  floor  of  the  mausoleum  is  raised 
to  the  level  of  that  of  the  chancel,  and  there  is  a 
separate  entrance  at  the  west  end,  the  vault  being 
entered  on  the  north  side. 

The  old  church  was  nearly  rebuilt  in  1806,*^  and 


"  Teit.  Ehor.  (Surt.  Soc),  ii,  64  j  cf. 
y.C.H.  York:.  N.  R.  loc.  cit. 

^  Chan.  Inq.  p.m.  (Ser.  2),  Iv,  94. 

^*  Ibid.  Ixix,  209. 

«'  Dur.  fnih  and  Invent.  (Surt.  Soc), 
iii,  35.  The  wills  of  Edward  Conyers  of 
Long  Newton,  1580,  and  inventor)-  of 
Ralph  Conyera  of  the  same,  January 
1580-1,  are  printed  ibid,  i,  428, 
43°- 

'8  Stat.  13  Eliz.  cap.  16. 

'«  Exch.  K.R.  Misc.  Bits,  xxxviii,  fol. 
244-5.       The  field-names  recorded    are 


Totehill,  Eastfield  and  Westfield,  South- 
moor  and  Little  Calf  Close. 

™  Pat.  15  Eliz.  pt.  viii,  xiii. 

"  Ibid.  18  Eliz.  pt.  xiii,  m.  16. 

"  Ibid.  27  Eliz.  pt.  iii,  m.  9. 

"  Ibid.  4  Jas.  I,  pt.  viii  ;  G.E.C. 
Complete  Peerage^  iv,  129. 

'^  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  218. 

''  Recov.  R.  East.  1657,  m.  191. 

'^  For  the  descent  see  Viiit.  of  London 
(Harl.  Soc),  i,  206  ;  G.E.C.  Complete 
Baronetage^  iii,  190. 

"  G.E.C.  loc.  cit. 

302 


"^  G.E.C.  Peerage,  v,  307. 

"^a  D.  in  the  poss.  of  the  Earl  of  Eldon. 

'^Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  218;  Fordyce, 
op,  cit.  ii,  z  1 9. 

^'^  Information  kindly  supplied  by 
Messrs.  Bainbridge. 

^'  Ca/.  Pat.  I  361-4,  p.  497. 

*-  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  177,  no.  201. 

^^  .Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  213. 

8*  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  216;  Fordyce, 
op.  cit.  ii,  217.  Fordyce  says  it  waa 
built  in  a  style  locally  known  as  '  Bar- 
rington,'   after    the    lord    bishop    of   the 


STOCKTON    WARD 


LONG  NEWTON 


consisted  of  a  chancel  and  nave  with  bell-turret  and 
entrance  at  the  west  end.  The  original  semicircular 
chancel  arch  was  replaced  by  '  three  narrow  pointed 
arches  supported  by  plain  square  pillars,''''  and  the 
nave  had  two  'modern  lights  on  each  side  under 
pointed  arches,  and  the  chancel  one  light  on  each 
side  of  the  same  form,  but  divided  by  stone  mullions.' 
The  east  window  was  a  pointed  one  of  three  lights.*^ 

The  south  aisle  of  the  new  building  is  open  to  the 
nave  by  an  arcade  of  three  pointed  arches,  the  porch, 
which  is  intended  to  form  the  base  of  a  tower,  stand- 
ing at  its  west  end  with  entrance  direct  to  the  nave. 
A  handsome  carved  oak  chancel  screen  was  erected  in 
1904  by  the  Marquess  of  Londonderry,  and  the  pulpit 
is  also  of  carved  oaic  in  a  similar  style  and  design. 
The  reredos  dates  from  1887,  and  is  a  memorial  to 
the  Rev.  John  Wilson,  rector  1869-85. 

The  mausoleum  contains  an  elaborate  monument 
to  the  third  Marquess  of  Londonderry  (d.  1854), 
who  is  interred  in  the  vault  below,*'  and  mural  monu- 
ments to  George  Vane  of  Long  Newton  (d.  1750), 
Sir  Henry  Vane  Tempest,  bart.  (d.  181  3),  Adolphus 
Frederick  Charles  William  Stewart  \'ane  Tempest 
(d.  1864),  and  Frances  Ann  Vane,  Marchioness  of 
Londonderry  (d.  1865).  There  are  also  four  smaller 
tablets  to  daughters  of  the  house  of  Vane,  and  in  the 
floor  is  a  brass  plate  to  Sir  George  Vane,  who  died 
in  1679.  It  bears  the  following  inscription  :  'Here 
lieth  the  body  of  S''  George  Vane  interred  |  May  the 
first  1679  second  son  of  S"^  Henry  |  Vane  sometime 
principall  Secretary  of  State  |  to  King  Charles  the 
First  he  married  Elizabeth  |  the  heiress  of  S''  Lyonell 
Maddison  of  New  |  castle  vpon  Tyne,  by  whom  he 
had  thirteene  |  hopefvl  children,  viz.  fovre  sons  and 
nine  daughters  |  His  honour  wonne  ith  fcild  lies  here 
ith  dvst  I  His  honour  got  by  grace  shall  never  rust  | 
The  former  fades  the  latter  shall  fade  never  |  For 
why,  he  was  S"'  George  once  but  S'  George  ever.' 

The  plate  consists  of  a  cup  of  i  571,  with  a  band 
of  leaf  ornament  round  the  bowl,  a  cup  of  1833, 
and  a  paten  of  1843,  all  of  London  make  and  without 
inscriptions.** 

The  registers  begin  in  1564. 

The  advowson  of  Long  Newton 
ADVOIVSON  Church  appears  to  have  been  held  by 
the  Bishops  of  Durham.  In  1 3 18  one 
Manser  Marmion  was  presented  by  the  king  on  the 
ground  that  the  see  of  Durham  was  vacant  *^  ;  about 
the  same  time,  at  the  king's  request,  the  pope  pro- 
vided to  it  Simon  de  Lausellis,'"  but  shortly  afterwards 
the  provision  failed,  because  the  lay  patron  had  vindi- 
cated his  right  in  the  king's  court. '^     This  seems  to 


refer  to  a  claim  by  the  king  in  right  of  the  vacant 
bishopric."-  Notwithstanding  this  the  advowson  of 
Long  Newton  as  well  as  the  vill  was  recorded  among 
the  Earl  of  Warwick's  possessions  in  1397-8.'^  It 
was  vested  in  the  Bishop  of  Durham  in  1577-87," 
and  so  continued  until  1859,*'  when  it  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  Bishop  of  Chester,  who  retains  it. 

The  value  of  the  benefice  was  estimated  at  £to  a 
year  in  1291,^'"'  but  in  1318,  after  the  devastations 
by  the  Scots,  at  ^^14  only.''  By  1535  it  had  again 
risen  to  £20.'^^  In  1501  the  rector,  parish  chaplain 
and  chaplain  of  the  gild  appeared  at  the  visitation." 
During  the  rising  of  1569  a  former  rector  of  Long 
Newton,  Richard  Hartburn,  who  had  perhaps  been 
deprived  in  1562,""  showed  himself  most  zealous  in 
the  restoration  of  the  ancient  rites.  He  caused  the 
altar  to  be  set  up  once  more  in  the  church  and  him- 
self said  mass  there  ;  in  his  sermon,  according  to  one 
witness,  he  denounced  the  people  as  '  Lowters,'  who 
had  been  '  damned  these  eleven  years.'  ^  A  few 
weeks  afterwards,  when  the  insurrection  had  failed, 
the  altar  stone  was  taken  away  again  and  thrown 
into  a  pit  and  the  holy  water  vat  was  broken.'  The 
rector  and  curate  appeared  at  a  visitation  in  I  578.' 
The  Commonwealth  incumbent,  John  Oliver,  con- 
formed in  1662  and  retained  his  benefice  till  his 
death  in  1687.''  His  successor,  Thomas  Baker,  the 
Cambridge  antiquary  and  historian,  was  less  com- 
pliant.    He  was  deprived  in  1690  as  a  nonjuror.' 

Surtees  prints  a  terrier  of  i  806.  It  is  noteworthy 
that  the  rector  had  7/.  a  year  from  7  oxgangs  of 
land  in  Sadberge  and  8/.  from  the  rector  of 
H.iughton  le  Skerne,*  possibly  in  settlement  of  some 
ancient  boundary  dispute.  Part  of  West  Hartburn 
paid  a  tithe  composition  to  Long  Newton. 

The  chantry  or  gild  of  St.  Mary  has  been  men- 
tioned above.  Nothing  seems  known  of  its  history.' 
It  has  been  supposed  that  there  was  also  a  chapel  at 
Coatham  Stob.* 

In  1686  Thomas  Barker  by  his 
CHARITIES  will  devised  20/.  yearly  to  the  poor, 
issuing  out  of  land  at  East  New- 
biggin  belonging  to  the  Marquess  of  Londonderry. 
The  annuity  is  distributed  amongst  the  poor,  widows 
being  preferred. 

The  Rev.  Jonathan  Wilson  by  his  will,  proved  at 
Durham  in  1885,  directed  his  residuary  estate  to  be 
applied  for  the  promotion  of  religious  education  in 
connexion  with  the  Church  of  England,  or  partly  in 
payment  of  the  salary  of  an  organist.  A  portion  of 
the  trust  fund  derived  under  the  will  was  applied 
towards  building  a  Church  Institute,  on  a  site  given 


diocese.  His  work  at  Auckland  Castle 
wag  Wyatt's  Gothic.  The  dimensions 
are  given  as  :  chancel  33  ft.  4^  in.  by 
17  ft.  9  in.,  nave  55  ft.  4J  in.  by  loft.  gin. 
The  new  church  was  therefore  apparently 
built  on  the  old  foundations,  a  south  aisle, 
porch  and  organ  chamber  being  added. 

■''^  Fordyce,  op.  cit.  ii,  217. 

^*  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  216. 

''^  The  marble  figure  of  the  third  mar- 
quess has  been  removed  in  recent  years 
to  Wynyard. 

"  Proc.  Soc.  Antij.  Ntivcaule  (New 
Ser.),  iii,  288.  The  Elizabethan  chalice 
it  figured  on  p.  289. 

""  C<i/.  Pdt.  1317-21,  pp.  216,  217. 
John  de  Jargeaux  or  Chargeux,  chaplain  of 
Queen  Isabella,  was  the  previous  rector. 


5°  Cal.  Pa^d  Letters,  ii,  177. 

"  Ibid.  200. 

92  Abbret:  Ptac.  (Rec.  Cora.),  355. 

"  Chan.  Inq.  p.m.  21  Ric.  II,  no.  137, 
m.  9. 

"'  Bp.  Barnes'  Injunc.  (Surt.  Soc),  4. 

^'^  Lond.  Gax.  5  Aug.  1859,  p. 
2998. 

"«    Pofe    Nich.     Tax.     (Rec.     Com.), 

''•  Ibid.  330. 

™  Fahr  Eecl.  (Rec.  Com.),  v,  330. 

^  Bp.     Barnes'     Injunc.    (Surt.     Soc), 

p.    XXX. 

'™  Surtees  gives  Richard  Hartburn  as 
rector  in  1^58  and  Edward  Banks  in 
1562  (op.  cit.  iii,  217). 

'  Sharp,    Mem.  oj  Rebellion    of  1569, 


pp.  2;S-6o.  In  the  list  of  indictments 
the  name  is  given  as  Robert  Hartburn 
(ibid.  229). 

'  Def>,  and  Eccl.  Proc.  (Surt.  Soc), 
194—7.  John  Tunstall  of  Long  Newton 
in  1583  desired  to  be  buried  'where  the 
altar  stood '  {Dur.  fVills  and  Inx'ent. 
[Surt.  Soc],  ii,  79). 

*  Bf>.  Barnes'  Injunc.  (Surt.  Soc), 
56. 

*  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

*  Diet.  Nat,  Biog.  He  was  a  natiTC  of 
Lanchestcr  (q.v.). 

**  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  218. 

'  Hutchinson,  op.  cit.  iii,  168,  referring 
to  a  copyhold  book  of  12  Bishop  Robert 
(Neville). 

^  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


by  the  Marquess  of  Londonderry,  granted  in  a 
deed  of  15  August  1888,  and  called  'The  Wilson 
Memorial  Institute.' 

The  endowment  consists  of  ^^2,950   5    per   cent. 
War  Stock  in  the  names  of  the  trustees,  producing 


^^147  10^.  yearly.  The  sum  of  ^20  is  paid  towards 
the  salary  of  the  organist  of  the  parish  church,  j^io 
to  the  Long  Newton  day  school,'  and  jf  10  to  the 
Sunday  schools,  and  the  balance  is  applied  in  support 
of  the  institute. 


NORTON 


Northtune  (xi  cent.)  ;  Norton,  1212. 

The  parish  consists  of  a  single  township.  The 
northern  boundary  is  formed  by  Billingham  Beck, 
flowing  south-east  to  join  the  Tees.  Blakiston  is  in 
the  north-west  of  the  parish  and  Hardwick  in  the 
west  ;  between  them  lie  Middlefield  and  Howden. 
Ouston  Moor  is  in  the  south-west  corner,  Newh.im 
and  Ragworth  lie  near  the  southern  border,  and 
Holme  House  in  the  south-east.  The  area  is 
4.,663j  acres.  In  the  south-east  the  surface  is  low 
and  fl.it,  but  it  rises  to  the  west  and  north,  over 
170  ft.  above  the  ordnance  datum  being  attained 
near  Howden.  The  soil  round  the  village  is  rich 
and  loamy  ;  to  the  west  it  is  a  red  clay  on  s.ind  and 
gravel.  The  agricultural  land  is  thus  employed  : 
arable,  1,607  ^'^''es  ;  permanent  grass,  2,410  ;  woods 
and  plantations,  24.^  The  chief  plantations  are  in 
the  west  and  north.  There  are  numerous  market 
gardens,  for  which  the  place  has  long  been  famous  ; 
wheat,  oats  and  barley,  potatoes  and  turnips  are 
grown.  Brick  and  tile  making  is  an  old  industry  ; 
there  are  a  brewery  and  a  pottery  on  the  border  of 
Stockton  ;  formerly  a  glue  factory  and  tannery 
existed.^  The  ironworks  are  disused.  The  butts 
of  the  Stockton  Territorials  are  in  this  parish. 

In  191  3  a  large  portion  of  the  parish  of  Norton, 
including  the  village,  was  incorporated  in  the  borough 
of  Stockton. 

The  main  part  of  the  village  or  ancient  market- 
town  of  Norton  stands  on  rising  ground  to  the  west 
of  the  Billingham  Beck,  and  has  grown  up  along  the 
old  road  from  Stockton  to  Durham,  going  zigzag 
north  and  west  through  the  parish  with  a  branch 
north-east  to  Billingham.  At  the  north  end  of  the 
village  is  a  large  green  with  duck  pond,  formerly 
called  the  Cross  Dyke,  in  the  centre.  The  parish 
church  stands  on  its  west  side,  and  there  is  a  reading 
room  on  the  green. 

The  Victoria  Jubilee  Memorial  Cross  is  built  on 
the  site  of  one  of  the  ancient  common  ovens  or  bake- 
houses. The  Fox  almshouses  were  founded  in  1897, 
at  the  south  end  of  the  High  Street,  in  accordance 
with  the  bequest  of  John  Henry  Fox. 

The  Grammar  school  at  Norton  is  supposed  to 
have  been  founded  about  1600,  but  the  circumstances 
are  unknown.  The  bishops  were  accustomed  to 
demise  certain  trust  lands  on  lease  to  the  vicar,'  who 
was  to  pay  the  proceeds  to  a  schoolmaster  for  the 
free  education  of  six  boys  nominated  by  the  vicar. 
The  demise  included  tivo  ovens  or  bake-houses,  one 
of  which  had  fallen  into  decay  by  1828,  the  toft 
where  the  Lady  Kiln   had   stood,  the  Kiln  Close  or 


Lady  Close  in  Portrack  Lane  with  an  acre  appur- 
tenant thereto,  and  the  Hermitage  garth.  At  an 
inclosure  in  1673  more  land  w.is  given  to  the 
school.''  A  scheme  for  the  use  of  the  endowment 
was  made  in  I  898  ;  scholarships  are  provided  by  it 
for  boys  of  the  parish  tenable  at  a  secondary  or 
technical  school  approved  by  the  governors.  A  school 
board  was  formed  in  1872.' 

The  old  winding  road  from  Stockton  to  Durham 
wa;  superseded  about  1830  by  a  new  and  straight 
road,  passing  over  a  mile  to  the  west  of  the  village. 
There  is  another  road  leading  from  the  Green 
south-west  through  Hardwick  to  Darlington,  with 
a  branch  connecting  it  with  the  old  Durham 
road.  The  London  and  North  Eastern  Railway 
Company  has  several  lines  running  through  the 
parish  ;  across  the  north  goes  the  Hartlepool  branch 
with  a  station  named  Norton-on-Tees,  about  a  mile 
beyond  the  village  ;  this  line  has  a  branch  running 
south-east  into  Stockton  ;  through  the  west  side  of 
the  parish  goes  the  Stockton  and  Sunderland  line, 
having  a  junction  with  the  first-mentioned  one.  The 
village  is  connected  with  Stockton  and  Middles- 
brough by  electric  tramways.  Water  is  supplied 
by  the  Tees  Valley  Board.  There  is  a  parish 
council  for  the  administration  of  local  affairs. 

Norton  has  had  a  comparatively  peaceful  history. 
That  it  had  special  importance  is  shown  by  its 
ancient  and  well-endowed  church  and  by  the  grant 
of  a  market  by  Henry  I.  The  Bishop  of  Durham 
in  I  3  14  granted  an  indulgence  to  benefactors  to  the 
making  of  a  bridge  and  causeway  between  Norton 
and  Billingham.^  Cecily  Underwood  in  1343  left 
3/.  for  the  bridges  between  Norton  and  Hard- 
wick.' The  Black  Death  is  alluded  to  in  a  court 
roll  of  1358,  when  it  was  found  th.it  John  Spurnhare 
and  Richard  Kirkman  had  been  cultivating  a '  malland ' 
of  Gilbert  Spurnhare's  '  from  the  time  of  the  pesti- 
lence till  now'  without  licence.'  In  141^  Alan 
Megson  and  Robert  Stokesley  had  a  dispute  concern- 
ing the  value  of  a  horse  won  by  them  from  the  Scots 
at  Homildon.'  The  collegiate  church  was  the  prin- 
cipal institution  in  the  place,  but  the  destruction  of 
the  college  at  the  Reformation  reduced  it  to  an 
ordinary  vicarage. 

The  rising  of  1569  does  not  seem  to  have  drawn 
many  adherents  from  the  parish  except  Marmaduke 
Blakiston,  who  was  attainted  '"  but  afterwards  par- 
doned. The  Protestation  of  164 1  was  signed  in 
Norton,'^  and  the  political  troubles  of  the  time 
brought  forth  a  petition  from  William  Holliman  of 
this  place,  setting  forth   that   the   Scots  had  taken  his 


'  See  KC.H.  Dur.  i,  408. 

'  Statistics  from  Bd.  of  Agric.  (1905). 

^  Lewis,  Topog.  Diet. 

^  The  lands  were  in  1634  demised  to 
the  reeve  of  Norton,  but  the  trust  is  not 
recorded  (Close,  3401). 


'  Char.  Cam.  Ref>.  (1828),  xiiii,  97. 
*  Lond.  Gaz.  3  Dec.  1872,  p.  6103. 
«  Reg.    Palai.  Dunelm.  (Rolls    Ser.),  i, 
642  ;  ii,  683. 

'  Dur.  ffilU  and  Invent.  (Surt.  See),  i, 


*  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  12,  fol.  193. 
Malland  was  the  holding  of  a  malnian  or 
tenant  by  malman  tenure. 

'  Ibid.  no.  14,  p.  655. 

'"  Act  of  Attainder,  13  Elii.  cap.  16. 

"  Hitt.  MSS.  Cum.  Rep.  v,  App.  125. 


STOCKTON    WARD 


NORTON 


corn  and  had  billeted  men  and  horse's  upon  him,  and 
praying  that  he  might  have  respite  from  his  creditors 
till  he  could  sell  part  of  his  land.^^ 

After  the  Restoration  Nonconformists  were 
numerous,  Bishop Cosin  lamenting'  that  Mr.  Davison, 
vicar  of  Norton,  hath  jo  many  obstinate  men  and 
women  in  his  parish  that  will  not  yet  let  down  their 
conventicles.'  "  The  Quakers  of  Norton  are  men- 
tioned in  1676,  when  John  Whiting  and  his  sister 
visited  them  ;  she  died  there  and  was  buried  in  the 
Friends'  burial  ground.'^  Their  meeting-house 
dates  from  1 671,  and  was  restored  in  1902.  About 
1850  it  was  used  by  the  Primitive  Methodists." 
John  Wesley  preached  at  Norton  in  1770,'*  and  a 
VVesleyan  Methodist  chapel  was  built  in  1824  in 
succession  to  an  earlier  one.'"  More  recently  (1886) 
a  Congregational  chapel  has  been  built  .it  Norton. 

The  growth  of  Stockton  in  recent  times  has  had 
an  important  influence  on  Norton,  which  has  become 
practically  a  suburb  of  that  town. 

It  was  formerly  the  custom  at  Eastertide  for  the 
men  to  take  off  the  women's  shoes  on  Easter  Day, 
the  women  retaliating  on  the  Monday  by  taking  off 
the  men's  hats  ;  shoes  and  hats  were  redeemed  by 
presents  to  the  captors.'' 

Among  the  natives  of  Norton  is  reckoned  a  surgeon 
of  distinction,  Anthony  White  ;  born  here  in  1782, 
he  was  educated  at  Cambridge,  and  became  surgeon 
at  Westminster  Hospital.  He  died  in  1 849,  and 
has  a  memorial  in  Norton  Church.''  Christopher 
Middleton,  of  the  HuJson  Bay  Company,  who  was 
employed  on  one  of  the  attempts  to  find  a  north- 
west passage  round  America  in  1741-2,  spent  the 
end  of  his  life  here.-"  So  did  Jeremiah  Moore,  who, 
according  to  the  story,  had  by  the  devices  of  an  elder 
brother  been  made  a  slave  in  Turkey  and  on  his 
escape  was  pressed  for  the  navy  ;  he  at  last  succeeded 
to  the  family  estate  and  died  in  1753.-' 

Thomas  Baker,  a  farmer  and  Quaker  preacher, 
lived  at  Holme  House,  on  the  road  to  Portrack,  and 
acquired  the  nickname  of  '  Potato  Tom  '  because  he 
introduced  the  potato  into  the  county  about  1736, 
and  was  very  successful  in  cultivating  that  and  other 
garden  produce.-^ 

Another  celebrity  of  the  place  was  Thomas  Jefferson 
Hogg,  a  lawyer  and  literary  man,  born  at  Norton  in 
1792,  being  the  eldest  son  of  John  Hogg  of  Norton 
House.  He  was  educated  at  Oxford,  and  there  made 
the  acquaintance  of  Shelley,  becoming  his  friend  and 
biographer.      He  died  in  1862.-' 

The  earliest  record  of  S'ORTON  is 
MJNORS  in  the  Liier  Fitae  of  Durham,  which 
records  the  grant  of  it  to  St.  Cuthbert 
by  Ulfcytel  son  of  Osulf,  who  included  all  its  appur- 
tenances with  sac  and  with  soc.-*  The  benefactor 
is  not  otherwise  known,  but  an  Osulf  was  Earl  of 
Northumberland  in  the  middle  of  the  10th  century.'-^ 
The  grant  probably  included  the  whole  of  the  ancient 


parish — i.e.,  Norton  with  Stockton.  From  that  time 
It  appears  to  have  been  part  of  the  possessions  of  the 
bishopric.  Between  1 109  and  1 1  14  Henry  I  granted 
a  market  on  Sundays  at  Norton  at  the  request  of 
Bishop  Ranulph  ;  its  customs  were  to  be  the  same  as 
those  of  the  king's  demesne  manors  elsewhere  in 
England.-*  From  Bishop  Hugh's  survey  made  in 
1 183  it  appears  that  there  were  in  the  vill  thirty 
villeinage  tenements  of  the  usual  type,  the  extent  of 
each  being  2  oigangs.  The  villeins  were  exempt 
from  the  payment  of  cornage  on  account  of  the  lack 
of  pasture.  There  were  also  twenty  farmers  with 
tenements  of  the  same  extent  held  by  a  rent  of  half  a 
mark,  certain  carrying  services  and  four  boondays  in 
the  autumn.  Twelve  cottiers  had  tofts  and  crofts 
and  13  acres  in  the  fields,  for  which  they  paid  16/. 
and  helped  in  haymaking  and  stacking  the  corn. 
There  were  one  free  tenant  and  one  drengage  tenant. 
The  whole  vill  rendered  two  milch  cows  and  the 
toll  of  beer  5;.  ;  the  pinder  had  8  acres  and  thraves 
of  corn  and  rendered  80  hens  and  500  eggs  ;  the 
mills  had  8  acres  and  the  meadows  near  the  mill  and 
rendered  20  marks  a  year.  The  meadow  of  North- 
meadow  was  in  the  bishop's  hands. ^' 

In  1348  it  was  reported  that  Roger  de  Wighton 
had  made  an  encroachment  on  the  Carrside  (Ker- 
syde).^'  In  1350  the  mills  were  in  the  hands  of 
the  husbandmen.-'  William  Hunter  had  a  forge  in 
1353.'°  The  bishop's  park  is  mentioned  in  1354 
in  a  complaint  that  the  villagers  of  Billingham  had 
encroached  on  it  by  a  watercourse  at  the  U'est 
bridge  for  six  years  past."  The  court  rolls  here 
cited  are  fairly  complete  from  I  348. 

The  survey  of  about  1384  shows  that  money  pay- 
ments were  accepted  in  place  of  all  or  most  of  the 
services  of  bondage  tenants,  the  total  payment  from 
a  normal  holding  being  14/.  id.  Only  twenty-nine 
such  holdings  are  mentioned  ;  seven  of  the  tenants 
had  two  '  bondages '  each,  twelve  had  one  each,  and 
the  other  three  were  held  by  groups  of  two  or  four 
tenants.  Each  servant  of  a  bond  tenant  of  the  age  of 
sixteen  or  upwards  paid  u.  a  year  in  lieu  of  autumn 
boon-works.  Each  '  selffode  '  of  whatever  position, 
dwelling  in  the  vill,  paid  -^d.  a  year.  There  were 
now  only  eleven  cottiers,  the  remaining  tenement 
being  held  by  them  in  common.  Each  paid  6J.  rent 
for  a  cottage  and  an  acre  of  land  and  i  i  ^J.  as  the 
equivalent  of  his  services.  The  gre.it  forge  rendered 
8^.,  two  others  paid  \d.  e.ich,  and  another  zd.  The 
dovecote  was  rented  at  6d.  The  tenants  held  the 
common  oven,  rendering  66/.  id.,  and  the  toll  of  ale, 
rendering  10/.  ;  in  place  of  two  milch  cows  or 
'  metrich  '  they  paid  10/.  The  mills  of  Norton, 
Stockton  and  Hartburn,  with  '  crooks '  of  meadow 
near  them  and  Longacre,  rendered  in  all  ^^26  I  3/.  \d. 
Sixteen  parcels  of  Exchequer  land  which  had  been 
approved  from  the  waste  since  1 1 84  were  mostly 
demised  at  small  rents.     An  exceptional  holding  was 


"  Hill.  MSS.  Com.  Rep.  iv,  App.  96. 

1'  Quoted  in  Did.  Nat.  Biog.  under 
Cosin. 

"  Whiting,  Early  Piey  ExempliJteJ,  56. 

^^  Fordycc,  Hiir.  and  Antiq.  of  co.  Palat. 
of  Dur.  ii,  205. 

'*"  Wesley,  Journals,  iii,  380. 

*'  Mackenzie  and  Ross,  I'icw  of  Co.  of 
Dur.  ii,  ;. 

1"^  Inform,  from  the  Rev.  Canoa  Scott, 
vicar. 


"  Diet.  Nat.  Biog. 

'°  Mackenzie  and  Ross,  loc  cit. 

'*  Hutchinson,  Hi:t.  and  Antiq.  of  Dur, 
ii,  1 12. 

"  Fordyce,  op.  cit.  ii,  204. 

»  Diet.  Nat.  Biog. 

"  L/A»r  TiMf  (Surt.Soc),  57;  Kemble, 
Codix  Dip!.  925. 

'^  Searle,  Anglo-Saxon  Bps.,  Kings  and 
Nohlei.  Another  Osulf  was  earl  in 
1065. 


"  Surtees,  Hiit.  and  Antiq.  of  co.  Palat. 
of  Dur.  iii,  1 54.  The  charter  is  ad- 
dressed to  Thomas  Archbishop  of  York 
and  attested  by  Robert  Bishop  of  Lin- 
coln. 

"  V.C.H.  D:.r.  i,  330-1. 

'"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  12,  foL  4. 

"  Ibid.  fol.  46. 

*>  Ibid.  fol.  90. 

"  Ibid.  fol.  1 29.  The  time  given  goes 
back  beyond  the  plague  year. 

39 


A  HISTORY  OF   DURHAM 


that  of  Gilbert  Spurnhare  ;  he  had  fifteen  cottages  and 
60  acres  in  the  field  of  V'iithouk,  paying  32/.  The 
other  rents  amounted  to  1 3;.  8^.  in  all.  Eight 
oxgangs  of  the  4.0  recorded  in  the  Boldon  Book  as 
held  by  the  farmers  had  come  into  the  hands  of  free 
tenants  or  malmen.  The  remainder  was  held  in 
twenty-one  tenements,  in  many  cases  of  i  oxgang 
each.  Some  tenants  had  the  normal  holding  of  2 
oxgangs,  for  which  the  rent  was  now  10;.  5jrf'.,  the 
increases  being  accounted  for  by  the  commutation 
of  their  services.'- 

The  account  of  the  receiver  for  1385-6  records 
^84  5/.  4^^".  from  Norton,  with  [^-j  \os.  %d.  from 
the  court  ;  other  receipts  amounted  to  37J.  6d.^^ 

In  the  15th  century  most  of  the  manorial  sources 
of  profit  were  leased  to  the  tenants.  The  tollbooth 
mentioned  in  1401  probably  stood  in  the  middle 
of  the  village.^''  The  common  bake-house  in 
1405  and  1407  stood  at  the  end  of  the  building 
containing  the  common  forge.'^^  In  1457  the  mill 
was  demised  half  to  John  Halyman  and  Thomas 
Wedow  and  half  to  Thomas  Bowbark  for  three  years 
at  a  rent  of  26  marks. ^^  John  Garry  had  a  lease  of 
the  water-mill  in  1460  ;  in  the  first  year  he  was  to 
pay  £17  13/.  4(/.  and  in  the  second  and  third 
years  j^l8  a  year.''  Anthony  Tunstall  of  Stockton 
obtained  in  1548  a  lease  of  the  water  corn-mill  for 
thirty  years  at  the  rent  of  j^l6  13/.  ^d.  a  year.'^  In 
1595  the  receipts  from  Norton  were  ^^53  8/.  j\rl.  ; 
Thomas  Howitson  paid  ^8  6/.  %d.  for  the  mill,''  i.e., 
half  a  year's  rent.  The  forges  are  mentioned  several 
times *°  and  part  of  the  furniture — a  stithy  of  iron 
with  a  pair  of  bellows,  two  pairs  of  tongs  and  two 
'  nailcolez ' — was  taken  in  Stockton  by  violence  from 
John  Smith  of  Norton  in  1415.'''  The  watercourse 
on  the  west  of  the  road  called  Stabstongate  is 
mentioned  in  1406.*^ 

The  Parliamentary  survey  of  the  bishop's  lands 
made  in  1647  states  that  the  water  corn-mill  at 
Norton  was  the  only  one  in  the  lordship  of  Stockton, 
and  all  tenants  were  bound  to  grind  there  except 
those  of  Carlton.  The  copyholders  were  bound  to 
repair  the  mill,  scour  the  millrace  and  dam,  bring 
timber  and  millstones  for  it,  but  for  this  carrying 
they  had  412'.  a  mile  pay  and  dinner.  The  mill  had 
6  acres  of  meadow  attached  to  it  ;  the  miller  had 
the  hay,  but  after  it  had  been  gathered  the  people 
generally  had  pasturage  thereon.  The  tenants  of 
60  oxgangs  of  land  used  to  help  in  the  lord's  hay- 
making or  pay  40J.  The  copyholders'  fines  were 
certain,  but  varied  in  each  tenement.'"  The  water- 
mill,  to  the  east  of  the  village,  is  mentioned  in  1857 
as  paying  rates  to  Stockton.^'' 


The  manor  of  Norton  is  now  held  by  the  Eccle- 
siastical Commissioners  in  right  of  the  sec  of  Durham. 

There  is  a  small  copyhold  MJhOR  OF  THE 
I'ICj'IRAGE  which  was  mentioned  in  the  survey  of 
1647  :  'The  Vicarage  has  glebe  lands  worth  j[^6o  a 
year,   and   the  same  is  a  manor  and  kcepith  its  courts 


two  times  a  year. 


In 


■95 


the  vicar  was  accus- 


tomed to  hold  a  court.'"^  A  terrier  of  1734  thus 
describes  the  manor  :  '  A  copyhold  manor  belongs  to 
the  vicar,  the  tenants  whereof  pay  a  yearly  rent  of 
j^4  19/.  I  Of/.,  the  one  half  on  Great  Monday  after 
Pentecost,  the  other  half  at  Great  Monday  after 
Martinmas,  besides  29  hens  at  Martinmas  and  several 
days'  labour  in  hay  and  corn  harvest.  But  the 
particulars  of  what  each  tenant  is  to  pay  are 
expressed  in  their  respective  fines.'''' 

The  drengage  tenant  of  1 1 84  was  Alan  de 
Normanton  (?  Norton),  who  held  a  carucate  of  land 
by  a  rent  of  10/.  His  services  resembled  those  of  the 
farmers,  except  that  he  was  exempt  from  personal 
labour.'"*  His  holding  belonged  in  the  14th  century 
to  the  family  of  Lucas.  Robert  Lucas  of  Norton  is 
mentioned  in  1343,''' and  in  1  349  Thomas  his  son 
paid  relief  for  his  freehold  and  himself  had  tenants  ; 
land  here  was  held  in  i  349  by  Thomas  son  of  Robert 
Lucas,  who  paid  relief  in  the  same  year.*"  It  may  have 
been  this  estate  which  was  called  the  '  manor  of 
Norton'  about  I  3  50,  when  Robert  de  Bowes  granted 
it  to  Richard  de  Boulton.^'  In  1384  the  drengage 
holding  of  a  messuage  and  I  carucate  of  land  called 
LUCASLAND  was  in  the  possession  of  Sir  Roger 
Fulthorpe ;  he  paid  a  rent  of  19/.  \od.  and  was 
free  of  all  services.'"'-  Another  drengage  tenement, 
created  after  1 1 84,  was  in  the  hands  of  Sir  Roger  at 
this  date.  It  consisted  of  29  acres  called  '  Trumper- 
land,'  and  had  belonged  to  Master  John  de  Norton, 
clerk,  who  died  in  or  before  1349,  leaving  as  heir  his 
nephew  John,  the  son  of  Gilbert. ''  This  Sir  Roger 
Fulthorpe  seems  to  have  been  the  lord  of  Tunstall  (q.  v.). 
Lands  in  Norton  and  Blakiston  were  among  those  for- 
feited with  Tunstall  and  repurchased  by  William  Ful- 
thorpe, son  of  Sir  Roger,  in  1389. •"'^  In  1432  seven 
messuages  and  10  oxgangs  in  Norton  were  granted  by 
the  trustees  of  William  Fulthorpe  to  Robert  Thorn 
for  life.*^  This  accounts  for  the  fact  that  Thomas 
Fulthorpe  of  Tunstall  had  only  one  messuage  and 
30  acres  in  Norton  at  his  death  in  March  1467-8, 
when  his  young  daughters  Isabel  and  Philippa  were 
his  heirs. '^  The  estate  of  10  oxgangs  in  the  common 
fields  came  into  the  possession  of  the  Radcliffe 
family,'*'  and  was  forfeited  by  Bryan  Palmes  in  i  569.'' 
Roger  Radcliffe  of  Mulgrave,  Yorks,  in  I  590*' settled 
it  and  other  lands,  including  a  moiety  of  the  manor 


'"  HaiJSeld'i  Sur^i.  (Surt.  Soc),  172—7, 

"  Ibid.  265. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  5,  R.  13,  fol.  371  d. 

'*  Ibid.  no.  13,  fol.  451  d.  ;  no.  14, 
fol.  115.  »5  Ibid.  no.  16,  fol.  5  d. 

"  Ibid.  fol.  57. 

'""  Def>.  Ktepcr'i  Rep.  xxxvii,  App.  43. 

''  Eccl.  Com.  Rec.  22019;,  f°'-  9- 

^'Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  13,  fol.  98, 
400-451  d.  (two  forges)  ;  no.  14,  fol.  88, 
115,  668  ;  no.  15,  fol.  486,  581. 

"  Ibid.  no.  14,  fol.  693,  699. 

"  IbiJ.  fol.  43. 

*'  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  172. 

^*  Fordyce,  op.  cit.  ii,  207, 

*'  Surteei,  loc.  cit. 

"  Brewster,  Hist,  of  Stockton,  132. 


*'  Inform,  from  the  vicar.  Canon  T, 
Errington  Scott, 

*"  l^.C.H.  Dur.  i,  330-1. 

"  Reg^.  Palm.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  iii, 
135.  He  was  possibly  the  Robert  son  of 
John  son  of  Luke  of  Norton  who  in 
1307  paid  36J.  as  relief  on  succeeding 
to  his  father's  lands  [Boldon  Bk.  [Surt. 
Soc],  p.  xxxii), 

'""  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  44  ; 
R.  12,  fol.  3 2d.  Agnes  wife  of  Richard 
Lucas  was  found  in  the  same  year  to  have 
held  a  messuage  and  3  oxgangs  of  land  in 
Norton  of  the  bishop  by  a  rent  of  121.  ; 
her  heir  was  Alice  daughter  of  Adam  the 
Miller  of  Hartlepool  and  Juliana  his  wife 
(ibid.    no.    2,   fol.  45  d.).     John    son    of 


German  Lucas  is  mentioned  at  about  the 
same  date  (ibid.  R.  12,  fol.  32). 

*'  Ibid.  fol.  48. 

■''-  Hatfield's  Surf.  (Surt.  Soc),  172. 

^^  Ibid.  ;  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  foU 
44  ;  R.  12,  fol.  32. 

*'  Cat.  Pat.  1388-92,  p.  168. 

^^  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  36,  m.  6. 

^^  Ibid.  no.  4,  fol.  33. 

^^  Ibid.  no.  3,  fol.  21. 

*8  Exch.  K.R.  Misc.  Bks.  xxxviii,  fol. 
244.  In  1607  warranty  was  given 
against  the  heirs  of  Thomas  Fulthorpe, 
deceased,  and  of  Roger  Ratclifte,  deceased 
(Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  12,  no.  2  [2]). 

*^  Dep.  Keeper  s  Rep.  xxxvii,  App.  i, 
112. 


306 


STOCKTON    WARD 


NORTON 


of  Tunstall,  for  the  use  of  William  RadcIifFe  and  his 
issue,  with  successive  remainders  to  Ralph  and  Charles 
Radcliffe.  A  further  settlement  on  William  and 
Ralph,  with  remainder  to  Charles  in  default,  was 
made  in  i  595,**^  while  five  years  later  it  was  settled 
on  Charles  for  52  years,  with  reversion  to  William 
and  remainder  in  default  to  Ralph  and  his  issue.**'^ 
William  and  Charles  Radcliffe  sold  their  land  to 
Ralph  Davison  in  1607.^''=  Its  later  history  is  uncertain. 
It  may  have  come  into  the  hands  of  Robert  Brandling, 
who  conveyed  a  garden,  four  messuages,  four  cottages 
and  220  acres  in  Norton  in  1610  to  Francis  Kitchen. ^'^ 
A  messuage  and  4  oxgangs  in  Norton  belonged  to 
John  Laicenby,  who  died  in  1 607,  leaving  a  son  Simon. ^' 

About  1384  a  freehold  of  3  oxgangs  late  of  Adam 
son  of  John  was  held  by  Richard  Stanlawman  for  a 
rent  of  i  u.*-  This  came  into  the  possession  of  Roger 
de  Fulthorpe  of  Norton,  perhaps  a  younger  son  of  the 
house  of  Tunstall.  He  died  about  141 4  seised  of  it 
and  leaving  a  daughter  and  heir  Isabel.^'  She  married 
John  Bayer,  and  the  holding  followed  the  descent  of 
the  manor  of  Preston  upon  Tees  till  1635  at  least.'''' 

William  son  of  John  de  Norton  died  about  1376 
holding  3  oxgangs  here  by  a  rent  of  1 8/.  dd.  and 
leaving  a  son  William.*'*  This  freehold  belonged  to 
Robert  Spurner  about  1384,  to  William  Highfield  of 
Aislaby  on  his  death  in  1488,  and  to  his  son  Thomas 
Highfield  in  1500.'^^ 

In  1426  Thomas  de  Tange  granted  two  messuages 
and  lands  in  Norton  and  Stockton  to  Thomas 
Holden.^'  In  I  504  John  Soule  sold  his  lands  here  to 
John  Preston,  Robert  Robson  and  William  Blakiston 
of  Blakiston.'*  John  Johnson,  as  nephew  of  Thomas 
Simpson,  sold  his  lands  in  Norton  to  John  Bates  in 
1485,'''  and  James  Bates  of  Bedlington,  who  was  the 
brother  and  heir  of  John,  in  1491  granted  the 
reversion  of  2  oxgangs  to  John  Michelson  then 
held  by  Joan  widow  of  John  Bates  and  her  hus- 
band John  Graves.™  Percival  Michelson,  son  of 
John,  in  1522  had  a  lease  of  2  oxgangs  of  land 
called  Kentland,  and  the  reversion  of  3  oxgangs 
after  the  death  of  Joan  widow  of  John."'  Anthony 
Michelson  in  1553-4  granted  a  messuage  and  land  in 
Norton  to  his  son  John,  and  John,  as  son  and  heir  of 
Anthony,  surrendered  to  Henry  Huton."-  In  15  17 
Avice  widow  of  John  Pepper  surrendered  4  oxgangs 
of  land,  &c.,  to  the  use  of  William  the  son  of  John, 
and  he  gave  his  capital  messuage  and  3  oxgangs  to  his 
brother  Edward. '^  In  1522  Joan  widow  of  Edward 
Pepper  h.ad  the  capital  messuage  in  which  he  had 
dwelt,  with  2  oxgangs  of  serviceland  and  i  oxgang 
of  '  maleland '  ;  afterwards  she  and  her  second  hus- 
band, John  Thomson,  demised  to  William  Pepper  for 
life  an  oxgang  of  land  occupied  by  Avice  Pepper.^'' 

HARDlf'lCK{  Herdcwyk,  xiii  cent.)  was  evidently 
included  in  the    12th  century  in  the  bishop's  vill  of 


Norton.  About  1384  16  oxgangs,  by  far  the  greater 
part  of  the  vill,  were  demesne  land,  farmed  by  three 
tenants  for  [fi  1 8/.  \d.  There  were  a  few  acres  of 
exchequer  land  and  8  oxgangs  and  some  closes  held  by 
free  tenants."' 

In  1408  the  herbage  of  the  vill  was  let  for  a  year 
at  13/.  rent  ;  that  of  Hykkesflat  was  included  in  the 
grant.'*  The  vill  of  Hardwick  itself,  together  with 
Holstanmore  (Ouston),  was  in  141  7  demised  to  Adam 
Barnefor  two  years  at  a  rent  of  23  marks"";  in  1450  the 
vill  was  demised  to  John  Halyman  and  John  Hartburn 
for  six  years  at  rents  increasing  from  £\-  \.a  [^1%  and 
j^20  in  the  last  two  years,"" and  again  in  1456  at  the 
rent  of  ^l  8  6/.  for  the  first  five  years  and  £20  for  the 
lixth  year"';  and  in  1509  to  John  Michelson, 
William  Milner,  Thomas  Halyman  and  John 
Weddowe  to  the  use  of  all  the  tenants  of  the  vill  of 
Norton.*'' 

In  I  341  it  was  found  that  Richard  de  Hardwick 
had  held  two-thirds  of  a  messuage  and  40  acres  of  the 
bishop  by  a  rent  of  3/.  ()d.  and  that  his  mother  Isabel 
held  in  dower  the  other  part  of  the  messuage  and  60 
acres  by  a  rent  of  8/.  j./."  ;  John  his  son  and 
heir  was  an  infant  eighteen  months  old.  The 
principal  free  tenant  of  about  1382  was  Roger 
son  of  Alan  Fulthorpe,  probably  Roger  Fulthorpe  of 
Norton  (q.v.).  He  had  acquired  various  parcels  of 
land,  including  6  oxgangs  of  arable,  which  had 
formerly  belonged  to  Richard  de  Stanlaw  (.'Stanlaw- 
man), clerk. *^  This  estate  is  not  again  mentioned, 
but  may  have  descended  in  the  Sayer  family  with  part 
of  Norton. 

A  freehold  of  2  messuages  and  2  oxgangs,  originally 
in  the  possession  of  Thomas  Porter,  was  held  for 
\s.  id.  rent  in  1 349  by  William  son  of  John.  It 
belonged  about  1384  to  his  son  John,  who  died  in  or 
before  1392,  leaving  a  son  William.**' 

Two  tofts  and  2  oxgangs  of  land  in  Hardwick  by 
Norton  lately  belonging  to  William  son  of  John  and 
a  rent  of  6  marks  from  a  messuage,  6  tofts  and  6  ox- 
gangs lately  belonging  to  Roger  son  of  Alan  Fulthorpe 
were  in  1414  given  to  endow  the  chantry  of  St.  Mary 
and  St.  Cuthbert  in  Durham  Cathedral.** 

Hardwick  Farm  was  the  property  of  John  Peacock, 
who  died  in  1851  ;  it  was  soon  afterwards  bought  by 
John  Grey.'*  It  was  later  acquired  by  Mr.  Robert 
Richmond,  whose  widow  now  holds  it. 

BLAKISTON  (Blecestun,  Bleicheston,  Blecheston, 
xii  cent.  ;  Blekestone,  1203  ;  Blnckstone,  xvii  cent.) 
is  said  to  have  been  given  to  the  monks  of  Durham 
by  Bishop  William  of  St.  Carileph,  but  the 
charter  is  regarded  as  a  forgery.**  Bishop  Ranulf 
took  the  vill  away  from  the  monks  and  gave  it 
to  his  nephew  Richard  together  with  other  estates, 
the  alienation  being  confirmed  by  Henry  I  *"  ;  but 
the    bishop   restored   it   to   the   monks  at  some  date 


*'»  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  2  (1). 

'"j  Ibid.  •"":  Ibid.  no.  2  (2). 

^  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  94,  m.   33. 

«'  Ibid,  file  181,  no.  4+. 

"  Hatfield' %  Surv.  (Surt.  Soc),  172. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  171  d. 

**  Ibid.  foL  294  ;  no.  3,  fol.  3  I  ;  no.  4, 
fol.  56  ;  file  169,  no.  II  ;  file  177,  no.  99  ; 
file  188,  no.  72. 

'•  Ibid.  no.  2,  fol.  95  d. 

"  HatfieU't  Surv.  loc.  cit.  ;  Dur.  Rec. 
cl.  3,  file  169,  no.  12,  50. 

•'  Arch.  Ael.  (New  Ser.),  i,  64.      For 


Thom.is  Holdea  sec  Trjnt.  Hist.  Soc. 
Uvi,  257. 

«>  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  6;,  m.  2  d.  ; 
Dcp.  Keeper' 1  Rep.  xxxvi,  App.  73,  76. 

'^  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  56,  m.  1  d. 

■"  Ibid.  no.  18,  fol.  162  ;  R.  56,  m.  9  d. 

"  Ibid.  no.  21,  fol.  260  d. 

"'  Ibid.  R.  78,  m.  24,  27. 

"  Ibid.  no.  21,  fol.  207. 

'«  Ibid.  fol.  260  d. 

"  Hatfield's  Sur-v.  (Surt.  Soc),  179-80. 

"'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  14,  fol.  175. 

"  Ibid.  fol.  S89. 


"•  Ibid.  no.  i^,  fol.  51;. 

■'  Ibid.  fol.  803. 

-^  Ibid.  no.  21,  fol.  61. 

*'  Ibid.  no.  2,  fol.  22. 

»*  Hatjleld's  Surv.  loc.  cit. 

"  Ibid.  ;  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol. 
4;d.,ii;d.  **  Ibid.  R.  34,  m.  1 1. 

*^  Fordycc,  op.  cit.  ii,  207. 

»«  FeoJ.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Suit.  Soc), 
pp.  1y,  144  n. 

^  Charters  (from  copies)  in  Surtecs, 
op.  cit.  ii,  210.  It  was  to  be  held  by 
knight's  service. 


A  HISTORY   OF  DURHAM 


between  llz;  and  his  death  in  1128,  after  which 
the  monks  obtained  a  further  confirmation  from  the 
ifing.'**'  Blaitiston  was  in  the  monks'  confirmation 
charters  obtained  from  Henry  II  before  1168,**^ 
from  Richard  I  in  1 195,'"  and  from  John  in  1204.^' 
Richard,  the  bishop's  nephew  did  not  readily 
acquiesce  in  the  restitution,  and  Henry  I  thereupon 
ordered  Walter  Espec  and  others  to  see  that  Blakiston 
was  effectually  possessed  by  the  monks  and  to  adjudge 
on  Richard's  claim. ^-  The  result  was  that  Richard 
held  it  of  the  monks.  It  seems  to  have  been  his  son 
who  as  Robert  son  of  Richard  de  Ravensworth  re- 
leased all  his  right  in  BLikiston  and  other  places  to 
Geoffrey  son  of  his  nephew  Geoffrey  son  of  Richard 
at  the  end  of  the  12th  century. '■''  Afterwards  Geoffrey 
son  of  Geoffrey  promised  Thomas  Prior  of  Durham 
(1  233-44.)  ^"'^  '^^  monks  to  do  suit  of  court  for  his 
tenement  of  Blakiston  whenever  there  should  be  any 
pleading  in  the  prior's  court  by  writ  of  the  bishop  or 
(during  vacancy)  of  the  king.'''  Sir  Marmaduke  son 
of  Geoffrey  in  the  time  of  Prior  Hugh  (1258-73) 
released  to  the  monks  all  his  claim  in  the  '  manor '  of 
Blakiston,  which  was  of  the  prior  and  convent's  fee  and 
which  he  had  formerly  held  of  them  by  right  of 
inheritance.'^ 

After  the  surrender  by  Marmaduke  son  of  Geoffrey 
the  monks  apparently  bestowed  the  manor  on  a  member 
of  the  lamily  of  Park.  The  vill  was  subsequently  held 
of  the  prior  and  convent  by  a  rent  of  ibs.  2d.  and 
services  at  the  manor  of  Bewley.'"'  Sir  Geoffrey 
de  Park  of  Blakiston  was  one  of  the  bishop's  knights 
in  I  264.''  Richard  de  Park  was  in  1314  absolved  of 
his  offence  in  assaulting  the  vicar  of  Billingham.'-"* 
Richard  de  Park  was  lord  of  Blakiston  in  1335,'' 
and  was  probably  identical  with  the  Richard  son  of 
Richard  de  Park  mentioned  in  1339.""*  I"  '3  +  ' 
this  Richard  released  to  Roger  de  Blakiston  and  his 
heirs  all  right  in  a  messuage  and  5  oxgangs  in 
Blakiston  which  Roger  held  for  life  by  the  grant  of 
the  older  Richard  ;  besides  this  he  gave  a  release  of  a 
messuage  to  Hugh  de  Blakiston.'  The  final  sale  of 
the  estate  to  the  Blakiston  family  probably  took  place 
in  1349,  when  Roger  de  Blakiston  and  John  son  of 
Roger  de  Hardwick  obtained  from  Richard  de  Park 
and  Christiana  his  wife  six  messuages,  200  acres  of 
land,  a  mill,  &c.,-  for  in  I  341  the  lord  of  Blakiston 
was  distinguished  from  Roger  de  Blakiston  who  had 
land  there,'  but  m  1349  Roger  was  certainly  lord  of 
the  place.''  In  the  time  of  Edward  IV  Edward  Park 
made  an  attempt  to  recover  the  manor.^ 


Blakiston  of  Blakis- 

ton.  Argent  tivo  bars 
'with  thee  cocks  in  the 
chief  all  gules. 


The  origin  of  the  family  of  Blakiston  is  not  clear. 
One  R.ilph  de  Rounton  (Rungeton)  was  in  1339 
found  to  have  held  three  messuages  and  40  acres  of 
land  in  Blakiston  of  Richard  son  of  Richard  de  Park 
by  fealty,  a  rent  of  zs.  \d.,  a  pair  of  gloves  and  half 
a  pound  of  cummin  ;  he  also  had  lands  in  Redmarshall 
and  Carlton.  His  heir  was  his  son  William  de  Blakiston, 
aged  thirty.^  William  died 
in  or  before  1349  holding 
the  same  estate  in  Blakiston 
of  Roger  de  Blakiston  ;  his 
heir  was  his  nephew  John 
Roland  of  Butterwick,  in 
Sedgefield  parish,  son  of  a 
sister,  and  thirty  years  old.' 
It  seems  possible  that  this  was 
the  William  who  was  ap- 
pointed sheriff  and  escheator 
of  Durham  and  Sadberge  in 
1344,"  and  continued  in  the 
office  in  I  345,'  but  then  dis- 
appears from  the  records. 

Roger  de  Blakiston  appears  from  1329'"  to  about 
1359";  ^^  w^^  appointed  a  justice  in  1344.'- 
His  successor,  perhaps  his  son,  was  probably  the 
William  de  Blakiston  who  occurs  in  the  rolls  from 
1367  onwards.''  He  was  a  knight  in  1409.'*  He 
died  in  or  bef  re  14 18,  when  the  writ  oi  diem  clauiit 
extrfmum  was  issued. '^  At  the  subsequent  inquisition 
it  was  found  that  he  held  the  manor  and  vill  of 
Blakiston  of  the  Prior  of  Durham  by  2  marks  rent  ; 
also  land  called  Chamberland,  to  which  he  had  no 
claim.  In  1396  he  had  made  a  settlement  of  the 
estate,  the  remainder  being  to  his  son  William  the 
younger  and  Katherine  his  wife.  The  son  died 
before  his  father,  so  that  the  heir  was  a  grandson, 
Nicholas,  son  of  the  younger  William,  who  was 
twenty  years  of  age."'  Nicholas,  on  coming  of  age, 
received  his  grandfather's  lands.''  A  little  later  he 
was  one  of  the  commissioners  of  array  for  Stockton 
Ward,'*  as  he  was  again  in  1447."  He  died  in 
1460,  having  made  various  feoffments  of  his  lands  to 
provide  for  younger  children,  including  a  conrejance 
made  in  1457  to  John  Nevill  and  others  of  the 
manor  and  vill  of  Blakiston.-"  His  heir  was  a  son 
Willi.im,  aged  forty,  who  had  already  acted  as 
commissioner  of  array  for   Stockton  Ward.-' 

William  Blakiston  died  in  1468  -^  ;  his  heir  was  a 
son  Thomas,  aged  thirty,  who  after  doing  homage 
was    allowed    to    have    seisin    of    his     inheritance.^' 


**  Ftod.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc), 
lo8n.,  14511.;  Cal.  Chan.  R.  1257- 
I  300,  p.  484  ;    Farrer,  Early  Torks.  Chart. 

»73- 

*'  Feod.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc), 
p.  Ixxxiii. 

^  Cal.  Chart.  R.  1327-41,  p.  324. 

"  Cal.  Rot.  Chart.  1199-1216  (Rec. 
Com.),  118  ;  Feed.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt. 
Soc),  94. 

"  Feod.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc), 
14;  n.  ;  Farrer,  Early  Torks.  Chart,  ii, 
274. 

*'  Surtecs,  op.  cit.  ii,  210. 

^*  Feod.  Prior.  Dunelm,  (Surt.  Soc), 
146  n. 

"  Ibid. 

"^  Ibid.  44,  144,  318  ;  Jialmota  Prior, 
Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc),  i,  200. 

"  Hutchinson,  op.  cit.  i,  221.    Richard 


dc  Park  appears  in  the  time  of  Bishop 
Hugh  and  had  a  son  Geoffrey,  who  had  a 
son  Richard,  perhaps  the  father  of  the 
Geoffrey  in  the  text  [Feod.  Prior.  Dunelm. 
[Surt.  Soc],  19  n.,  125  n.,  140  n.,  142  n., 
148  n.,  162  n.,  176  n.,  184  n.). 

»"  Reg.  Palat.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  i, 
549  ;   see  also  ibid,  ii,  1160,  &c. 

"Ibid,  iii,  169. 

">"  Dur.  Rec  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  18. 

'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  29,  m.  1 1  ;  Sur- 
teei,  op.  cic.  iii,  161. 

*  Final  concord  cited  by  Hutchinson, 
op.  cit.  iii,  1 17. 

'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  21. 

•  Ibid.  fol.  43  d. 

^  Surtces,  op.  cit.  iii,  i6o. 

«  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  18. 

'  Ibid.  fol.  43  d. 

'  Def.  Keeper's  Rep.  zxxi,  App.  50. 


'  Ibid.  52,  114.  William  de  Mordon 
was  made  escheator  in  1345-6  (ibid. 
146). 

'"  Ibid.  43,  46,  &c. 

"  Ibid.  120.  '»  Ibid.  50. 

'^  Ibid,  ixxii,  App.  265,  301,  Ac 

'*  Ibid,  xxxiii,  App.  86. 

'^  Ibid.  Inquiry  was  also  to  be  made  as 
to  lands  of  his  son  William. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  187  d.,  188. 

"  Dep,  Keeper  s  Rep.  xxxiii,  105,  135, 
147.  "  Ibid.  140. 

'»  Dur.  Rrc.  cl.  3,  R.  43,  m.  18. 

'°  Ibid,  file  166,  no.  53  ;  Dep.  Keeper's 
Rep.  xliv,  App.  319  ;  xxxv,  App.  105. 

"  Ibid.  xxxiT,  App.  216  ;  xxxv,  App. 
78,87 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  4,  fol.  32. 

"  Ibid.  ;  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xxxv,  App. 
106. 


308 


STOCKTON    WARD 


NORTON 


Thomas  Blakiston  died  in  1483,  having  made  various 
dispositions  of  his  lands  ;  he  had  conveyed  one  parcel 
of  land  in  Blakiston  to  trustees  in  1470,  and  in  148: 
had  granted  a  rent  from  it  ;  in  1483  he  had  conveyed 
certain  land  there  to  his  brother,  Robert  Killinghall 
His  heir  was  a  son  William,  aged  eighteen.-''  Jane 
the  widow  of  Thomas  had  assignment  of  dower.'' 
William  Blakiston  died  in  or  about  1533  holding  the 
manors  of  Blakiston  and  Coxhoe,  with  other  lands  ; 
his  heir  was  his  son  Thomas.-^  Agnes,  the  widow, 
received  her  dower.''  Thomas  Blakiston  in  1559 
was  succeeded  by  his  son  John,  aged  twenty-two.-'^ 
In  January  i  562-3  John  succeeded  his  uncle,  William 
Blakiston,  in  the  manor  of  Coxhoe.-'  John  Blakiston 
recorded  a  pedigree  in  1575,  but  this,  as  printed, 
confuses  his  father  Thom.is  with  his  gre.it-grandfather 
of  the  same  name.-'  He  did  homage  for  the  manor 
of  Blakiston  in  1578  and  took  the  oath  of  supremacy.^" 
He  died  in  1587.  The  inquisition  after  his  death 
shows  that  in  I  58 1,  when  his  son  William  married 
Alice  daughter  and  eventual  co-heir  of  William  Claxton 
of  Wynyard  in  Grindon  parish,  he  made  a  settlement 
of  Blakiston  and  other  estates.'^  His  will  has  been 
printed.^'  William  Blakiston  had  licence  to  enter  on 
his  father's  lands  in  1589.'^  He  appears  to  have 
been  reconciled  to  the  Roman  Church  before  1598, 
and  in  1600  bond  was  given  for  his  appearance  before 
the  Ecclesiastical  Commissioners.^^  Hence  two-thirds 
of  the  manor  of  Blakiston  and  other  estates  were 
sequestered  by  the  Crown  and  given  in  February 
1598-g  to  Henry  Sanderson,  and,  after  revocation 
of  this  grant,  in  March  1600- 1  to  Marmaduke 
Blakiston, '*  perhaps  his  brother,  rector  of  Redmarshall 
and  prebendary  of  Durham.  The  consequent  fines 
may  account  for  various  sales  of  their  estates  made  by 
William  Blakiston  and  his  wife,^**  as  well  as  for  a 
seizure  of  nearly  a  hundred  of  his  stock — horses, 
cows,  &c. — made  by  bailiffs  in  1607,  when 
Sir  William  himself  vainly  attempted  a  rescue  by 
force.''  His  confinement  to  his  manor-house 
in  1608  was  also,  no  doubt,  due  to  his  religion.'^ 
James  I,  however,  had  at  the  beginning  of  his 
reign  made  him  a  knight. '^  He  was  living  in 
161  2,'"'  but  probably  died  soon  afterwards.  His  son 
Thomas  was  in  May  1615  made  a  baronet^'  and 
in  June  was  knighted.'"  Soon  afterwards  a  spy  re- 
ported that  '  meetingsof  papists  are  held  at  SirThomas 
Blakiston's  house.'  ^'     In  the  same  year  he  conveyed 


the  manor  of  Blakiston  to  Alexander  Davison,  a 
merchant  of  Newcastle-upon-Tyne,  the  sale  being 
completed  in  1630." 

The  new  lord  of  the  manor  was  made  a  knight  in 
1639,*'  and  showed  himself  a  zealous  Royalist  during 
the  Civil  War,  taking  part  in  the  defence  of  New- 
castle in  1644,  in  spite  of  his  great  age  of  nearly 
eighty  years,  and  losing  his  life  on  1 1  November 
when  that  town  was  stormed  by  the  Scots.^*"  His 
eldest  son  and  heir  Thomas  was  also  a  Royalist,  being 
a  lieutenant-colonel  under  the  Earl  of  Newcastle  from 
April  1643  to  October  1644  when  he  surrendered  ; 
he  took  the  oath  and  covenant  in  Gray's  Inn  Chapel, 
being  a  member  of  the  inn.  The  family  estates 
had  been  sequestered  by  the  Parliament,  and  Blakiston 
was  said  to  be  worth  ;^2  5o  a  year.  The  fine 
was  fixed  at  ^^  1,1 16,  to  which  ;^312  18/.  was 
added  later,  but  these  sums  appear  to  have  been 
reduced. '''  Thomas  Davison  had  a  licence  to  travel 
to  London  in  1658,  to  consummate  his  marriage,** 
and  on  the  Restoration  in  1660  was  made  a  knight.*' 
He  recorded  a  pedigree  in  1666,  when  his  eldest  son 
Alexander  was  thirty  years  of  age  and  had  a  son  John, 
aged  two  years. ^^  Sir  Thomas  made  his  will  in 
February    1666-7,   and   died    shortly    afterwards"; 


Hamilton.        Gutei 
three  cin^oih  ermine. 


RussiLl..  ArgrnI 
fwo  chei'eront  benveen 
three  croislets  /itchy  'with 
a  cin^oil  hefween  the 
ehcveront  all  sable. 


his  son  Alexander  died  in  1669.'-  After  the 
Revolution,  in  1689,  John  Davison  required  a  pass 
to  go  to  Blakiston.^'  He  died  the  year  following," 
and  was  succeeded  by  his  son  Thomas,  who  married 
Anne  daughter  of  Sir  John  Bland  of  Kippax  (co. 
York).  Thomas  Davison  died  in  1748,  his  son 
Thomas  in  1756,''  and  his  son,  another  Thomas,  in 


"  Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  3,  no.  +,  fol.  81. 
"  Def.  Kttfer'i  Rep.  xxxv,  App.  146. 
^  Dur.    Rcc.   cl.   3,    file    177,  no.   S  ; 
Dep.  Keeper's  Rep,  xxxvii,  App.  18. 
''  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  177,  no.  14. 
-^a  Ibid,  file  178,  no.  20. 
"*  Ibid.  vol.  6,  fol.  II. 
"  Foiter,  Dur.  I'isit.  Fed.  19. 
•"  Dep.    Keeper's    Rep.    xxxvii,     App. 

ICO. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  178,  no.  50. 

"  By  Surtces  ;  also  Dur.  ffills  and  In- 
■vent.  (Surt.  Soc),  ii,  145. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  86,  m.  5. 

"  Ibid.  131;  Eich.  Dep.  Eait.  4  Jas.  I, 
no.  I. 

*^  Exch.  Dep.  East.  4  Jas.  I,  no.  i  ; 
Pat.  43  Eliz.  pt.  vi,  m.  34.  A  thiid  of 
the  manors  of  Dinsdale  and  Wynyard, 
&c.,  were  included.  In  1591  he  granted 
an  annuity  of  j^zo  from  his  lands  here 
to  Robert  Blakiston,  his  brother  (Dur. 
Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  102,  m.  8  d.). 


"  See  Great  Chilton,  Seaton  Carew,  &c. 

*'  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  418. 

^^  Ibid.  159  (from  the  parish  register). 
Ralph  Blakiston  in  1612  had  two-thirds 
of  his  close  called  Barrickheld  in  Blakis- 
ton sequestered  for  his  recusancy  (Pat. 
to  Jas.  I,  pt.  xiii).  In  1608  he  owed 
William  Lambton  of  Lambton  ^240 
(Lans.  MS.  902,  fol.  178  d.}. 

''^  Shaw,  Knights  of  Engl,  ii,  120  ;  July 
1663,  before  the  Coronation. 

<"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  94,  m.  49. 

*'  G.E.C.  Complete  Baronetage^  i,  107. 

"  Shaw,  op.  cit.  ii,  156. 

*■*  Foley,  Rec.  of  Soc.  Jesus,  Iii,  119. 

**  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  160  ;  Dur.  Rec, 
cl.  12,  no.  4  (2),  bis.  For  Sir  Thomas's 
disputes  see  Chan.  Proc.  (Ser.  2),  bdle. 
301,  no.  4  J  bdle.  575,  no.  I  ;  bdle. 409, 
no.  57-  In  1622  he  conveyed  the  manor 
and  some  1,100  acres  of  arable,  meadow 
pasture,  &c ,  to  Marma^iuke  Blakiston, 
clerk  (Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  3  [2]). 


**  Shaw,  op.  cit.  ii,  2o6,  where  he  ii 
dcicribcd  as  *  of  Blakiston.* 

*^  Foster,  Dur.  J'iiit.  Ped.  95  ;  Rec,  Ce^.. 
for  Comp.  (Surt.  Soc),  i8on.  A  ioq 
Joseph  was  also  killed  in  the  stonning. 
Sec  M.I.  to  Alexander  Davison  in  New- 
castle Cathedral. 

*"  Rec,  Com.  for  Comf:  (Surt.  Soc),  13, 
15,  178-81. 

«  Cal.  S.  P.  Dom.  1658-9,  p.  89. 

**  Shaw,  op.  cit.  ii,  230, 

***  Foster,  op.  cit.  95. 

*'  Thornley  D.  {penes  CanoQ  Grcen- 
welt),  no.  98  ;  Monumeat  ia  Norton 
Church. 

^'  The  later  details  are  from  the  pedi- 
gree in  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  166.  For 
Lady  Davison's  death  see  Frankland- 
RusitU-Atdey  MSS,  (Hist.  MSS.  Com.), 

**  Cal.  S.  P.  Dom.  1689—90,  p,  109. 
^*  Monument  in  Norton  Church. 
»  Ibid. 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


1794..  To  this  last  Thomas  his  father's  cousin, 
Elizabeth  Bland,  left  her  moiety  of  the  Bland  estates, 
and  he  took  the  surname  of  Bland.  He  left  a  son 
Thomas,  who  about  i  800  sold  Blakiston  to  William 
Russell  of  Branccpeth  (q.v.),  and  from  him  it 
descended  to  Viscount  Boyne,  who  sold  it  to  Mr. 
Wanless.  Mr.  William  Potter,  who  married  Miss 
Wanless,  now  owns  it. 

CHJMBERLJND,  once  the  estate  of  Simon 
Chamber,  was  after  the  death  of  Sir  William  Blakiston 
in  1418  made  the  subject  of  inquiry  on  behalf  of 
Thomas  Langton  of  Wynyard.  The  claimant  said  he 
had  held  a  messuage,  two  cottages  and  a  ploughland 
called  Chamberland  in  Blakiston  by  feoffment  of 
William  de  Hoton, 
but  had  been  expelled 
by  the  statement  in 
the  inquisition  post- 
mortem that  Sir  Wil- 
liam held  it.'"  The 
return  in  the  Feo- 
dary  of  1 430,  quoted 
above,  shows  that  the 
Langtons  established 
their  right. 

Another  estate 
noticed  in  the  in- 
quisitions is  that  of 
Richard  de  Hard- 
wick,  who  in  or 
before  1341  had  a 
messuage  and  60  acres 
in  Blakiston,  held  of 
the  lord  of  Blakiston 
by  a  rent  of  3/.  ;  24 
acres  of  it  rendered 
23/.  6d.  to  Roger  de 
Blakiston.*' 

Sir  Richard  Smith  in  ijijas  a  'Papist'  registered 
an  estate  in  Blakiston  of  ^^lo  yearly  value.'* 

In  recent  times  the  chief  resident  families  have 
been  those  of  Hogg,  still  seated  there,  Page  and 
Grey.'9 

The  church  of  ST.  MJRl'  THE 
CHURCH  yiRGIN  is  a  cruciform  structure  consist- 
ing of  chancel  33  ft.  by  17  ft.,  with  north 
vestry  and  organ  chamber,  north  transept  1 5  ft.  by 
14  ft.  9  in.,  south  transept  15  ft.  9  in.  by  15  ft., 
central  tower  i  5  ft.  square,  clearstoried  nave  43  ft.  6  in. 
by  14  ft.  10  in.  with  north  and  south  aisles  each  10  ft. 
wide,  and  south  porch  8  ft.  6  in.  square,  all  these 
measurements  being  internal.  The  width  across  the 
transepts  is  51  ft.  8  in.  and  at  the  west  end  across 
nave  and  aisles  40  ft. 

The  building  is  of  exceptional  interest  as  affording 
the  only  example  in  Northumbria  of  a  pre-Conquest 
church  on  the  cross  plan.  Of  this  early  structure — 
dating  probably  from  the  first  half  of  the  i  ith  century 
— the  tower,  transepts,  and  part  of  the  nave  walls 
remain.     The  aisles  were  added  at  the  end  of  the 


1 2th  century,  the  nave  walls  being  pierced  for  the 
arcades,  and  the  chancel  was  rebuilt  on  a  larger  scale 
in  the  13th  century.  At  the  time  of  the  reconstruc- 
tion of  the  nave  by  the  addition  of  the  aisles  the 
original  east  and  west  arches  of  the  tower  were  rebuilt, 
but  the  openings  to  the  transepts  were  retained, 
though  they  were  enlarged  by  the  removal  of  the 
inner  order  of  voussoirs  and  of  the  portions  of 
the  jambs  which  supported  them.''"  The  tower  is 
the  largest  of  all  those  of  pre-Conquest  date  in  the 
northern  counties,  being  20  ft.  9  in.  on  each  face 
externally,"  and  stands  quite  distinct  from  the  rest  of 
the  building,  the  four  limbs  of  which  are  built  against 
it,  as  at  Stow  in  Lincolnshire,  the  four  angles  rising 


Scale  of  Feet 
Plan  of  Norton  Church 


niU  Pre-Conouest 
Transitional  c.Ii95 

I31CEMIIRY 

151  Century 
O  Modern 

40 50 


clear  from  the  ground,  as  may  still  be  seen  from  the 
aisles  where  they  are  not  hidden  by  later  work. 
Before  being  rebuilt  in  the  13th  century  the  chancel, 
like  the  transepts  and  nave,  originally  abutted  against 
the  tower.  The  north  transept,  which  retains  its 
original  walling  intact,  clearly  shows  the  ancient  con- 
struction, its  outside  width  being  contained  within 
the  limits  of  the  tower.  The  south  transept  has  been 
a  good  deal  altered  and  its  southern  end  entirely 
rebuilt,  but  it  otherwise  retains  its  original  form. 
Built  into  the  wall  near  the  tower  is  part  of  a  pre- 
Conquest  cross  on  which  an  interlaced  design  is 
worked. '^^ 

In  1340  Richard  de  Bury  complained  that  the 
canons  neglected  to  keep  the  chancel  in  order,"-  and 
in  1410  Bishop  Langley  ordered  them  to  repair  it,"^ 
but  by  the  end  of  the  century  it  had  '  fallen  into 
ruin  and  desolation,  as  well  in  the  roof,  the  stone 
walls  and  windows  as  in  various  other  parts.'  Bishop 
Fox,  therefore,  in  1496  sequestered  the  incomes  of 
the  canons  for  the  necessary  repairs  and  did  the  work 
himself,"  the  existing  roof,  the  priest's  doorway,  and 


""'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  ^,  R.  35,  m.  17  d.  A 
Simon  de  ia  Chamber  is  named  in 
1387  (ibid.  R.  32,  m.  9). 

»'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  22. 

*®  Hutchinson,  op.  cit.  iii,  112. 

^^  Burke,  Commoners  ;   Landed  Gentry, 

*>  C.  C.  Hodge«  in  The  lUliq.  (New 
Scr.),  viii,  8-1 1,  where  an  account  of  the 


prc-Conque3t  building  is  given.  A.  H. 
Thompson,  in  Ground-plans  of  Engl.  Par. 
Churches,  remarks  that  Norton  is  the 
earliest  surviving  example  of  a  plan 
in  which  the  various  portions  of  the 
church,  nave,  chancel  and  transepts  are 
gathered  together  in  one  structural 
connexion. 

310 


"  Ovingham  18  ft.  6  in.,  Billingham 
17  ft.  6  in.,  Moukwearmouth  11  ft.  gin. 
(porch  with  tower  over). 

i^'a  V.C.H.  Dur.  i,  234. 

"-  Reg.  Palar.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  iii, 
299. 

°^  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  158. 

^*  Hutchinson,  op.  cit.  iii,  ill. 


'_» 


p 


O 

Z 


u 

z 
o 

o 
2 


STOCKTON    WARD 


NORTON 


all  the  windows  with  the  exception  of  a  window  on 
the  north  side  being  probably  of  this  date,  or  restora- 
tions of  worlc  then  done.  The  upper  stage  of  the 
tower  is  also  a  rebuilding  or  addition  of  the  15th 
century.  In  1579  the  chancel  was  again  reported 
to  be  in  decay.''* 

In  1823  'the  side  walls  of  the  west  part  of  the 
church  were  entirely  taken  down  and  rebuilt  so  as 
to  enclose  a  larger  area,' "''  which  seems  to  imply  a 
widening  of  the  aisles  at  that  time,  two  new  galleries 
were  erected,  the  end  of  the  south  transept  rebuilt, 
a  new  west  window  inserted,  and  the  old  east  window 
renewed."  The  galleries  occupied  the  aisles,  the 
roofs  of  which  were  raised,'''*  and  in  1829  the  building 
was  described  as  '  well  pewed  and  in  excellent  order.'" 
Sir  Stephen  Glynne,  who  visited  the  church  in  184.3, 
describes  it  as  '  much  altered  and  modernised  especially 
within,'  the  exterior  being  stuccoed.  'The  side 
aisles  of  the  nave,'  he  proceeds,  '  have  been  widened 
and  the  windows  in  the  modern  walls  have  pseudo- 
perpendicular  tracery.™  The  clearstory  has  been 
closed.  .  .  .  There  are  ugly  galleries  erected  along 
every  side  of  the  nave,  which  is  encumbered  also  with 
high  though  regular  pues.' '' 

The  building  was  completely  restored  in  1876, 
when  the  aisles  and  the  end  of  the  south  transept 
were  again  rebuilt,  a  new  west  window  inserted,  the 
galleries  removed,  the  nave  reseated,  and  the  organ 
ch.imber  and  vestry  added  on  the  north  side  of  the 
chancel.  There  were  further,  but  slighter,  restora- 
tions in  1879  and  1889.  The  roof  of  the  north 
aisle  was  renewed  in  191 1. 

The  chancel  is  constructed  of  rubble  masonry,  and 
the  roof  is  a  leaded  one  of  very  flat  pitch  behind  an 
embattled  ashlar  parapet,  which  is  continued  along 
the  east  wall.  The  side  walls  were  raised  when  the 
new  roof  was  erected  at  the  end  of  the  15th  century. 
At  the  eastern  angles  are  original  flat  double  buttresses 
of  two  stages,  and  on  each  side  of  the  east  window 
just  above  the  sill  level  are  portions  of  a  13th-century 
chamfered  string-course.  The  original  east  window 
appears  to  have  consisted  of  four  lancets,  the  angle 
shafts  of  which,  with  moulded  capitals,  bands,  and 
bases,  still  remain  inside  below  the  spring  of  the  two 
outer  lights.  Externally  a  portion  of  the  hood  mould 
remains  at  each  end,  and  is  carried  along  the  wall  as 
a  string  above  the  buttresses.  The  east  window  is 
of  three  cinquefoiled  lights  with  perpendicular  tracery 
and  four-centred  head  with  hollow-chamfered  jambs 
and  hood  mould.  The  restoration  seems  to  have 
been  confined  to  the  muUions  and  tracerv,  the  jambs 
and  head  being  apparently  old,  and  there  are  two 
four-centred  windows,  each  of  three  cinquefoiled  lights 
without  tracery,  on  the  south  side,  one  at  each  end 
of  the  wall.  Both  are  to  some  extent  restorations, 
the  mullions  in  all  cases  being  new,  and  the  detail  is 
similar  to  that  of  the  east  window.  The  priest's 
doorway  has  a  four-centred  head  without  hood  mould, 
and   is  midway  between  the  windows.     The  north 


side  of  the  chancel  is  now  hidden  externally  by  the 
vestry  and  organ  chamber,  the  lancet  window,  which 
is  near  the  east  end,  now  opening  into  the  former. 
The  west  end  of  the  north  wall  is  open  to  the  organ 
chamber  by  a  modern  arch,  but  the  doorway  to  the 
vestry  is  apparently  of  15th-century  date  and  has  a 
four-centred  head.  In  the  south  wall,  in  the  usual 
position,  is  the  westernmost  and  part  of  the  second 
seat  of  the  13th-century  sedilia,  the  easternmost  seat 
having  been  destroyed  in  the  15th  century,  when 
the  new  windows  were  inserted.  The  remaining 
arch  of  the  sedilia  arcade  is  moulded  and  has  the 
dog-tooth  ornament,  and  springs  from  angle  shafts 
with  moulded  capitals  and  bases,  the  whole  design 
before  mutilation  having  been  one  of  much  beauty. 
The  piscina  is  below  the  e.isternraost  window,  but  is 
either  new  or  a  restoration,  consisting  of  a  projecting 
bowl  under  a  pointed  recess,  in  the  arch  of  which 
the  nail-head  ornament  occurs.  The  fluted  bowl  of 
a  large  piscina,  dug  up  when  the  present  vestry  was 
built,  is  preserved  in  the  chancel.  The  fittings  are 
all  modern,  and  the  roof  is  of  four  bays  and  boarded. 
The  width  of  the  former  chancel  is  distinctly 
shown  on  the  east  side  of  the  chancel  arch,  where 
the  ancient  masonry  has  been  cut  away.  The 
chancel  arch,  like  that  between  the  tower  and 
the  nave,  is  semicircular  in  form  and  of  two  orders, 
each  with  a  pointed  bowtel  moulding  on  the  angles 
springing  from  chamfered  imposts  and  with  a  hood 
mould  on  each  side.  The  inner  order  has  a  half- 
round  member  on  the  soffit,  and  springs  from  keel- 
shaped  responds,  which  have  been  cut  away  on  either 
side  immediately  below  the  capitals.  The  latter  have 
plain  necks  and  square  abaci. 

The  tower,  to  which  the  chancel  arch  really  belongs, 
is  the  most  interesting  part  of  the  church,  and  is 
built  of  rubble  masonry  with  angle  quoins.  The  total 
height  of  the  pre-Conquest  portion  now  standing 
is  level  with  the  ridge  of  the  ancient  roofs,  the 
lines  of  which  are  preserved  on  each  face.  The 
original  transept  arches,  as  already  stated,  have  been 
tampered  with  and  the  inner  order  of  voussoirs 
removed,  the  result  being  a  clumsy  semicircular 
arch  of  a  single  square  order  springing  directly  from 
square  jambs  slightly  chamfered  on  the  angles.  The 
tjwer  walls  are  3  ft.  thick,  and  the  width  of 
the  two  arches  differs  slightly,  that  on  the  north 
being  10  ft.  3  in.  and  the  other  10  ft.  6  in. 
across  the  existing  opening.  Above  the  irches  of 
the  crossing  are  four  triangular-headed  openings  in 
the  walls  communicating  originally  with  the  roof 
spaces.  The  openings  are  7  ft.  high  by  2  ft.  in 
width,  and  the  headstones  rest  on  chamfered  impost 
stones  which  go  through  the  walls,  being  flush 
externally,  but  having  a  projection  inside,  below  which 
the  jambs  are  splayed.  Over  these  windows,  which 
are  now  above  the  later  flat-leaded  roofs,  was  a  floor, 
and  a  little  above  this  again  are  two  smaller  openings 
on  each  face  of  the  tower,  one  on  each  side  of  the 


^'''  Surtces,  op.  cit.  iii,  124. 

^'  Fordj'ce,  op,  cit.  ii,  208. 

*'  Ibid.  Two  new  windows  arc  also 
stated  to  have  been  inserted  on  the  north 
side  of  the  chancel  like  those  on  the 
south.  The  vestry  and  organ  chamber 
now  extend  the  hill  length  of  the  chancel 
on  the  north  side.  Surtees  describes  the 
church  as  just  having  undergone  'much 


mutilation  and  alteration.'  '  The  south 
limb  of  the  transept,"  he  states,  'has  been 
abridged'  (op.  cit.  iii,  154).  Longstarfc 
states  that  in  1825  the  '  aisles  were  ex- 
tended to  a  line  flush  with  the  ends  of  the 
transepts  '  {.irch.  Ael.  [  NewSer.  ],xv,  1 1). 
I"'  Brewster,  op.  cit.  (ed.  2,  1829),  291. 
A  south-west  view  of  the  church  shows 
two  sijuare-headed  sash  windows  to  the 

3" 


south  aisle.  The  window  at  the  end  of 
the  aisle  is  round-headed,  and  there  is  a 
plain  south  porch  with  round-headed 
doorw.iy.  The  south  aisle  had  an  em- 
battled parapet.  «»  Ibid. 

'"  This  is  not  shown  in  the  view  in 
Brewster. 

"  Proc.  Soc.  Aniij.  Newcjsde  (Ser.  3), 
iii,  186. 


A   HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


original  high-pitched  roof.  They  were  originally 
only  6  in.  wide,  but  splayed  inside,  and  have  semi- 
circular heads  cut  trom  one  stone.  A  little  higher 
up  are  indications  of  a  second  floor,  above  which  the 
tower  is  of  15th-century  date.  The  grooves  of  the 
old  roof  lines,  which  are  of  exceedingly  steep  pitch, 
are  filled  on  all  four  faces  with  small  square  stones 
flush  with  the  face  of  the  wall."-  The  tower  may 
originally  have  risen  no  higher  than  the  ridge  of  the 
four  abutting  roofs,  and  the  first  floor 
was  entered  through  a  doorway  high  up 
in  the  south  wall  near  the  south-west 
angle  above  the  arch,  reached  by  a 
ladder  or  stairway  from  the  south 
transept.  The  floor,  which  was  im- 
mediately above  the  crown  of  the  arches, 
has  been  removed,  but  the  doorway  still 
remains.  The  later  belfry  story  has  a 
square-headed  window  of  two  trefoilcd 
lights  on  each  side  and  finishes  with  a 
plain  embattled  parapet,  the  whole  being 
of  rubble  masonry  different  in  character 
from  that  below. 

The  north  transept,  known  later  as 
the  Blakiston  porch,  has  a  modern 
north  window  of  three  lights,  but  is 
otherwise  little  altered  e.xcept  as  regards 
the  roof,  which,  like  those  of  the 
chancel  and  south  transept,  is  a  leaded 
one  of  very  fliit  pitch.  The  north 
'gable,'  which  follows  the  line  of  the 
roof,  has  a  modern  apex  cross,  but  the 
roof  overhangs  the  side  walls.  On  the 
west  side  the  line  of  the  1823  aisle 
roof,  higher  than  the  present  one, 
shows  against  the  wall.  The  transept 
is  built  of  rubble  masonry  with  large 
and  massive  angle  quoins,  some  of  which 
measure  z  ft.  6  in.  to  3  ft.  in  length 
and  16  in.  to  24  in.  in  height,  but  no 
original  openings  or  any  architectural 
features  remain.  Internally  there  is  a 
mutilated  piscina  at  the  south  end  of  the 
east  wall  with  a  roughly-shaped  pointed 
head,  the  bowl  of  which  is  cut  away.  It 
may  be  a  i  3th-century  insertion.  The 
arch  between  the  transept  and  the  aisle 
is  modern. 

The  south  transept,  which  is  known 
as  the  Pity  Porch,"  probably  from  its 
having  contained  a  chantry  dedicated  to  Our  Lady  of 
Pity,  is  very  much  modernized  externally,  the  whole  of 
the  south  wall  being  new.  The  walls  terminate  in  an 
embattled  parapet  continuous  with  that  of  the  chancel, 
and  the  south  window  is  of  four  cinquefoiled  lights  with 
perpendicular  tracery.  There  is  a  doorway  below^  the 
window  in  the  south-west  corner,  and  the  angles  have 
modern  double  buttresses.  In  the  east  wall  is  an 
original  lancet  window  with  head  in  one  stone,  an 
insertion  probably  when  the  chancel  was  rebuilt,  but 
there  are  no  other  ancient  features.  The  roofs  of 
both  transepts  are  bo.irded  internally,  and  the  walls, 
like  those  of  the  rest  of  the  building,  are  of  bare  stone. 
The  pointed  arch  between  the  transept  and  the  south 
aisle    is    of  the  same   date  as  the  nave  arcade,    and 


consists  of  a  single  chamfered   order  springing  from 
imposts. 

The  nave  is  of  three  bays,  the  arcades  consisting 
of  pointed  arches  of  two  moulded  orders  similar  to 
those  of  the  east  and  west  tower  arches,  but  with  the 
hood  mould  on  the  nave  side  only,  springing  at  a 
height  of  9  ft.  6  in.  from  circular  piers  with  moulded 
capitals  and  bases.  The  responds  are  of  similar  type, 
except  that  at  the  east  end  on   the  south  side,  which 


Norton   Church   Tower 

is  keel-shaped.  The  piers  arc  25  in.  in  diameter, 
and  the  capitals  have  circular  necks  and  octagonal 
abaci.  Those  on  the  north  side  are  quite  plain,  but 
on  the  south  the  capital  of  the  easternmost  pier  has 
an  indented  moulding  along  the  underside  of  the 
abacus,  and  that  of  the  adjoining  pier  has  the  neck 
carved  with  early  leaf  ornament.  The  capitals  of  the 
responds  are  carved  with  the  early  volute.  A  torus 
string  runs  the  whole  length  of  the  wall  on  each  side 
immediately  above  the  crown  of  the  arches,  stopping 
against  the  east  and  west  walls.  The  clearstory  wall? 
are  of  wrought  masonry  in  courses,  and  are  divided 
externally  into  three  bays  by  flat  pilaster  buttresses. 
There  are  three  original  transitional  round-headed 
windows  on  the  north  side,  and  the  same  disposition 


"  RtUg.  (New  Ser.),  viii,  ii.  the  seats  in  the  church.     The   servants 

"  In  1635  an  allotment  was  made  of       who  could  not  read   were  to  sit  in  the 

312 


south  porch  called   *  Petty  Porch'   (Sur- 
tees,  op.  cit.  iii,  i  59). 


STOCKTON    WARD 


NORTON 


was  followed  on  the  south,  but  the  middle  window 
was  altered  in  the  i  5th  century,  and  now  consists  of 
a  square-headed  opening  of  two  trefoiled  lights,  the 
head  of  which  internally  is  formed  of  a  13th-century 
grave  cover.'*  The  original  openings  are  chamfered 
all  round  externally,  and  the  heads  are  cut  from  one 
stone.  The  walls  finish  with  an  embattled  parapet, 
behind  which  the  flat-pitched  leaded  roof  is  not  seen. 
The  west  window  is  of  five  lights  with  perpendicular 
tracery,  and  the  wall  above  on  each  side  has  been 
rebuilt.  The  modern  aisles  are  under  lean-to  red 
tiled  roofs  behind  embattled  parapets,  and  the  porch 
is  also  embattled  and  has  a  red  tiled  hipped  roof 
running  back  into  that  of  the  aisle.  In  the  east  and 
west  walls  of  the  porch  are  a  number  of  1 2th 
and  13th-century  fragments,  the  former  (apparently 
voussoirs  of  an  arch  with  cheveron  ornament)  serving 
as  part  of  a  corbel  table  supporting  the  roof.  In  the 
east  wall  is  a  stone  female  effigy,  the  head  of  which 
has  gone. 

At  the  east  end  of  the  nave  on  the  south  side,  below 
the  tower  arch,  is  an  exceedingly  fine  recumbent 
effigy  of  an  unknown  knight  in  chain  armour  and 
surcoat,  apparently  of  late  13  th  or  early  14th-century 
date.  Above  the  head  is  a  crocketed  canopy,  and 
the  feet  rest  on  two  animals  in  combat.  The  head 
is  bare,  and  on  the  right  side  is  a  small  kneeling 
figure  with  open  book.  The  sword,  in  a  jewelled 
sheath,  hangs  from  a  belt,  and  on  the  left  arm  is  a 
shield  of  six  quarterings  cut  at  a  later  date.  I'ehind 
the  canopy,  over  the  head,  are  two  original  shields 
of  arms,  one  a  cross  moline  and  the  other  a  voided 
scutcheon  with  a  bend  over  all.  The  first  may 
be  the  arms  of  Bek  of  Redmarshall  or  Fulthorpe  of 
Grindon.  The  other  is  that  assigned  to  lohn  Lithe- 
graynes.  If  the  figure  represents  a  member  of  the 
family  of  Park,  as  is  generally  stated,  the  shields  can 
only  refer  to  allied  families  ;  but  it  is  possible  that 
it  is  the  effigy  of  some  other  person  more  intimately 
connected  with  the  family  of  Bek.  Both  Hutchinson 
and  Surtees  speak  of  this  figure  as  being  somewhere 
in  the  Blakiston  porch,  whence  it  was  removed  to 
its  present  position.  It  was  probably  appropriated 
by  one  of  the  Blakistons  in  the  i6th  century  under 
the  impression  that  it  was  one  of  his  ancestors.  The 
quarterings  on  the  shield  are  of  this  period.'*  On 
the  chamfer  of  the  slab  on  which  the  figure  rests  is 
an  artificer's  mark  consisting  of  the  letter  I  and  three 
interlaced  rings. 

The  font  dates  from  1 8  5 1 ,  and  is  of  stone  elabo- 
rately carved.''^  The  pulpit  is  also  of  stone  and 
modern,  and  there  isL,a  modern  oak  chancel  screen. 
An  old  oak  chest,  3  ft.  long,  said  to  be  a  groat  chest 
or  money  box,  is  preserved  in  the  chancel,  and  on 
the  north  wall  is  a  painting  of  the  '  Supper  at 
Emmaus,' which  was  presented  by  the  Rev.  Christopher 


of  a 


Anstey  (vicar  1786-1827)  and  stood  over  the  altar 
table  till  1 875,  when  it  was  removed  and  sold.  It 
was  restored  to  the  church  by  the  purchaser  in  i  894." 

The  tower  contains  three  I  7th-century  bells,  the 
oldest  bearing  the  date  1607  and  the  initials  R.D. 
The  second  is  inscribed  'Anno  Domini  :  1613  I.C.* 
The  third,  by  Samuel  Smith  of  York,  1664,  bore 
the  motto  'Venite  exultemus  Domino.  R.D.  I.C.' 
The  third  bell  was  recast  with  an  inscription  : 
'Recast  1893  Deus  canticura  novum  cantebo  tibi. 
T.E.S.  vicar,  T.H.F.,  H.S.C.  ch.was.' " 

The  silver  plate  consists  of  a  chalice  with  domed 
cover,  paten  (the  gift  of  the  Rev.  Christopher  Anstey, 
vicar  in  1808),  two  flagons,  all  of  1807,'"  London 
make,  and  two  plates  (presented  by  the  Rev.  C.  J. 
Plumer,  vicar  1843). 

The  registers  begin  in  1574.  The  first  volume 
contains  entries  down  to  1713  ;  the  second  volume 
begins  in  1 700,  and  contains  baptisms  and  burials 
till  1798  and  marriages  till  1733.''' 

A  grey  stone  crucifix  has  been  erected  near  the 
entrance  to  the  churchyard  a?  a  memorial  of  those 
men  of  the  parish  who  fell  in  the  Great  War. 

The  church  of  ST.  MICHAEL  AND 
ANGELS  was  built  in  19 1 3.  It  consists 
chancel,  nave,  north  aisle  and  western  tower. 

Norton  parish  formerly  included 
ADFOtVSON  Stockion  (q.v.),  which,  with  the 
hamlets  of  I'reston  and  East  Hart- 
burn,  was  made  a  chapelry  with  right  of  burial  in 
1237  and  was  created  a  parish  in  171  3.  From  the 
earliest  record  of  its  existence  Norton  Church 
was,  like  the  manor,  in  the  hands  of  the  Bishops 
of  Durham.  It  was  given  about  1083  by  William 
of  St.  Carileph  to  the  secular  canons  he  had  removed 
from  Durham  Cathedr.il  when  he  placed  monks  there. 
This  is  said  to  have  been  done  by  order  of  Pope 
Gregory  VII. "'^  A  vicarage  was  evidently  ordained, 
while  the  rectorial  tithes  were  assigned  to  eight  canons, 
whose  shares  were  called  prebends.  The  bishop 
apparently  retained  the  right  of  presenting  to  the 
vic.ir.ige  as  well  as  to  the  prebends.**' 

The  Pipe  Roll  of  1197  records  ^53  6s.  id.  as 
due  from  the  parsons  of  the  church  of  Norton  ;  but, 
though  the  word  is  plural  here,  William  son  of  Henry 
is  then  named  as  if  he  were  alone  in  the  rectory. *- 
In  I  2 1  3  *5  and  in  1 2  i  5  *^  King  John  presented  clerks 
to  portions  in  the  church,  the  bishopric  being  vacant. 
Similar  grants  to  the  portions  or  prebends  occur  in 
the  time  of  Henry  III,''  and  in  1238  the  king  pre- 
sented to  the  vicarage  also  **  ;  the  vacancy  of  the 
bishopric  was  in  each  case  the  reason  assigned  for  the 
king's  right.  The  prebends  and  vicarage  were  often 
or  usually  held  with  other  benefices,  and  frequently  by 
the  king's  clerks."  In  I  291  the  eight  prebends  were 
taxed  as  worth  £6  a  year  each,  and  the  vicarage  as 


^*  Another  mediaeval  grave-slab  13  built 
into  the  west  wall  of  the  nave  inside. 

^■'  They  are  Blakiston,  Surtees,  Bowes, 
Dalden,  Conyers,  and  Conyers  with  a 
ring  for  difference.  For  the  effigy  gene- 
rally sec  Arch.  .-lei.  (New  Ser.),  xv,  7-S. 
It  is  engraved  in  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  1 16, 
from  a  drawing  by  E.  Blore.  Sec  also  Proc. 
Soc.  Artriif.  Neiccaiile  (Ser.  3),  iii,  186. 

"»  Fragments  of  a  former  font  of  17th 
or  1 8th  century  date  are  in  the  church- 
yard. See  Trail.  Dur.  .irek.  Sue.  vi,  256, 
where  a  restoration  is  figured. 


'''  It  is  attributed  to  Caravaggio,  and  is 
said  to  have  been  formerly  an  altar-piece 
in  a  Benedictine  convent  on  the  Con- 
tinent. 

'^  Proc.  Soc.  Anfij.  Neiucaitky  iv,  42  ; 
Gent.  Mag.  (New  Ser.),  xix,  276. 

^^  Proc.  Soc.  Antiq.  NcwcasrU,  iv,  42. 

^^  Fordycc,  op.  cit.  ii,  209. 

»>  Leland,  Coll.  ii,  385  ;  F.C.tf.  Dur. 
ii,  127. 

*•  Rrg.  Palat.  Dunetm.  (RolU  Ser.),  ii, 
S42-5. 

"  BoUon  Bk.  (Surt.  Soc),  p.  vii. 


^  Cal.  Rot.  Chart.  1199-1216  (Rec. 
Com.),  188  ;  Nicholas  Clement  in  place 
of  Henry  de  Vere. 

*<  Rot.  Lit.  Pat.  (Rec.   Com.),  i,  153; 


pp.  115,  172; 
A  clerk  of  the 
of    those     pre- 


Edmund  de  London. 

"  Cat.   Pat.    1225-32, 
•232-47.  PP-  208,  217. 
papal     legate    was    one 
sented. 

^  Ibid.  1232-47,  p.  212  i  William  de 
Sancta  Maria. 

"'  E.g.,  Cal.  Paf>al  Lttttrs,  ii,  102,  274  ; 
iii,  81  ;   Cal.  Pal.  1348-50,  p.  105. 

40 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


worth  £20,  giving  £68  in  all*'*'  ;  but  owing  to  the 
Scottish  raids  in  the  time  of  Edward  II  the  prebends 
were   in  1318  taxed   at  ^^4  each  and  the  vicarage  at 
£13,  or  a  total  of  j^45."'-'     In  tlie  bishop's  accounts 
of  the  plague  year  I  349  is  entered  the  sum  of  66s.  Sd. 
from   Reginald  de   Hillington,  vicar  of  Norton,  for 
sixteen  oxen  and  four  cows  sold  to  him,  viz.,  from  the 
mortuaries  received  during  the  vacancy  of  the  church 
there.""     In  1535   the  value  of  the  rectory,  appro- 
priated as  formerly  to  eight  portionaries,  was  recorded 
as    j^34    13/.   4a'.   in   all;    the    vicarage    was    worth 
£■}  I  I  3/.  4<j'.,  of  which  zs.  was  paid  to  the  archdeacon. °' 
The  college  or  rectory  was  confiscated  by  the  Crown 
in  1548,  when  it  was  stated   that  the  incumbents  of 
the  rectory  had  the  tithes  divided  among  them   to 
help  them  to  study  at  the  university.^-     About  1580 
they  were  called  '  lay  portioners '  ;  at  that  time  the 
dissolved  college  was  still  in  the  queen's  hands.''     A 
grant  of  it  was  made  to  William  Tipper  and  Robert 
Dawe  in  1590,'^  and  a  further  grant  was   made   in 
1612    to   Francis    Phelipps    and   Francis    Morrice."* 
Sir  Edmund   Duncan,  a   Royalist,  was  the  owner  in 
1644,  at  which  time  it  was  sequestered  by  the  P.irlia- 
ment  and  demised   to  Rowland  and  Robert  Burdon 
at   ;^i6o   a  year.'"     Part  of  the  rectory — viz.,  the 
greater  tithes  of  Norton  and  East  Hartburn — was  in 
1 9 10  given  up  by  the  owner,  the  Right  Hon.  John 
Lloyd  Wharton,  as  an  additional  endowment  of  the 
vicarage."' 

The  vicarage  of  Norton  continued  in  the  gift  of 
the  Bishops  of  Durham  until  1859,  when  it  was 
transferred  to  the  Bishop  of  Chester,  whose  successor 
is  the  present  patron.""  The  foundation  stone  of  a 
new  church  of  St.  Michael  and  All  Angels  was  laid 
in  191  2. 

At  the  visitation  of  1501  it  was  found  that  the 
vicar  did  not  reside  ;  the  parish  chaplain  and  the 
chantry  priest  did  not  appear,  and  were  therefore 
suspended.""  The  vicar  at  that  time  (1498-1518) 
was  a  man  of  note.  Dr.  John  Claymond,  who  was 
then  fellow  of  Magdalen  College,  Oxford,  and  was 
elected  president  in  1 504  ;  he  had  various  other 
ecclesiastical  benefices,  and  in  1516  was  made  the 
first  president  of  Corpus  Christi  College,  Oxford,  and 
from  his  devotion  to  the  Blessed  Sacrament  was  known 
as  '  Eucharistiae  servus.'  He  founded  six  scholarships 
at  Brasenose  College,  one  of  them  to  be  filled  by  a 
candidate  from  the  parish  of  Norton,  including 
Stockton.     He  died  in  1537."'" 

Although  a  chantry  priest  is  mentioned  in  the 
visitation  of  1 501  cited  above,  it  does  not  appear 
that  an  endowed  chantry  existed  in  the  church,  and 
the  priest  referred  to  may  have  been  at  Blakiston. 
William  Blakiston,  who  died  in  Ij33,  left  money 
for  a  cantarist  for  twenty  years,  and  this  stipend  was 
paid  in  1548.'  There  is  nothing  to  show  what 
became  of  the  chapel  of  the  Holy  Trinity  at  Blakiston 
or  of  the  chantry  founded  there  in  1323  by  Richard 
de  Park  and  Alice  his  wife.     They 


gave  4  oxgangs 


of  land  for  the  maintenance  of  the  chaplain,  who 
was  to  be  assisted  by  a  sufficient  clerk,  and  to  say  the 
canonical  hours  regularly,  celebrate  a  requiem  mass 
thrice  a  week  and  mass  of  Our  Lady  at  other  times. 
The  Prior  of  Durham  was  to  appoint  the  chaplain 
after  the  founder's  decease. - 

The  ecclesiastical  parish  of  St.  Michael  and  All 
Angels  was  formed  in  191  8  by  Order  in  Council.  It 
comprises  lands  taken  from  the  parishes  of  Norton, 
St.  John  Baptist  and  St.  Thomas,  Stockton-on-Tees. 
The  living  is  in  the  gift  of  the  vicar  of  Norton. 

A  Hermitage  garth  is  mentioned  in  the  endow- 
ment of  the  grammar  school. 

In  1 7 14— as  stated  in  the  Parlia- 
CHJRITIES  mentary  returns  of  1786  — John 
Thompson  by  deed  conveyed  to 
trustees  certain  lands  (a)  for  upholding  and  maintain- 
ing the  church,  and  {!>)  for  the  poor.  The  ecclesi- 
astical branch  consisted  of  the  church  field  containing 
about  4  a.,  which  was  sold  in  I  920  and  the  proceeds 
invested  in  _^i,i72  7/.  6il.  5  per  cent.  War  Stock, 
and  a  further  sum  of  j^3oo  of  same  stock,  presumably 
accumulations.  The  endowment  of  the  poor's  branch 
now  consists  of  ^^869  ')s.  6<i.  India  3  per  cent,  stock, 
representing  the  proceeds  of  a  sale  of  land  in  1 875 
with  accumulations.  The  annual  dividends,  amount- 
ing to  ^^26  \s.  SJ.,  are  applied  in  the  distribution  of 
tickets  for  food,  fuel,  and  clothing. 

In  1781  John  Snowdon  by  his  will  bequeathed 
j^ioo  stock,  now  j^ioo  consols,  the  annual  dividends 
of  j^2  10/.  being  distributed  in  tickets  for  goods  from 
2S.  6d.  to  5/.  each  in  value. 

In  1820  Thomas  Newton  by  his  will  bequeathed 
j{[ioo,  now  represented  by  £,\o'i  zs.  id.  consols, 
producing  [^z  \\s.  yearly.  The  parish  of  Norton 
is  entitled  to  one-fifth  of  the  income,  Newton  Bewley 
two-fifths,  Wolviston  one-fifth,  and  Billingham  one- 
fifth.  Tlie  charity  is  regulated  by  a  scheme  of  the 
Charity  Commissioners  of  1867,  and  the  income 
applied  in  the  distribution  of  tickets  for  food  and 
other  articles  in  kind. 

The  above  charities  are  administered  in  accordance 
with  a  scheme  of  the  Charity  Commissioners  of  20  Jan- 
uary 1920  under  the  title  of  the  United  Charities. 

The  sums  of  stock  are  held  by  the  official 
trustees. 

The  Fox  Almshouses  were  founded  and  endowed 
by  the  will  of  John  Henry  Fox  proved  at  London 
7  October  1  893.  By  a  deed  poll,  dated  20  November 
1895,  the  trusts  of  a  sum  of  £[20,000  were  declared, 
to  which  a  scheme  was  annexed  for  the  management 
of  the  charity.  The  almshouses,  consisting  of  twelve 
tenements  of  three  rooms  each  and  a  caretaker's  house, 
were  erected  at  a  cost  of  about  £4,000  on  a  site 
conveyed  in  1893  to  trustees  for  the  purpose  by 
Mr.  Timothy  Crosby,  to  whom  the  same  had  been 
devised  absolutely  by  the  founder.  There  is  also  a 
detached  building  containing  a  reading  room  for  the 
inmates  and  a  clerk's    office.     The   balance   of   the 


*«  Fope  Nkh.  Tax.  (Rec.  Com.),  315. 

'Sjbid.  330. 

'"  Half  eld's  Surv.  (Surt.  Soc),  24.3. 

91 /'a/or  Eccl.  (Rec.  Com.),  v,  318- 
19. 

"  Bp.  Barnes'  Injunc.  (Surt.  Soc), 
p.  Ixix.  This  may  have  been  the  actu-il 
condition  in  1 547,  or  may  have  been 
merely  a  suggestion  for  preserving  the 
endowment. 


="  Ibid.  5. 

"*  Pat.  33  Eliz.  pt.  ix,  m.  25. 

"  Ibid.  10  Jas.  I,  pt.  ii,  no.  i.  There 
was  an  earlier  grant  to  the  same 
persons  in  1609  (ibid.  7  Jas.  I,  pt.  x, 
no.  2). 

''  Royalist  Comp.  in  Dur.  (Surt.  Soc),  3. 

'^  A  brass  in  the  transept  records  this 
gift.     Inform,  from  the  vicar. 

"  Lund.  Gaz.  5  Aug.  1859,  p.  2998. 


^  Bp.  Barnes'  Injunc.  (Surt.  Soc), 
p.  xvii. 

'"«  Diet.  Nal.  Biog.  This  with  similar 
local  preferences  was  abolished  by  the 
University  Commission  of  1854. 

1  Bp.  Barnes'  Injunc.  (Surt.  Soc), 
p.  Ixix  ;  In'vent.  of  Church  Goods  (Surt. 
Soc),  154- 

'  Surtees,  op,  cit.  iii,  161  ;  charter  at 
Durham. 


314 


STOCKTON    WARD 


REDMARSHALL 


trust  fund  has  been  invested  in  railway  securities  and 
mortgages  producing  an  income  of  about  £<\^^o  a 
year.  A  stipend  of  lo/.  a  week  is  paid  to  each  of 
the  inmates. 

The  Chilton  Endowment  Fund  was  founded  by 
Mrs.  Mary  Ovington Trotter  by  deed  dated  i  7  Decem- 
ber 1920.  She  gave  ^3,000,  the  income  arising  there- 
from to  be  applied  by  the  trustees  to  or  for  the  bene- 
fit of  any  of  the  inmates  of  Fox's  Almshouses.  The 
money  was  invested  in  ^{^5,783  zs.  Si/.  Local  Loans 
3  per  cent,  stock  with  the  official  trustees,  producing 
j^l73  10/.  yearly. 

The  charity  of  Elizabeth  Clifton  for  organist  in 
the  ecclesiastical  parish  of  St.  Michael  and  All  Angels, 
Norton,  founded  by  will  proved  at  Durham  16  April 
1 90 1,  is  regulated  by  a  scheme  of  the  Charity  Com- 
missioners of  29  November  1921,  under  the  terms 
of  which  the  vicar  is  appointed  sole  trustee.  The 
endowment  consists  of /108  7/.  iid".  India  3J  per 
cent,    stock    with    the    official     trustees,    producing 


£^  15/.  8d.  yearly,  which  is  applied  towards  the 
salary  of  the  organist. 

Educational  Charities. — The  Grammar  School 
Educational  Endowment  has  already  been  dealt  with.' 

The  official  trustees  now  (1926)  hold  a   sura  of 

^441  H'-  S'^-  '"'J'*  3  P"  "^"'-  ^^°'^^  arising  from 
the  proceeds  of  sales  of  real  estate,  and  j(^26  10/.  i  ii/. 
2J  per  cent,  consols  repre^enting  £10  paid  by  the 
Rural  District  Council  for  the  right  to  lay  a  sewer 
through  land  belonging  to  the  charity,  producing 
j^i  3  18/.  yearly. 

An  account  has  been  already  given  of  the  elementary 
school  and  the  charity  of  Ann  Hogg,  founded  by 
will,  dated  in  I796.''  The  official  trustees  hold  a 
sum  of  j^i52  19/.  SJ.  India  3  per  cent,  stock,  [re- 
ducing j^4  I  It.  Sd.  yearly,  which,  in  accordance  with 
the  scheme  of  9  June  1891  regul.iting  the  charity,  is 
applied  in  the  payment  of  rewards  to  girls  at  the 
school  who  have  attained  standards  higher  than 
Standard  IV. 


REDMARSHALL 


Redmershill  (xiii  cent.). 

The  parish  is  composed  of  three  townships  :  Red- 
marshall,  in  which  is  the  church,  Carlton,  adjacent  to 
the  north-east,  and  Stillington,  quite  detached,  to  the 
north-west.  The  areas  of  the  three  townships  are 
87;,  1,499  ''"'i  J>'53  acres  in  the  order  mentioned. 
The  general  surface  is  flat,  but  elevated  about  I  50  ft. 
to  I  80  ft.  above  sea  level.  A  brook  runs  north  through 
the  centre  of  Redmarshall  and  Carlton  to  join  Whitton 
Beck  near  Thorpe  Thewles,  and  here  there  is  a  valley. 
In  Stillington  the  surface  is  rather  more  varied,  and 
rises  to  over  200  ft.  above  the  ordnance  datum,  several 
brooks  running  south-east  to  join  the  Bishopton  or 
Whitton  Beck,  which  forms  the  boundary  on  that  side. 
Shotton  Beck  bounds  it  on  the  north. 

A  road  from  Stockton  to  Whitton  passes  north-west 
near  the  small  village  of  Redmarshall,  placed  amid 
trees.  At  this  point  a  cross-road  leads  west  to  Bishop- 
ton  and  cast  to  Carlton,  dividing  here  to  go  north  to 
Thorpe  Thewles  and  south  and  east  to  Stockton  and 
Norton.  The  village  of  Stillington  lies  on  the  road 
from  Grindon  to  Great  Stainton.  The  West  Hartle- 
pool branch  of  the  London  and  North  Eastern  rail- 
way runs  eastward  through  the  parish  and  has  stations 
called  Stillington  and  Redmarshall,  the  latter  being  at 
Carlton  Grange.  At  the  eastern  boundary  it  makes  a 
junction  with  the  line  from  Stockton  north  to 
Sunderland. 

The  soil  is  clay,  suitable  for  wheat  growing  ;  oats, 
barley  and  potatoes  also  are  raised.  About  1845  the 
land  was  thus  used  ^  :  2,530  acres  of  arable,  791  acres 
of  pasture  and  16  acres  of  woodland  ;  now  the  figures 
for  the  parish  are^  1,115  acres  of  arable,  1,981  acres 
of  pasture  and  38  acres  of  woodland.  There  are 
isolated  plantations  in  each  of  the  townships.     Among 


17th-century  field  names  in  Stillington  are  Whitton 
lands,  Margerie  garth  lands  and  Boynton  lands  ;  the 
inhabitants  had  'beast  gates'  or  common  on  the 
moor."  Some  chemical  works  stand  by  Carlton  station. 

The  story  of  the  parish  has  been  as  peaceful  as  befits 
a  retired  agricultural  community.  One  of  the  storiei 
of  the  early  miracles  of  St.  Godric  relates  the  cure  of 
the  son  of  the  smith  of  Stillington.**  The  rising  of  I  569 
drew  five  men  to  join  it  from  Redmarshall  and  five  from 
Stillington;  one  from  each  place  was  executed.'  The 
Protestation  of  1641  was  signed  in  the  parish. i"  Sir 
Anthony  Carlisle  was  born  at  Stillington  in  1768. 
He  became  surgeon  to  the  Westminster  Hospital,  and 
was  made  a  knight  in  1820.  He  died  in  London  in 
1 840."'» 

A  Wesleyan  chapel  was  built  at  Carlton  in  1871. 
Mass  is  said  once  a  month  in  the  Roman  Catholic 
chapel  at  Stillington. 

Among  the  Durham  charters  i-s  one 
MANORS  by  which  Walter  Bek  granted  4  oxgangs 
of  the  demesne  land  in  Redmarshall  to 
Adam  the  Carpenter."  Bishop  Robert  (1274-83) 
confirmed  it,  with  reservation  of  the  advowson, 
to  Thomas  de  Multon,  who  had  inherited  it  from 
his  brother  Edmund,  who  had  purchased  the  manor 
from  John  Bek.'-  From  Thomas  de  Multon  it  was 
purchased  by  Henry  de  Lisle,  lord  of  the  neigh- 
bouring Wynyard.'^  Alan  de  Langton  of  Wynyard 
had  a  dispute  with  the  men  of  Redmarshall  in  i  307. '■* 
He  was  lord  of  the  place  in  131  I  '^  and  Henry  in 
I  3  14."'  From  that  time  it  descended  with  Wynyard 
in  the  families  of  Langton,  Conyers  and  Claxton  until 
the  partition  of  the  estates  after  the  death  of  William 
Claxton  in  1597.  It  was  then  divided  among  his 
three    co-heirs,  Cassandra  wife  of  Lancelot  Claxton, 


'  See  r.C.H.  Dur.  i,  400. 

*  See  ibid.  4.09. 

*  Lewis,  Tof>og.  Diet. 

'  Statistics  from  Bd.  of  Agric.  (1905). 
'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  4,  no.  i,  fol.  326. 
«  rita  S.  Godrid  (Surt.  Soc),  38;. 
'Sharp,    Mem,    0     Rebellion   of  1569, 
pp.  250,  251. 


Rep. 


App. 


>"  Hist.    MSS.     Com. 
125. 

'"■1  Diet.  Nat.  Biog. 

"  Surtccs,  Hilt,  and  Antiq.  of  eo,  Pdlat. 
oj  Dur.  iii,  70  n.,  71. 

"  Reg.  Palat.  Dunetm.  (Rolls  Scr.),  ii, 
1197.  Glover  states  that  Bishop  Bek 
(1284-1311)  gave  it  to  his  brother,  John 


Bek,  but  this  charter  proves  the  state- 
ment to  be  in  error, 

"  Surtees,  loc.  cit.  quoting  Glover  the 
berald. 

'*  Baldon  Bk.  (Surt.  Soc),  App.  p.  xxxvi. 

"  Reg.  Palat.  Duntlm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  i, 
73  J   ii,   I2CO. 

'Mbid.  i,  632. 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


and  daughter  of  his  daughter  Elizabeth  wife  of  Josias 
Lambert,  Alice  wife  of  Sir  William  Blakiston,  his 
daughter,  and  Anne  wife  of  William  Jenison,  a  third 
daughter." 

Cassandra  Lambert  subsequently  married  Francis 
Morley  of  Wennington  in  Lancashire.  In  1608 
Francis  Morley  and  Cassandra 
his  wife  mortgaged  or  sold 
their  third  part  of  messuages 
and  lands  in  Redmarshall, 
Carlton  and  Stillington  to 
John  Girlington,**  and  in 
1 6 10  the  three  sold  the 
same  to  Anthony  Buckle  of 
Whitton.19  In  1616  Chris- 
topher Place  of  Uinsdalc  and 
Christopher  his  :on  and  heir 
purchased    this    part.-"     The 


moline  trwitie, 


et   a   croti 


elderChristopher  died  in  1624 
holding  of  the  bishop  a  third 
part  of  the  manor  of  Redmarshall  with  lands  and 
tenements  there.-'  In  1650  it  was  purchased  from 
Roland  Place  by  Robert  or  John  Bromley,*-  and  from 
Robert  Bromley  it  passed  in  171 3  to  his  grandson 
Robert  Spearman,  who  in  February  1719-20  trans- 
ferred it  to  his  father,  Gilbert  Spearman.-^  The 
Spearman  trustees  in  1750  sold  it  to  John  Tempest  of 
Wynyard,  from  whom  it  has  descended  to  the 
Marquess  of  Londonderry,  the  present  lord  of  this  part 
of  the  manor.-'' 

Sir  William  Blakiston  had  by  inheritance  an  estate 
in  Redmarshall  in  addition  to  that  third  part  brought 
by  his  wife.  Ralph  de  Rounton  (Rungcton)  was  in 
1339  said  to  hold  two  messuages  and  24  acres  of  land 
in  Redmarshall  of  Henry  de  Langton  by  a  rent  of  I  iJ. 
His  heir  was  a  son  Willi.im  de  Blakiston,  aged  thirty.-' 
This  son  appears  to  be  the  William  who  in  1349  ''^''^ 
much  the  same  estate,  the  heir  being  a  nephew,  John 
Roland  of  Butterwick.-''  The  holding  seems  to  have 
passed  to  the  main  branch  of  the  Blakiston  family. 
Nicholas  Blakiston  of  Blakiston  in  i  460  had  a  messuage 
in  Redmarshall  and  50  acres  in  Carlton,-'  which  de- 
scended with  the  manor  of  Blakiston  (q.v.)  in  Norton 
to  the  above-named  Sir  William.  He,  in  conjunction 
with  Alice  his  wife  and  Thomas  his  son  and  heir,  sold 
the  third  part  of  the  manor  and  lands  in  1 6 1 2  to 
Michael  Forwood.^"  The  purchaser  in  the  same  year 
sold  it  to  John  Cooke  of  Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 
draper.^' 

Of  the  remaining  third  part  of  the  manor  William 


Jenison  and  Anne  his  wife  made  a  feoffment  in 
1595.^"  In  161 1  William  Jenison  sold  his  third  part 
of  the  manor  to  John  Cooke,^'  who,  as  stated  above, 
afterwards  purchased  another  third  part.  The  new 
owner  died  on  2  September  1616  holding  two-thirds 
of  the  manor  of  Redmarshall  of  the  bishop,  and 
leaving  a  son  Timothy,  then  sixteen  years  of  age,  to 
inherit ;  livery  was  granted  in  1623.^^  Timothy  Cooke 
died  in  possession  in  1636,  his  son  Thomas  being  his 
heir.33 

The  later  descent  of  this  part  of  the  manor  cannot 
be  certainly  traced.  In  1684  the  Rev.  Thomas 
Davison  was  among  the  freeholders,  and  in  173 1 
Thomas  and  Philip  (?)  Davison  conveyed  five  mes- 
suages and  700  acres  in  Wynyard  and  Redmarshall  to 
John  Turner.^'' 

Some  other  estates  are  noticed  in  the  inquisitions. 
John  Emmeson  was  in  I  349  found  to  have  held  two 
messuages  in  Redmarshall  of  Henry  de  Langton  by 
fealty  only  ;  his  son  and  heir  John  was  thirty  years 
old.'*  John  de  Redmarshall  in  1375  held  a  messuage 
of  Simon  de  Langton  by  id.  rent  ;  his  heir  was  a  son 
William,  aged  twenty-one.'^  Robert  de  Fetherston- 
haugh  of  Stanhope,  in  or  before  i  3  74,  held  2  oxgangs  of 
land  of  Simon  de  Langton  by  i  2d.  rent,''  and  his  son 
William  in  1399  held  a  toft  and  20  acres  of  Thomas 
de  Langton.'*"  Robert  Culy  of  Stockton,  whose  name 
occurs  in  1388,'^  died  in  November  1422  holding  a 
messuage  in  Redmarshall  of  the  bishop  by  knights' 
service  and  suit  of  court  ;  his  son  John,  aged  thirty, 
was  heir.''"  There  is  probably  a  mistake  in  the  age 
stated,  for  John  Culy  died  in  1426,  leaving  a  son 
William,  aged  twenty-four.'"  The  latter  died  in 
1428,  leaving  a  brother  Thomas  to  succeed  him.''^ 
Thomas  was  succeeded  by  his  son  Thomas.'"  John 
Hartburne  died  in  1478  holding  a  tenement  of  the 
heirs  of  Thomas  Langton  ^'  ;  his  son  and  heir 
William  was  forty  years  of  age,  and  did  homage  on 
livery  of  the  lands.''* 

John  Eden  about  1609  sold  a  messuage  and 
I  50  acres  in  Redmarshall  to  Leonard  Harrison,'"'  who 
was  in  1627  succeeded  by  his  grandson  Robert,  aged 
eleven,  son  of  his  son  Robert.  Livery  was  not, 
however,  obtained  before  February  1638-9.'''  Robert 
Jamson  (?  Janison),  as  a  Royalist,  had  his  land 
sequestered  by  the  Parliament  in  1644.''*' 

The  freeholders  in  1684  were  Robert  Bromley, 
the  Rev.  Thomas  Davison,  John  Shippardson,  Robert 
Stelling,  William  Williamson  and  Timothy  Wright.*' 

Finchale  Priory  had  a  grange  at  Redmarshall,*"  and 


"  See  Wynyard  in  Grindon  parish. 

'»  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  94,  m.  18. 

"  Ibid.  m.  35. 

"Ibid.  R.  97,  no.  36;  Ibid.  cl.  12, 
no.  3(1);   Surtces,  op.  cit.  iii,  "o. 

"  Def:.  Ketfitr's  Rtp.  xliv,  App.  487. 
See  also  the  account  of  Dinsdale. 

^-  Both  Robert  and  John  Bromley  were 
concerned  in  a  recovery  whereby  Roland 
Place  cut  the  entail  of  a  third  part  of 
the  manor  of  Redmirshall  in  1650  (Rccov. 
R.  Mich.  1650,  m.  121  ;  cf.  Surtecs,  loc. 
cit.). 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  20(4).  In  the 
transfer  was  included  a  third  part  of  the 
porch  called  Claxton's  Porch  in  the  parish 
church. 

"  Surtees,  loc.  cit.  (from  title  deeds). 

«  Uur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  18. 

»«  Ibid.  fol.  43  d.        "  Ibid.  no.  4,  fol.  7. 


"'  Ibid.  cl.  12,  no.  2  (3)  ;  cf.  ibid.  cl.  3, 
file  I  84,  no.  99. 

"  Ibid.  cl.  3,  R.  94,  m.  54. 

^  Ibid,  file  192,  no.  29  ;    cl.  12,  no.  2 

8'  Chan.  Proc.  (Ser.  2),  bdle.  399, 
no.  76. 

^^  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  101,  no.  125  ; 
file  I  84,  no.  50, 

"  Ibid,  file  188,  no.  143. 

^*  Surteei,  op.  cit.  iii,  71  ;  Dur.  Rec. 
cl.  12,  no.  23  (3). 

^*  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  ^6d. 

^^  Ibid.  fol.  93.  2'  Ibid.  fol.  91  d. 

3*  Ibid.  fol.  131  d. 

^^  Dip.  Keeper's  Rep.  xxxiii,  App,  47. 

<"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  218; 
Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xxxiii,  App.  174. 

*'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  234  ; 
Dep.  Keeper's  Rep,  xxxiii,  App.  175. 


*'•  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  273d.  ; 
Dep.  Keeper's  Rep,  xxxiii,  App.  177, 

'**  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  4,  fol.  73  ;  sec 
also  Dep,  Keeper  s  Rep,  xxxv,  App.  146. 

**  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  4,  fol.  72. 

<^  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xxxv,  App.  i  50. 

"  Ibid,  xl,  App.  494  J  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3, 
file  188.  no.  87. 

*'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  188,  no.  87  ;  R. 
I  10,  m.  2d. 

*''  Rec.  Com.  for  Comp.  (Surt.  Soc),  34. 
A  Robert  Jenison  compounded  in  1645 
(ibid.  255). 

*^  Surtees,  op.  cit.  Iii,  71  ;  from  the 
sheriff's  list.  Stelling  was  probably  the 
heir  of  that  Anthony  Stelling  to  whom 
William  Forrest  conveyed  land  in  Red- 
marshall in  1620  (Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  5 

W)- 

'"  Finchale  Priory  (Surt.  Soc),  p.  Ixxxvi. 


316 


STOCKTON    WARD 


REDMARSHALL 


n  1426  and  later  received  46/.  %J.  from  the  'manor' 
there/*  but  in  1479-80  an  exchange  was  made  with 
Lionel  Claxton  by  which  this  estate  passed  from  the 
priory."     The  monks  of  Durham  had  a  rent  here." 

CJRLTON  (Carltun,  xii  cent.)  was  one  of  the 
vills  given  by  Bishop  Aldhun  with  his  daughter 
Egfrida  to  Uctred  son  of  Earl  Waltheof.  Uctred 
afterwards  repudiated  her,  and  she  married  a  Yorkshire 
thegn,  Kilvert  son  of  Ligulf,  by  whom  she  had  a 
daughter  Sigrid.  She  was  again  repudiated,  and  became 
a  nun.  Sigrid  married  Arkil,  who,  after  her  death, 
restored  Carlton  to  the  bishopric.** 

The  vill  was  occupied  in  11 84  by  twenty-three 
'  firmars,'  each  holding  2  oxgangs,  and  various  other 
tenants  more  or  less  free.  The  'firmars'  paid  a 
money  rent  of  10/.  and  dues  of  hens  and  eggs,  pro- 
vided a  c.irt  for  carrying  corn  for  six  days  and  owed 
four  boondays  in  the  autumn.  Of  the  other  tenants 
all  but  one  paid  the  money  rent,  but  were  quit  of  the 
services,  one  at  the  bishop's  will,  one  while  he  was  in 
the  bishop's  service,  and  another,  the  miller,  in  return 
for  an  extra  payment  of  2/.  William  son  of  Orm, 
who  held  a  carucate  of  land,  was  possibly  a  drengage 
tenant.  He  paid  a  rent  of  10/.  quit  of  all  service 
except  attending  the  bishop's  great  hunt  with  a 
hunting  dog.'' 

Carlton  was  considered  a  member  of  the  manor  of 
Stockton,  the  reeve  of  which  for  the  half-yenr  ending 
at  Michaelmas  i  349  received  44;.  it/,  from  twenty-six 
malmen  (i.e.,  '  firmars ')  of  Carlton  in  lieu  of  boon- 
works.'^  In  1385-6  tlie  receipts  from  Carlton  were 
£27  15/.  2</.  in  the  ordinary'  issues,  26/.  6i/.  from 
the  court,  and  16/.  4^/.  other  issues." 

The  holding  of  William  son  of  Orm  was  appa- 
rently broken  up.  In  1339  it  was  found  that  Ralph 
de  Rounton  (Rungeton)  had  held  53  acres,  &c.,  in 
Carlton  of  the  bishop  by  a  rent  of  4J.  5(2'.,"*  and  his 
son  William  de  Blakiston  held  the  same  estate  in 
1349.''  ^"  '3+9  i'  was  found  that  John  Emmeson 
held  67  acres  of  the  bishop  by  homage  and  suit  of 
court  and  a  rent  of  11/.^"  John  de  Redmarshall  in 
1375  held  63  acres  of  the  bishop  by  suit  of  court  and 
5/.  rent  "  ;  his  son  William  succeeded. 

About  1384  the  tenants  in  drengage  were  the 
above-named  William  son  of  John  de  Redm.irshall  and 
Simon  Chamber  {Je  cnmera),  each  holding  by  charter 
4  oxgangs  of  land  (60  acres)  by  5/.  rent  and  attending 
the  hunt  with  his  greyhounds.  The  free  tenants  were 
Thomas  son  of  John  Gower,  Hugh  de  Laton  of 
Thorp  and  Thomas  de  Cramblington,  each  holding 
a  rood  of  meadow  at  ^d.  or  ?iJ.  rent.  The  '  firmars ' 
holding  by  services  resembling  those  of  i  184  were  in 
1384  called  bondmen.  These  services  were  now, 
however,  commuted  for  a  money  rent,  i  3;.  jJ.  being 
the  normal  rent  for  a  tenement  of  2  oxgangs.  The 
services  of  repairing   the  mill  and  Stockton  manor- 


house,  which  do  not  appear  in  Boldon  Book,  are  here 
mentioned.  The  holdings  range  from  i  to  4  oxgangs 
in  extent.  The  tenants  as  a  body  held  the  mill  for 
£6,  the  oven  for  2/.  and  the  brewing  for  is.  The 
forge  was  outside  their  tenure  and  was  not  arrented. 
A  native  living  away  at  Seaton  Carew  paid  5/.  to  the 
lord.  There  were  eight  exchequer  tenements  ren- 
dering from  zd.  to  lid.  each.'^ 

Robert  CuUey  had  acquired  one  of  the  above- 
described  drengage  tenements  before  his  death  in 
1422,  for  it  was  found  that  he  had  held  60  acres  in 
Carlton  of  the  bishop.^^  In  the  inquisitions  held  after 
the  death  of  his  son  John  in  1426  and  his  grandson 
William  in  1428  the  tenement  is  described  as  4  oxgangs 
of  land  in  Carlton,  held  by  knights'  service  and  going 
with  the  bishop  to  his  great  chase  provided  with 
dogs." 

William  Culley  left  a  brother  and  heir  Thomas, 
whose  son  William  Culley  was  the  tenant  in  1478.*** 
William  seems  to  have  been  succeeded  by  Thomas 
Culley  and  he  by  his  daughter  Agnes,  wife  of  one 
Bainbridge  ;  Agnes  died  some  time  during  the  reign 
of  Henry  VIII,  and  it  is  uncertain  whether  her  son 
and  heir  John  Bainbridge  survived  her."''  Percival 
son  of  John  was  a  man  of  40  in  1577,**'^  but  nothing 
more  is  known  of  the  history  of  this  holding. 

In  1 408  the  bishop  demised  to  Thomas  Red- 
marshall 12J  messuages  and  25  oxgangs  of  land — 
nearly  half  the  vill — which  had  been  lying  waste  for 
sixteen  years  for  lack  of  tenants  ;  Thomas  took  this 
for  twelve  years  at  ^^8  rent."  Bishop  Booth  demised 
the  vill  to  Thomas  Caldbeck  in  1472  on  a  three 
years'  lease.**  In  1476  a  nine  years'  lease  of  the 
whole  vill  was  granted  to  William  Hartburn  at  a  rent 
o(  £10  ;  the  previous  rent  had  been  £i(>-'^'  William 
was  probably  the  son  of  John  Hartburn  mentioned 
above  who  in  1478  died  holding  the  second  drengage 
tenement  in  Carlton,  his  son  being  forty  years  old.** 
This  land  descended  in  the  family  to  John  Hartburn 
who  died  in  I  586  leaving  a  daughter  Margaret,  wife 
of  Robert  Forrest.**"  Margaret  was  succeeded  in 
March  161  5 -16  by  William  her  son,  but  he  died  in 
the  following  December,  when  William  Forrest  his 
son  was  little  more  than  a  year  old.*'''  William 
obtained  livery  of  his  inheritance  in  1636.*''= 

The  Blakiston  fimily  held  lands  here  as  in  Red- 
marshall.*' Christopher  Place  In  1 6 24  had  land  in 
Carlton  in  conjunction  with  his  part  of  the  manor  of 
Redmarshall.^o 

The  freeholders  in  1684  were  William  Forrest, 
recusant,  William  Newton  and  Anne  Stelling." 

About  1200  Robert  de  Amundeville  granted  to 
Ralph  deHamsterley  2  oxgangs  of  land  in  STILLING- 
TON  (Stillyngton,  xiii  cent.)  that  had  belonged  to 
Robert  son  of  Huchtred."-  The  whole  '  manor  '  was 
in  1 268  acquired  by  Walter  de  Merton  from  Thomas 


"  Finchale  Priory  (Surt.  Soc),  p.  cxciii, 
&c. 

"  Ibid.  p.  cccilv.  For  Lionel  Claxton 
of  Horden  see  Dtp.  Ketfer's  Rtf.  xxxy, 
135  ;  xxxvi,  App.  i,  5. 

^^  Dtp.  Keeper's  Rep.  xxxvi,  App.  i,  41. 
It  may  be  the  Finchale  rent. 

**  Simeon  of  Dur.  Opera  (Rolls  Ser.), 
i,  215-20. 

"  V.C.H.  Dur.  i,  337.  For  the  'un- 
free '  condition  of  the  firmars  sec  ibid, 
280. 

^  Haifield't  Surv.  (Surt,  Soc),  241. 


"  Ibid.  265. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  18. 
"  Ibid.  fol.  43  d. 
<»  Ibid.  fol.  36  d. 
"  Ibid.  fol.  93. 

'-  HaifieU',  Suiv.  (Surt.  Soc),  177-8- 
"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  218. 
"  Ibid.  fol.  234  ;  no.  4,  fol.  72.     See 
Redmarshall  for  this  family. 

""  Ibid.  fol.  237  d.  ;  no.  4,  fol.  72. 

'">  IbiJ.  tile  191,  no.  59. 

«'<:  Ibid. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  14,  fol.  237. 


'•  Ibid.  no.  16,  fol.  263  d. 

«■  Ibid.  fol.  211  d. 

<*  Ibid.  no.  4,  fol.  72. 

^a  Ibid,  file  191,  no.  117;  fi'*  '9-i 
no.  16. 

«*'■  Ibid,  file  184,  no.  44,  62  ;  cf.  R.  97, 
no.  32. 

««<:  Ibid.  R.  loS,  m.  24. 

«'Ibid.  fol.  319. 

■»  Ibid.  fol.  487. 

"'  Surtecs,  op.  cit.  iii,  73. 

''  Merton  College  Deeds,  2309,  2311^ 
2317. 


A   HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


son  of  Ralph  de  Araundeville,  one  of  his  special  friends, 
and  given  to  Merton  College,  Oxford,  which  he 
founded."^  The  college  possesses  deeds  relating  to  the 
place  from  1 200  onwards  and  court  rolls  of  the  manor 


Merton  College, 
Oxford.  Or  three 
cbeveron!  parly  and 
counter-coloured  azure 
and  gules. 


De  la  Pole.  Azure 
a  fesse  between  three 
leopards'  beads  or. 


from  1290  to  1396,  but  the  customs  of  the  manor 
have  not  been  kept  up.'^  William  de  Hamsterley,  who 
granted  certain  lands  to  John  his  son,  released  part  at 
least  of  his  holding  to  the  college  in  i  290.'^  In  1634 
Charles  I  granted  a  confirmation  of  the  manor  to  the 
warden  and  scholars  of  Merton,'^  and  the  college 
retains  the  estate  in  Stillington. 

In  I  366  William  de  la  Pole  was  found  to  have  held 
5  acres  of  meadow  here  of  the  Master  of  Merton  by 
rendering  a  rose  yearly.'"'  The  Lmd  descended  with 
the  manor  of  Bradbury  to  William  Earl  and  afterwards 
Duke  of  Suffolk,  the  '  manor '  of  Stillington  being 
included  in  feoffments  of  his  lands  in  1430''  and 
143 1.'*  Roger  Thornton  held  both  it 
and  Bradbury  on  his  death  in  March 
1470-1,"^  but  its  later  history  has  not 
been  traced. 

Robert  Morpeth  of  Stillington,  who 
died  in  1623,  had  7  acres  of  meadow 
called  Ellerbriggs  Close  and  7  acres  of 
pasture  called  Wh)nndy  Close  in  Elstob.**" 
His  son  Christopher,  a  benefactor  to  the 
parish,  died  early  in  1 640-1  holding 
lands  in  Stillington,  Elstob  and  Bishop 


lands  by  the  Parliament  at  the  same  time  as  his 
neighbour  Richard  Morpeth  ^'  ;  he  held  the  manor 
on  lease  from  Merton  College.  He  died  in  1644,  and 
his  widow  Dorothy,  being  a  recusant,  had  two-thirds 
of  her  estate  sequestered  on  that  account,  the  other 
third  being  allowed  her  in  165  I.  The  college,  how- 
ever, said  that  the  lease  had  expired,  and  put  a  new 
tenant  in.*" 

The  freeholders  in  1684  were  Sir  Ralph  Jennison  of 
Elwick,  George  Robinson  and  George  Todd.*"  Eliza- 
beth Todd,  as  a  '  Papist,'  registered  her  leasehold  at 
Stillington  in  1717  ;   the  value  was  ^^23  15/.** 

The  church  o{  ST.  CUTHBERT  con- 
CHURCH  sists  of  chancel  19  ft.  9  in.  by  13  ft., 
nave  40  ft.  by  18  ft.  6  in.,  south  chapel 
22  ft.  by  II  ft.,  south  porch  9  ft.  11  in.  by  6  ft. 
10  in.,  and  west  tower  9  ft.  square  ;  all  these 
measurements  are  internal. 

Of  the  original  12th-century  church  the  nave  and 
tower  remain,  but  the  chancel  was  rebuilt  in  its 
present  form  in  the  latter  part  of  the  I  3th  century. 
The  south  chapel,  representing  the  chantry  of 
St.  Mary,  and  later  known  as  the  Claxton  porch,  is 
an  addition  of  the  15th  century.  In  subsequent  and 
modern  times  a  good  many  changes  and  alterations  have 
taken  place  in  the  fabric,  but  except  for  the  addition 
of  the  south  porch  in  the  angle  of  the  nave  and  chapel 
and  a  small  vestry  on  the  south  side  of  the  chancel, 
the  plan  has  remained  unaltered.  The  porch  is  of 
late  but  uncertain  date,  and  its  outer  doorway  is  com- 
posed of  the  1 2th-century  entrance  moved  forward 
from   its  original  position.     In  1806  the  roofs  were 


ton.*'     Richard    Morpeth,  his  son    and 


heir,  was  a  Royalist  in  the  Civil  War 
time,  and  his  estate  was  therefore  seques- 
tered in  1644  ;  he  had  left  his  house  and 
gone  into  Cumberland  to  assist  the  king's 
forces.  Part  of  his  land  in  Stillington 
was  held  in  fee  and  part  on  lease  from 
Merton  College.  He  compounded  in  1646  by  a  fine 
of  j^ 1 00.*-  His  son  Robert  in  1676  sold  his  lands  to 
John  Spearman.**^ 

The  will  of  John  Hartburn  of  Stillington,  1560, 
has  been  printed.*''  Captain  Richard  Hartburn,  a 
delinquent  and   Papist,  suffered  sequestration   of  his 


12™  Cent. 

13a  Cent. 

^  151!!  Cent 

E3  Later  t  Modern 
10 


Scale  of  Feet 

Plan  of  Redmarshall  Church 

removed  and  the  windows  altered,  and  in  1845—6*' 
a  further  restoration  was  carried  out,  when  the  sash 
windows  which  then  existed  were  replaced  by  stone 
and  the  small  vestry  or  entrance  porch  on  the  south 
side  of  the  chancel  added  in  front  of  the  priest's  door- 
way,  the  ancient  stonework   of   which    was    moved 


'^  Merton  College  Deeds,  2308. 

'^  Inform,  from  Mr,  W.  Eason,  senior 
bursar  of  the  college. 

'*  Merton  College  Deeds,  2315,  2318, 
2326. 

"  Pat.  9  Chas.  I,  pt.  T,  no.  23. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol. 
77  d. 

"  Harl.  Chart.  43,  E  19. 

'8  Ibid.  45,  I  12. 

"Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  4,  fol.  35. 
Roger's  heir  was  his  daughter  Elizabeth, 
wife  of  George  Lumley. 


^  Ibid,  file  189,  no.  90.  These  lands 
were  held  by  knight  service, 

8'  Ibid.  ;  ffilU  in  the  York  Registry, 
i636-52(Yorks.  Arch.  Soc),  86  ;  Surtees, 
op.  cit.  iii,  74  ;  pedigree. 

'"  Ric.  Com.  for  Comp.  (Surt.  Soc.),  296, 

*'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  11 8,  no.  9,  16. 

**  Dur.  frills  and  Invent.  (Surt.  Soc), 
i,  186. 

«*  Ibid.  15,  25. 

**  Ibid.  234  ;  some  field  namea  are 
given,  including  Latimore  flat. 

**'  Surtees,  op.  cit,  iii,  74. 


**  Estcourt  and  Payne,  £ng/.  Calk. 
Nonjurors,  53. 

*^  The  whole  cost  of  the  1 8415-6  altera- 
tions was  borne  by  the  Rev.  T.  Austin, 
rector,  the  work  being  carried  out  under 
the  direction  of  his  son,  Mr.  F.  Austin  of 
Newcastle,  who  was  also  the  architect  of 
the  new  rectory.  The  rectory  is  a  brick 
building  and  stands  immediately  to  the 
east  of  the  church  (Fordyce,  Hist,  and 
Antiq.  of  CO.  Palat.  of  Dur.  ii,  230).  The 
restorations  of  1893  were  carried  out  by 
the  Rev,  C,  E.  Richardson,  then  rector. 


318 


STOCKTON    WARD 


REDMARSHALL 


forward  to  form  the  entrance.  The  church  was  again 
restored  in  1893. 

The  building  throughout  is  constructed  of  rubble 
masonry  with  quoins  at  the  angles.  The  roofs  of  both 
chancel  and  nave  are  of  flat  pitch  and  covered  with 
lead  overhanging  at  the  eaves.  The  walls  were  raised 
to  their  original  heights  in  i  893,  when  the  new  roofs 
were  erected.  The  south  chapel  is  under  a  wide  gabled 
modern  slated  roof,  which  is  continued  down  on  the 
west  side  over  the  porch.  All  the  windows  are 
modern,  but  those  in  the  sides  of  the  chancel  are  said 
to  reproduce  the  ancient  designs. 

The  chancel  has  a  modern  five-light  pointed  east 
window  with  perpendicular  tracery,  but  the  north  and 
south  windows  are  each  of  two  lights,  and,  if  repro- 


inserted  close  to  the  south-east  angle  of  the  chancel, 
the  piscina  having  probably  been  destroyed.  In  the 
north  wall  is  a  recess  with  segmental  moulded  arch 
and  hood  mould,  which  may  have  been  used  as  an 
Easter  sepulchre.  The  opening  contains  a  flat  grave- 
slab,  now  much  weathered,  with  floreated  cross  and 
chalice.  The  chancel  arch  is  elliptical  in  form  and 
of  a  single  square  order  the  full  thickness  of  the  wall, 
without  hood  moulds  and  plastered  on  the  soffit.  It 
springs  from  chamfered  imposts,  which  are  carried 
back  along  the  wall  on  each  side.  The  width  of  the 
opening  is  10  ft.  The  holes  for  the  sill  of  a  former 
chancel  screen  remain  in  the  jambs.  The  floor  of 
the  chancel  is  flagged  and  level  with  that  of  the  nave. 
All  the  walls  of  the  church  are  plastered  internally. 


Redmarshall  Church  from  the  South 


ducing  the  older  forms,  are  interesting  examples  of 
early  tracery.  That  on  the  north  side  consists  of 
two  lancets  with  a  circle  in  the  head,  and  the  other 
has  two  trefoiled  lights  with  a  qu.itrefoil  above. 
Below  the  latter,  which  is  near  the  west  end  of  the 
wall,  is  a  built-up  low-side  window,  the  sill  of  which 
is  only  i  2  in.  above  the  present  ground  level.  The 
priest's  doorway,  which  now  forms  the  outer  entrance 
to  the  vestry  or  porch,  has  a  semicircular  moulded 
arch  dying  out  at  the  springing  with  a  hood  mould 
terminating  in  carved  heads,  and  with  a  larger  head 
at  the  crown.  The  jambs  are  chamfered.  The 
vestry,  which  is  now  used  as  a  store  cupboard, 
measures  internally  only  7  ft.  by  4  ft.  8  in.,  and  has  a 
window  on  the  east  side.  An  ancient  altar  stone 
discovered  in  1893  is  placed  under  the  communion 
table.  The  sedilia  are  of  15th-century  date  and 
consist  of  three  seats  on  the  same  level  with  ogee- 
headed  recesses  under  a  square  hood  mould  with 
carved  head  terminations  and  flat  trefoils  in  the 
spandrels.  The  seats  are  separated  by  chamfered 
mullions  standing  clear   of  the   wall,  and   have  been 


The  nave  has  three  windows  on  the  north  and  a 
single  one  high  up  in  the  wall  '**  at  the  west  end  of  the 
south  side.  Towards  its  eastern  end  the  nave  is 
open  to  the  chapel  on  the  south  side  by  a  pointed 
arch  of  two  chamfered  orders,  the  outer  continued  to 
the  ground  and  the  inner  springing  from  moulded 
corbels  supported  by  grotesque  male  and  female  heads. 
The  arch  has  no  hood  mould,  and,  like  the  rest  of 
the  walling,  is  plastered  and  whitewashed.  The 
chapel  is  lighted  on  the  south  side  by  a  modern 
four-centred  window  of  four  lights  with  perpendicular 
tracery.  Part  of  a  stone  bracket  remains  at  the  south 
end  of  the  east  wall.  The  south  doorway,  now  the 
entrance  to  the  porch,  has  a  semicircular  arch  of  two 
orders,  with  billeted  hood  mould  inclosing  a  tym- 
panum, across  the  face  of  which  is  carved  a  line  of 
bold  cheveron  ornament.  The  outer  order  is 
moulded,  and  the  inner  is  square  and  consists  of 
twelve  plain  voussoirs  springing  from  angle  shafts 
with    cushion    capitals    and    moulded    bases.       The 


*•  The  iill  is  lo  ft.  8  in.  above  the  floor. 


319 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


tympanum,  which  is  7  in.  thick,  is  carried  by  shaped 
corbels  set  behind  the  imposts,  the  hitter  being  cham- 
fered on  the  underside  with  horizontal  sinkings  in  the 
top  member.  The  inner  doorway  of  the  porch  has  a 
flat  four-centred  arch  with  hollow-chamfered  jambs 
and  head. 

The  tower  is  internally  of  three  stages.  The  lowest 
has  a  chamfered  set-back  outside,  above  which  the 
walls  go  straight  up  to  the  string  below  the  parapet. 
The  lowest  st.ige  is  blank  on  the  north  and  south, 
but  on  the  west  side  a  modern  two-light  window  has 
been  inserted,  and  on  the  east  the  tower  is  open  to  the 
nave  by  a  semicircular  arch  of  a  single  square  order 
consisting  of  twenty-six  voussoirs  springing  from 
chamfered  imposts.  The  soffit  is  flat  like  that  of  the 
chancel  arch,  and  none  of  the  arch  stones  go  through 
the  wall.  Two  large  jamb  stones,  one  on  either  side, 
still  preserve  traces  of  colouring  and  of  black-letter 
inscriptions  towards  the  nave.  The  middle  stnge  has 
a  small  square  opening  on  three  sides,  and  the  belfry 
windows  are  of  two  lights  with  rounded  heads,  roughly 
fashioned  and  without  hood  moulds.  These  windows 
and  the  embattled  parapet  are  of  late  date,  the  top 
part  of  the  tower  having  possibly  been  rebuilt  in  the 
1 6th  century  or  later.  The  parapet  is  very  plain  and 
of  rubble  masonry  with  two  embrasures  only  on  each 
side. 

Against  the  east  wall  of  the  chapel  are  two  alabaster 
figures  on  a  plain  altar  tomb  representing  Thomas 
de  Langton  (d.  14+0)  and  his  wife  Sibyl.  The  man, 
whose  face  is  destroyed,  is  attired  in  plate  mail  with 
the  collar  of  SS.  The  head  rests  on  a  helm  and  the 
feet  on  a  lion.  The  head  of  the  lady  lies  on  two 
cushions,  and  her  hair  is  dressed  in  horn-like  fashion, 
the  head-dress  being  partly  covered  by  a  veil.  She 
is  clad  in  an  under-garment  and  long  loose  kirtle 
with  jewelled  belt.  The  tomb  is  probably  not 
original.^' 

A  Portland  stone  slab,  with  the  names  of  those  of 
the  parish  who  fell  in  the  Great  War  inscribed  on  it, 
has  been  inserted  in  the  east  wall  of  the  south-west 
porch. 

The  font  is  of  late  12th-century  date,  and  consists 
of  a  circular  basin  of  Frosterley  marble  on  a  shaft  and 
moulded  base.  The  Gothic  cover  is  said  to  date  from 
18+5.=-= 

The  seating  to  both  nave  and  chapel  is  of 
late  17th-century  date,  being  somewhat  similar  in 
style  to  that  at  Egglescliffe,  Aycliffe  and  in  other 
churches  in  the  county,  the  backs  of  the  pews  being 
open,  with  short  turned  balusters.  In  the  nave  the 
pew  ends  have  fleur-de-lis  terminations,  but  those  in 
the  chapel  finish  with  turned  knobs,  and  the  pew  doors 
have  balusters  in  the  upper  part.  The  whole  of  the 
woodwork,  however,  is  painted  dark  red,  and  it  may 
be  a  later  copy  of  earlier  work.  The  three  canopied 
churchwardens' seats  lettered  '  Redmarshall,' '  Carlton  ' 


and  '  Stillington '  against  the  west  wall  of  the  chapel 
suggest  a  comparatively  late  date. 

The  organ,  now  at  the  east  end  of  the  nave  on  the 
north  side,  stood  formerly  in  a  gallery  at  the  west 
end  ;  it  was  a  combined  barrel  and  keyboard  instru- 
ment.    The  gallery  has  been  removed. 

The  tower  contains  three  bells,  two  of  which  are 
without  date  or  inscription.  The  third  is  a  mediaeval 
bell  and  bears  the  inscription  '  +  cristoferus '  in 
Gothic  letters  more  than  2  in.  apart. '•* 

The  plate  consists  of  a  chalice  and  paten  of  1845, 
Newcastle  make,  of  Elizabethan  design,  both  inscribed 
'  Tho^  Austin  Rector  1845.'  There  is  also  a  pewter 
dish.5* 

The  register  of  burials  begins  in  1559,  that  of 
baptisms  in  1564,  and  that  of  marriages  in  1568. 

The  advowson  originally  belonged 
ADVOH'SON  to  the  bishopric  ;  thus  Ralph  de 
CroynJen  was  presented  to  the  rec- 
tory by  the  king  in  1260,  the  sec  being  vacant." 
The  .advowson  was  transferred  to  the  Bishop  of  Ripon 
in  1859  ^^  and  in  the  following  year  to  the  Crown,'' 
which  retains  the  patronage. 

In  I  29 1  the  benefice  was  taxed  at  £^i6  13/.  4<s'.,'* 
but  this  was  reduced  by  half  before  1318  in  conse- 
quence of  the  depredations  of  the  Scots.''  The 
assessment  had  risen  to  ^^i  8  in  153  5  ;  2/.  was  paid  to 
the  archdeacon.*""  The  tithes  of  corn  of  Stillington 
belonged  to  Sherburn  Hospital.' 

Nichol.is  Holme,  canon  of  Ripon,  rector  of  Red- 
marshall, who  died  in  St.  Mary's  Abbey  at  York  in 
1458-9,  left  to  this  church  a  book  called  Pup'dla 
Ocu/i.-  In  1 46 1 -2  Adam  Morland,  then  rector, 
had  the  bishop's  pardon  for  building  a  tower  to 
his  rectory-house  and  beginning  to  crenellate  it  as 
a  fortalice,  and  was  allowed  to  go  on  with  this 
work.' 

A  chantry  at  the  altar  of  St.  Mary  in  the  church 
was  founded  before  131 1,  when  Alan  de  Langton, 
lord  of  the  manor,  presented  a  chantry  priest.''  In 
I  3  14  inquiry  was  made  at  the  bishop's  command  by 
the  rectors  of  Redmarshall  and  other  neighbouring 
churches  ;  it  was  found  that  the  patronage  belonged 
to  Henry  de  Langton  as  heir  to  his  father  Alan,  that 
the  value  was  6  marks  a  year,  and  that  on  a  vacancy 
the  patron  must  present  within  forty  days  or  his  right 
would  devolve  on  the  archdeacon.'  No  further 
mention  of  this  chantry  has  been  found. 

Stillington  gave  its  name  to  an  ecclesiastical  parish 
formed  in  1872,'  but  the  church  is  in  Whitton. 

Christopher  Morpeth,  by  will 
CHARITIES  proved  at  York  in  1640,  demised  a 
rent-charge  of  j^4,  one  moiety  thereof 
for  the  poor  of  Redmarshall  and  Carlton  and  the  other 
moiety  for  the  poor  of  Stillington.  The  annuity  is 
paid  out  of  land  called  Bishopton  Field.  The  distri- 
bution is  made  among  poor  widows. 


"  The  figures  are  described  in  Proc.  Sec. 
Antij.  Nitccasdt,  x,  104-6.  They  arc 
figured  in  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  71.  Glover, 
in  his  MS.  pedigrees  of  the  Lords  of 
Wvnvird,  mentions  the  effigies  as  being 
'in  the  porche  of  the  parish  church  of 
Redmarshall  under  a  tomb  of  alabaster 
having  both  their  portraitures  engraven 
very  sumptuously'  (quoted  in  Prac.  Sac. 
Anrij,  Ne'zvcatfle,  x,  104-6). 

"  Fordyce,  op.  cit.  ii,  230, 


"  Proc.  Soc.  Antiq.  Ne-u'caiilt,  iv,  22. 
The  mediaeval  bell  is  probably  of  14th- 
centurv  date. 

^<  Ibid. 

"  Cal.  Pal.  1258-66,  p.  89.  Later, 
presentations  by  the  king  for  the  same 
reason  arc  found  in  subsequent  rolls. 

*^  LonJ.  Ga^.  5  Aug.  1859,  p.  2998. 

''  Ibid.  31  Aug.  i860,  p.  3220. 

'^  Popi  Nich.  Tax.  (Rec.  Com.),  315; 
Cal.  Papal  Lerrert,  ii,  84. 


'^  Pope  Nich.  Tax.  (Rec.  Com.),  330. 
'M  Vahr  Eul.  (Rec.  Com.),  v,  318. 
'  Ibid.  308  ;   EnJciLcd  Char.  Rep. 

*  Teit.  Ebor.  (Surt.  Soc),  ii,  2 1 9. 

^  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  48,  m.  1  o,  no.  49. 
A  'small  bronze  figure  finely  cut'  was 
found  in  the  old  parsonage-house  (Fordyce, 
op.  cit.  ii,  231). 

«  Reg.  Palat.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Scr.),  i,  73. 

5  Ibid.  632. 

*  Lond.  Gax.  31  May  1872,  p.  2563. 


Redmarshall  Church  :    The  Solth  Doorway 


STOCKTON    WARD 


SEDGEFIELD 


Stillington  :  The  charities  founded  by  the  Rev. 
William  Cassidi  : — 

(n)  For  the  fund  known  as  the  Bamford  Fund  sec 
under  the  parish  of  Bishopton. 

(i)  The  charity  known  as  the  Holgate  Educa- 
tional Charity  was  founded  by  declaration  of  trust 
2  1  April  1875,  applicable  towards  the  maintenance 
of  the  Sunday  school  and  other  religious  instruction, 
with  power  to  expend  £2  yearly  upon  the  sustentation 
of  the  Mission  Room.  The  trust  fund  of  the  educa- 
tional branch  consists  of  £()^  guaranteed  and  £()^ 
preference  stock  of  the  London  and  North  Eastern 
Rallw.iy,  producing  £y  121.  yearly,  which  is  applied 


in  the  purchase  of  books  for  the  Sunday  school,  and 
the  tru5t  fund  for  providing  £2  a  year  for  the  Mission 
Room  consists  of  ^^25  in  each  of  the  same  stocks. 

(')  The  Church  Repair  Fund,^  founded  by  declara- 
tion of  trust  31  December  1880.  The  trust  funds 
consist  of  ;^ 1 00  4  per  cent.  2nd  preference,  ^^50 
5  per  cent,  preferred  ordinary,  and  £^0  deferred 
ordinary  stock  of  the  same  railway. 

The  several  sums  of  railway  stock  are  held  by  the 
official  trustees,  who  also  hold  a  sum  of  j^l  8/.  4</. 
consols  in  trust  for  the  last-mentioned  charity,  repre- 
senting the  proceeds  of  the  sale  of  letters  of  allotment 
from  time  to  time. 


SEDGEFIELD 


Ceddesfeld  (x  cent.)  ;   Seggefeld  (xii  cent.). 

The  parish  of  Sedgefield  included  in  183 1  the 
townships  of  Bradbury,  Butterwick,  Embleton,  Fish- 
burn,  Foxton  with  Shotton,  Mordon  and  Sedgefield, 
and  had  an  area  of  17,480  acres.'  The  township  of 
Foxton  with  Shotton  was  united  for  ecclesiastical 
purposes  with  Stillington  in  1886,  and  that  of  Emble- 
ton was  transferred  to  the  parish  of  Grindon  in  igoS. 
The  old  parish  area  occupied  the  north-west  corner  of 
Stockton  Ward,  and  was  bounded  on  the  north-west 
and  west  by  Bishop  Middleham  and  Ayclifl'e  parishes, 
on  the  south  by  Stainton  le  Street  and  Redmarshall, 
on  the  south-east  by  Grindon,  the  east  by  Elwick  and 
the  north  by  Trimdon  and  Kelloe.  Most  of  it  is 
level  ground,  in  no  place  rising  higher  than  400  ft. 
above  the  ordnance  datum.  It  is  watered  by  the 
River  Skernc  and  its  numerous  tributaries,  and  the 
subsoil  near  the  streams  is  .Alluvium.  Througliout  the 
rest  of  the  p.arish  it  is  Magnesiin  Limestone.  The 
soil  is  clay.  About  thirty-five  per  cent,  of  the  total 
area  of  the  parish  is  under  cultivation,  oats,  wheat, 
barley,  potatoes  and  turnips  being  the  chief  crops. 
The  remainder  is  gi\en  up  to  pasture. 

The  small  town  of  Sedgefield  is  on  the  main  road 
from  Stockton  to  Durham  and  near  the  centre  of  the 
parisli.  It  stands  on  a  low  gravel  hill,  and  is  built 
round  a  large  square  in  which  there  stood  in  1794 
the  market  cross.-  Sedgefield  became  a  market  town 
in  I  31  2,  when  the  bishop,  while  reserving  to  himself 
the  tolls  and  customs,  granted  his  tenants  a  F'riday 
market  and  a  five  days'  fair  yearly  on  the  vigil  and 
feast  of  St.  Edmund  the  Archbishop  and  the  three 
days  following.^  Before  1343  the  Friday  market  had 
fallen  into  neglect,  and  unauthorized  buying  and 
selling  took  place  on  Sundays.  At  the  request  of 
the  rector  of  the  parish  the  bishop  prohibited  this 
cu-tom.''  A  market  was  still  held  on  Fridays  in 
I  794  and  a  yearly  fair  on  the  Friday  after  the  feast 
of  St.  Edmund  the  Confessor.*  In  1830  the  market 
was  '  but  nominal.'  *  A  fair  for  the  sale  of  swine  was 
held  on  the  first  Friday  in  each  month.'  The  market- 
place ii  mentioned  in  the  15th  and  1 6th  centuries  as 
the  '  Market  gate '  or  '  Town  gate.'  *     During  the 


rebellion  of  1569,  in  which  the  inhabitants  of  this 
parish  seem  to  have  taken  an  active  part,  the  church 
books  were  carried  to  the  '  cross  in  the  town-gate,' 
and  there  burnt. ^ 

The  church  of  St.  Edmund  is  on  the  east  side  of 
the  market-place.  Its  churchyard  is  entered  at  the 
west  end  by  a  lych-gate  erected  in  1906,  near  to 
which  is  a  stone  cross  erected  in  1920  as  a  War 
Memorial.  The  church  has  associations  with  the 
rebellion  of  1569,  when  various  inhabitants  set  up  a 
high  altar  there,  brought  in  holy  water  and  said  mass. 
The  high  altar  was  afterwards  destroyed  by  the 
queen's  soldiers."' 

The  rectory,  which  stands  to  the  south  of  the 
church,  was  described  in  1634  as  consisting  of  '  a  hall, 
a  parlour,  certain  chambers,  with  other  houses  adjoin- 
ing upon  the  same  house,  a  gallery,  a  study,  a  chamber 
fallen  down,  a  coach  house,  a  gatehouse,  a  house  at 
the  west  gate,  a  pigeon  house,  a  stable,  a  barn,  an 
oxhouse,  a  hide  house,  a  windmill,  and  other  houses.' '' 
It  was  almost  entirely  destroyed  by  fire  in  1792,  but 
was  rebuilt  for  the  Rev.  George  Barrington,  rector. 
Over  the  doorway  on  the  north  side  is  a  tablet  in- 
scribed :  '  Munificentia  Samuelis  et  Shute  Barrington 
Quorum  Unus  Chassis  Britannicas  Prxfectus  Alter 
Ecclesie  Dunelmensis  Episcopus  Uterque  Summo 
Omnium  Praeconio.'  The  house  is  a  large  stuccoed 
building  of  two  stories  with  stone  slated  roofs. 

Cooper's  Almshouses,  standing  on  the  north  side  of 
the  church,  form  a  one-storied  yellow-washed  brick 
building  erected  in  1703  and  restored  in  1868. 

The  manor-house,  a  large  well-designed  three-story 
brick  building  on  the  west  side  of  the  market-place, 
now  used  as  District  Council  offices,  has  a  mural  sun- 
di.al  dated  1707.  Over  the  mantelpiece  in  the  board- 
room is  a  carving  attributed  to  Grinling  Gibbons. 

Adjoining  the  almshouses  at  the  north-east  corner 
of  the  square  is  the  site  of  the  old  school-house  of 
Sedgefield.  A  new  building  was  erected  in  1826." 
Front  Street,  running  east  from  this  corner  of  the 
square,  contains  the  Parish  Institute,  founded  in 
1849.'^  From  the  north-west  corner  of  the  square 
North    End    runs  north   and   becomes   the  road   to 


3  This  is  for  the  benefit  of  Stillington 
Church. 

'  Pop.  Rer.  (1831). 

*  Hutchinson,  Hiit,  and  Antip  of  Dur. 
iii,  49. 

'  Rig.  Piiljr.  Durtelm.  (Rolls  Scr.),  ii, 
1 1  So. 


*  Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  3,  R.  29,  m.  19. 

^  Hutchinson,  op.  cit.  iii,  49,  62. 

'  Fordyce,  Hisl.  and  Aniiq.  of  en.  Palal. 
of  Dur.  ii,  331. 

'  Ibid. 

'Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  14,  fol.  212; 
Fordyce,  op.  cit.  ii,  331. 

321 


'  Fordyce,  loc.  cit. 
l»  Ibid. 

"  Terrier  of  1654  quoted  by  Surtees, 
Hiir.  and  Antiq.  of  co.  PaUt.  of  Dur,  iii, 

3  3- 

"  Fordyce,  op.  cit.  ii,  352. 
"  Ibid.  340. 

41 


A  HISTORY   OF  DURHAM 


Durham.  In  West  End,  a  street  which  leaves  the  square 
at  the  south-west,  is  a  Wesleyan  Methodist  chapel, 
built  in  1856,  apparently  on  the  site  of  a  building 
dating  from  about  1800."  There  was  in  1857  a 
Roman  Catholic  chapel  in  SeJgefield  dedicateJ  in 
honour  of  St.  Joseph,"  which  has  now  disappeared. 

The  curfew  is  still  rung.  There  is  an  ancient 
custom  to  play  yearly  a  football  match  between  the 
agricultural  labourers  and  the  artisans  of  the  town, 
the  football  being  provided  by  the  p.irish  clerk. '^  The 
game  is  still  played  on  Shrove  Tuesday.  The  '  bull 
ring,'  through  which  the  ball  has  to  be  passed  three 
times  by  the  sexton  before  being  thrown  to  the  players, 
is  at  the  end  of  the  green.  The  goals  are  called 
'  alloying  places '  and  are  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
apart.  If  the  ball  is  not  '  alleycd  '  by  six  o'clock  it 
becomes  the  property  of  the  sexton.'"* 

The  common  fields 
of  the  township  of 
SedgefielJ  were  in- 
closed in    1636." 

Adjoining  Sedge- 
field  village  on  the 
north-west  are  the 
grounds  of  Hardwick 
Hall,  the  seat  of  Vis- 
coLintBoyne.  Amanor- 
houie  with  a  '  great 
chamber,'  a  dovecot 
and  a  domestic  chapel 
existed  here  in  1449,''' 
and  the  Hebborne 
family  had  a  capital 
messuage    in     1570." 

Hardwick  Hall  is  of 
no  architectural  in- 
terest, being  a  j^ain 
two-story  building 
with  cornice  and  slated 
hipped  roofs.  It  stands 
on  a  slight  eminence 
facing  south,  overlook- 
ing what  was  formerly  a  lake  of  nearly  40 
in  extent.  The  lake  was  formed  about 
by  John  Burdon,  who  spent  large  sums  of  money  in 
laying  out  the  park  and  gardens.  He  formed  a  terrace 
and  erected  several  ornamental  buildings  on  a  most 
sumptuous  scale.  These  are  still  standing,  and  are  of 
some  interest  as  examples  of  the  taste  of  the  time. 
They  include  a  bath-house,  a  temple  and  a  banqueting- 
house,  all  in  the  classic  style,  together  with  a  pseudo- 
Gothic  hermitage  or  library  and  a  sham  ruin  repre- 
senting the  gateway  of  a  mediaeval  castle.  This  is 
'  furnished  with  a  turret  containing  a  stone  newel 
stair  by  which  the  roof  can  be  reached.  According 
to  the  fashion  of  the  time  real  ruins  were  robbed  and 
mutilated  to  make  sham  ones,  and  Guisborough  Priory 
was  laid  under  contribution  to  supply  Hardwick  with 
Gothic  details.'-^  In  the  bath-house,  which  stands  at 
the  west  end  of  the  lake,  the  Roman   Doric  order  is 


used,  in  the  temple  the  Roman  Ionic,  and  in  the 
banqueting  hall  the  Corinthian  and  Ionic.  The 
'temple'  stands  on  high  ground  on  the  south  side  of 
the  lake,  opposite  the  house,  and  consists  of  a  single 
room  1 7  ft.  9  in.  square  inside,  surrounded  by  a 
colonnade  and  surmounted  by  an  octagonal  lead- 
covered  dome.  In  the  interior  occurs  the  inscription, 
'  This  Temple  Begun  By  lohn  Burdon  Esq  in  the 
Year  1754  and  Finished  in  1757.'  The  banqueting- 
house  consists  of  a  room  50  ft.  3  in.  long  by  26  ft. 
3  in.  in  width,  with  a  bay  window  at  each  end  and 
an  entrance  hall  and  two  smaller  rooms  on  the  north 
side.  Over  the  fireplace  is  a  portrait  of  John  Burdon, 
but  the  marble  mantelpiece  and  the  painted  ceiling 
have  been  removed,  the  latter  to  Brancepeth  Castle. 
The  hermitage  is  a  stuccoed  castellated  structure  of 
rubble  and  brick  with  a  sham  tower  at  each  end.      It 


■':n^"rinr.'>Fi.'W'™,>.w»; 


iwl'.w.. 


...,n-. 


Sedcefivld  :  JHardwick   Hall 


acres 

175  + 


is  two  stories  in  height,  the  upper  floor  having  been 
the  '  library  '  ;  the  shelves  with  their  dummy  books 
remain.  The  lake  has  been  drained  and  is  now  over- 
grown, but  a  piece  of  ornamental  water  of  serpentine 
form  remains  on  the  east  side  of  the  grounds,  crossed 
by  a  bridge  leading  to  the  '  ruins.' 

There  was  in  1754  no  manor-house.^'  The  kennels 
of  the  South  Durham  fox-hounds  were  in  the  grounds 
of  the  hall,  before  they  were  removed  in  1922  to 
Rockclift'e  Park.  To  the  north-west  is  Hardwick 
Mill,  now  disused,  on  a  branch  of  the  Skerne.  Hard- 
wick millrace  is  mentioned  in  a  charter,  possibly  of  the 
13th  century,  made  by  the  Prior  of  Durham  to  his 
almoner."     A   windmill  in   Hardwick  is  mentioned 

in  I  573-4-" 

South  of  Hardwick  Hall  and  on  the  other  side  of  a 
road  running  west  from  Sedgefield  to  Bradbury  is 
Sands  Hall,  which  belonged  to  Mr.  Richard  Ord,  who 


'*  Fordyce,  op.  cit.  ii,  337. 

'»  Ibid. 

•«  Ibid.  332-3. 

i«a  York,,  ff^cekly  Post,  18  Feb.  191 2. 

'"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  4,  no.  i,  fol.  306. 

"  Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  3,  R.  50,  m.  3  d. 

"  Exch.  K..R.   Misc.  Bki.  xxxviii,  fol. 


'"  Torki.  Arch.  Journ.  xiii,  237.  The 
carved  eastern  end  of  the  Bruce  tomb, 
or  cenotaph,  in  Guisborough  Parish 
Church  was  brought  to  Hardwick  at 
this  time,  and  was  seen  there  by  both 
Hutchinson  and  Surtees.  It  remained 
at  Hardwick  till  about  1865,  when  it 
was    taken    back    to    Guisborough    aod 

322 


placed  in  the  Priory  ruins,  where  it 
remained  until  the  tomb  was  restoicd 
in  1904  ;  ace  V.C.H.  Torh.  N.  R. 
ii,    363. 

*^  For  a  contemporaiy  description  sec 
Hutchinson,  op.  cit.  iii,  65-6. 

"  Surtees,  op    cit.  iii,  40. 

**  Pat.  16  Eliz.  pt.  xi,  m.  7. 


STOCKTON    WARD 


SEDGEFIELD 


died  in  1920,  and  is  now  owned  by  Mrs.  G.  K. 
Ha>tings-Ord  and  Miss  Muriel  Ord,  his  daughters. 
This  house,  which  stands  in  a  park  of  40  acres,  was 
acquired  by  the  Ord  family  in  1738,-^  and  has  since 
descended  with  the  manor  of  Bradbury.  Sands 
Farm,  to  the  south-west  of  the  hall,  is  mentioned  as 
the  property  of  Ralph  Ord  in  1 77 1.-'  Near  it  is  a 
race-course  on  which  steeplechases  are  held  yearly  in 
March. 

The  road  running  west  from  Sedgefield  passes  on 
its  way  to  Bradbury  first  Sedgefield  station  on  the 
Ferry  Hill,  Stockton  and  Middlesbrough  branch  of 
the  North  Eastern  railway  and  then  Bradbury  station 
on  the  main  line.  The  small  village  of  Bradbury, 
containing  a  Wesleyan  chape!,  is  separated  from  the 
River  Skerne  on  the  north  and  west  by  the  low  ground 
called  Bradbury  Carrs.  The  road  to  Chilton  and 
Ferry  Hill  crosses  the  stream  at  Bradbury  Bridge. 
There  has  been  a  bridge  here  when  a  holding  in 
Bradbury  was  charged  in  the  1 5  th  century  towards  the 
repair  of  the  bridge  of  the  vill.-''  In  a  grant  (of  the 
13th  century  ?)  made  by  the  Prior  of  Durham  to  his 
almoner  the  following  place-names  in  Bradbury  occur  : 
Holden  Flatt,  Muiiknowl,  Renesden,  Catlawe,  Win- 
eneleche.  The  Braches,  Brademere.-'  A  fish-pond  and 
the  'infirmary'  near  the  road  to  Sadberge  are  also 
mentioned.-'  '  The  Braches,'  or  Brakeles  as  it  was 
called  in  the  i6th  century,-'^^  is  probably  the  farm 
now  called  Brakes  on  the  eastern  boundary  of  the 
township  and  near  the  grounds  of  Hardwick  Hall. 
At  the  Dissolution  Finchale  Priory  had  land  at 
'  Bradbury  Hall,'  its  three  tenements  here  being  held 
by  various  tenants.-''' 

To  the  south-west  of  Bradbury  is  the  tract  of  land 
called  The  Isle,  inclosed  by  the  River  Skerne  and  its 
tributaries.  The  house  called  Great  Isle,  now  a  farm- 
house, was  for  centuries  the  residence  of  the  lords  of 
Bradbury  and  The  Isle.  A  survey  of  the  1 6th  century 
describes  it  as  containing  'a  fayre  hall  ...  a  fayre 
chymney,  with  one  chaymer  above  covered  with  slayte, 
a  fayre  parloure,  well  syled  and  in  good  case  of 
glassinge,  and  on  it  a  great  chaymer  covered  with 
slayte,  a  lobbye  ...  a  galerye  covered  with  leade 
...  a  goodlye  barn  and  stables.'  -■'  A  dove-house 
belonging  to  the  manor  is  mentioned  in  1471  and 
1567.^"  A  water-mill  existed  in  1471  and  two  water- 
mills  in  1636.^' 

East  of  The  Isle  is  the  township  of  Mordon,  with 
a  small  village  built  round  a  green.  It  contains  a 
Wesleyan  ch.ipel.  Mordon  Carrs,  a  stretch  of  low 
ground  which  formed  the  pasture  of  the  manor  in 
1476,^-  lies  between  the  village  and  a  small  stream 
which  is  the  southern  boundary  of  the  township  and 
parish.  There  was  a  capital  messuage  attached  to  the 
manor  in  1476,"  perhaps  the  messuage  in  the  tenure 


of  William  Hixon  in  1635."    This  township  was  in- 
closed by  agreement  among  the  freeholders  in  161 8". 

Another  small  beck  separates  Mordon  from  the 
township  of  Foxton  with  Shotton  to  the  east  of  it. 
There  is  no  village  here.  A  group  of  five  farms  forms 
the  hamlet  of  Foxton,  while  Shotton  consists  of  two. 
In  the  1 6th  century  the  estate  called  Shotton  consisted 
of  nothing  but  a  capital  messuage  and  the  land  attached 
to  it.^*  In  1752,  however,  there  were  two  messuages 
or  farmholds  here.''  All  the  land  with  the  exception 
of  I  z  acres  was  turned  to  tillage  shortly  after  the 
Rebellion  of  the  Earls  '"a  The  farms  called  West 
Layton,  East  Layton,  Layton  House  and  Far  Layton, 
which  lie  to  the  north-east  of  Shotton  in  the  southern 
part  of  Sedgefield  tounship,  represent  the  old  manor 
of  Layton.'*  A  witness  in  1586  declared  that  fifty 
years  before  there  was  a  '  town  '  at  Layton,  and  he 
had  heard  that  there  were  six  or  eight  housei  there, 
though  but  one  at  the  date  of  the  inquiry. ''»  In 
1570  there  was  a  capital  messuage  here  called  Layton 
Hall,  '  built  with  walls  of  stone  and  roofed  with 
slate';  it  was  described  fifteen  years  later  as  standing 
east  an.i  west,  but  as  being  '  decayde  and  taken 
away  utterlie.'"  It  was  the  seat  of  the  Conyers 
family  till  the  1 8th  century.  .Among  the  fields  of 
the  manor  were  the  Wheatfield,  the  Hall  Garths, 
'  Thowtefeild,'  '  Westfogg  '  and  the  '  Mylneclose.' <» 
No  mention  of  a  mill  has  been  found.  Two  dove- 
houses  were  attached  to  the  manor  in  1635.*' 

In  the  West  Field  were  Barbell  leche,  commonly 
called  Knightesley  close  in  1585,  riggs  amounting  to 
3  acres  lay  on  Bromerstone  Hill,  in  the  South  Field, 
Thorney  close,  full  of  great  and  tall  thorns,  the 
Well  leche,  Stayne  and  Dawcken  furlongs  ;  mention 
is  also  made  of  Blindwell  Hill,  Ingersley,  Cutley  and 
Ludwell  meadows.*'-^ 

The  next  township  to  Sedgefield  on  the  north-cast 
is  that  of  Butterwick  and  Oldacres.  Here  also  there 
are  only  a  few  farms,  one  of  which,  Oldacres,  was  once 
a  manor.  There  was  a  capital  messuage  in  Butter- 
wick in  1564.^-  In  1752  East  Farm  and  North  Farm 
are  mentioned.'"  In  11  83  the  township  of  Butter- 
wick paid  a  due  of  malt  to  the  bishop.**  There  is  no 
later  reference  to  the  malting  industry. 

In  the  extreme  east  of  the  old  parish  area  is  Em- 
bleton.  The  deep  valley  of  a  beck,  in  which  were 
once  the  elm  trees  which  are  said  to  have  given  the 
place  its  name,^^  crosses  the  township  to  the  east  and 
then  turns  south  to  form  the  eastern  boundary. 
St.  Mary's  Church,  on  the  site  of  the  old  chapel  of 
ease,  is  on  the  edge  of  the  beck.  Half  a  mile  to  the 
north-west  of  it  is  the  farm-house  called  Embleton 
Old  Hall,  once  a  manor-house  of  the  Bulmer  family. 
The  mansion-house  of  High  Embleton  is  mentioned 
in    1 65 3,«  Embleton  Hall   in    1667.-''     Whinhouse, 


^*  Surtces,  op.  cit.  iii,  4.1. 

"  Eitch.  Deer,  and  Orders  (Ser.  4), 
XXX,  no.  7  (Mich.  1771). 

'*  Charter  printed  by  McCall,  Family 
of  f-^andesforde^  335  J  cf.  Feod.  Prior. 
Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc),  166. 

*'  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  40. 

'«  Ibid.  ;  cf.  McCall,  op.  cit.  332. 

"I  Harl.  R.  D  36.  ">'  Ibid. 

^*  Fordyce,  op.  cit.  ii,  343. 

'"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  4,  fol.  35  ; 
cl.  12,  no.  I  (2). 

"  Ibid.  cl.  3,  no.  4,  fol.  35  ;  R.  ii", 
no.  28  ;  R.  108,  no.  28. 


"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  4,  fol.  68. 

»  Ibid. 

"  Ibid,  file  i88,  no.  77. 

'^  Chan.  Proc.  (Ser.  2),  bdle.  327, 
no.  49. 

3«  Exch.  K.R.  Misc.  Bks.  xxxviii, 
fol.  229  d. 

»'  Com.  Pleas  D.  Enr.  Hil.  25  Geo.  II, 
m.  52. 

>'«  Exch.  Dep.  Mich.  24  &  25  Eliz. 
no.  1 1 ;  Hil.  25  Eliz.  no.  9  ;  Hil.  26  Eliz. 
no.  14. 

"  See  below. 

"a  Exch.  Dep.  Trin.  28  Eliz.  no.  16. 


'»  Exch.  K.R.  Misc.  Bks.  xxxviii, 
fol.  240  d.;  Exch.  Dep.  Hil.  27  Eliz.  no.  4. 

'"  Exch.  K.R.  Misc.  Bks.  xxxviii, 
fol.  240  d. 

«'  Pat.  II  Chas.  I,  pt.  vi,  no.  -. 

•'»  Exch.  Dep.  Hil.  27  Eliz.  no.  4. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  6,  fol.  27. 

««  Com.  Pleas  D.  Enr.  Hil.  25  Geo.  II, 
m.  ;2. 

"  r.C.H.  Dur.  i,  331. 

**  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  53. 

"  Rrc.    Com.  for    Comf.    (Surt.    Soc.), 

*'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  117,  no.  11. 


A   HISTORY   OF   DURHAM 


some  distance  to  the  west,  is  mentioned  in  1 644  as  a 
part  of  Low  Embleton.''*  The  scattered  farms  of 
Low,  Middle,  and  High  Swainston,  which  lie  to  the 
south-west  of  Embleton  Church,  represent  an  ancient 
manor,"  as  do  the  farms  of  Murton  and  West  Murton 
in  the  north  of  the  township.'"  There  was  a  capital 
messuage  in  Swainston  in  161  3." 

The  remaining  township  of  Fishburn  lies  to  the 
west  of  Embleton,  and  is  separated  from  Sedgefield 
and  Butterwicic  by  the  River  Skerne.  The  village  of 
Fishburn  has  a  street  running  east  and  west  along  a 
hill  sloping  to  the  south.  In  1622  there  were  two 
capital  messuages  here,  the  East  Hall  and  the  New 
House.'-  The  former  was  probably  identical  with 
Fishburn  Hall  at  the  e.ist  end  of  the  street.  A  little 
further  to  the  east  is  a  disused  mill.  The  mill-pond 
of  Fishburn  is  mentioned  in  1 183"  and  about  1384," 
but  this  was  probably  on  the  Skerne  to  the  south  of 
the  village.  A  messuage  here  called  '  Carter  house,' 
mentioned  in  1570,''  was  probably  the  same  as  the 
Charterhouse  which  belonged  to  the  Wilkinson  family 
in  1857.'^  The  temporary  church  of  St.  Catherine 
was  dedicated  18  October  1922.  The  village  con- 
tains a  Wesleyan  Methodist  chapel,  dating  from  1 846. 
A  colliery  was  opened  at  Fishburn  in  191  i  by  Messrs. 
Henry  Stobart  &  Co.,  which  has  caused  a  rapid  increase 
of  population. 

Between  Fishburn  and  Sedgefield  is  the  County 
Lunatic  Asylum,  built  in  1858. 

The  viU  of  SEDGEFIELD  was 
MANORS,  i^c.  purchased  or  repurchased  by  Bishop 
Cutheard  (900-15)  with  money 
belonging  to  St.  Cuthbert.''  All  its  appurtenances, 
except  the  land  held  by  Aculf,  Ethelbriht  and  Frithlaf, 
were  included  in  the  purchase,  and  over  the  excepted 
land  the  bishop  had  sac  and  soc.'*  About  1183  the 
vill  was  held  by  twenty  villeins,  whose  tenure  and 
services  corresponded  to  those  of  the  villeins  of  Boldon, 
and  twenty  farmers,  each  holding  3  oxgangs,  paying 
5/.,  and  doing  various  services  roughly  corresponding 
to  those  of  the  farmers  of  Wardon  "  (qv.).  There 
were  besides  five  bordars  who  held  5  tofts  and  the 
various  officers  of  the  vill  who  each  held  a  small 
amount  of  land.  John  the  reeve,  who  was  a  farmer, 
had  2  oxgangs,  the  smith  had  I  oxgang,  the  car- 
penter had  I  2  acres,  the  pinder  also  i  2  acres. '^*'  The 
mill,  which  was  probably  in  the  hands  of  a  farmer, 
rendered  6  marks.^' 

Thestatement  made  under  Butterwick  in  1183  that 
each  plough  team  of  the  villeins  there  ploughed  and 


harrowed  2  acres  at  Sedgefield  *^  seems  to  indicate 
that  Sedgefield  had  at  that  date  a  demesne,  though 
none  is  mentioned  under  the  special  entry  for  the  vill. 
It  is  clear,  however,  that  in  the  14th  century  all  the 
services  of  the  villeins  were  performed  on  the  demesne 
of  Bishop  Middleham."  Halmote  courts  were  held 
at  Middleham  or  Sedgefield  for  Middleham,  Sedge- 
field and  Cornforth.'''  The  tenure  of  the  vill  was 
somewhat  altered  between  11 83  and  1384.  Free 
tenants  in  1384  held  148  acres  and  'exchequer' 
tenants  168  acres.  Twenty-five  farmers  or  '  mal- 
men  '  held  40  oxgangs  instead  of  60  in  holdings 
varying  from  i  to  3  oxgangs.  There  were  still 
twenty  bondage  or  villeinage  tenements,  each  con- 
sisting of  a  messuage  and  2  oxgangs,  but  in  many  cases 
a  single  tenement  was  shared  by  two  tenants.  The 
water-mill,  a  windmill  and  the  toll  of  ale  were  in  the 
hands  of  the  tenants.  The  common  oven,  kiln  and 
forge  and  two  dove-houses  were  farmed  by  separate 
individuals.^'  There  are  many  instances  of  leases  of 
the  mills  and  the  forge  and  the  oven  to  separate  tenants 
from  the  14th  to  the  16th  century,  and  as  late  as 
1589-90  it  was  maintained  that  the  copyhold  tenants 
must  maintain  and  repair  the  mill  at  their  own 
expense.'^ 

The  Ecclesiastical  Commissioners  are  now  lords  of 
the  manor  of  Sedgefield  ;  a  large  part  of  the  land  is 
still  copyhold.  The  freehold  estates  arc  not  impor- 
tant.*' 

BRADBURT  (Brydbyrig,  x  cent.  ;  Bradbery,  xiv 
cent.)  was  among  the  vills  which  Snaculf  son  of 
Cykell  granted  to  St.  Cuthbert  in  the  time  of  Bishop 
Aldhun  (990-1018).''''  It  is  not  mentioned  in  Boldon 
Book,'^^  but  probably  formed  with  The  Isle  part  of  the 
knight's  fee  in  Durham  held  by  Adam  de  Musters 
in  I  166.''''  Walter  de  Musters  made  a  gr.int  of  land 
here  to  the  almonry  of  Durham  in  the  time  of  Bishop 
Hugh  Pudsey.''  Walter  had  three  sons,  Robert, 
Nicholas  and  William  de  Musters. '-  Robert  pur- 
chased land  in  Bradbury  and  granted  it  to  the  almonry 
of  Durham  in  the  lifetime  of  his  father,  who  confirmed 
the  grant,  as  did  Nicholas  and  William  de  Musters."' 
The  brothers  seem  to  have  succeeded  in  turn  to  the 
manor,  which  William  probably  held  in  the  early 
years  of  the  13th  century.'^*  The  knight's  fee 
belonged  to  William  de  Musters  between  i  249  and 
1260,  and  Sir  William  de  Musters  witnessed  a  local 
deed  in  1256.''''  In  1264  Sir  William  de  Musters 
of  Bradbur)-  was  among  the  knights  of  the  bishopric."' 
In  1326  Bradbury  was  among  the  manors  of  William 


"  Rec.  Com.  for  Com/).  (Surt.  Soc),  11. 

"  See  below.  w  Ibid. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  183,  no.  42. 

**  Ibid,  file  189,  no.  77. 

"  y.C.H.  Dur.  i,  330. 

'■*  Hatfield- 1  Sur-L-.  (Surt.  Soc),  1S7. 

"  Exch.  K.R.  Misc.  Bk«.  xxxviii, 
fol.  204. 

*'  Fordyce,  op.  cit.  ii,  347. 

'"  Simeon  of  Durham,  Opera  (Rolls 
Ser.),  i,  208  ;  Hiil.  Duielm.  Script.  Tret 
(Surt.  Soc),  p.  ccccxxii. 

*'  Simeon  of  Dur.  loc  cit, 

»»  y.C.H.  Dur.  i,  330. 

"  Ibid.  61  Ibid. 

"  Ibid.  331. 

^  Hatfield' i  Surv.  (Surt.  Soc),  190. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  12-28. 

"  HatfieU'i  Surv.  (Surt.  Soc),  186-90. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  3i,m.  14;  no.  14, 
fol.   51,   538,  666;  no.   16,   fol.    isgd., 


218  d.,    304  d.  ;    no.    l- 


fol. 


Exch.  Dep.  Hi!.  32  Eliz.  no.  23. 

"'■"In  13S2  Thomas  Grey  of  Urpeth 
had  4  oxgangs  here  {Hatfield's  Surv. 
[Surt.  Soc],  186)  which  were  purchased 
from  the  younger  Thomas  Grey  in  1414 
by  Henry  Pillok.  *Gray8land  '  was  granted 
in  March  1434-5  by  William  Hoton 
of  Hardwick  to  the  chantry  of  St. 
Katharine  in  the  church  of  Sedgefield 
(Dur.  Rec  cl,  3,  R.  35,  m.  6d.  ;  no.  2, 
fol.  272).  A  freehold  which  belonged  to 
Walter  o'  the  Hall  and  his  son  Thomas 
was  also  acquired  by  William  Hoton,  and 
was  granted  by  him  to  the  same  chantry 
(ibid.  no.  2,  fol.  20;  no.  12,  fol.  32  d.; 
Hatfield's  Surv.  [Surt.  Soc],  186  j  Dur. 
Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  133  d.,  272).  The 
lands  of  the  chantry  were  granted  partly 
to  Edward  Downing  and  Roger  Rant,  the 
fishing  grantees,  in  1591,  partly  to  George 


Ward  and  Robert  Morgan  in  1607  (Pat. 
1372,  m.  18  ;  5  Jas.  I,  pt.  xxvii).  The 
principal  freeholder  in  1771  was  John 
Burdon  (Exch.  K.,R.  Deer,  and  Orders 
[Ser.  4],  XXX,  no.  16,  Mich.  1771). 

*'''  Simeon  of  Dur,  op.  cit.  1,  83. 

^^  The  *  island  of  Bradbury  *  is  men- 
tioned J  see  The  Isle  below. 

''^  Red  Bk.  Exch.  (Rolls  Ser.),  417. 
The  two  manors  were  held  for  half  a 
knight's  fee  (see  below). 

''  McCaU,  Story  of  ihe  Family  0 
lyandfiforde,  332. 

'^  Ibid.  335-6,  342. 

'5  Ibid. 

"*  He  made  a  grant  to  Bertram,  Prior 
of  Durham,  1189-1212. 

'^a  Surtces,  op.  cit.  i  (i),  cxxviii  ;  D.  in 
the  poss.  of  Canon  Grccnwell,  Bk.  DI 
no.  6. 

"  HatfieWi  Suri>^  (Surt.  Soc),  p.  xv. 


STOCKTON    WARD 


SEDGF.FIELD 


de  Aycrmin,  Bishop  of  Norwich,  then  in  the  king's 
hands.'''  The  next  tenant  whose  name  is  recorded 
is  William  de  la  Pole,  who  had  a  grant  of  free  warren 
here  in  i  347.'"  He  settled  the  manor,  which  was 
held  for  a  quarter  of  a  knight's  fee,''  on  himself  and 
his  wife  Katharine  in  tail,^'^  and  died  in  1365  or 
1366,  leaving  a  son  and  heir  Michael.  Katharine 
died  before  March  1381-2.*"  Michael  was  summoned 
to  Parliament  as  a  baron  in  January  1365-6,  and  was 
created  Earl  of  Suffolk  in  1385.*'  He  was  found 
guilty  of  high  treason  by  Parliament  in  1387-8.*- 
His  son  Michael  in  1391  claimed  the  manor  of 
Bradbury  under  the  settlement  on  William  de  la  Pole,*' 
and  was  created  Earl  of  Suffolk  in  1399.^  He  con- 
veyed the  manors  of  Bradbury,  The  Isle  and  lands  in 
Foxton,  Stillington,  Fishburn,  Bolum,  Preston  on 
Skerne,  and  Great  Chilton  to  feoffees  in  1 396, 
and  died  at  Harfleur  in  141  5,  his  son  Michael  sur- 
viving him  by  only  a  month.*'  The  younger  Michael 
had  three  daughters  and  co-heirs,  Katherine,  Elizabeth 
and  Isabel.  His  heir  male  was  his  brother  William.*^ 
When  Isabel  died  in  142 1  the  manor  was  in  the 
bishop's  hands  on  account  of  the  minority  of  her  sisters 
and  herself"'  Elizabeth  died  in  1422,**  and  in  the 
next  year  Katherine,  at  the  age  of  thirteen,  entered 
the  house  of  the  Minoresses  in  Brusiard  as  a  nun.*' 
William  finally  succeeded,  and  released  the  manor  in 
1434  to  Roger  Thornton  the  younger  of  Newcastle.^" 

Roger  Thornton  died  seised  of  the  manor  in  147 1, 
leaving  a  daughter  and  heir  Elizabeth,  the  wife  of 
George  Lumley,^^  afterwards  Lord  Lumley.  Her  right 
to  her  inheritance  was  disputed  by  her  bastard  brother 
Giles  Thornton,  who  was  slain  by  Lord  Lumley  in  a 
quarrel."-  Bradbury  followed  the  descent  of  Little 
Lumley  till  I  569,  when  John  Lord  Lumley  and  Jane 
his  wife  conveyed  it  to  Sir  George  Bowes  of  Streatlam."' 
Sir  George  Bowes  did  homage  for  the  manor  in  i  578.^^ 
His  son  Sir  William  surrendered  it  to  the  Crown  about 
1586,''  and  in  1606  it  was  granted  to  John  Ramsay 
and  his  heirs.'^  This  grant  was  superseded  by  another 
made  in  1616  or  1 61 7  to  Thomas  Emerson  for  1,000 
years.''  Emerson's  interest  was  acquired  by  Edward 
Manning,  to  whom  a  fresh  grant  was  made  in 
1637-8."*  A  fee-farm  rent  of  _{'550  was  reserved  on 
the  manors  of  Bradbury  and  Hilton." 

In  1653  Edward  and  Henry  Manning  sold  BraJ- 


Ord  of  Sands.  SatU 
three  talmon  rinng  argent 
and  a  quarter  argent. 


bury  to  John  Farrer,  who  with  his  son  of  the  same 

name    sold   half   of   it  in    1670  to  Thomas   Farrer, 

brother  of  the  younger  John."*'     Thomas  Farrer,  son 

of  Thomas,  sold  this  moiety  in  1719  to  Benjamin  Ord 

of  Sedgefield,'  who  also  acquired  the  mansion-house  in 

Sedgetield  called  Sands.^    He  died  in  174 1,  his  fourth 

son  Robert  succeeding  him  at  Sands  and  Sedgefield.' 

Robert's  son   Ralph  ■*  was  one  of  the  landowners  of 

Bradbury  in  1771,  the  other  being  Richard  Wright.' 

Richard    Ord,  fourth    son   of 

Ralph,     purchased    the     Ord 

moiety  from    the    devisees    of 

his  father,  who  died  in  I  806,^ 

and,  having  already  acquired 

the  Wright  moiety,'  took  the 

name  of  Wright  in  1  8  14.*   He 

died    intestate    in    1851,    his 

heir    being    his     brother    the 

Rev.  Ralph  Ord,  who  agreed 

to  sell  the  manor  of  Bradbury 

to  his   nephew  Mark   son   of 

Mark  Ord.     Mark  Ord  died 

in  1863  ;  his  eldest  son  Mark 

died  unmarried  in  1876,  and 

was  succeeded  by  his  brother   Richard,'  who  died  in 

1920  ;   the  present  owners  are  his  daughters,  Mrs. 

G.  F.  Hastings  Ord  and  Miss  Muriel  Ord. 

The  second  moiety  was  inherited  by  Rebecca 
daughter  of  John  Farrer  the  younger  and  wife  of 
Robert  Wren  of  Binchester.'"  Her  son  and  heir 
Farrer  Wren  sold  it  to  Richard  Wright  of  Sedgefield, 
by  whose  will  it  was  left  to  his  grand-nephew  Richard 
Ord,  fourth  son  of  Ralph  Ord  of  Sands."  Richard 
united  the  first  moiety  to  this  by  purchase  about 
1806.12 

John  Claxton  died  seised  of  a  messuage  and  1 00  acres 
in  Bradbury  in  or  before  1392,  the  reversion  of  which 
belonged  to  William  de  Claxton  of  Claxton  and 
Isabella  his  wife."  Before  the  death  of  Isabella  a 
cert.'.in  Thomas  Cook  claimed  and  entered  upon  this 
land.'^ 

About  1183  BUTTERlf'ICK  (Baterwyk,  xii  cent.) 
was  held  of  the  bishop  in  drengage  '*  by  a  tenant 
whose  name  is  not  given  in  the  entry  in  Boldon  Book 
dealing  with  Butterwick  itself.  Under  Sedgefield, 
however,  it  is  recorded  that  Utred  de  Butterwick  paid 


"  Ca!.  Par.  1327-30,  pp.  65,  241. 

^'  Dep.  Keeper' I  Rep.  xxxi,   I  54. 

'^  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  77  d., 
150  ;   no.  4,  fol.  35. 

'9  Cal.  Pat.  158S-92,  p.  517. 

'"  Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  150. 

"  G.E.C.  Peerage,  vii,  303. 

"  Ibid.  304  ;  Chan.  Inq.  p.m.  I  5  Ric.  II, 
pt.  i,  no.  1 14. 

«»  Cal.  Par.  1388-92,  p.  517. 

^  G.E.C.  Peerage,  vii,  305. 

"  Close  R.  19  Ric.  II,  m.  8  d.  ;  Dur. 
Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  174  d.,  184.  Both 
widows  had  dower  (Dtp.  Keeper's  Rep. 
xxxiii,  1 10). 

*•  Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  184. 

"  Ibid.  fol.  221  d. 

*8  Ibid.  fol.  222. 

»'  Ibid.  fol.  223. 

*■  Ibid.  R.  36,  m.  7.  Roger  had  at  the 
same  time  a  conveyance  from  the  trustees 
of  Mich.iel  de  la  Pole  (ibid.). 

»'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  4,  fol.  3;.  The 
manor  was  extended  at  10  messuages,  1  1 
cottages,    350    acres   of   arable    land,    44 


acres  of  meadow,  300  acres  of  pasture 
and  swamp,  and  71.  9^.^.  rent  from 
various  free  tenements  here  and  at  Pres- 
ton on  Skerne. 

*>  G.E.C.  Peerage,  v,  177. 

»  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  I  (2).  He 
made  a  conveyance  of  the  manor  and 
lands  to  Edmund  Groxh;im  in  I  572  (ibid.). 

•>'  Ibid.  cl.  3,  R.  8^,  m.  I. 

^•'  Pat.  30  Eliz.  pt.  xvi,  m.  I  ;  Exch. 
Dep.  Spec.  Com.  no.  760.  It  was  sur- 
veyed in  that  year  by  the  queen's  com- 
missioners, probably  with  a  view  to  pur- 
chase. 

**  Pat.  4  Jas.  I,  pt.  viii. 

'•  Cal.  S.  P.  Dom.  1637-S,  p.  14-. 

»  Ibid. 

^  Ibid.  The  reversion  of  this  rent 
after  the  death  of  Katherine  Queen 
Dowager  and  George  Marquess  of  Hali- 
fax was  granted  in  1695  to  Henry  Earl 
of  Romncy  (Pat.  7  Will.  Ill,  pt.  ii, 
no.  12). 

'™  Surtecs,  op.  cit.  lii,  40. 

'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  1 2,  no.  10  (4). 


*  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  41. 
'  Ibid.  42. 

*  Ibid.  Robert  was  struck  dead  by 
lightning    in     1761     [Gent.    Mag.     1761, 

P-  3  34)- 

'  Exch.  Dec.  and  Orders  (Ser.  4),  xxx 
no.  7  (Mich.  1771). 

'  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  40,  42. 

'  See  below. 

'  PhiUimore  and  Ft)',  Changes  of  Name 

354- 

'  D.  in  the  poss.  of  the  Earl  of  Eldoo  ; 
Burke,  Landed  Gentry. 

*^  Surtecs,  op.  cit.  iii,  40.  A  lawsuit 
concerning  Bradbur>'  was  proceeding  in 
1 720—6  between  Mary  Farrer,  spinster, 
and  Robert  Wren  and  others  (Dur.  Rec. 
cl.  8,  no.  29).  Rebecca  Wren  left  the 
interest  of  ^^30  to  the  poor  of  the  parish 
in  1744  (Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  59). 

"  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  40. 

'*  See  above. 

"  Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  115. 

"  Ibid.  fol.  201  d.,  256  d. 
y.C.H.  Dur.i,  331. 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


half  3  mark  for  the  land  which  he  held  there.'^  It 
seems  probable  that  Utrcd  was  the  dreng,  and  tli.it  he 
was  responsible  to  the  bishop  for  the  services  of  the 
villeins — that  is,  32/.  gj.  cornage,  one  milch  cow, 
8  scot  chalders  of  malt  and  the  same  measure  of  meal 
and  o.its  ;   he  also  owed  certain  hunting  services. '^ 

At  some  time  in  the  first  half  of  the  I  3th  century 
the  drengage  tenant,  Roger  son  of  William  de 
Butterwick,  released  all  claim  to  the  vill  to  William 
son  of  William  de  Sadberge.  Bishop  Nicholas 
Farnham  (i  24.1-9)  took  this  opportunity  of  chang- 
ing the  tenure,  and  granted  the  vill  to  William 
at  a  free  rent  of  10  marks."  William  de  Sadberge 
granted  the  vill  to  his  nephew  Robert  son  of  Richard 
de  Hoton,  liis  brother  Hugh  confirming  the  grant. '° 
About  1335  John  do  Hoton  died  seised  of  the  manor 
of  Butterwick,  held  in  chief  for  10  marks  rent.""  His 
heir  w.is  his  brother  Robert,  possibly  identical  with  the 
Robert  de  Stainton  whose  widow  Joan  held  a  third  of 
the  manor  in  dower  in  1  378  of  the  inheritance  of  John 
son  of  Robert  de  Butterwick. 2'  John  de  Butterwick 
was  dead  in  the  next  year.-^  His  heirs  and  the  heirs  of 
Joan  were  Joan  the  wife  of  Henry  Pillokand  her  sister 
Anne  the  wife  of  John  de  Rome.-''  Joan  Pillok  died 
a  tew  months  later  seised  of  a  moiety  of  the  manor, 
which  passed  to  her  sister."^  Anne  probably  married 
as  her  second  husband  William  de  Horsley,  for  in 
1408  land  in  Butterwick  was  held  of  William  de 
Horsley  and  Anne  his  wife,^''  and  in  1428  they  con- 
veyed the  manor  to  William  Bcllasis  and  Cecily  his 
wife,  who  agreed  to  pay  them  an  annuity  of  4  marks 
during  the  life  of  Anne.-"  William  Bellasis  granted 
Butterwick  in  1 436  to  his  sister  Catharine  :ind  her 
husband  William  Young  of 
Acklington  (co.  Northumb.) 
and  the  issue  of  Catharine 
with  reversion  to  himself.^' 
William  Belasis  of  Henknowle 
granted  the  reversion  in  1462 
to  Richard  Bainbridge,-'*  to 
whom  in  1469  Roger  Young, 
son  of  Catharine,  conveyed  the 
manor. -^  Richard  Bainbridge, 
who  died  in  I498,-'''  had  a 
son  and  heir  John  Bainbridge 
of  Snotterton  in  Staindrop 
parish.  Butterwick  then  fol- 
lowed the  descent  of  Snotter- 
ton in  the  Bainbridge  family"  till  1573,  when  George 
Bainbridge  conveyed  it  to  Gerald  Salvin  of  Croxdale.'- 


^~^ 


Salvin.       ^-trgent     ii 

chief   iiii/le     xtitA     rufo 
rno.'ers  or  therein. 


Since  that  date  Butterwick  has  remained  in  the  posses 
sion  of  the  Salvins  of  Croxdale  ^'  (q.v.),  Mr.  Gerard 
Salvin  being  the  present  owner. 

The  land  of  St.  Katharine's  ch.mtry  in  Butterwick 
was  granted  in  I  591  to  Edmund  Downing  and  Roger 
Rant,  the  fishing  grantees.''^  They  sold  it  to  William 
Fisher,  who  conveyed  it  to  Anthony  Wood  of  York.^' 
In  1612  Anthony  Wood  sold  his  estate  in  Butterwick 
to  Ralph  Butler,^''  lord  of  Oldacres  (q.v.).  It 
subsequently  descended  with  Oldacres.^" 

In  1199  King  John  confirmed  EMBLETON 
(Elmedon  to  xvii  cent.)  to  Gilbert  de  Hansard,  whose 
father  Gilbert  had  held  it  by  grant  of  John  de  Lacy, 
Constable  of  Chester.''*  The  descendants  of  John  de 
l^acy,  afterwards  Earls  of  Lincoln,'"*  retained  an  over- 
lordship.'"'  In  1290  Gilbert  Hansard  granted  to  his 
son  Robert  the  manor  of  Newton  Hansard  with  the 
vills  of  Embleton  and  Swainston.'"  A  large  part  of 
the  vill  must  have  been  already  in  the  hands  of  free 
tenants,  one  of  whom  was  probably  the  William  son 
of  Jordan  de  Embleton  who  witnessed  this  deed,'" 
but  twenty  messuages,  40  oxgangs,  80  acres  of  meadow 
and  100  acres  of  moor  followed  the  descent  of  Newton 
Hansard  into  the  possession  of  John  Nevill  of  Raby.*' 
He  granted  this  holding  before  1400  to  the  Emble- 
ton family,''^  who  thus  became  tenants  of  practically 
the  whole  vill. 

The  first  Embleton  about  whom  anything  definite 
is  known  was  William,  who  died  in  or  about  1339 
seised  of  one  messuage  5  oxgangs  in  Embleton  held  of 
the  Earl  of  Lincoln,  one  messuage  3  oxgangs  held  of 
the  heirs  of  Gilbert  de  Heworth,  and  one  messuage, 
10  oxgangs,  a  garden,  and  eight  mesSu.iges,  16  oxgangs, 
all  held  of  the  heirs  of  Gilbert  Hansard.'"  His  son 
and  heir  William''^  married,  apparently  as  his  second 
wife,  Joan,  one  of  the  daughters  and  co-heirs  of  John 
Randolf,'"^  and  it  was  her  inheritance  in  East  Brandon, 
Holywell  (q.v.)  and  elsewhere  which  was  granted  to 
(ohn  Nevill  in  exchange  for  his  land  in  Embleton.^' 
In  1366  William  made  a  settlement  on  himself  and 
Joan  and  their  issue  of  the  manor  ofTursdale  in  Kelloe 
parish,  with  remainder  to  his  sons  William  and 
Thomas  and  their  issue  successively. '"'■'  John,  another 
son  of  William,  released  all  claim  on  Tursdale  to 
William  and  Joan  in  1371.'"  It  appears  from  the 
inquisition  on  William's  death  taken  in  or  about  1400 
that  twenty-four  messuages,  80  oxgangs  and  50  acres 
of  meadow  in  Embleton  had  been  settled  in  tail  like 
the  manor  ofTursdale,  \\hile  the  land  purchased  from 
John  Nevill  was  held  by  William  for  life  only,  as  of 


'•  r.C.H.  Dur.  i,    330. 

"  Ibid.  331. 

"■  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  50  (from  original 
charters), 

'»  Ibid. 

*>  Dur.  Rtc.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  8. 

•'  Ibid,  and  fol.  99.  "  Ibid.  fol.  99. 

"  Ibid.  fols.  8,  99,  102. 

'*  Ibid.  fol.  102.  Henry  was  still  living 
in  1391  (D.  in  poss.  of  Canon  Greenwell, 
Bk.  DI,  no.  56). 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  165.  The 
coroner's  roll  of  141 3  gives  William 
Horsley  as  tenant  of  Butterwiclc  (Eccl. 
Coram.  Rec.  188879). 

«  far.  Coll.  (Hist.  MSS.  Com.),  ii,  18  ; 
cf.  Eccl.  Comm.  Rec.  18889;. 

*'  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  50. 

"  Ibid.  ;  cf.  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  169, 
no.  J  6. 


'^  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

'"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  169,  no.  33. 

"  Ibid,  file  173,  no.  40  ;  file  174,  no. 
26  ;  file  177,  no.  105  ;  no.  6,  fol.  27  ; 
R.  61,  m.  25  ;  R.  62,  m.  4  ;  R.  68, 
m.  31. 

"Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  1  (2);  Dtp. 
Keeper^ s  Rep.  xxxvii,  91. 

■*^  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  193,  nos.  16, 
22  ;  Rec.  Cum.  for  Co^np.  (Surt.  See), 
I  3  ;  Com.  Pleas  D.  Enr.  Hil.  25  Geo.  II, 
m.  52. 

"  Pat.  1372,  m.  18. 

^*  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  50. 

"Ibid.;     Dur.    Rec.     cl.    12,    no.    2 

(3)'. 

^'  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

"  C<j/.  Rat.  Chart.  1199-1216  (Rec. 
Com.),  23. 

"  G.E.C.  Peerage,  T,  90  et  seq. 


«  Reg.  Valat.  Diinelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  ii, 
1237  J  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  18  d., 
147,  179  d. 

*'  Reg.  PaLit.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  ii, 
1237. 

"Ibid.  1238.  Jordan  de  Embleton, 
son  of  Ralf,  and  Dcnise  his  wife  acquired 
land  in  Kelloe  in  1256  (D.  in  poss.  of 
Canon  Greenwell,  Bk.  DI,  no.  6). 

^^  Madox,  Form.  Atigl.  no,  380. 

"  Dur.    Rec.    cl.    3,  no,    2,    fol,    147, 
179  d.  J  ice  below. 
,«»  Ibid.  fol.  i8d. 

"  Ibid. 

"  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xlv,  254. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no,  2,  fol,  I79d. 

*5  Ibid.  R.  31,  m.  I. 

»"  Ibid.  m.  3  d.  'William  was  sheriff 
of  Durham  in  1375  (Thornley  D.  penei 
Canon  Greenwell,  no.  18). 


326 


STOCKTON    WARD 


SEDGE  FIELD 


the  inheritance  of  Thomas  de  Embleton.^'  Thus,  of 
William's  three  sons,  John,  the  heir  at  his  death,  was 
disinherited  ;  William  must  have  died  between  1366 
and  1399,  for  Thomas  son  of  William  and  Joan  had 
livery  of  his  father's  lands  in  May  1400.*-  He  was 
dead  in  August  1 4 1 6,  leaving  a  son  and  heir  William,*' 
who  gr.inted  the  manor  in  1440'*  to  William  liowes 
and  other  trustees  without  licence.  William  liowes 
and  his  co-feofFees  regranted  the  manor  to  William 
Embleton  before  1447,  when  he  died  seised,  leaving 
a  son  William,  a  minor."  In  1450  the  manor  was 
conveyed  for  assurance  of  title  by  William  Bowes  and 
his  co-feoffees  to  the  bishop,  who  in  the  same  year 
granted  it  to  William  Embleton  and  his  issue.*''  The 
younger  William  married  Margaret  Claxton  before 
1450  and  made  a  settlement  on  himself  and  liis  issue 
in  January  1489-90.  He  was  succeeded  by  his  son 
another  William,  who  died  in  1505.*'  Elizabeth  wife 
of  William  Bulmer,  daughter  of  the  last  William,  was 
his  heir." 

Embleton  now  followed  the  descent  of  Tursdale 
in  the  Bulmer  family  till  1628,  when  Sir  Bertram 
Bulmer  and  his  son  William  sold  60  acres  of  arable, 
100  of  meadow  and  160  of  pasture  to  Sir  Thomas 
Tempest,^*  a  further  alienation  of  100  acres  of 
arable  land  and  a  considerable  amount  of  meadow 
and  pasture  being  made  to  .Sir  William  (jascoigne  in 
168 1. ^'-^  In  1638  Isabel  widow  of  Sir  Bertram 
Bulmer,  her  son  William  and  Dorothy  his  wife 
alienated  to  John  Smith,  husband  of  William's  sister 
Margaret,''''  60  acres  of  arable  and  400  acres  of 
meadow  and  pasture.'''  His  estates  in  Embleton, 
known  as  Low  Embleton  and  Whinhouse,  were 
sequestered  in  1644-5.^-  They  belonged  in  1667 
and  1689  to  his  son  Sir  Edward  Smith,  first  baronet, 
of  Esh."'     Their  later  history  is  uncertam. 

The  rest  of  the  manor,  known  as  High  Embleton 
and  including  the  manor-house,  belonged  in  1644-5 
to  Anthony  Bulmer,  younger  brother  of  William, 
for  whose  delinquency  it  was  sequestered.^^  Anthony 
seems  to  have  held  for  life  only,  for  High  Embleton 
belonged  in  1667  to  his  nephew  Anthony  Bulmer,  son 
and  heir-apparent  of  William,'''  who  in  that  year  con- 
veyed to  John  Hickson,  Robert  Surtees  of  Ryton  and 
George  Surtees  of  Colt  Parke.''''  Crosier  Surtees '"  sold 
his  part  in  the  late  i  8th  century  to  William  Wrightson 
of  Sedgefield,  who  sold  it  to  John  Willis.''*     George 


Willis,  son  of  John,  was  the  owner  in  1823  "  and  his 
representative  in  1857.™  The  Marquess  of  London- 
derry is  now  the  principal  landowner. 

The  family  of  Fishburn  which  held  the  manor  of 
FISHBURN  (Fisshcburne,  xiv  cent.)  were  presumably 
the  heirs  of  William  de  Fishburn,  who  had  a  knight's 
fee  in  the  bishopric  in  I  1 66."'  Ranulf  de  Fishburn 
witnessed  charters  of  the  late  12th  century,  and  Ralph 
de  Fishburn  answered  for  the  knight's  fee  in  the 
middle  of  the  13th  century.'*^  Sir  Ranulf  de 
Fishburn  was  living  in  1256  and  was  possibly 
identical  with  the  Sir  Randolf  de  Fishburn,  living 
here,  who  was  one  of  the  knights  of  the  bishopric  in 
1264.'^  In  1339  land  in  Fishburn  was  held  of  John 
de  Fishburn."  Ranulph  de  Fishburn,  presumably 
his  heir,  died  in  or  before  i  349  seised  of  one  messuage 
and  100  acres  with  the  'lordship'  held  in  chief  by 
homage  and  fealty  and  half  a  knight's  fee.'^  His 
daughters  and  co-heirs  were  Margaret  and  Elizabeth, 
who  paid  relief  in  1350."  They  seem  to  have  sold 
Fishburn  to  William  Claxton  of  Claxton  (q.v.),  who 
died  in  or  about  1380  seised  of  the  reversion  of  the 
manor,  of  which  he  had  enfeoffed  John  de  Claxton  for 
life.  It  was  charged  with  an  annuity  to  Elizabeth 
and  Margaret  de  Fishburn."''  Robert  de  Claxton, 
William's  grandson  and  last  male  heir,"'  granted  the 
manor  in  1476  to  Ralph  Claxton  and  Elizabeth  his 
wife  for  their  lives. "^  Elizabeth  survived  Ralph  and 
lived  till  1500,  when  Fishburn  reverted  to  the 
daughters  and  co-heirs  of  Robert  Claxton."  It  was 
subsequently  held  in  thirds  by  the  representatives  of 
three  of  the  daughters,  Margaret  wife  of  William 
Embleton,  Elizabeth  wife  first  of  Richard  Conyers  and 
then  of  Robert  Pilkington,  and  Phyllis  wife  of  R.ilph 
Widdrington.'* 

The  share  of  Margaret  followed  the  descent  of 
Embleton  (q.v.)  into  the  possession  of  the  Bulmer 
family.  In  1602  Bertram  Bulmer  conveyed  it  to 
John  Ord,"'  who  died  in  possession  in  1625,  leaving  a 
son  and  heir  Bertram.'-  In  1649  Bertram  Ord 
granted  all  his  lands  in  Fishburn  to  Cleinent  Woodifield 
of  Mainsforth.  John  Woodifield  acquired  60  acres 
of  me.idow  and  pasture  land  from  William  Crags  and 
Margaret  his  wife  in  1658.*'  In  1695  John 
Woodifield  and  Jane  his  wife  conveyed  a  messuage,  a 
mill  and  2  acres  in  Fishburn  to  Laurence  Sourby, 
and  in   i  709  John  Woodifield  of  Fishburn  acquired 


■^'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  147. 

"  Ibid.  R.  33,  m.  23  ;  no.  z,  fol.  ly^A. 
In  a  plea  of  1448-g  William  de  Elmedcn, 
maker  of  the  settlement,  is  said  to  have 
been  succeeded  by  his  son  William  and 
he   by  his  son   Thomas  (ibid.  R.  47,  m. 

14-1  0- 

"Ibid.  no.  /,  fol.  179  d.  ;  R.  35, 
ra.  12. 

"Ibid.  R.  46,  m.  6;  tile  164, 
no.  42. 

"  Ibid,  file  164,  no.  83  ;  R.  47,  m. 
14-15. 

••  Ibid.  R.  46,  m.  6  ;  cf.  m.  15,  17  d.  ; 
file  164,  no.  83  ;  Def>.  Keeper  i  Rep.  xxxiv, 
202,  245  ;  Surtees,  op.  cit.  187-8. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  44,  m.  11  ;  tile 
171,  no.  2. 

*^  Ibid.  She  and  her  second  husband, 
Anthony  Preston,  held  the  manor  in  1550 
(Dur.  Rec.  cl.  I :,  no.  i   [i]). 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  i  (1),  no.  4 
(2)  ;  cl.  3,  R.  102,  no.  27. 

*'»  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  iz,  no.  4  (2). 


*■  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  192,  no.  63  j 
file  193,  no.  I  5. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  I2,  no.  5  (i)  ;  cl.  3, 
R.  109,  no.  50. 

^■^  Re<.  Com.  for  Comp.  (Surt.  Soc),   II, 

33.  37,  34+- 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  117,  no.  ii  ; 
Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  54  j  G.E.C.  Baronetage^ 
iii,  166. 

^«  R,\.  Com.  for  Comp.  (Surt.  Soc),  25, 

'37- 

**  Surtees,  op.  cit.  i,  79  ;  Dur.  Rec. 
cl.  3,  R.  117,  no.  II. 

*=  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  117,  no.  II. 

''  See  .Mainsforth  in  Bishop  Middle- 
ham. 

'"''  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  54. 

«»  Ibid. 

'**  Fordvcc,  op.  cit.  ii,  346. 

'»  Re  J  '  Bk.  of  Exeh.  (Rolls  Ser.), 
417. 

"' FicJ.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc), 
19  n.,  53  ;i.,  124  n.  ;  Surtees,  op.  cit.  i  (i), 
p.  cxxviii  i  Egerton  Chart.  514. 


''  D.  in  the  poss.  of  Canon  Greenwell, 
Bk.   DI,   no.   6  ;  Haifield'i  Surv.    (Surt. 

Soc),   p.  XT, 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  17.  John 
died  in  or  about  1392  (ibid.  fol.  115). 

'*  Ibid.  fol.  36  d. 

['  Ibid.  R.  12,  fol.  31. 

"'  Ibid.  no.  2,  fol.  100  d.,  115. 

'"  See  Claxton. 

"'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  i6~,  no.  32  ; 
file  169,  no.  I  3. 

•^  Ibid,  file  169,  no.  47. 

»  Ibid.  R.  62,  m.  8  ;  cf.  Claxton. 

■*'  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  51.  He  was 
lord  of  a  third  of  the  manor  in  161 8 
(Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  1S4,  no.  105). 

^  Dur.  Rec  cl.  3,  file  189,  no.  137. 

"  Surtees,  loc.  cit.  (from  title  deeds)  ; 
Dur.  Rec  cl.  12,  no.  5  (3).  Robert 
Farrow  and  Anne  his  wife  had  conveyed 
a  messuage,  a  garden  and  66  acres  of 
arable,  meadow  and  pasture  land  here  to 
William  Woodifield  in  1635  (Dur.  Rec. 
cl.  12,  no.  4  [3]). 


A   HISTORY  OF   DURHAM 


the  manor  of  Trimdon  *■*  (q.v.).  His  daughter  and 
heir  Elizabeth  married  William  Beck\Yith/'^  and  tliij 
part  of  the  manor  has  descended  with  Triradon  to  the 
present  owner,  Mr.  H.  J.  Beckwith  of  Millichope  Park, 
Salop.»« 

Elizabeth  Claxton  had  by  her  first  husband  a  son 
Robert  Conycrs,  who  succeeded  her  in  1507.'*'^  In 
I  530  her  part  of  the  manor  was  held  by  Christopher 
Conyers  of  Horden,  son  of  Robert.*"*  Before  1559, 
however,  it  was  alienated  by  the  Horden  branch  to 
Cuthbert  Conyers  of  Layton."  It  followed  the  de- 
scent of  Layton,  and  was  left 
by  Ralph  Conyers  ^^  in  1 6.}  2 
to  be  sold  for  the  benefit  of 
his  daughter  Eleanor,  who 
was  both  '  a  papist  and  a 
recusant.'  "  It  was  still  unsold 
in  1644,  when  it  was  seques- 
tered among  the  possessions  of 
Colonel  Cuthbert  Conyers.'-" 
In  1658  John  Conyers  of 
Layton  and  Nicholas  Conyers 
of  Bowlby,  his  cousin,^^  sold 
all  their  land  in  Fishburn,  late 
of  Sir  Ralph  Conyers,  to 
John  Woodifield  and  Richard 

Wright.'"  The  estate  was  still  under  sequestration,'* 
and  it  is  not  certain  that  the  purch.isers  came  into 
actual  possession.  It  seems  probable,  however,  that 
this  sale  united  the  Conyers'  share  of  the  manor  to 
that  of  the  Bulmcrs  and  that  it  subsequently  descended 
in  the  Woodifield  and  Beckwith  families. 

The  third  share  followed  the  descent  of  Haswell  in 
Easington  (q.v.)  in  the  Widdringlon  fimily."''  John 
Widdrington  died  seised  of 
it  in  1 57 1,  leaving  a  son 
and  heir  Henry.'"  In 
1572  a  settlement  was  made 
by  Henry  and  his  brothers 
Robert  and  William  Widd- 
rington.'"* In  I  581  or  1582 
Robert  Widdrington  did 
homage  for  this  third.''''  It 
was  perhaps  sold  by  him  to 
Robert  Farrow,  who  held  it  in 
161 8    and     died     seised     in 


CoNYKRS  of  Layton. 
A-zuTt  a  ilee've  or  ivitk 
the  difference  of  a  molet 
gules. 


162 


His  son  Robert  died 


W  I  D  D*R  I  N  G  T  O  N . 

Quarterly     argent     and 
gulet  a  hend  :ahk. 


Chaytor  of  Croft, 
b.ironet.  Party  bend- 
iviie  daneelty  argent  and 
azure  four  ijuatrejhils 
counter-coiouredt 


a  few  months  later,  leaving  a 

son  and    heir    another    Robert,'    who,   according  to 

Surtees,  made  a  settlement  of  his  Fishburn  lands  in 


1632  and  died  in  1674.=  He  is  said  to  have  been 
succeeded  by  a  son  Nicholas  who  died  in  1688,  a 
grandson  Nicholas  who  died  in  1 710,  and  a  great- 
grandson  Nicholas  who  died  in  1759.'  Nicholas 
Chilton,  nephew  of  the  last  owner,  inherited  the  estate,* 
which  in  1834  belonged  to  Farrow  Chilton.'  Miss 
Chilton  of  Fishburn  H.ill  died  in  1839."  ^^" 
estate  belonged  in  1857  to  Robert  Hall  Nayler  and 
John  Giles.'  In  1878  the  property  was  acquired  by 
the  Chaytor  family.  Sir  Wal- 
ter Chaytor,  bart.,  of  Croft, 
was  succeeded  in  191  3  by  his 
brother  Sir  Edmund  H.  Chay- 
tor, who  is  owner  of  Fishburn 
Hall,  now  a  farm  house,  and 
land  here. 

A  holding  in  Fishburn  con- 
sisting of  100  acres  of  arable 
land  and  2  acres  of  meadow 
belonged  in  the  middle  of  the 
14th  century  to  William  de  la 
Pole,  who  held  it  of  the  Fish- 
burn family  for  a  pound  of 
pepper.'  It  followed  the  de- 
scent of    Bradbury    (q.v.)    in 

the  de  la  Pole,  Thornton  and  Lumley  families' 
till  January  1557-8,  when  John  Lord  Lumley 
granted  his  estate  here  to  Robert  Ayton.'**  Ten  years 
before  Robert  Ayton  had  had  a  grant  of  660  acres  of 
arable  1  md,  meadow,  pasture  and  moor  here  from 
Thomas  Burtcm  and  Gr.ice  his  wife  and  Ralph  F'ish- 
burn."  He  died  in  I  5  58,  leaving  daughters  and  heirs 
Alice  and  Elizabeth.'^  Alice  was  the  wife  of  Robert 
Farrow,  who  later  acquired  one-third  of  the  manor, 
and  her  share  was  settled  on  Robert  F'arro\v  jun.,  son 
of  Robert,  in  1571.'^  It  subsequently  followed  the 
descent  of  the  Farrow  lands  as  above  described.  Eliza- 
beth married  William  Heighington,'^  and  left  a  son 
and  heir  Richard.''^  In  1599  Richard  and  his  wife 
Eleanor  with  John  Girlington  and  Christian  his  wife 
sold  si.x  messuages  and  800  acres  of  arable  land, 
meadow  and  pasture  to  Joan  Lee,  widow,"'  whose  son 
was  described  as  'of  Fishburn'  in  1615."'  John 
Lee  with  Robert  Ridllngton  and  Jane  his  wife  in 
1629  conveyed  some  590  acres  of  arable,  meadow  and 
pasture  land  here  to  Sir  Robert  Blndloss  kt.,  whose 
lands  here  were  sequestered  in  1645.""  The  later 
history  of  this  estate  is  uncertain.  Some  land  in 
F'ishburn  was  retained  by  Richard  Heighington,  who 
settled  it  on  his  son  Henry  in  1601.'^     Jane  daughter 


^*  Surtees,  op.  cit.  i,  105  ;  Dur.  Rec. 
cl.  12,  no.  14  (4). 

^*  Surtees,  op.  cit. 

'^  Burke,  Landed  Gentry. 

*'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  tile  171,  nn. 
10. 

**  Ibid,  file  177,  no.  5;  Surtees,  op. 
cit.  i,  28. 

*'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  6,  fol.  51. 

»»  Tenant  in  1618  (Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3, 
file  184,  no.  105). 

^^  Rec.  Com.  for  Comf}.  (Surt.  Soc), 
1 1. 

"  Ibid. 

^*  See  below,  Layton. 

^^  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  51  n. 

9S  Ibid. 

'^  Defi.  Keeper's  Ref>.  xxxvi,  110;  Dur. 
Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  3,  lol.  4;. 

^'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  191,  no.  66. 


"Ibid.  cl.  12,  no.  I  (2);  risit.  of 
Voth.  (Harl.  Soc),  349. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  85,  m.  7. 

'«'  Ibid,  file  189,  no.  71  ;  file  184, 
no.  105.  Henry  made  a  conveyance  of 
the  manor  in  1572  (Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12, 
no.  I   [2]). 

'  Ibid,  file  189,  no.  77. 

'-  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  52.  He  made  a 
conveyance  of  a  third  of  the  manor  to 
Jerrard  Pearson  and  John  Myers  in  1632 
(Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  107,  no.  i;  ;  cl.  12, 
no.  4  [2]). 

'  Surtees,  loc.  cit.  ;  Fordyce,  op.  cit.  ii, 

347- 

<  Ibid. 

^  Mackenzie  and  Ross,  I'ieiv  of  Co. 
Paint,  of  Dur.  i,  440. 

'  Fordvce,  op.  cit.  ii,  347. 

'  Ibid.' 

328 


**  Dep,  Keeper'i  Rep,  xxxi,  96  ;  Dur. 
Rec.  cl.  7,,  no.  2,  fol.  77  d. 

8  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  150, 
174  d.,  184,  221  d.  ;  no.  4,  fol.  35  ;  no.  3, 
fol.  5,  8. 

'"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  i  (i). 

'>  Ibid. 

>2  Ibid.  cl.  3,  file  178,  no.  52, 

'8  Ibid.  12,  no.  I  (2). 

>*  Ibid. 

'*  Foster,  op.  cit.  16  v 

^^  Surtees,  op.  cit.  ill,  52  j  cf.  Dur. 
Rec.  cl.  3,  file  184,  no.  105, 

'''  Foster,  op.  cit.  211. 

^"a  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  4  (2)  ;  Rec, 
Com.  for  Comp.  (Surt.  Soc),  25. 

'^  Surtees,  loc.  cit.  Henry  Heighington 
had  done  homage  for  land  in  Fishburn 
twenty-four  years  before  {Dep.  Keeper's 
Rep.  xxxvii,  95). 


STOCKTON    WARD 


SEDGEFIELD 


and  heir  of  Henry  married  Robert  Mason."  Land 
here  charged  for  a  charitable  purpose  by  William 
Mason  in  i6g6  belonged  in  1830  to  John  Chilton, 
John  Richardson  and  William  licckwith.""  Jane, 
Anne  and  Joan  Mason,  spinsters,  conveyed  120  acres 
in  Fishburn  to  George  Wardell  in  1722.'' 

In  or  about  1350  John  Heron  died  seised  of  a 
messuage  and  6  oxgangs  in  Fishburn  held  of  the  lord 
of  Fishburn  by  a  rent  of  2/.^^  This  holding  subse- 
quently descended  with  the  manor  of  Great  Chilton 
in  Merrington  parish  (q.v.)  in  the  families  of  Boys 
and  Bowes  till  the  1 6th  century."'  In  1524  Margery 
Bowes  died  holding  the  Bowes  moiety  in  dower,  the 
reversion  belonging  to  her  grandson  George  Bowes. "^ 
Before  1558  this  had  been  acquired  by  Robert  Ayton," 
the  descent  of  whose  l.inds  '^^  it  subsequently  fol- 
lowed. Robert  Ayton  was  also  seised  of  a  messuage 
and  80  acres  held  of  the  heirs  of  Robert  Claxton 
for  a  rent  of  1 21/.,  which  may  represent  the  Boyes' 
moiety.-'"* 

Two  messuages  and  230  acres  of  arable,  meadow 
and  pasture  in  Fishburn  were  acquired  in  1633  by 
Richard  Read,  sen.  and  jun.,  from  Thomas  Bone  and 
Margaret  his  wife,  who  had  purchased  them  from 
John  and  Margery  Eden.^' 

Another  unconnected  conveyance  is  that  of  two 
messuages  and  600  acres  made  by  Edward  Shippcrdson 
and  Margaret  his  wife  in  right  of  Margaret  to  William 
Pye  in  1741.'" 

Land  in  Fishburn  which  had  belonged  to  the 
collegiate  church  of  St.  Andrew,  Auckland,  was  con- 
veyed in  1607  by  Anthony  Cradocke  and  William 
Williamson  to  Lionel  Ord  of  Fishburn,"  who  granted 
it  in  the  next  year  to  his  son  Mark  Ord.'-  In  1699 
part  of  this  land  was  sold  by  William  Ord  to  Richard 
Thompson  of  BiUingham.'' 

In  1359  the  'lordship'  of  the  vill  of  FOXTON 
(Foxden  to  xvi  cent.),  with  los.  rent  from  free 
tenants,  was  held  in  chief  by  Thomas  de  Seton,'^ 
whose  grandson  John  de  Carrow  died  in  possession  of 
the  rent  in  or  about  1386.'^  His  heirs,  the  families 
of  Seton  and  Sayer,'^  continued  to  hold  the  manorial 
rights  here.''  Thomas  Seton  conveyed  his  share  to 
William    Hoton    of    Hardwick    in    1426.'*       John 


Sayer  of  Worsall  (Yorks.)  received  a  rent  of  9/.  from 
land  in  Foiton  as  late  as  1635." 

William  de  la  Pole  received  a  grant  of  free  land 
on  his  land  here  and  elsewhere  in  1 346,  and  the 
tenants  in  demesne  of  the  land  in  the  vill  of  Foxton  in 
1387  were  Michael  de  la  Pole,  who  paid  a  rent  of  2/., 
John  Elstob,  who  paid  6s.  61I.,  Robert  Elstob,  who  paid 
J!.,  and  Richard  Raper,  who  paid  4/.  6J*"  The  Elstob 
family,  the  nucleus  of  whose  holding  may  have  been 
land  granted  by  Walter  and  his  son  Robert  de 
Bervcclose  to  John  Elstob  in  1302,'"  seem  to  have  ac- 
quired by  degrees  most  of  the  vill.  In  the  early  i  5th 
century  *^  John  Elstob  bought  a  messuage  and  36  acres 
of  land  from  Walterde  Bcaulieu  and  a  messuage  and  24 
acres  from  Thomas  Dyson.'"  These  lands  were  given 
by  a  John  Elstob""  to  his  son  Robert,  who  in  1454 
conveyed  them  to  John  Chapman. *'  William  Elstob, 
probably  an  elder  son  of  John  and  head  of  the  family, 
then  put  in  a  claim.  The  matter  was  submitted  to 
arbitration,  with  the  result  that  John  Chapman  retained 
the  lands  for  life,  with  reversion  in  default  of  his  issue 
to  William  Elstob. ""^ 

Between  1470  and  1535  the  lands  in  Foxton  held 
in  1387  by  Michael  de  la  Pole,  which  amounted  to 
1 1  5  acres  and  2  oxgangs  and  had  descended  with  the 
manor  of  Bradbury  ""  (q.v.),  came  into  the  possession 
of  the  Elstob  family.  Ralph  Elstob,  son  of  Robert  and 
perhaps  grandson  of  William, 

married  Elizabeth  daughter  of       

John  Sayer  of  Worsall  and  was 
the  tenant  in  1535.""'  John  his 
son  and  heir^^  made  an  agree- 
ment in  1542  not  to  dispose  of 
his  lands  without  the  consent 
of  John  Sayer.*"  John  Elstob 
died  in  1600  or  1601,  leaving 
a  son  and  heir  also  called 
John  *'  ;  his  lands  in  Foxton 
were  extended  at  2  2  8  acres  and 
2  oxgangs.^'  Charles  Elstob, 
son  of  the  younger  John,*' 
compounded    for    his    estates 

herein  1645.**     He  died  in  1666  and  was  succeeded 
by  his  son  John,'*  whose  son  John  died  unmarried 


Elstob  of  Foxton. 
Pcrty  guUt  and  -vert  a 
Jieur  dc  hi  argenf. 


*'  Surtecs,  loc.  cit.  For  an  earlier 
holding  of  the  Masons  ice  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3, 
R.  118,  no.  28.  Francis  Mason  gent, 
and  Elizabeth  his  wife  joined  with  John 
Morland  and  Thomasine  his  wife  in  con- 
veying a  messuage,  a  barn,  a  garden,  and 
8  acres  of  meadow  here  to  Thomas  Bell 
in  1667  (ibid.  cl.  12,  no.  7  [3]), 
and  in  the  following  year  William  Mason 
conveyed  a  messuage  and  200  acres  of 
arable,  meadow,  and  pasture  to  John 
Sudbury,  D.D.,  Dean  of  Durham  (ibid. 
no.  7  [4]). 

"^  Char,  Com.  Rep.  xxiii,   Io8. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  21  (5). 

"  Ibid.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  47. 

»»  Ibid.  fol.  46  d.,  52,  84,  161  d.,  165  d., 
198  d.,  211,  267  d.;  file  166,  no.  26; 
file  168,  no.  20,  16  i  file  171,  no.  t  ;  no.  3, 
fo'-  '2.  "  Ibid,  file  174,  no.  4. 

"  Ibid,  file  178,  no.  52. 

"  See  above. 

"*•  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  178,  no.  52. 

"  Ibid.  R.  107,  no.  49,  65. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  26  (l). 
Margaret  was  the  sister  and  heir  of 
William  Simpson  of  Pittington  (q.v.). 

"  Surtces,  op.  cit.  iii,  52. 


"  Ibid.  ;  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  94, 
m.  31  d.  "  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  62. 

'■'■  Ibid.  fol.  I57d. 

"^  Ibid.  ;    see  Preston  on  Tees. 

''  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  133d. 
(William  S.nyer  is  here  said  to  hold  only 
a  fourth  part  of  the  manor)  ;   fol.  142. 

"  Ibid.  R.  38,  m.  14. 

'"  Ibid,  file  166,  no.  10;  file  169,  no.  1 1 ; 
file  188,  no.  72  ;  file  191,  no.  no. 

*"  Ibid.  R.  30,  m.  2d.;   32,  m.  9  d. 

**  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  46. 

*^  Ibid.  47,  gives  the  date  of  the  pur- 
chase from  Beaulieu  as  1402. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  50,  m.  7  d. 

"  Son  of  the  preceding  John  according 
to  Surtees  (op,  cit.  iii,  47),  who  gives  the 
followmg  pedigree  : — 

John  (purchaser  1302) 

John 

I 


I 
Williamz 


^ 


Robert 


John  Chipman^  Joan. 


"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  50,  m.  7  d. 

•«  Ibid. 

*'  Ibid.  R.  30,  m.  2  d.  ;  no.  2,  fol.  77  d., 
I74J-.  184,221  d.  ;  no.  4,  fol.  35  i  R.  50, 
m.  1  3. 

"  Ibid,  file  177,  no.  23  ;  Foster,  op. 
cit.  113.  The  Sayers'  rent  of  91.  wat 
due  from  him  in  that  year.  It  is  else- 
where said  to  be  paid  by  the  De  la  Poles 
(Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  169, no.  1 1  ;  file  1(8, 
no.  72). 

*^  Foster,  loc.  cit. 

'"  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  46,  He  is  said 
(ibid.  47)  to  have  made  a  settlement  of 
his  'manor  of  Foxton*  in  1545  on  hit 
wife,  Barbara  Palmer. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  182,  no.  Ji  ; 
R.  95,  no.  73.  13  acres  of  this  amount 
were  held  of  the  king  as  of  the  Priory 
of  St.  Joho  of  Jerusalem, 

»  Ibid. 

"  Foster,  loc.  cit. 

"  Rec.  Com.  for  Comp.  (Surt.  Soc),  61, 
18;. 

"  Foster,  loc.  cit.  John  was  uncle 
of  the  distinguished  Saion  scholar, 
Elizabeth  Elstob  (Surtees,  op.  ciL  iii, 
47)- 

42 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


in  1726."  Anne,  only  surviving  sister  of  the  last- 
named  John,  married  Humphrey  March,  and,  after 
cutting  an  entail  in  1732,  she  in  or  about  1746 
joined  with  her  only  son  John  March"  in  selling 
the  Foxton  estate  of  the  Elstobs  to  Carlton  Carr  of 
Haughton  le  Skerne.^**  C.irlton  Carr  left  it  to  his  wife 
Elizabeth  for  her  life  with  remainder  to  his  nephew 
Robert  Bates. ^'  Elizabeth  purchased  the  reversion,"** 
and  with  her  second  husband  William  Alexander, 
M.D.,  sold  Foxton  at  some  date  between  179.^^'  and 
1823 '- to  William  Russell  of  Brancep>th.  It  has  since 
descended  with  Brancepcth  (qv.),  Viscount  Boyne 
being  the  present  owner. 

In  1609  it  was  found  that  Ralph  Elstob,  third  son 
of  Ralph  and  Elizabeth  Elstob,"  had  died  seised  of 
two  messuages,  two  husband  lands  and  1 1  5  acres  of 
land,  meadow  and  pasture  in  Foxton,  perhaps  the 
ancient  holding  of  the  Poles.  His  grandson  and  heir 
George  was  outlawed  for  the  murder  of  Robert 
Robinson,  and  these  lands  were  in  January  1609-10 
bought  by  Robert  Laverocke.*^^  In  161 8  Robert 
Liverocke  died,  leaving  them  to  Robert  Elstob,  his 
daughter's  son,^'  with  contingent  remainders  to  his 
brother  and  sister,  R.ilph  and  Mary  Elstob.  Robert 
and  Anne  Elstob  in  1637  sold  two  messuages  and 
land  here  to  William  Power  and  Thomas  his  son  and 
heir.^^" 

The  Templars  had  a  holding  in  Foxton  which 
possibly   originated   in   a   grant   made   by  Adam    de 


Thr  Knights  Tkm- 
PI.AR9,  Argent  a  crois 
gulei  and  a  chief  sable. 


The  K.NIGHTS  Ho^ri- 

TALLJ-RS.       GliUi   a  Crost 

6  T gent. 


Elstob  in  1304.'"'"  In  1312  it  was  in  the  king's  hands 
owing  to  the  dissolution  of  the  order. ^"  It  afterwards 
passed  to  the  Knights  Hospitallers,  and  seems  to  have 
been  attached  to  the  preceptory  of  Chibburn  in  Widd- 
rington,  Northumberland.  John  Watkinson  held 
a  messuage  and  3  acres  here  of  the  Master  of  the 
hospital  of  Chibburn  in  1391."*  At  the  Dissolution, 
however,  the    Foxton    lands    were    attached    to    the 


preceptory  of  Mount  St.  John.  They  were  leased 
by  Edward  Vl  to  Richard  Smith,  and  by  Elizabeth  to 
John  Baptist  Chastillion  in  1561,  and  to  Ralph 
Westhrope  in  1577.*''  In  i  590  they  were  granted  with 
the  manor  of  Hardwick  (q.v.)  to  George  Freville,  who 
died  in  161 9  seised  of  a  messuage.  So  acres  of  land, 
50  of  meadow  and  200  of  pasture  in  Foxton.'"  His 
nephew  Nicholas  "  conveyed  land  here  and  in  other 
places,  including  Shotton,  to  Sir  John  Calverley,  Gerard 
Salvin  and  John  Calverley,  gent.'^  It  is  probable  that 
the  Foxton  lands  followed  the  descent  of  Shotton,  and 
so  came  ultimately  to  William  Russell  of  Brancepeth  ; 
Viscount  Hoyne  now  owns  the  whole  of  Foxton. 

HARDHICK  (Herdewyk,  xii  cent.)  was  held  of 
the  bishop  in  1183  by  a  free  tenant  William  for  a 
rent  of  10/.''  This  was  perhaps  the  William  de 
Hardwick  who  gave  5  acres  and  a  toft  and  croft  in  the 
western  part  of  his  vill  of  Hardwick  to  the  priory  of 
Durham."^  This  holding  was  granted  by  Prior 
Thomas  de  Melsamby  (123  3-44)  to  John  de  Hardwick 
and  his  heirs  to  hold  at  a  yearly  rent.''  John  was 
probably  lord  of  Hardwick  at  that  date.  His  successor 
seems  to  have  been  Peter  de  Hardwick,  whose  son 
Peter  made  an  agreement  with  the  almoner  of  Durham 
in  1267  with  regard  to  the  almoner's  access  to  his 
tillage  ground  over  a  plot  '  betwixt  Wulriging  and 
Herdwyk  marsh.''*  Peter  was  still  living  in  1291. 
and  1299.'*^  John  son  of  Peter  de  Hardwick 
was  in  prison  at  Beverley  in  1313,"  and  Peter 
de  Hardwick  and  his  son  William  were  jurors  in 
a  suit  concerning  land  in  Scdgefield  in  the  following 
year.'*  It  seems  probable,  therefore,  that  the  John 
de  Hardwick  from  whom  William  de  Hardwick 
acquired  the  manor  of  Oldacres  (q.v.)  in  the  first  half 
of  the  14th  century  was  William's  brother.  In  1315 
Roger  de  Butterwick  was  pardoned  for  acquiring  the 
lands  of  William  de  Hardwick  in  Hardwick  without 
licence.''  It  appears  from  the  inquisition  held  in  I  343 
on  the  death  of  William  that  Roger  had  acquired  a  life 
interest  in  the  manor.**"  He  enfeoffed  of  it  Adam 
Kalinghird,  chaplain,  who  conveyed  it  to  Iseult  de 
Hardwick,  mother  oi  William.*'  On  the  death  of 
Roger  before  December  1343  the  manor  passed  to 
Lucy  and  Alice,  twin  daughters  and  heirs  of  William  de 
Hardwick.*-  Johnde  Woodham  (Wodom),  husband  of 
Lucy,  had  liver)'  in  that  month  of  his  wife's  moiety.*' 
In  the  inquisition  taken  on  the  death  of  Roger  de 
Butterwick  the  free  rent  of  the  manor  is  given  as 
6/.  %d.^^  though  in  the  writ  of  seisin  it  is  given  as 
lo.f.,**  the  rent  in  Boldon  Book.*^  This  conlusion  is 
perpetuated  in  later  inquisitions,  where  the  shares  of 


»'  Foster,  loc.  cit. 

"  Ibid.  ;  Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  3,  R.  121,  m.  8. 

'*  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  47  n. 

"  Ibid. 

«»  Ibid. 

^'  Hutchlnsnn,  op.  cit.  iii,  72. 

*'  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

*^  Foster,  loc.  cit. 

"  Dur.  Rec  cl.  3,  R.  9+,  m.  31  ;  file 
1S4,  no.  93. 

"  Ibid.  R.  ioi,m.  35  ;  file  184,  no. 93. 

"a  Ibid.  cl.  12,  no.  5  (i). 

''Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  46.  In  1315 
John  de  Amundcvill  released  to  Patrick 
de  Kelloe  and  Cecily  his  wife  all  claim 
to  the  land  which  had  belonged  to  the 
Templars  (Egerton  Chart.  550). 

"  Keg.  Palat.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Scr.),  ii, 
»57. 


<"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  1 1  5  d.  A 
(ju.irter  of  the  manor  was  said  to  be  held 
of  the  Prior  of  St.  John  of  Jerusalem  in 
1400  (ibid.  fol.  133  d.). 

'»  Aug.  Off.  Enr.  of  Leases,  3  Eliz. 
R.  19,  no.  8  ;  2o  Eliz.  R.  i,  no.  4. 

■"  Pat.  32  Eliz.  pt.  X,  m.  22  ;  Dur. 
Rec.  cl.  3,  file  189,  no.  25  ;  cf.  Lani.  MS. 
902,  fol.  1 1;  3  d. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  189,  no.  25. 

''  Ibid.  R.  108,  no.  72  J  cl.  12,  no.  5  (i). 
The  quitclaim  was  to  ihe  heirs  of  Sir 
John  Calverley. 

"  r.CH.  Dur.  i,  3  30. 

"  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  33. 

''  Ibid.  n. 

''  Ibid.  Sec  above  in  description  for 
grants  to  the  almoner  near  Hardwick. 

''»  D.   in   po«s.  of  Canon  Greenwcll, 


Blc.  DI,  no.  27  ;  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  36, 
m.  3. 

'^  Reg.  Palat.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  i, 
489. 

"Ibid.  5n. 

"Ibid,  ii,  733. 

«"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  23  d. 
Roger  de  Butterwick  is  here  called  Roger 
de  Hardwyk. 

*'  Ibid.  fol.  57.  The  name  of  the 
manor  dealt  with  does  not  appear  in  the 
inquisition,  but  it  seems  certain  that  it 
was  Hardwick. 

«'  Ibid.  fol.  23  d.,  57. 

"  Reg.  Palat.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  iv, 
306  ;  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  29,  m.  igd, 

'*  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  57. 

"Ibid.  R.  29,  m.  i9d. 

**  See  above. 


STOCKTON    WARD 


SEDGEFIELD 


the  representatives  of  Lucy  and  Alice  are  said  to  be 
held  by  a  rent  of  p.  \d.  each,"'  a  fact  which  probably 
accounts  for  their  being  sometimes  called  thirds 
instead  of  moieties  of  the  manor.*'* 

Lucy  wife  of  John  de  Woodh.im  is  said  to  have  had  a 
son  Robert  who  granted  her  land  here  and  in  Oldacres 
to  John  Elstob.*"  John  Watkinson  of  Elstob  died 
seised  of  half  these  manors  before  September  I  39 1, 
his  kinsman  and  heir  being  John  Elstob,  probably  of  the 
family  of  Elstob  of  Foxton.''"  In  1404  John  Elstob, 
rector  of  Woodeaton  in  Oxfordshire,  released  to 
Thomas  Cramlington  and  his  grandson  Thomas 
Burton  all  right  to  land  here  held  by  the  elder 
Thomas.'-"  Thomas  Cramlington  was  dead  in 
1408,  when  a  'third'  of  the  manor  of  Hardwick 
appears  among  his  possessions.'-  His  heir  was  his 
daughter  Alice  wife  of  Robert  de  Burton,''^  who 
probably  sold  her  lands  here  to  the  owners  of  the 
second  moiety  of  the  manor,  since  the  whole  was  in 
the  hands  of  William  Hoton  in  1441.'^ 

Alice  the  second  daughter  of  William  de  Hardwick 
married  John  de  Shotton,"*  but  it  seems  probable  that 
her  interest  w.>s  conveyed  to  another  family  bearing 
the  name  of  Hardwick.  As  early  as  1308  Richard 
son  of  John  de  Hardwick  and  Isabel  his  wife  had 
obtained  from  Richard  son  of  Robert  de  Hardwick 
a  release  of  all  claim  to  land  held  by  Robert  at  his 
death,  and  also  of  all  claim  to  the  land  held  by 
Castilia  widow  of  John  de  Hardwick  in  dower.'*" 
Richard  de  Hardwick  died  in  or  about  I  341,  when 
John  his  son  and  heir  was  but  eighteen  months 
old.'"'  John  de  Hardwick  was  a  free  tenant  here 
about  I  384  "'  and  died  in  or  about  \  396  seised  of  one 
mes5uage,  two  tofts,  100  acres  of  land  and  meadow 
and  a  toft  and  3  acres  called  Harpor  Place  in  Hard- 
wick, all  held  by  a  free  rent  of  3;.  ^df'  His  heir 
was  his  daughter  Agnes,  wife  of  Gilbert  de  Hoton,"" 
whose  heir  at  his  death  about  1400  was  a  son  John.^' 
Agnes's  second  husband  was  John  de  Killinghall, 
who  was  holding  in  her  right  at  his  death  about 
1416.""*  John  de  Hoton  must  have  died  without 
issue,  for  William  son  of  Gilbert  de  Hoton  succeeded 
to  his  father's  lands '  and  was  in  possession  of  the 
manor  of  Hardwick  in  1441.^  William  executed  a 
settlement  of  the  manor,  except  the  great  chamber,  the 
chapel  and  certain  lands  and  buildings,  on  his  wife  Alice 
for  life,  with  remainder  to  his  daughter  Isabel  and  her 
issue,  Thomas  Hoton,  chaplain,  his  brother,  William 
Hardwick  of  London  and  others. ■*     William   Hoton 


was  dead  in  1449.''  Alice  lived  till  February  i  500-1, 
when  the  manor  descended  according  to  the  settle- 
ment to  John  Hebborne,  son  of  her  daughter  Isabel.' 
The  part  reserved  by  William  Hoton  for  himself  was 
naturally  also  inherited  by  the  Hcbhornes.'  John 
Hebborne  was  succeeded  by  his  son  Richard,^  who 
died  in  March  1559-60,  leaving  a  son  and  heir 
Anthony,"  attainted  in  1570.'  The  manor  was  then 
farmed  by  Henry  Lawsun."^  In  March  1573-4 
George  Freville  obtained  a  lease  of  it  for  twenty-one 
years,"  and  after  a  subsequent  lease  for  life  he  received 
in  1590  a  grant  of  the  reversion. '- 

George  Freville  died  childless  in  1 6 19,  leaving  his 
lands   to  his  younger  nephew   Nicholas."      In    1645 


Hoton.  Gules  a 
cheveron  betii'een  three 
trefoils  argent. 


Hebrorne.      Argent 
three  Jirepots  table. 


Freville.  Gules  three 
crescents  ermine. 


Nicholas  compounded  for  his  Hardwick  estate.'^  He 
died  in  1674,'*  leaving  three  daughters  and  co-heirs, 
Elizabeth,  Mary,  and  Margaret  widow  of  Thomas 
Lambton.  Freville  Lambton,  son  of  Margaret,  had 
Hardwick  by  the  will  of  his  grandfather.'"  He  and 
his  mother,  then  the  widow  of  Nicholas  Conyers  of 
Biddick  Waterville,  made  a  settlement  of  the  manor 
in  1687.!'^  His  son  and  heir  Thomas  had  six 
daughters  and  co-heirs,  Barbara,  Dorothy,  Thom.isina, 
Philadelphia,  Margaret  and  Elizabeth.'"       They  sold 


*'  Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  1 1 5  d., 
126,  133. 

«»  Ibid.  fol.  165,  177  d. 

*^  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  47. 

»"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  1 1  5  d.  ; 
R.  33,  m.  10.  The  Fulthorpe  family 
had  an  interest  in  this  moiety,  the  nature 
of  which  is  uncertain.  Roger  Fulihorpc 
was  returned  as  tenant  of  the  manor 
with  John  de  Hardwick  about  1 3  ^4 
(Hui/eU's  Sitrnj.  [Surt.  Soc],  i86),  and 
his  son  William  in  1413  (Eccl.  Comm. 
Rec.  188879).  It  may  perhaps  be  sug- 
gested that  Roger  de  Fulthorpe  was  the 
second  husband  of  Lucy  de  Woodham, 
and  that  William  appears  as  tenant 
through  a  mistake  Cf.  Oldacres,  wlicre 
William  de  Fulthorpe  was  in  possession 
of  the  whole  manor  by  1413. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  33,  m.  32  d. 
Thomas  was  the  son  of  Alice  daughter  of 
Thomas  de  Cramlington. 


•'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  165. 

"  Ibid.  "  Sec  below. 

'"'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  57. 

'^1  Egerton  Chart.  547.  In  the  same 
year  Robert  son  of  Hugh  de  Hardwick 
granted  a  toft  in  Hardwick  to  John  son 
of  Adam  de  Ecg  (ibid.  no.  530). 

"-''>  Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  22. 
Isabel,  Richard's  mother,  was  still  alive. 

"•^  H^it/eU's  Sur-v.  (Surt.  Soc),  186. 
The  second  tenant  is  here  given  as  Roger 
de  Fulihorp,  who  was  more  probably  the 
tenant  of  Oldatrcs  (ij-v.)  at  that  date. 

'■"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  126. 

'*  Ibid.  She  described  tlie  John  de 
Hardwick  of  the  13th  century  as  her 
'antecessor'  (Surtccs,  op.  cit.  Iii,  33  n.). 

5'-'  Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  133. 

'™  Ibid.  fol.  177  d. 

'  Ibid.  fol.  272. 

'  Ibid,  fol,  314.  It  is  here  said  to  be 
held  by  a  rent  of  101. 


'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  50,  m.  3  d. 

'  Ibid,  file  164,  no.  88.  He  died  in 
1445,  if  the  inscription  in  the  church  is 
copied  correctly  by  Hutchinson  (op.  cit. 
iii,  56)  ;  cf.  Surlccs,  op.  cit.  iii,  27. 

»  Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  3,  file  169,  no.  51. 

'•  Ibid.  no.  53. 

"  Foster,  op.  cit.  159. 

»  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  6,  fol.  54. 

'  Exch.  K..R.  Misc.  Bks.  xxx»iii,  fol. 
228. 

'"  Ibid.  :   Add.  Chart.  39954  ("S)- 

"  Pat.  16  EliE.  pt.  xi,  m.  7. 

'•  Ibid.  32  Eliz.  pt.  X,  m.  20. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  tile  189,  no.  25. 

'•  Rec.  Com.  for  Camp.  (Surt.  Soc),  61, 
210. 

'■"  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  36. 

"  Ibid. 

'■  Ibid.  ;  Dur.   Rec  cl.   3,  R.  118,  no. 


45- 


'»  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


Hardwick  in  1748  to  John  Burdon,"  who  in  1780 
conveyed  it  to  William  Russell,  retaining  a  life 
interest.  The  manor  has  since  belonged  to  the 
owners  of  Brancepeth  Castle. 

THE  ISLE  is  first  mentioned  as  '  the  island  of 
Bradbury,' which  about  1183  Gilbert  the  chamber- 
lain was  bound  to  warrant  to  the  bishop,  receiving  in 
return  the  service  of  Ralph  Canute  of  Bushblades.-" 
From  the  14th  century  onwards  The  Isle  appears  as  a 
separate  manor  held  by  the  lords  of  Bradbury,  who 
perhaps  had  a  residence  there,  for  a  quarter  of  a 
knight's  fee.-^  In  1471  the  manor  was  extended  at 
100  acres  of  arable  land,  20  acres  of  meadow,  100 
acres  of  pasture,  a  water-mill  and  a  dove-cote^'*  In 
1567  John  Lord  Lumley  conveyed  The  Isle  to  Sir 
Thomas  Wharton,  probably  for  the  purpose  of  a  sale 
to  Sir  George  Bowes  of  Streatlam.'-  Sir  George 
and  his  son  Sir  William  in  turn  held  this  manor, 
which  was  sold  by  the  latter  to  Cuthbert  Buckle.-^ 
Christopher  son  of  Cuthbert  Buckle  succeeded  his 
father  in  1 594  ;  ^^  he  conveyed  it  in  1635  to 
William  Lambton  and  others,  trustees  for  Thomas 
Tempest,  who  settled  it  in  1642  on  himself  for  life 
with  subsequent  provision  for 
the  payment  of  his  debts,  and 
remainder  to  his  son  John  and 
his  issue  by  Elizabeth  Heath.-' 
John  Tempest  and  William 
his  son  and  heir  conveyed  the 
manor  and  land  here  to  Wil- 
liam Bigg  in  1680,  and  four 
years  later  it  was  bought  by 
John  Turner  of  Kirkleatham, 
Yorks.,-^  who  in  September  of 
the  same  year  settled  it  on 
the  marriage  of  William  his 
younger  son  with  Mary  daugh- 
ter of  Sir  David  Fowlis."* 
Mary  Turner  of  Stainsby, 
widow  of  William,  and  John 
her  son  made  a  conveyance  of  the  manor  in  1706, 
and  in  1709  it  formed  John's  marriage  settlement. 
John  Turner  died  in  1741  leaving  as  his  co-heirs  his 
sisters  Catherine  wife  of  Charles  Slingsby,  Mary, 
Elizabeth  wife  of  Joseph  Storr,  clerk,  and  Anne  wife 
of  George  Buckley.^*''  The  co-heirs  sold  the  manor 
in  February  1 741-2  to  John  Tempest  and  The  Isle 
then  descended  with  Old  Durh.im  until  1823,  when 
the  Marquess  and  Marchioness  of  Londonderry  sold 


C^'lf*^ 


Scott,  Earl  of 
Eldon.  Argent  three 
lioni^  keadt  razed  gules 
Vi'ith  an  anchor  in  chief 
table  and  a  chief  iva'vy 
azure  charged  with  a 
portcullit  or. 


it  to  John  first  Lord  Eldon.''  The  present  Earl  of 
Eldon  is  now  the  owner. 

The  overlords  of  LJJ'TON  (Laton  to  xv  cent.) 
were  the  family  of  Amundevill.  The  manor  was  said 
to  be  held  of  Robert  de  Amundevill  in  1348,-*  of 
John  Amundevill  in  1435  and  of  hi.  heirs  in  1499.^' 
Usually  the  'heirs  of  Mundevil'  are  said  to  be  over- 
lords.'*' The  tenants  in  demesne  rendered  as  relief 
to  the  Amundevills  one  barbed  arrow."  These 
tenants  were  probably  in  the  I  3th  century  the  Laytons, 
lords  also  of  Hetton  le  Hole.  Gilbert  de  Layton, 
a  knight  of  the  bishopric  in  1264,  lived  at  Layton 
and  was  succeeded  by  a  son  William,  lord  of  Hetton 
in  1268.'-  The  manor  of  Layton  appears  to  have 
been  settled  on  Cecily  widow  of  a  Layton  of  Hetton 
who  married  as  her  second  husband  Peter  de  Bracken- 
bury. ''  She  died  in  or  about  1370,  when  it  was 
inherited  by  William  de  Layton,  son  of  her  son 
Thomas.'''  William  married  Isabel,  lady  of  Horden 
(q.v.)  and  widow  of  William  de  Claxton,  and  had 
a  daughter  and  heir  Elizabeth,  who  married  Peter 
Tylliol.''  On  the  death  of  Peter  in  January  1434-5 
his  son  Robert  Tylliol  succeeded.'^  Robert  died  in 
the  following  autumn  ;  he  left  two  sisters  and  co- 
heirs, Isabel  wife  of  John  Colville  and  Margaret  wife 
of  Christopher  Moresby,"  who  held  the  manor  in 
moieties.'*  Isabel  in  1439  left  a  son  and  heir 
William,  who  seems  to  have  taken  the  name  of 
Tylliol."  He  died  in  1479,  leaving  two  daughters 
and  co-heirs,  Phyllis  and  Margaret.*"  Phyllis  mar- 
ried William  Musgrave,'"  and  Margaret  his  brother 
Nicholas  Musgrave.*' 

The  three  shares  in  which  the  manor  was  held  in 
the  1 6th  century  were  loosely  called  thirds,  one  ol 
which  belonged  to  the  Moresbys  and  one  to  each 
branch  of  the  Musgraves.  Cuthbert  Musgrave,  son  of 
Phyllis  and  William,  died  seised  of  one  third  in  i  533.'" 
His  son  and  heir  Mungo"  was  succeeded  in  March 
1 540-1  by  his  son  another  Cuthbert,*'  who  probably 
sold  his  lands  here  to  Cuthbert  Conyers,  seventh  son  of 
Sir  William  Conyers  of  Sockburn.*^  The  share  of  the 
other  branch  of  the  Musgraves  has  not  been  traced, 
but  was  probably  also  bouglit  by  the  Conyers  family.*' 
The  remaining  third  was  inherited  by  Christopher 
Moresby,  son  of  Margaret  and  Christopher,  in  1460,*' 
and  by  his  son  Christopher  in  the  next  year.*'  The 
younger  Christopher  died  seised  of  a  third  of  the 
manor  in  1 499,  leaving  a  daughter  and  heir  Anne,  who 
married  Sir  James  Pickering. '•*     This  share  must  also 


••  Surtcei,  op.  cit.  ili,  34  ;  Fordyce,  op. 
cit.  ii,  342. 

"  y.C.H.  Dur.  i,  335. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  77  d.  ; 
no.  4,  fol.  35.  Surtecs  suggest!  that  iti 
earliest  tenants  were  the  family  of  De 
Lisle  (op.  cit.  iii,  43),  but  there  is  do 
evidence  for  this. 

"»  Dur.     Rec.     cl.     3,     no.     4,     fol. 

35- 

"  Dur.  Rec.cl.  12,  no.  i  (2)  ;  R.  156, 
m.  33. 

"  Com.  Pleas  D.  Enr.  Trin.  1 1  Chas.  I, 
m.  2  ;  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  43. 

"Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  96,  no.  33; 
file  192,  no.  ;i. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  107,  00.  6  d.  ; 
R.  1 08,  no.  2  8  ;  R.  1 09,  no.  56;  R.  1 1 7, 
no.  28  ;  Com.  Pleas  D.  Enr.  Trin.  1 1 
Chas.  I,  m.  2,  9. 

••  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  118,  no.  33  j 
cl,  12,  no.  10  (i). 


the 


poss. 


of     the    Earl    of 


»a  D.    in 
Eldon. 

'">  Ibid.  ;  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  26  (2). 

"  D.  in  the  poss.  of  the  Earl  of 
Eldon. 

^^  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  32. 

'^  Ibid.  no.  2,  fol.  276  d.  ;  file  166, 
no.  54  ;  no.  4,  fol.  13,  72. 

'"  Ibid.  no.  2,  fol.  83,  272  d.,  291  d. 

•'  Ibid.  fol.  83. 

*'  Hatfield' t  Surv.  (Surt.  Soc),  p.  xv  ; 
Feodarium  Prioratus  Dunelm,  (Surt.  Soc), 
188  n.,  189  n. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  32,  83. 

"  Ibid.  fol.  83. 

"  Ibid.  fol.  201  d.,  272  d. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  272  d. 

"  Ibid.  fol.  277. 

*^  De^.  Keefer'i  Rep.  xxxiii,  149. 

'*  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  291  d.  ; 
Surtees,  op.  cit.  i,  215, 

*"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  4,  fol.  72,  88. 


"  Ibid. 

"  f'isit.  of  Torks.  (Harl.  Soc),  217; 
Surtees,  op.  cit.  i,  215. 

*'  (^isit.  of  y'orh!.  loc.  cit.  5  Dur.  Rec. 
cl.  3,  file  177,  no.  15. 

**  Ibid.  ;  Def.  Keeper' 1  Rep.,  xixyii, 
App.  i,  9. 

*'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  178,  no.  11. 

*6  yisii.  of  Torks.  (Harl.  Soc),  71  ; 
Foster,  op.  cit.  83 ;  PVilli  and  Invent. 
(Surt.  Soc),  i,  184. 

*^  Nicholas  and  Margaret  Musgrave 
had  a  son  Thomas  [Visit,  of  Torks.  loc. 
cit.).  Gawain  Conyers,  William  Linsey 
and  Thomas  Braunsby  granted  an  annuity 
of  j^4  from  an  estate  of  500  acres  in 
Layton  to  Cuthbert  Richardson  in  1530 
(Dur.  Rec  cl.  12,  no.  i  [i]). 

"  Ibid.  cl.  3,  file  166,  no.  54. 

"Ibid.  no.  51. 

'"  Ibid,  file  169,  no.  46  j  P'isit.  0  Turks. 
(Harl.  Soc),  250. 


STOCKTON    WARD 


SEDGEFIELD 


have  come  into  the  possession  of  Cuthbert  Conyers, 
who  by  will  dated  1559  entailed  his  lands  including 
the  manorof  Liyton  on  his  sons  in  succession."  His 
eldest  ton  and  heir  was  Ralph  Conyers,'^  who  was 
attainted  for  his  part  in  the  rebellion  of  1569.  His 
life  interest  in  the  manor  was  consequently  forfeited 
to  the  Crown.  Leases  for  twenty-one  years  were 
made  in  February  1572-3  and  February  1574-5  to 
Thomas  Cotton,  and  in  December  1575  and  May 
1593  to  Ralph  Conyers  himself,  who  had  acquired 
Cotton's  interest."  The  manor  was  charged  with 
annuities  to  George  Conyers  and  to  Mary  Conyers, 
widow  of  Cuthbert." 

Ralph  Conyers  died  in  January  1605-6,  when 
the  manor  passed  to  his  nephew  Ralph,  son  of  his 
brother  John,  who  acquired  a  messuage  and  land  here 
in  161 2  from  John  Eden,  Margery  his  wife,  John 
Machell,  Margaret  his  wife,  and  Anne  Babington." 
Ralph's  son  Cuthbert  ^^  fought 
for  the  king,  and  his  lands 
were  under  sequestration  in 
1644.'^  His  son  John  '"  was 
in  possession  of  Layton  in 
1662"  and  died  in  1690,*^" 
leaving  a  son  and  heir  Thomas, 
who  married  Elizabeth  Thom- 
linson  of  Birdforth,  Yorlts.*' 
Their  son  George  died  with- 
out issue,  as  did  his  brother 
John,  a  recusant,  in  1748.'^^ 
The  heirs  of  John  were  the 
representatives  of  Anne  and 
Helen,  sisters  of  the  Royalist 
Colonel  Cuthbert  Conyers.*'  Helen  was  the  wife  ot 
Thomas  Maire  of  Hardwick,  and  her  grandson 
Thomas  was  her  representative  in  1748.'*  The 
representative  of  Anne  at  that  date  was  George  Baker, 
her  great-great-grandson.*'  In  1 77 1  John  Maire, 
younger  son  and  ultimate  heir  of  Thomas,**  sold  his 
moiety  to  George  Baker,*'  who  conveyed  the  whole 
manor  to  William  Russell  of  Brancepeth  in  i  793.*' 
It  descended  with  Brancepeth  to  Viscount  Boyne.*' 

The  vill  of  MORDON  (Mordun,  x  cent.  ;  Mor- 


Mairi  of  Hardwick. 
Argent  a  guilty  table  on 
iva'vei  of  the  tea  proper. 


den,  xvi  cent.)  was  granted  with  Bradbury  (q.v.)  to 
St.  Cuthbert  by  Snaculf  son  of  Cykell.'"  The 
Harpyns  and  their  successors,  tenants  of  most  of  the 
land  in  the  vill,  held  in  chief 

In  the  middle  of  the  1 3th  century  Richard  de 
Harpyn  held  half  a  knight's  fee  here  and  half  a 
knight's  fee  in  Thornley  (q.v.).'**  In  I  3 1  2  Lora 
widow  of  Richard  de  Harpyn  claimed  dower  in 
the  manor  of  Thornley  and  in  twelve  messuages 
I  2  oxgangs  and  17a'.  rent  in  Mordon  against  William, 
Nicholas  and  John  de  Kelloe,  guardians  of  her 
husband's  brother  and  heir  John."  John  may  prob- 
ably be  identified  with  John  son  of  Richard  Harpyn 
whose  name  occurs  in  1321.'^  This  holding  seems 
to  have  represented  two-thirds  of  the  vill  of  Mordon. 
John  son  of  Henry  de  Kelloe,  who  had  apparently 
obtained  some  interest  in  land  here  as  in  Thornley 
(q.v.),  settled  '  three  parts '  '^  of  the  manor  of 
Mordon  on  himself  and  his  sister  Elizabeth  in 
February  1344-5.'^  Three  years  later  John  and 
Elizabeth  established  a  chantry  of  three  priests  in  the 
church  of  Kelloe,  charging  their  lands  here  and  in 
Thornley  for  the  purpose.'^  John  de  Kelloe  granted 
the  knight's  fee  here  to  John  Harpyn  at  lome 
time  before  his  death  in  or  about  January  I  348-9,'' 
and  Elizabeth  in  1352  made  an  agreement  with 
Thomas  Harpyn,  son  of  John  Harpyn,  whereby  she 
confirmed  her  land  in  Mordon  to  John  Harpyn, 
father  of  Thomas,  and  to  John  his  son,  they  under- 
taking the  support  of  two  of  the  chantry  priests." 
John  Harpyn,  father  of  Thomas,  died  seised  of  two- 
thirds  of  the  manor,  said  tu  be  held  in  chief  for  half  a 
knight's  fee."  Thomas,  according  to  an  inquisition  of 
1353,  died  seised  of  the  same  amount  burdened  with 
the  rent-charge."*  A  later  inquisition  stated,  however, 
that  he  possessed  the  whole  manor  for  a  third  part  of 
a  knight's  fee,''-*  the  additional  third  being  probably 
the  part  acquired  from  Elizabeth  de  Kelloe.  Mordon 
followed  the  descent  of  Thornley  (q.v.)  in  the  Harpyn, 
Lumley  and  Trollop  families."*'  Robert  Tempest  of 
Holmeside  must  have  had  some  interest  in  the  manor 
in  1 561  when  Cuthbert  Conyers  held  land  in 
Mordon  of  him  and  John  Trollop.*'      In  1570  both 


»'  fyUls  and  Invent.  (Surt.  Soc),  i,  1 84  ; 
Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  3,  file  182,  no.  14.  The 
inquisition  taken  after  Cuthbert's  death 
in  October  1559  (Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  6, 
fol.  51)  mentions  only  one  messuage, 
60  acres,  lOO  acres  of  pasture  and 
50  of  meadow  in  Layton,  but  there 
seems  no  doubt  that  he  held  the  whole 
manor. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  6,  fol.  51. 

"  Pat.  15  Eliz.  pt.  ix,  m.  19  ;  17  Elir. 
pt.  viii,  m.  27  ;  18  Eliz.  pt.  vii,  m.  5  ; 
35  Eliz.  pt.  vi,  m.  27. 

"  Ibid. 

"  Eich.  Dep.  Spec.  Cora.  no.  4171  ; 
Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  182,  no.  14  ;  cl.  12, 
no.  2  (3). 

•'  Foster,  op.  cit.  83. 

"  Rec.  Com.  for  Comf>.  (Surt.  Soc),  5, 
12,  37.  He  had  conveyed  certain  lands 
here  to  Lyndley  Wrenn  and  Lancelot 
Holtby  in  1639  (Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12, 
no.  5  [2]). 

"  Foster,  loc.  cit. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  6  (i). 

">  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  38. 

«'  Ibid,  i  r.C.H.  Torks.  N.  R.  ii,  17. 

"  Surtees,  loc.  cit. ;  Hiii.  MSB.  Com. 
Ref.  ix,  pt.  i,  p.  346i. 


^  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  37, 

^'  Ibid,  i,  53  ;  Burke,  Commoners,  iii, 
302. 

"  She  married  Robert  Conyers  of 
Bowlby  and  had  a  son  Nicholas,  whose 
heir  was  his  son  Thomas.  Elizabeth 
daughter  and  heir  of  Thomas  married 
George  Baker,  and  her  son  George  was 
the  heir  in  1748  [Gen.  [New  Scr.],  xiv, 
57  ;    Burke,  Commoners,  ii,  547). 

"  Surtees,  op.  cit.  i,  S3  ;  Burke,  Com- 
moners, iii,  302. 

*'  Burke,  loc.  cit.  ;  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii, 

37- 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.   39  (i). 

^*  Fordyce,  op.  tit.  ii,  342. 

'"  Simeon  of  Dur.  Opera  (Rolls  Ser.), 
i,  83. 

""i  Surtees,  op.  cit.  i  (i),  p.  cixriii. 

"  Reg.  Palat.  Dunetm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  ii, 
8^1.  The  defendants  denied  that  Lora 
had  been  legally  married.  In  1264  Sir 
Richard  Harpyn  was  said  to  live  in  the 
neighbouring  vill  of  Shotton  [Hatjield's 
Surv.  [Surt.  Soc],  p.  xv). 

'*a  Thornley  D.  in  the  poss.  of  Canon 
Greenwell,  no.  6. 

'•  They  were  held  for  J  knight's  fee 
(Dur.  Rec  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  81). 

333 


"  Ibid.  R.  29,  m.  18  d. 

'*  Surtees,  op.  cit.  i,  66  ;  cf.  Dur.  Rec. 
cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  49  d.  ;  Thornley  Deeds 
{penes  Canon  Greenwell),  no.  10. 

'^  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  31  ;  no. 
12,  fol.  30  d. 

"  Thornley  Deeds  {penes  Canon  Green- 
well), no.  1 1. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cL  3,  no.  2,  fol.  45  d.  ; 
cf.  no.  12,  fol.  30  d. 

'*  Ibid.  no.  2,  fol.  49  d. 

"  Ibid.  fol.  81. 

*"•  Ibid.  fol.  1 15  d.,  I36d.,  i67d.  ;  no.  4, 
fol.  68;  file  170,  no.  16  j  file  177,  no. 
114  ;  R.  31,  m.  7  d. ;  R.  36,  m.  12  ;  R. 
37,  m.  15  J  R.  70,  m.  35. 

^'  Ibid.  no.  6,  fol.  51.  In  i$;o  John 
Trollop  had  conveyed  to  Conyers  a 
messuage,  36  acres  of  arable,  meadow, 
and  pasture  land,  a  plot  called  Brewster 
pl.icc  and  fishery  in  the  White  Water 
here  (ibid.  cl.  12,  no.  I  [i]).  In  i;26 
three  messuages  and  280  acres  of  arable 
land,  meadow  and  pasture,  parcel  of  the 
manorof  Mordon,  were  claimed  as  part  of 
the  estate  of  Thomas  Coundon,  but  John 
Trollop  of  Thornley  was  able  to  prove 
that  they  had  been  entailed  on  his  family 
(ibid.  cl.  3,  file  174,  no.  8). 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


John  Trollop  and  Robert  Tempest  were  attainted. 
The  nunor  of  Mordon  was  surveyed  among  the  lands 
of  Trollop,  and  three  tenements  1 1  oxgangs  in 
Mordon  among  the  possessions  of  Tempest. *'-' 

Queen  Elizabeth  seems  to  have  made  an  immediate 
grant  of  the  manor,  for  in  July  I  570  Sir  George  Bowes 
and  Edmund  Smithson,  clerk,  had  a  grant  of  half  of  it 
from  Stephen  Skilbecke  and  Anne  his  wife  and  Miles 
Lonsdale  and   Ellen  his  wife  and  the  heirs  of  Anne 
and  Ellen."''     Rents  and  services  from  free  tenants  in 
Mordon  were  due  to  Robert  Bowes  of  Aske  in  York- 
shire in    1594,"*^  to  the  heiri  of   Robert   Bowes   in 
161  5,'*  and  to  the  heirs  of  Ralph  Bowes  ten  years 
later.*^     The  Bowes  family  probably  sold  the  manor 
to    the    Martins    of  Durham."'      Dorothy    wife    of 
Nicholas  Fewster  and  her  co-heir  Anne  Martin  con- 
veyed 5  5  acres  of  arable,  meadow  and  pasture  land  to 
John  Martin  in  1677."'^     John  Martin  left  land  in 
Mordon  to  his  son  Joseph  in  171  3,""  and  in  January 
1724.-5  Joseph  Martin  and  Eleanor  his  wife  conveyed 
the   manor  to  John   Hodgson   (HoJshon)  and  Read 
Hodgson  his  son.""    Eour  months  later  John  Hodgson 
of  Witton  Ic  Wear   with    his  wife   Mary  and    Read 
Hodgson  conveyed  it  to  VVilliam  Hustler  and  John 
Hodgson    of    J5ishop    Auckland,'-"'   perhaps     for    the 
purpose  of  a  settlement.     William  Hodgson,  son  and 
heir  of  Read,  succeeded  in  or  about  1738  and  sold  it 
in  1 766  to  John  Ward  of  Billingham,"'  whose  daughter 
and  heir  Ann   married  William   Sleigh  of  Stockton, 
captain   in    the  19th   Regiment  of  Foot   in   1785.*'^ 
Ten   years   later   VVilliam   acijuired    a   messuage  and 
lands  in  Mordon  and  Bradbury,  once  the  property  of 
John   Elstob,  from  Thomas  Austin  of  Durham,  son 
and  heir  of  the  Rev.  Thomas  Austin  by  Anne  Watson 
his  wife.      In  1 806   Sleigh  bought  part  of  the  Reed 
estate,  and  he  further  purchased  20  acres  in  Mordon 
from  George  Hutchinson  and  Charlotte  Barbara  his 
wife    in    18 14.      The    property    thus    obtained    he 
bequeathed  to  his  wife  hy  his  will  of  1825.     She,  by 
her  will  of  1833,  bequeathed  both  the  manor  and  this 
additional  land  to  her  trustees  for  sale,  and  the  whole 
was  purchased  in  1858  by  the  trustees  of  Lord  Eldon. 
The  present  Lord  Eldon  is  now  lord  of  the  manor.''*'' 
In  1790  Richard  Wright  had  land  here  that  may 
have  formed  part  of  the  estate  of  William  Sleigh,  and 
in  that  year  he  bequeathed    it   to  Margaret  his  wife 
for  life  with  remainder  to  his  godson  Richard,  fourth 
son   of   Ralph   Ord,  which    Richard   Ord    took    the 
surname  of  Wright.     This  land  then  followed   the 
descent  of  Bradbury  and  was  sold  by  the  Rev.  Ralph 
Ord  to  Mark  Ord  in  1852,  Mark  selling  it  in  1861 
to  the  trustees  of  the  Earl  of  Eldon.     It  still   forms 
part  of  the  Eldon  estates. '^•' 

Ten  oxgangs  of  land  here  leem  to  have  formed  part 


of  the  heritage  of  Agnes  wife  of  Robert  de  Burnigill 
and  probably  daughter  and  co-heir  of  Sir  Walter  de 
Andre,  another  portion  being  held  by  Emma  wife  of 
■Walter  de  Craumcrs  as  another  co-heir.''^  In  12,9 
Robert  and  Agnes  exchanged  their  land  with  Roger 
son  of  Sir  William  de  Lumley  by  Julian  the  third  co- 
heir, the  transaction  being  completed  in  the  following 
year.**^  The  Burnigills,  afterwards  lords  of  South 
Biddick  in  Houghton  le  Spring,  retained  the  lordship 
of  a  manor  of  Mordon  that  was  held  of  them  in  the 
14th  century  by  a  family  taking  its  name  from  the 
place.  William  dc  Mordon  died  about  1361  seised 
of  this  manor,  which  he  held  for  a  quarter  of  a 
knight's  fee,  and  of  I  acre  of  land  in  Mordon  held  in 
chief  by  one-hundredth  part  of  a  knight's  fee.'*'  His 
son  and  heir  William  '*  died  eight  years  later,  leaving 
a  son  William,  a  minor.''"  The  younger  William 
appears  to  h.-ive  granted  the  manor,  charged  with  an 
annuity  of  2  marks  to  his  son  John,  to  Peter  de 
Mordon,  who  died  in  possession  in  or  about  1419."* 
Peter's  heir  was  his  nephew  John  deSpence,  son  of  his 
sister  Elizabeth,  who  died  in  1421,^"  leaving  a  brother 
and  heir  Robert.  No  later  mention  of  this  manor  has 
been  found,  however.  Very  little  land  was  attached 
to  it,  and  there  is  nothing  to  show  what  services 
were  due  to  its  lords. 

Several  small  estates  in  Mordon  passed  during  the 
17th  and  1 8th  centuries  into  the  possession  of  the 
Reed  family.  A  messuage  and  3  oxgangs  held  in 
socage  were  sold  by  Bartholomew  Hctherton  and 
Alice  his  wife  to  Edward  Rey  or  Raye  in  1599."^" 
In  1602  they  were  conveyed  by  Edward  and  William 
Raye  to  William  Sayer  of  Houghton  le  Spring,' 
perhaps  the  William  Sayer  who  was  concerned  in  a 
dispute  with  John  Welbury  about  land  in  Mordon  in 
1619.^  A  William  Sayer  died  in  1620  seised  of  a 
messuage  and  1 80  acres  of  land  here,  leaving  a  son 
Samuel.'  The  messuage  and  3  oxgangs  purchased 
from  the  Rayes,  however,  were  granted  by  Elizabeth 
widow  of  William  Sayer  to  James  Wood  of  Layton 
and  his  wife  Catherine  Sayer,  daughter  of  William,* 
and  this  property  is  identified  by  Surtees '  with  a 
messuage  and  3  oxgangs  granted  in  1673  by  John, 
Elizabeth  and  Bryan  Harrison  to  Richard  Reed  of 
Mordon.^  The  Reed  family  also  acquired  land  from 
Thomas  Martin  before  1689.' 

In  1615  John  Wheatley  died  seised  of  a  messuage 
and  4  oxgangs,  including  the  Croft  Hill  and  Mill 
Hills,^  in  Mordon,  formerly  parcel  of  the  possessions 
of  John  Trollop.'''  His  son  and  heir  William  '"  left 
them  to  his  nephew,  Wheatley  Garthorne,  who  in 
1697  granted  them  to  William  Reed." 

The  Shutwell  family  were  said  to  be  tenants  by 
indenture  under  John  Trollop  in  1570,'^  and  John 


"  Exch.  K.R.  Mi«c.  Bks.  xxxTiii,  fol. 
203,  Z39.  In  1630  the  Tempests  and 
Riddellt  still  had  aa  interest  in  the 
manor.  Cf.  Dur.  Rec.  d.  3,  no.  106, 
m.  14,  no.  44. 

"^  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  i  (2). 

**  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iil,  44  n. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  lile  184,  no.  35. 

*«  Ibid,  lile  189,  no.  146. 

*'  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  44. 

^'^  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  10  (4). 

"  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  iz,  no.  22  (i)  ;  D.  in 
the  poss.  of  the  Earl  of  Eldon. 

™  Ibid. 

"  Exch.  K.R.  Deer,  and  Orders  (Ser.  4), 


D. 


the 


XXX,   no.   6    (Mich.    1771); 
poss,  of  the  Earl  of  Eldon. 

^''  D.  in  the  poss.  of  the  Earl  of  Eldon. 

"  Ibid. 

'■"•  Ibid. 

^*  D.  in  the  poss.  of  Canon  Grcenwell, 
BIc.  A,  no.  5  ;  Lana.  MS.  902,  fol.  422  ; 
inform,  from  Canon  Grcenwell. 

**3  D.  in  the  poss.  of  Canon  Grcenwell, 
Bk.  A,  no.  5,  7  ;  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2, 
fol.  64,  84  d.,  189,  206  d. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  64, 

»'  Ibid. 

"  Ibid.  fol.  84  d. 

^^  Ibid.  fol.  189.  Peter  is  here  said  to 
hold  the  manor  for  life. 

334 


^  Ibid,  and  fol.  206  d.  ;   R. 
'""  Dur.    Rec.    cl.    12,  no. 


35,  m.  18. 

^  (0  i  'f- 
Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  44  n. 
>  Ibid. 

*  Chan.  Proc.  (Ser.  2),  bdle.  327,  no.  49, 
'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  1S9,  no.  $2. 

*  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 
5  Ibid. 

*  Ibid.  ;  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  9  (i). 
'  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

8  Ibid. 

°  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  184,  no.  135. 
'»  Ibid. 

"  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

'*  Exch.  K.R.  Misc.  Bks.  xxxviii,  fol. 
239  ;  D.  io  the  poss.  of  the  Earl  of  Eldon. 


STOCKTON    WARD 


SEDGEFIELD 


Trollop  and  Robert  his  son  sold  land  here  to  Robert 
Shutwell  in  December  1544.  In  1586  Thomas 
Shutwell  granted  two  messuages  and  52  acres  in 
Mordon  to  his  son  Thomas,'^  who  was  succeeded 
in  1622  by  his  son  Bartholomew.'*  Thomas  Shutwell 
of  the  Red  House  with  Isabel  his  wife,  Robert 
Shutwell  his  son,  and  other  members  of  his  family 
were  parties  to  an  indenture  with  Robert  Reed  of 
Framvvellgate  in  1686,  and  in  1692  Robert  Shutwell 
conveyed  Mordon  Red  House  to  William  Reed  of 
Framwellgate.'*  A  further  conveyance  was  made  by 
Robert  Shutwell  and  his  step-sister  Margaret  to 
Thomas  Thompson  in  1 706,  and  three  years  later 
Thompson  conveyed  the  property  to  Peter  Marley 
jun.  of  Gateshead.  The  trustees  of  the  will  of  John 
Marley  of  Gateshead  sold  it  to  Thomas  Reed  of 
Framwellgate  in  March  I  736-7, ^^^  and  this  land  also 
came  into  the  possession  of  Lord  Eldon. 

Richard  Elstob  of  Mordon  bought  a  messuage  and 
2  oxgangs  from  Robert  Bowes  in  1575-6.'^  Robert 
Elstob,  perhaps  his  heir,  purchased  a  messuage  and  21 
acres  in  or  before  1602  from  Cuthbert  Robinson.''  In 
1692  the  Elstob  estate  was  left  by  John  Elstob  to  his 
son  John,  who  conveyed  a  part  of  it  about  1750  to 
John  Reed  of  Framwellgate."* 

Richard  Reed  of  Mordon  died  in  or  about  1680 
having  left  part  of  his  estate  at  Mordon  to  his  son 
Nicholas.i^^  In  1723  Richard  Reed  of  Ferry  Hill, 
son  of  Nicholas,  and  Anne  his  wife  conveyed  two 
messuages  and  200  acres  in  Mordon  to  Richard  Reed 
of  Durham,"  who  appears  to  have  been  the  repre- 
sentative of  the  older  branch.  This  land  formed  the 
marriage  settlement  of  William  Reed  of  Holywell  and 
Hannah  Reay  in  1757,  William  being  son  and  heir 
of  Thomas  Reed  of  Framwellgate  and  nephew  and 
devisee  of  John  Reed."^  In  1771  Mrs.  Reed  was  an 
important  landowner  in  Mordon.-**  The  estate  was 
broken  up  in  the  early  years  of  the  19th  century  by 
the  widow  and  co-heirs  of  William  ReeJ  of  Holywell. 
Part  of  it  was  purchased  by  William  Sleigh,  as 
mentioned  above,  and  partly  by  William  Russell  of 
Brancepeth,-'  whose  representative,  the  present 
Viscount  Boyne,  still  holds  land  here.  Another  part, 
afterwards  known  as  the  Harpington  Hill  estate,  was 
acquired  in  1 804  by  George  Harrington,  afterwards 
Viscount  Barrington.--  He  died  in  1829,  and  after 
the  death  of  his  widow  Elizabeth  his  trustees  sold  the 
estate  in  184.6  to  Lord  Eldon  ^-*  ;  this  estate  is  now- 
held  by  the  present  Earl  of  Eldon. 

A  grant  of  two  messuages  and  320  acres  of  ar.ible 
land,  me.idow,  pasture  and  marsh  was  made  by 
William  and  George  Mordon  in    1564   to  Edward 


Hixon.^'  In  1632  William  Hixon  of  Mordon  died 
seised  of  a  capital  messuage  and  4  oxgangs.^*  The 
possessions  of  his  son  and  heir  Augustine  were  under 
sequestration  in  1645,-'  as  were  the  lands  here  of 
Richard  '  Hickson."'  In  1736  the  land  of  William 
Hixon  in  Mordon  was  mortgaged  to  John  Reed,  but 
it  was  redeemed  by  William  son  of  William  Hixon  in 
1749.  William  acquired  other  land  in  1763  from 
Roljert  Chaloner,  grandson  and  heir  of  John  Hodshon. 
By  his  will  of  1808  William  bequeathed  his  estates  to 
William  his  son,  who  obtained  probate  in  1810. 
William  died  intestate  in  1842  leaving  two  daughters 
and  co-heirs,  Elizabeth  Anne  Arrowsmith  and  Mary 
wife  of  John  Corner.  They  sold  the  property  to 
John  Earl  of  Eldon  in  1869.2'^ 

In  1732  George  and  Joseph  Smith  and  their  wires 
conveyed  a  messuage  and  300  acres  in  Mordon  to 
William  Randolph.*' 

The  manor  of  EJST  MORTON  (East  Murton, 
xvi  cent.),  which  was  held  of  the  Hansards  of 
Walworth  (q.v.)  by  a  rent  of  iJ.,'^''^  was  purchased 
by  William  jieErnbleton  from  Robert  de  VVassingley 
before  1339.-*  ^'  followed  the  descent  of  Embleton 
(q.v.)  in  the  Embleton  and  Bulmer  families*' 
till  1623,  when  Sir  Bertram  Bulmer  and  his  wife 
Isabel  and  William  Bulmer  sold  it  to  Christopher 
Byerley  and  Richard  Lockwood.'"  The  lands  here 
of  Christopher  Byerley,  a  delinquent,  are  mentioned 
in  1644.^'  Robert,  one  of  his  twin  sons,  had  a 
daughter  and  heir  Jane,  wjio  married  Gilbert  Clarke 
of  Somershall,  Derby .^-  This  may  be  the  Clarke 
who  was  in  possession  of  the  manor  in  1670.'' 
Jane  and  Gilbert  had  a  daughter  and  heir  Elizabeth,'* 
probably  that  Elizabeth  Clarke,  called  a  widow, 
who  held  the  manor  in  1689.^^  She  married 
Thomas  Jervoise,  and  in  1 729  inherited  Middridge 
Grange  (q.v.).  East  Morton  was  probably  alienated 
by  her  or  her  descendants,  tenants  of  Middridge 
Grange.  Before  the  end  of  this  century  the  manor 
came  into  the  possession  of  the  Maires  of  Lartington  '' 
(q.v.). 

The  earliest  known  tenant  of  PTEST  MORTON 
is  Jordan  de  Escolland,  who  lived  at  the  end  of  the 
1 2th  century  ^'  and  granted  this  manor  in  free  marriage 
with  his  daughter  Marjory  to  Roger  de  V^aloignes.'* 
He  may,  however,  have  retained  the  rent  charge  of 
20s.  in  lieu  of  all  services  which  from  1 40 1  to  the 
forfeiture  of  Charles  Earl  of  Westmorland  in  the 
1 6th  century  was  received  by  the  Nevills  of  Raby.^' 
John  son  of  Roger  de  \'aloignes  succeeded,  and  granted 
two  parts  of  a  toft  and  croft  here  to  Hugh  de 
Valoignes,  his  son  and  heir.''"     Hugh  de  \'aloignes  of 


"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  192,  no.  144  ; 
R.  86,  m.  8. 

'«  Ibid,  file  189,  no.  188  ;  R.  101, 
no.  111. 

'*  D.  in  the  posi.  of  the  Eirl  of  Eldon; 
Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

'"  D.  in  the  poss.  of  the  Earl  of  Eldon. 

'*'  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

'■  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  92,  m.  36. 

*^  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

'*»  D.  in  the  pos!.  of  the  E»rl  of  Eldon. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  21  (3). 

>'»  D.  in  the  pos«.  of  the  Earl  of  Eldon. 

">  Exch.  K..R.  Deer,  and  Orders  (Ser.  4), 
XXX,  no.  6  {Mich.  1771). 

•'  Surtees,  loc,  cit, 

»  Ibid. 

"*  D,  in  the  poss.  of  the  Earl  of  Eldon, 


"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  i  (2). 

"  Ibid.  3,  file  188,  no.  77  ;  R.  112. 

'^  Rec.   Com.  for    Comp.    (Surt.    Soc), 

"  Ibid.  241-2.  Richard  Lord  Lumley 
claimed  a  rent  from  this  estate  as  Mori 
of  the  fee.'  This  was  presumably  part  of 
a  fee-farm  rent  reserved  by  the  Crown  on 
the  grant  of  Trollop's  estate. 

"a  D.  in  the  poss.  of  the  Earl  of  Eldon. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  23  (4). 

"a  The  Hansards  appear  to  have  held 
it  with  Embleton  of  the  Lacy  family 
(ibid.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  lol.  147). 

>«  Ibid.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  i8d. 

"  Ibid.  fol.  147  ;  file  164,  no.  42,  83  ; 
file    171,  no.  2  ;  cl.  12,  no.  1  (i)  in. 

'"  Our.  Rec.  cL  3,  R.  loi,  no,  121, 

335 


^*  Rec.  Com.  for  Comp.  (Surt.  Soc),  14, 
141. 

"  Foster,  op.  cit.  61  ;  Surtees,  op.  cit. 
iii,  313. 

"  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  57, 

**  See  account  of  Middridge  Grange. 

"  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

'*  Hutchinson,  op.  cit.  iii,  51,  74. 

''  Ptfe  R.  (Newcastle  Soc.  of  Antiq.), 
203. 

"  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  55  (from  original 
charters). 

'^  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  z,  fol.  139,  Z32  ; 
file  169,  no.  32  ;  file  177,  fol.  82,  no.  6, 
fol.  18;  no.  4,  fol.  16;  Exch.  K.R. 
Misc.  Bks.  xxxvii,  fol.  312  d.;  Surtees, 
op.  cit.  iii,  56  n. 

^  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 


A   HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


West  Morton,  who  gave  a  plot  of  land  here  to  his 
brother  John,  was  perhaps  the  same  as  the  Hugh  de 
Valoignes  who  in  13 14  gave  all  his  land  in  West 
Morton  to  Richard  de  Park,  lord  of  Blakiston,  for 
life.*'  Between  1323  and  1328  Richard  de  Park 
lurrendered  his  interest  to  John  son  of  John  de  Park, 
knight.*^  The  next  owner  was  Roger  son  of  William 
de  Trykyngham,  who  in  1337  granted  his  lands  hera 
to  William  de  EgglesclifF.'*'  Richard  de  Egglescliif, 
kinsman  and  heir  of  William,  granted  his  reversionary 
interest  in  West  Morton  after  the  death  of  Margaret 
de  Egglescliif  to  John  Botiller  in  I  3  58,  and  Margaret 
quitclaimed  her  right  to  John  in  the  next  year.''* 
John  Botiller's  heirs  alienated  the  manor  to  William 
Embleton,*^  who  before  1426  appears  to  have  sold  it 
to  Thomas  Claxton  of  Old  Park." 

Thomas  Claxton  of  Old  Park,  father  of  the  Thomas 
of  1426,  had  died  in  1401  in  possession  of  a  life 
interest  in  one  messuage  and  100  acres  in  West 
Morton.*'  The  reversion  of  this  belonged  to  Sir 
William  Claxton  of  Claxton,*'  with  which  manor  it 
descended  for  three  generations.*^  In  1426,  however, 
the  20/.  rent  of  the  Earl  of  Westmorland  in  West 
Morton  was  said  to  come  from  the  land  of  Thomas 
Claxton,'"  who  must  therefore  have  acquired  the 
manor  between  1401  and  1426.  He  died  in  1461 
seised  of  the  manor  with  2  tofts  144  acres  of  land, 
and  a  meadow  called  Maldesmyre  '  lately  acquired 
from  William  Embleton.' ''  From  this  date  the  manor 
descended  with  Old  Park  (q.v.)  in  the  Claxton  family.'^ 
The  greater  part  of  it,  owing  to  settlement,"  escaped 
forfeiture  at  the  attainder  of  Robert  Claxton  in  i  5  70,'* 
and  belonged  to  his  grandson  John  in  1644.^*  It  was 
sold  by  him  in  1649  to  Thomas  Todd  of  Newcastle- 
upon-Tyne,'^  whose  trustees  ten  years  later  mortgaged 
a  third  of  the  manor  to  George  Wilkinson.  The 
remaining  two  thirds  they  conveyed  in  1663  to  Mark 
Milbankc  and  Christopher  Nicholson,  who  conveyed 
them  in  1669  to  Richard  Stote.  Bertram  Stote,  son 
and  heir  of  Richard,  succeeded  him,  and  in  1704  ac- 
quired the  rem.iining  third  from  Ralph  Jenison  and 
Henry  Holmes,  who  had  purchased  the  interest  of 
George  Wilkinson.  He  died  without  issue,  his  sisters 
and  heirs  being  Margaret  wife  of  John  Tong,  Frances 
wife  of  William  Shippen,  and  Dorothy  wife  of  the 
Hon.  Dixie  Windsor.  Frances  and  Dorothy  and  their 
husbands  conveyed  the  manor  to  John  Nesham  in 
I  740.  John  Nesham,  his  grandson,  sold  it  in  i  S08  to 
John  Griffith  of  Durham."  The  present  owner  is 
Mr.  J.  C.  Backhouse  of  Darlington. 

In    1622   Robert  Robson,  Elizabeth  his  wife,  and 


Thomas  his  son  and  heir  conveyed  2  messuages,  1 80 
acres  of  arable,  meadow  and  pasture  with  moorland 
and  furze,  to  John  Bainbridge."*  John  Bainbridge 
and  Frances  his  wife  in  1629  conveyed  300  acres  in 
West  Morton  to  George  Wardell.'"  John  Wardell 
made  a  settlement  of  land  here  in  i68g,  and  his 
grandson  John  mortgaged  his  estate  to  John  Nesham 
in  1742.  Nesham  acquired  the  fee  simple  in  1754.''* 
In  I  183  OLDJCRES  (Aldacres,  xi-xvi  cent.)  was 
held  by  a  free  tenant  William  de  Oldacres,  who  paid 
for  it  a  rent  of  l6i."  This  William  may  have  been 
identical  with  William  de  Hardwick.*"  In  the  early 
14th  century  the  manor  was  acquired  by  William  de 
Hardwick  from  John  de  Hardwick.**'  The  daughters 
and  co-heirs  of  William  paid  fines  in  1359  for  livery 
of  their  respective  moieties,  one  of  which  followed 
the  descent  of  a  moiety  of  Hardwick  (q.v.)  till  at 
least  1408,  when  it  belonged  to  Thomas  de 
Cramelyngton.^^  Both  shares  were  acquired  before 
1 4 1  3  by  the  Fulthorpe  family  of  Tunstall.*'  Thomas 
Fulthorpe  died  seised  of  the  manor  of  Oldacres  in 
March  1467-8,  and  Ralph  Booth,  son  of  his 
daughter  and  co-heir  Philippa,  held  it  at  his  death  in 
1505.^*  The  two  daughters  and  co-heirs  of  Ralph 
Booth  then  held  it  in  moieties.^'  The  share  of  Anne 
Booth  descended  with  Tunstall  (q.v.)  in  the  Fulthorpe 
family  ^^  till  161 1,  when  Nicholas  Fulthorpe,  grandson 
of  Anne,'"' while  retaining  certain  land  here,  granted  his 
manor  of  Oldacres  to  Christopher,  his  son  and  heir.''' 
Nicholas  and  Christopher  with  Edward  Bl.ikiston 
andThomasina  his  wife  conveyed  their  share  in  161  2 
to  Ralph  Butler,^'  who  acquired  the  second  moiety  in 
the  same  year.'*^  He  died  unmarried  about  1647, 
when  his  estate  here  passed  to  his  nephew,  William 
Butler."'  Thomas  Butler,  son  of  William,  settled  it  in 
1683  on  his  marriage  with  Mary  Hilton.'^  His  son 
William  died  unmarried  in  1708,  leaving  sisters  and 
co-heirs  Mary  and  Margaret,  who  became  the  wives 
respectively  of  James  Butler  and  the  Rev.  Petherick 
Turner.''  In  i  71  5  James  Butler,  who  held  a  moiety 
of  the  manor  in  right  of  his  late  wife,  conveyed  it  to 
Robert  Spearman,  who  bought  the  other  moiety  from 
Petherick  Turner  in  the  same  year."*  Robert  Spear- 
man died  in  1728,  his  son  Robert  in  1 761.''  Char- 
lotte daughter  of  the  younger  Robert,  who  married 
Thomas  Swynburn,''  was  in  possession  of  Oldacres  in 
1832  ;  her  representatives  held  the  manor  in  1857.'' 
It  now  belongs  to  Mrs.  Sophie  Pace,  widow  of  Mr. 
Henry  Pace  of  London,  and  Mrs.  Ethel  Maude 
Stourton,  wife  of  Everard  Stourton  of  Marcus,  co. 
Forfar. 


*^  Surtecs,  op.  cit.  iii,  56. 

«  Ibid.  ■"  Ibid. 

<*  Ibid. 

"  Ibid.  ;  cf.  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  47, 
m.  14-15. 

*'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  2j». 

"  Ibid.  fol.  139. 

*'  Ibid. 

*'  Ibid.  fol.  256  d.  ;  file  167,  no.  31. 

"  Ibid.  no.  I,  fol.  232. 

"  Ibid.  no.  4,  fol.  16. 

"  Ibid.  fol.  41  ;   no.  3,  fol.  27,  41. 

"  Ibid,  file  177,  no.  70. 

^*  Only  two  tenements  and  80  acrea  are 
returned  among  his  forfeited  estates  (Exch. 
K.R.  Misc.  Bks.  zxxviii,  fol.  225  d.). 

"  Rec.  Com.  for  Comf.  (Surt.  Soc),  n  ; 
Foster,  op.  cit.  75.  John  Claxton  and 
Jane    his  wife   conveyed   lands  here   and 


elsewhere  to  Francis  Tunstall  and  others 
in  1625  (Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  4  [2]). 

"  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  56. 

^^  The  descent  from  1649  is  taken  from 
Surtees  (loc.  cit.),  who  inspected  the  title 
deeds. 

"a  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  3  (2). 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  4  (2). 

^^"  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  56  and  n. 

*'  y.C.H.  Dur.  i,  330.  The  rent  was 
subsequently  reduced  to  %s.  \\d.  (Dur. 
Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  n  5  d.  ;  Hatfitld'i 
Surf.  [Surt.  Soc],  186). 

•»  See  Hardwick. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  12,  fol.  227  d. 

"  Ibid.  R.  12,  fol.  227  d.  J  no.  2,  fol. 
I  I  5  d.,  165  ;  Def.  Kttptr's  Ref).  xxxiii,  57. 

"  Eccl.  Comm.  Rec.  188879;  Dur. 
Rec.   cl.    3,  R.  36,   m.   5-6.     See  Hard- 


wick. The  family  of  Hardwick  appears 
to  have  had  no  right  in  Oldacres. 

**  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  166,  no.  37  j 
file  171,  no.  1 1. 

•*  Ibid,  file  171,  no.  11, 

'*  Foster,  op.  cit.  131. 

«'  Ibid. 

•'  Ibid,  i  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  184,  no. 
10  ;  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  48. 

«'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  2  (3). 

'"  See  below. 

"  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  49. 

"  Ibid. 

'•  Ibid. 

"  Ibid.  48. 

"  Surtees,  op.  cit.  i  (i),  96  ;  cf.  N. 
Country  Diaries  (Surt.  Soc),  228. 

"■*  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

"  Fordycc,  op.  cit.  ii,  345. 


336 


STOCKTON  WARD 


STAINTON 


Alice  married  Robert  Lambton.-'  Alice  died  in  144.0, 
leaving  a  son  and  heir  Rich.ird  Lambton,-"  killed  at 
Towton  (Yorkshire)  in  1461.-''  Richard's  son  and  heir 
Robert  ^'^  made  a  division  of  the  demesne  lands  of 
Stainton  in  1487  or  1488  with  Robert  Thirkeld, 
holder  of  the  second  moiety.^'  He  had  a  son  Thomas,'- 
whose  son  Robert'^  made  his  will  in  1 563.-"  William 
son  of  Robert '■'■  married  Margaret  Barnes  of  Little 
Haughton  and  died  in  1580  seised  of  half  the  manor, 
and  was  succeeded  by  a  son  also  called  William. '^ 
William  Lambton,  son  and  heir  of  this  younger 
William,'^  was  the  last  of  the  male  line.  His  heirs 
were  his  sisters  Anne  wife  of  Nicholas  Chaytor  and 
Margaret  wife  of  John  Killinghall.^"  In  1646,  how- 
ever, this  moiety  of  the  manor  was  sequestered  for  the 
delinquency  of  Ralph  Coatsworth,  \vho  represented 
that  his  brother  William,  whose  heir  he  w.is,  had  had 
a  conveyance  of  the  estate. ^'^  John  Killinghall  made 
a  successful  claim  on  behalf  of  his  wife  and  her  sister.'"' 
The  share  of  the  Killinghalls  was  inherited  by  William 
son  of  John  Killinghall  and  then  by  his  son  William, 
who  sold  his  estates.''^  The  purchaser  of  his  quarter 
of  Stainton,  Thomas  Ogle,  seems  also  to  have  acquired 
the  Chaytor  share,  which  was  sold  under  an  Act  of 
1695  for  the  payment  of  the  debts  of  Sir  William 
Chaytor.*-  Thomas  Ogle,  who  was  in  possession  of  a 
moiety  of  the  manor  in  1719,"  left  it  in  1725  to  his 
uncle  John  Ogle  for  life,  with  remainder  of  one  quarter 
to  his  cousin  Margaret  Robinson  for  life,  and  after- 
wards to  his  cousin  Anne,  wife  of  Sir  William  Middleton, 
bart.,  and  of  the  other  quarter  directly  to  the  same 
Anne."  Sir  William  Middleton  (of  Bels.iy,  North- 
umberland) dying  in  1757  left  his  estate  here  to  his 
nephew  William  Middleton.''^  In  1760  Dame  Anne 
Middleton  conveyed  it  to  John  Tempest."*  It 
followed  the  descent  of  Wynyard  in  Grindon  parish 
(q.v.)  till  1823,  when  the  Marquess  of  Londonderry 
sold  part  to  the  Rev.  Daniel  Mitford  Peacock,  of 
whom  it  was  purchased  in  1835  by  John  Lord  Eldon, 
who  had  in  1826  acquired  the  rest  of  the  estate  at 
Great  Stainton  of  the  Marquess  of  Londonderry.*' 
The  present  lord  of  the  manor  is  the  Earl  of  Eldon. 

The  second  moiety,  inherited  by  Alice  wife  of 
Walter  de  Denton,  passed  to  her  daughter  and  heir 
Joan,  who  married  first  Robert  Thirkeld  and  after- 
wards Thomas  Tailboys.*^  With  her  second  husband 
she  made  an  agreement  in  1433  with  Robert  Lambton 
and  Alice  his  wife  by  which  the  land  in  the  manor  of 
Stainton  was  divided.''^  In  the  same  year  Joan  and 
Thomas  conveyed  land  in  Stainton  and  elsewhere  to 
John  Thirkeld,  son  and  heir  of  Joan  by  her  first 
husband.'''"  John  Thirkeld,  who  with  his  wife  Maud 
made  various  settlements  of  land  here,  was  still  living 


Thirkeld. 
a  ileet't  guUi. 


Argent 


in  1480.  In  that  year  his  son  William  conveyed  to 
his  son  Robert  Thirkeld  all  his  land  in  Stainton,  sub- 
ject to  an  annuity  of  40/.  to  William  during  the  life 
of  John.*'  Robert  was  holding  a  moiety  of  the  manor 
seven  years  later.''-  In  1550 
Robert  Thirkeld,  perhaps  his 
son,  agreed  to  settle  an  estate 
in  Stainton  of  the  yearly  value 
oi  £\o  on  the  marriage  of  his 
daughter  and  heir  Eleanor 
with  Thomas  son  of  John 
WyclifFe.'^  This  moiety  is 
next  mentioned  in  the  posses- 
sion of  Anthony  Rickaby,  who 
held  it  in  1586.=*  He  died 
in  I  593,  leaving  a  son  and  heir 
William.*'  In  1623  Anthony 
Rickaby,  presumably  the  heir 

of  William,  with  Anne  his  wife,  Thomas  his  brother 
and  Fortune  his  mother,  granted  half  the  manor  to 
Robert  Rickaby,  who  with  Margaret  his  wife  in  March 
1633-4  gave  it  to  his  son  John  on  the  marriage  of  the 
latter  with  his  wife  Elizabeth.^*  In  1644  William 
Rickahy's  lands  in  Stainton  were  sequestered,*' and  in 
1684  Elizabeth  Rickaby  was  among  the  freeholders 
here.*'  Lands  in  Stainton  were  held  by  John  Holme  of 
Newcastle,  probably  as  mortgagee,  which  were  assigned 
in  1744  by  his  son  Thomas  to  John  Rickaby  of  Lee 
Close  House.  John  Rickaby  was  succeeded  by  his 
sister  Isabel  wife  of  Anthony  Hubbock,  who  be- 
queathed the  estate  at  Great  Stainton  to  Anthony 
second  son  of  Christopher  Jurdison  of  Lee  Close 
House.  Jurdison  sold  it  in  1797  to  Robert  Collings 
of  Hurworth.  Robert  was  succeeded  in  1820  by  a 
brother  Charles,  who  held  the  estate  until  his  death 
without  issue  in  1836.  It  was  sold  in  1837  by  the 
trustees  under  Robert  Collings'  will  to  James  Watson 
of  Great  AyclifFe,  being  then  described  as  Stainton 
Grange.  James  Watson  devised  it  in  1 844  to  Samuel 
Swire,  ;on  of  his  cousin  Maria  wife  of  Samuel  Swire 
of  Skipton,  CO.  York,  who  sold  it  in  1864  to  the 
trustees  of  the  Earl  of  Eldon. ^*^ 

A  'manor'  of  St.iinton  in  the  Street  was  conveyed 
about  1425  by  Ralph  Earl  of  Westmorland  to 
trustees.*'  Probably  the  overlordship  had  come  in 
some  way  into  his  hands. 

Richard  de  la  Hay,  who  acquired  the  manor  in  the 
13th  century,  obtained  special  permission  at  the  same 
time  to  build  a  mill  within  or  without  the  vill.^"  He 
probably  availed  himself  of  this  right,  for  in  1433  the 
owners  of  the  two  moieties  of  the  manor  agreed  to 
divide  its  demesne  lands,  leaving  the  manorial  mill  and 
the  bake-house  to  be  held  in  common.'^'     In  the  16th 


"  Arch.  All.  (New  Scr.),  iii,  82  ; 
Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  62. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  164,  no.  79. 

*^  Ibid,  file  166,  no.  52  ^  Surtees,  op. 
c!t.  iii,  62. 

'"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  %,  file  166,  no.  52. 

"  Arch.  Acl.  (New  Scr.),  iii,  90. 

^*  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  62  ;  Aich.  Acl. 
loc.  cit.  3^  Ibid. 

"  Dur.  IViUs  ami  Invent.  (Surt.  Soc), 
i,  211.  '^  Ibid. 

^*  Chan.  Inq.  p.m.  (Scr.  2),  dcxliii,  14. 
His  widow  ni,irried  William  Burton,  who 
made  an  agreement  about  the  manor  with 
Anthony  Rickaby  in  1586  {Arch.  Acl. 
[New  Ser. ],  iii,  92  ;  Surtees,  op.  cit.  Iii, 
61  n.). 

3 


'■  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  183,  no.  66. 

^''  Rec.  Com.  for  Comj>.  (Surt.  Soc), 
260  ;  Surtees,  op,  cit.  iii,  62. 

■^'■^  Rec.  Com.  for  Comf>.  loc.  cit. 

*"  Ibid.  158. 

*'  Arch.  Acl.  (New  Ser.),  ii,  94-8. 

*'^  Ibid,  iii,  94. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  20  (4). 

^'  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  61  ;  cf.  Dur. 
Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  22  (3). 

*■'  Ibid.  ;  G.E.C.  Baronetage,  iii,  261-2. 

*"  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

*'  D.  fenei  Earl  of  Eldon. 

*«  Arch.  Acl.  (New  Ser.),  Ill,  82,  96. 
See  Denton. 

"  Ibid.  96  ;  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  399. 

^"  Arch.  Ael.  loc.  cit. 

345 


5'  Ibid. 

-■  Ibid.  9-. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  So,  m.  11. 
"  Arch.   Acl.    (New    Ser.),    ill,     92 ; 
Surtees,  op.  cit.  ill,  61  n. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  192,  no.  12. 

^'  Ibid.  R.  107,  no.  3  d. 

*'  Rec.  Com.  for  Comp.  (Surt,  Soc),  14, 

'5: 

■'*  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  61.  The  others 
were  Henry  Rawling,  William  Tunstall 
and  Thomas  Pearson. 

*9.->  D.  fenei  Earl  of  Eldon. 

'^  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  28S  ; 
R.  36,  m.  I, 

^'  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  399. 

«i  Ibid, 

44 


A   HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


century  the  mill  had  disappeared.  A  survey  of  the 
reign  of  Elizabeth  says,  '  Also  it  dothe  appeare  by 
evidence  ther  haithe  bene  a  wyndmyll  which  were 
nott  onelye  necessarye,  but  verye  like  to  be  comodyous 
if  one  weare  builded  agaiiie  ther.  The  tymber  will 
be  harde  to  gett  to  do  the  same.' ''-  There  is  nothing 
to  indicate  that  it  was  ever  rebuilt. 

The  earliest  mention  of  ELSTOB  (Ellestubbc, 
Ellestop,  xiv  cent.)  occurs  in  I  360,  when  confirmation 
was  granted  to  Thomas  UghtreJ  of  a  deed  of  Roger 
Burdon  of  Kexby  granting  to  Thomas  Burdon  the 
manor  of  Kexby  (co.  Lincoln)  and  land  in  Elstob."' 
In  February  1366-7  the  vill  belonged  to  Sir  Thomas 
Gray  of  Ancroft  (q.v.),  who  entailed  it  in  that  month 
on  his  heirs.''''  At  his  death  in  or  about  1369  it  was 
found  that  the  manor  was  held  in  chief  by  a  rent  of 
4/.  6tl.  and  suit  of  court  at  Coatham  Mandcville."' 
This  4/.  6ii.  represented  a  service  of  castle  ward  at  the 
castle  of  Coatham. ^^  Thomas  Gray,  grandson  of 
Thomas,  forfeited  Elstob  among  his  other  l.inds  in 
141  5,*' but  it  was  restored  in  1455  to  Ralph,*"*  his 
grandson.  Ralph  also  suffered  forfeiture,  and  in  1464 
the  revenues  from  his  vill  of  Elstob  were  granted  to 
John  Colt.'^'  A  later  grant  of  the  manor  seems  to 
have  been  made  to  Thomas  MidJleton,  who  died  in 
possession  in  1480.'"  His  son  and  heir  Thomas  was 
in  possession  at  his  death  in  i  5  i  2,"'  when  his  daughter 
and  heir  was  Anne,'-  while  his  heir  male  was  his 
brother  Gilbert."^  Anne,  who  married  Thomas 
Ruthall,  died  in  possession  of  the  manor  in  or  about 
1572,  leaving  a  son  and  heir  Richard.'*  It  seems 
that  the  manor  was  broken  up  at  this  date  into  parcels. 


MiDDLETON.  Quar- 
terly gules  and  or  with 
a  crosslet  argent  in  the 
quarter. 


ScURFiELD.  O'ules  a 
bend  dancetty  bet-ween 
six  martlets  argent. 


In  January  1588-9  Richard  Middleton  received 
licence  to  alienate  to  William  Scurfield  two  messuages 
and  420  acres  of  ar.ible  land,  meadow,  pasture  and 
wood  in  Elstob.' °  Four  years  later  William  Spenceley 
died  seised  of  a  messuage,  a  garden  and  orchard  and 
190  acres  of  land  here,  which   his  daughter  and  heir 


Elizabeth  with  her  husband  Francis  Wrenn  and 
Florence  Spenceley  widow  conveyed  to  William 
Scurfield  in  1607."°  William  Scurfield  died  in  1627, 
leaving  a  son  and  heir  William,  who  died  in  1694."' 
The  estate  was  heavily  mortgaged  by  the  younger 
William  and  his  son  of  the  same  name,  who  was  a 
prisoner  in  the  Fleet  in  1704."'*  In  1709  Gilbert 
Spearman  bought  in  mortgages  and  the  right  of  re- 
demption, and  became  owner  of  the  greater  part.'' 
He  sold  the  South  Farm  in  17 10  to  Richard  Smith.*" 
Richard  was  succeeded  in  1723  by  a  son  Richard, 
who  bequeathed  the  estate,  by  his  will  proved  in  1755, 
to  his  wife  Hannah.  At  her  death  in  1764,  Hannah 
left  it  to  her  niece  Elizabeth  I'attison,  afterwards  the 
wife  of  William  Todd.  William  and  his  mortgagees 
sold  the  farm  in  1823  to  the  Earl  of  Eldon.*"-' 

In  1698  a  farm  in  Elstob  which  had  belonged  to 
the  Scurfields  was  mortgaged  by  William  Johnson  to 
Robert  Bromley.*'  The  mortgage  was  assigned  by 
Robert  Bromley  in  I  7 1  2  to  his  daughter  Isabel,  who 
left  it  four  years  later  to  her  nephews  Robert  and 
William  Coulson.*-  Gilbert  Spearman  acquired  the 
farm  in  1699  from  William  Johnson  and  repaid  the 
mortgage  to  Coulson  in  1722.  In  1723  Spearman 
conveyed  it  with  the  rest  of  the  Scurfield  estate  which 
was  in  his  hands  to  William  Chaloner.**^  On  the 
death  of  William  Chaloner  these  premises  passed  to 
his  eldest  surviving  son  Robert  Chaloner  of  Bishop's 
Auckland,  who  conveyed  them  to  trustees  in  1763  on 
his  marriage  with  Dorothy  daughter  of  Sir  John  Lister 
Kaye,  bart.'^*  In  I  77  I  Robert  Chaloner  and  Nathaniel 
Green,  a  mortgagee,  conveyed  the  Elstob  estate  to 
John  Tempest  of  Wynyard.***  It  passed  to  the  Mar- 
quess of  Londonderry,  of  whom  it  was  bought  in 
1826  by  the  Earl  of  Eldon.**  The  present  Earl  of 
Eldon  is  now  the  owner  of  this  estate  and  practically 
all  the  land  in  Elstob. 

In  1590  William  Wilkinson  of  Elstob  is  men- 
tioned.*' Four  years  later  Richard  Jackson  had  licence 
to  enter  on  two  messuages  and  244  acres  in  Elstob 
acquired  by  him  from  William  Wilkinson."*  He  died 
in  1607,  leaving  a  son  and  heir  George.*'  This  estate 
must  have  been  acquired  by  Thomas  Pearson,  who  in 
1684  held  all  the  freehold  land  in  Elstob  which  did 
not  belong  to  William  Scurfield."' 

Another  estate  at  Elstob  was  settled  in  1705  on 
Matthew  Richardson  on  his  marriage  with  Jane 
daughter  of  Thomas  Fatherley  of  Byers  Garth. 
Matthew  sold  it  in  1730  to  John  Hall  of  West 
Cramlington,  who  bequeathed  it  in  1760  to  his  son 
John.  The  younger  John  was  succeeded  in  1779  by 
his  son  John,  who  sold  it  to  Francis  Reid  of  Hurworth 
on  Tees.  By  will  proved  in  1800  Francis  left  it  to 
his  brother  Thomas  Reid  Ward,  on  whose  death  it 


"  .^rci.  Ael.  (New  Ser.),  iii,  92. 

«  Cal.  Pat.  1358-61,  p.  488. 

«<  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  31,  m.  6. 

•^  Ibid.  no.  2,  fol.  83  d. 

^  Half  eld's  Suri>.  (Surt.  Soc),  198 
(here  given  as  4J.  6^d.). 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  175  d. 

'*  Ibid.  R.  45,  m.  2.     Sec  Urpeth. 

«'  Cal.  Pal.  1461-7,  p.  294.  The 
yearly  value   of  the  vill  is  here  given  as 

£9  '  P-  4'^- 

'"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  167,  no.  29. 
See  Silksworth. 

"  Ibid,  file  173,  no.  54. 

"  Ibid. 


"  See  Silksworth. 

'*  risit.  of  rorh.  (Harl.  Soc),  208  ; 
Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  191,  no.  33. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  86,  m.  2. 

"«Ibid.  file  192,  no.  52;  R.  86, 
m.  i6  d.  ;  R.  94,  m.  6. 

"  Ibid,  file  189,  no.  175  ;  M.I.  in 
church. 

'*  Exch.  Dep.  East.  3  Anne,  no.  13, 
22. 

"  Surtccs,  op.  cit.  iii,  65  ;  Exch.  Dep. 
Trin.  9  &  10  Geo.  I,  no.  9;  Hil.  12 
Geo.  I,  no.  26. 

**  Exch.  Dep.  Trin.  9  &  10  Geo.  I, 
no.  9  i  Hil.  12  Geo.  I,  no.  26. 


*»«  D.  penes  the  Earl  of  Eldon. 

®'  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  65. 

^-  Ibid. 

^  Ibid. 

^'  Ibid.  ;  cf.  G.E.C.  Baronetage,  ii, 
I58n.,  where  Dorothy  is  said,  obviously 
in  error,  to  be  the  daughter  of  Sir  Richard 
Kaye,  bart. 

**  Ibid. 

*'■  D.  fcnes  the  Earl  of  Eldon. 

8'  Dur.  IVills  and  Invent.  (Surt.  Soc), 
li,  192. 

*'  Dur.  Rec  cl.  3,  R.  92,  m.  2. 

*'  Ibid,  file  182,  no.  45. 

*'  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  65. 


346 


STOCKTON  WARD 


STAINTON 


passed  under  his  will  to  Elizabeth  Ward  and  Anne 
Garthvvaite,  who  afterwards  took  the  name  of  Ward. 
By  their  wills  of  1823  and  1825,  Anne  and  Elizabeth 
left  their  shares  of  the  estate  to  trustees,  who  sold 
them  in  1828  to  John  Lord  Eldon.^' 

A  tenement  and  land  in  Stainton  belonged  to 
Hexham  Priory.  After  the  Dissolution  they  were 
Icised  in  1600  to  Thom.is,  Anthony  and  Richard 
Dobbyn  for  their  lives,  and  in  1602  a  lease  in  rever- 
sion was  granted  to  Margaret  daughter  of  Roland 
Seymour,  Matthew  and  Robert  Seymour.  This 
property  passed  to  the  Rickaby  family  and  followed 
the  descent  of  the  second  moiety  of  the  manor  of 
Stainton."* 

The  church  of  JLL  SJINTS  was 
CHURCH  entirely  rebuilt  in  1876  in  the  style  of 
the  14th  century.  It  consists  of  a  chan- 
cel with  north  vestry  and  organ  chamber,  nave,  south 
porch  and  west  tower  with  spire."- 
The  site  is  an  ancient  one  and  pre- 
Conquest  fragments  with  interlaced 
patterns,  probably  part  of  a  cross  sh.ift, 
have  been  found. '^  They  are  now  in 
the  rectory  garden  together  with  other 
fragments  of  the  former  church,  which 
is  said  to  have  been  of  12th-century 
date  with  later  windows  inserted.''^ 
The  piscina  bowl,  however,  which  lies 
in  the  churchyard  is  of  13th-century 
date,  and  the  old  stone  font,  still  in  the 
church,  is  of  late  1 2th-centuri'  date. 
It  consists  of  a  plain  bowl  on  a  moulded 
stem  and  b.ise.  In  the  churchyard  are 
also  the  base  of  a  gable  cross  and  pnrt 
of  a  coped  tcgulatcd  grave  cover. 

Built  into  the  north  wall  of  the 
tower  inside  are  nine  fragments  of 
mediaeval  grave  covers,  the  greater 
number  showing  portions  of  crosses, 
and  several  17th  and  18th-century  in- 
scribed stones  from  the  chancel  of  the 
old  church  are  also  preserved.'' 

The  font  in  use  is  modern.  All  the 
fittings  are  of  the  same  date  as  the 
building,  which  is  of  stone  with  slated 
roofs.    A  new  oak  reredos  was  erected 


There  are  also  a  plated  chalice,  flagon  and  paten,  and 
a  pewter  flagon. 

The  registers  begin  in  I  561. 

In  the  churchyard   is  the  base  of  a  cross,  and  an 
early  prick  open  of  iron  was  found  in  1900." 

The  church  of  Stainton,  with  an 
JDFOU'SON  endowment  of  2  oxgangs  of  land,  was 
granted  by  Guy  de  Balliol  in  the  late 
I  I  th  or  early  I  2th  century  to  the  Abbot  of  St.  Mary's, 
York.^*  The  grant  was  confirmed  by  various  members 
of  the  Balliol  family  "'  and  by  Roger  Bertram,  grandson 
of  Guy,  whose  confirmation  was  made  between  i  149 
and  I  I  52.'"'  The  church  has  remained  rectorial,  the 
Abbots  of  St.  Mary,  who  presented  till  the  Dissolu- 
tion, receiving  a  pension  from  it  of  i  3/.  412'.'  Since 
1539  the  advowson  has  been  in  the  Crown. - 

In  a  survey  made  under  Elizabeth  it  was  stated  that 
certain    lands    in    Stainton    were    supposed    to    have 


y^u 


e'A  y 


-.-r^" 


.r 


in  I  914. 

The  tower  contains  one  bell,  which 
is  without  date  or  inscription.  The 
old  church  had  a  i  ;th-century  double 
bellcote  over  the  west  gable. 

The  plate  consists   of   a    chalice    of 
1596  with  the  maker's  mark  CB  tied, 
and  a  paten,  the  d.ite  letter  of  which  is  illegible  but 
bearing  the  Britannia  mark  and  the  inscription,  '  Ex 
dono  Jacobi   Platts  Rectoris  Anno  Domini  1705.''* 


■^•t**'- 


^";?> 


^tf^i^; 


Stainton  Church  from  the  South-east 


belonged  to  a  chapel  which  came  into  the  hands  of 
Edward  VI  at  the  dissolution  of  chantries. ^  The 
surveyors  were  of  opinion  that  this  must  be  a  mistake, 


31  D.  f>enes  the  Earl  of  Etdon. 

3'a  Aug.  Off.  Panic,  of  Leases,  file  36, 
nos.  27,  47  ;  D.  penet  the  Earl  of 
Eldon. 

'^  The  internal  dimensions  are  :  chancel 
13  ft.  6  in.  by  iztt.,  nave  3+ ft.  6  in.  by 
1 7  ft.  6  in.,  porch  8  ft.  6  in.  by  7  ft.,  tower 
6  ft.  square.  The  architect  was  Mr.  J.  B. 
Pritchelt  of  Darlington. 

^  The  Reliq.  viii,  81-2.  Two  portions 
were  in  the  wall  of  the  old  church,  and 
three  more  were  found  at  the  time  of  the 
demolition. 


^^  Proc.  Soc,  Antiq.  Ne'WcastU^  x,  I  12. 
It  consisted  of  chancel  and  nave 
only. 

^■'  On  the  north  wall  of  the  tower  are 
three  slabs  of  17th-century  dale  to  mem- 
bers of  the  family  of  Scurfield  of  Elstob, 
one  bearing  their  arms.  On  the  south 
wall  arc  stones  to  three  former  rectors  : 
( 1 )  Thomas  Carre,  *  that  faithful  and 
laborious  servant  of  Jesus  Christ  and  late 
minister  of  the  gospel  at  this  place' 
(d.  1655)  ;  (2)  James  Platts  (d.  1708)  ; 
and    (3)    Thomas    Nicholson   (d.    1749}. 

347     • 


The  old  font  Is  described  and  figured  in 
Trans,  Dur.  Arch.  Sac.  vi,  238. 

*•  Proc.  Sac.  Antij.  Ncivcaitlc,  iv,  25. 
For  chalice  sec  also  Arch.  Acl.  xvi,  256 
(illustration  254). 

"  Proc.  Soc.  Antiij.  Newcaitle,  x,  1 1 3. 

''  Stowc  Chart.  509. 

"  Ibid. 

'*'  Walbran,  op.  cit.  Pedigree  of 
Balliol. 

'  f'alor  Eccl.  (Rcc.  Com.),  t,  317. 

»  Inst.  Bks.  (P.R.O.). 

'  .irch.  Act.  (New  Ser.),  iii,  92. 


A  HISTORY  OF   DURHAM 


for  the  only  chapel  in  Stainton  was  a  chapel  of  ease 
which  had  no  lands  except  the  place  on  the  lord's 
waste  where  it  stood."  There  is,  however,  a  record 
of  the  sale  of  a  messuage  and  4  oxgangs  in  Stainton, 
apparently  ecclesiastical  land,  by  John  Awbrcy  to  John 
Richardson  in  I  599. ''  There  is  no  other  reference  to 
a  chapel  of  ease  in  Stainton. 


The  school  was  founded  in  1745 
CHARITIES     by  will  of  the  Rev.  Thos.  Nicholson.' 

In  1719  Mary  Barker,  as  stated  in 
the  Parliamentary  Returns  of  1786,  gave  ^^5  for  the 
poor,  which  is  now  deposited  in  the  Darlington 
Savings  Bank,  the  interest  of  which,  amounting  to 
2/.  6a'.,  is  given  to  poor  women. 


STOCKTON   ON  TEES 


Stocton,  Stoketon,  c.  i  zoo. 

The  parish  of  Stockton  on  Tees,  formed  in  1713 
out  of  what  had  long  been  a  parochial  chapelry  in 
Norton,  comprises  the  three  townships  of  Stockton, 
East  Hartburn  and  Preston  upon  Tees,  which  are 
found  closely  associated  in  the  earliest  notices  of  the 
district.  Norton  forms  the  northern  boundary,  the 
eastern  touches  Billingh.im,  and  the  western  Elton  and 
Long  Newton.  Egglescliffe  lies  to  the  south-west,  and 
along  the  south  the  River  Tees  divides  the  parish  and 
county  from  Yorkshire.  The  township  of  Stockton 
occupies  the  eastern  half  of  its  parish,  with  Hartburn 
to  the  west  and  Preston  to  the  south-west.  Between 
these  latter  townships  flows  Hartburn  Beck,  which 
gives  a  name  to  East  Hartburn  here  and  also  to  West 
Hartburn  some  miles  off  in  Middleton  St.  George. 
This  stream  has  a  number  of  titles,  being  called  Lust- 
ring or  Lustram  Beck  after  passing  into  Stockton  town- 
ship ;  here  it  winds  round  the  town  on  the  west  and 
north,  receiving  some  other  streams,  and  joins  the  Tees 
at  Portrack.  The  areas  of  the  townships  are  respectively 
3>03i.  '.045  snd  1,136  acres,  5,212  acres  in  all, 
including  4  acres  of  inland  water,  79  of  tidal  water 
and  36  of  foreshore.' 

The  surface  generally  lies  at  an  elevation  of  50  ft. 
to  100  ft.  above  the  ordnance  datum,  but  with  a  belt 
of  low-lying  ground  along  the  Tees  and  depressions 
through  which  run  the  streams  mentioned  above. 

Stockton  is  now  mainly  urban,  but  it  was  formerly 
a  rich  agricultural  district.^  According  to  Sir  George 
Bowes  in  1569  'the  best  country  for  corn'  lay 
around  Stockton. ^  The  district  was  in  1 647  described 
as  a  '  champion  country,  very  fruitful,  though  a  stiff 
clay '  ;  there  was  no  wood  growing  on  the  castle 
demesne  or  elsewhere  in  that  part  of  the  country.'' 
In  an  official  report  of  the  end  of  the  1 8th  century 
the  soil  was  described  as  loamy  or  rich  clay  ;  the  flat 
grounds  near  the  Tees,  which  were  of  considerable 
extent,  were  drained  by  means  of  wide  ditches  com- 
monly called  '  Stells.'  *  Wheat  and  other  cereals  are 
grown.   A  chamber  of  agriculture  was  formed  in  1888. 

The  main  p.irt  of  the  town  of  Stockton,  centrally 
placed  in  its  township,  stands  well  up  above  the  river, 
here  flowing  north,  whereas  on  the  opposite  Yorkshire 
bank  the  land  is  low  and  flat  ;  but  to  the  east  of  the 
town  is  a  large  low-lying  tract  of  marsh  land,  and  on 
the  north  and  west  is  the  valley  of  the  Lustring  Beck. 


The  winding  course  of  the  Tees  to  the  east  of  the 
town  caused  serious  inconvenience  to  shipping  even 
when  sea-going  vessels  were  very  small  compared  with 
their  modern  successors,  and  in  1791  a  'cut'  or  canal 
across  one  large  bend  called  Mandale  was  proposed. 
A  Bill  was  passed  through  Parliament  after  some  years' 
effort  in  1808,''  and  the  new  channel  was  opened  on 
18  September  18 10.  Though  only  220  yards  in 
length,  it  saved  a  circuit  of  about  2^  miles.'  A  second 
and  longer  cut  to  the  east  made  under  an  Act  passed  in 
1828*  was  opened  in  1831.''  More  recently  the 
county  and  parish  boundaries  have  been  adjusted  to 
the  new  course  of  the  river,  Mandale  being  taken  from 
Stockton  and  added  to  Thornaby  in  1887,'"  and  the 
part  of  Linthorpe  north  of  the  second  'cut'  being 
added  to  Stockton  in  1895."  '  Portrack  Lake'  is  the 
old  Tees  bed  cut  off  from  the  newer  channel.  At 
Portrack  vessels  used  to  be  moored  during  the  winter.'- 
The  town  of  Stockton  grew  up  on  the  elevated 
tongue  of  land  between  the  Tees  and  Lustring  Beck, 
.along  the  road  going  north  from  the  Bishop  of  Dur- 
ham's manor-house  or  castle,  long  ago  destroyed,  to 
the  old  parish  church  at  Norton.  This  ro.id  begins 
as  a  wide  and  handsome  street  called  High  Street, 
said  to  be  the  widest  in  England  and  nearly  half 
a  mile  long,  in  the  centre  of  which  stands  the  pic- 
turesque town-hall  or  town-house,  built  in  1735  on 
the  site  of  the  smithy  and  enlarged  in  1744,  when 
the  old  tollhooth  was  taken  down.''  This  tollbooth 
was  of  the  usual  type,  an  upper  chamber  supported  on 
pillars  and  approached  by  steps  ;  it  had  been  used  as 
a  school  in  its  latter  days."  A  piazza  was  added  on 
the  north  side  of  the  town-hall  in  1768,  while  on  the 
south  side  the  Doric  column,  still  standing,  was  built 
on  the  site  of  the  older  covered  cross  in  the  market- 
place.'* In  the  same  year  the  shambles  were  built 
further  south  in  the  centre  of  High  Street  ;  they  were 
rebuilt  in  1825.'*  The  town-hall,  the  lower  part 
of  which  is  occupied  as  a  shop,  was  used  as  assembly 
rooms  as  well  as  for  civic  business.  North  of  it,  on 
the  e.ist  side  of  the  street,  is  the  parish  church  adjoin- 
ing the  site  of  the  ancient  chapel.  Thus  from  the 
modern  centre  of  the  town  some  notion  of  ancient 
Stockton  may  be  obtained  :  the  long  wide  '  place  ' 
suitable  for  a  market  or  meeting  place  with  the 
manor-house  closing  its  southern  end,  the  cross,  toll- 
booth  and  smithy  in  the  centre,  and  the  chapel  and 


a  Arch.  Ael.  (New  Sen),  iii,  92. 

b  Ibid.  20. 

c  See  r.C.H.  Dur.  i,  406. 

*  Census  Rep,  (1901). 

'  In  1905  there  were  1,055  acres  of 
arable  land  and  2,671  acres  of  permanent 
grass  (Statistics  from  Bd.  of  Agric.  1905). 

'  Sharp,  Mem.  of  the  Reheliion  of  1 569, 
p.  So. 

*  Surteea,  Hist,  and  yintij.  of  co.  Palat. 
of  Dur,  iii,  172. 


^  Brewster,  Paroch.  Hist,  and  Anti^.  of 
Stoikron-upsn-Tees,  10+.  The  first  edition, 
1796,  is  that  cited  unless  where  otherwise 
indicated. 

*  Local  and  Pers.  Act,  48  Geo.  Ill, 
cap.  4$. 

'  Fordyce,  Hist,  and  Antij.  of  co.  Palat. 
of  Dur.  ii,  187. 

'  Local  and  Pers.  Act,  9  Geo.  IV, 
cap.  97. 

^  Fordyce,  loc,  cit. 


"^  Local  Govt.  Board  Order,  no.  20699. 

"  Ibid.  no.  P  10S8.  A  part  of  Lin- 
tliorpe  was  added  to  the  borough  in  1889 
by  Local  Act,  52-53  Vict.  cap.  92. 

'-  Mackenzie  and  Ross,  /'/>w  of  co. 
Palat.  of  Dur.  ii,  49. 

"  Brewster,  op.  cit.  88. 

"  Fordyce,  op.  cit.  ii,  174  ;  Richmond, 
Local  Rec.  of  Stockton^  64. 

^^  Brewster,  op.  cit.  93. 

•*  Fordyce,  op.  cit.  ii,  175. 


348 


STOCKTON   WARD 


STOCKTON  ON  TEES 


bake-house  at  the  north  ;  the  houses  on  each  side  the 
High  Street  formed  the  borough.  The  ancient  staith 
or  landing-place  on  the  river  side  near  the  castle 
has  expanded  into  a  long  line  of  quays,  of  which  the 
principal  one  is  owned  by  the  Corporation. 

Finkle  Street  leads  e.ast  from  the  town-hall  to  the 
river  and  Duckett  (Dovecot)  Street  west,  marking  the 
northern  end  of  the  mediaeval  borough.  The  lord's 
dovecot  stood  at  the  corner  of  the  street  named  from 
it  ;  its  site  was  marked  by  Dovecot  House  standing 
in  the  roadway"  until  it  was  taken  down  in  1839 
to  widen  the  street.'**  At  the  south  end  of  High 
Street  Yarm  Lane  or  Road  goes  west  and  then  south 
through  Preston  to  Yarm,  Hartburn  Lane  turning  off 
westward.  The  latter  passes  through  East  Hartburn 
village  to  Elton  and  Darlington.  At  its  northern  end, 
as  stated  above,  High  Street  is  prolonged  as  Norton 
Road,  e.istward  there  is  a  lane  to  Portrack,  and  west- 
ward Bishopton  Lane  leads  to  Darlington  with  a  wide 
straight  road,  formed  in  1830,  branching  from  it 
towards  Durham.  The  districts  called  Mount  Pleasant 
and  St.  Ann's  Hill  lie  to  the  east  of  the  Norton  road, 
Smithfield  was  by  the  river  where  it  turns  east, 
Newham  Grange  and  White  House  are  between 
Bishopton  Lane  and  the  Durham  road,  Bowesfield 
stands  in  the  extreme  south  of  the  township,  and  a 
rifle  range,  now  disused,  was  made  for  the  volunteers 
beyond  it,  near  the  Tees. 

The  ancient  roads  and  lanes  continue  in  use  and 
have  determined  the  direction  of  the  modern  streets, 
but  some  of  the  older  names  have  changed  in  course 
of  time.  In  the  former  days  most  of  the  minor  streets 
or  lanes  of  the  town  went  east  down  to  the  riverside. 
One  of  them,  called  Boathouse  Lane,  Ferry  Lane  or 
Cook's  VVynd,  opposite  Yarm  Lane,  was  the  passage 
to  the  ancient  ferry  across  the  Tees,  the  boat  being 
somewhat  to  the  south  of  it,  near  the  later  bridge. 
Each  of  the  inhabitants  of  Stockton  andThornaby  on 
Easter  Monday  and  St.  Stephen's  Day  paid  a  cake 
valued  at  \J.  for  passing  freely  over  the  river  all  the 
year  except  when  the  river  was  frozen  ;  at  such  times 
they  paid  \J.  each  w.iy."  After  the  adjoining  castle 
had  been  quite  destroyed  High  Street  was  prolonged 
to  the  south  and  then,  curving  eastward,  crossed 
the  river  by  a  stone  bridge  of  five  arches  built  in 
1764-9.^"  After  that  the  ferry  was  discontinued,-' 
but  tolls  were  paid  by  those  who  used  the  bridge  until 
its  cost  had  been  repaid.  It  was  declared  free  in 
1820.**  After  having  been  enlarged  for  increasing 
traffic  it  was  in  1887  superseded  by  the  present  Victoria 
Bridge  on  an  adjacent  site.  This  bridge  is  of  stone 
and  iron,  crossing  the  river  by  three  wide  arches.  At 
the  south  end  of  the  town,  on  the  Bridge  road,  was 
St.  John's  Well  ;  it  yielded  the  best  water  in  the  town, 
and  there  was  a  bath  near  it.-'  Over  the  bridge,  on 
the  Yorkshire  side,  has  grown  up  the  modern  borough 
of  Thornaby,  formerly  known  as  South  Stockton. 
Ferry  boats  still  ply  across  the  river  and  are  largely 


used  by  workmen  crossing  to  the  dockyards  and  other 
works. 

There  are  many  buildings  and  institutions  worthy 
of  notice.  Borough  Hall,  in  High  Street,  was  built  in 
I  8  5  I  on  the  site  of  an  old  dwelling-house  ;  it  contains 
some  public  offices,  a  Corn  Exchange  and  a  hall  for 
meetings.-''  The  Free  Library,  in  Wellington  Street, 
off  the  north  end  of  High  Street,  was  opened  in  1877. 
A  literary  society  or  book  club  was  formed  in  1776, 
and  a  subscription  library  in  1792.-*  The  first  Me- 
chanics' Institute  was  established  in  1 82  5,  and  revived 
or  joined  with  the  Reading  Association  in  1836-7; 
in  1852  it  obtained  Corporation  Building,  which  had 
been  erected  at  the  corner  of  Dovecot  Street  for  public 
uses  in  1839,-^  and  was  given  up  when  Borough  Hall 
was  opened.  The  name  was  changed  to  Stockton 
Institute  of  Literature  and  Science  in  1846,-"  and 
since  then  to  the  Literary  Institute.  It  contains 
reading  and  chess  rooms  and  a  public  hall.  The 
Exchange  Hall,  in  High  Street,  built  in  1874,  has  a 
large  concert  room,  now  a  cinema  theatre. 

There  are  numerous  chapels.  Protestant  Noncon- 
formity took  shape  here  after  the  Restoration,  but 
nothing  very  definite  can  be  related  until  the  Tolera- 
tion Act  of  1689.  John  Rogers  of  Barnard  Castle 
(d.  1680),  an  ejected  minister,  is  said  to  have  founded 
a  congregation  here.-*  At  the  Indulgence  of  1672 
Joseph  Gill  of  Stockton  took  a  general  licence  as  a 
Congregationalist.-'  Presbyterian  and  Quaker  congre- 
gations appear  after  the  Revolution,  as  is  shown  below, 
and  in  i  748  John  Wesley  paid  his  first  visit  to  Stockton, 
preaching  near  the  market-place  to  '  a  very  large  and 
ver)'  rude  congregation,'  who  grew  'quiet  and  serious.' '" 
He  preached  again  in  I  751,  finding  that  'the  society 
was  more  than  doubled  since  he  was  there  before.'  " 
The  first  meeting-place  is  said  to  have  been  in  Bolton 
House  Yard,'-  Thistle  Green.  Wesley  preached, 
usually  in  the  High  Street,  on  many  later  visits  down 
to  1790;  in  1770  he  '  preached  in  the  new  house, 
strangely  raised,  when  the  case  appeared  quite  des- 
perate, by  God's  touching  the  heart  of  a  man  of  sub- 
stance, who  bought  the  ground  and  built  it  without 
delay.'  "  This  was  probably  the  Smithfield  chapel  of 
the  Methodists  marked  on  the  plan  of  i  796  in  Brevv- 
ster's  History  tf  Stockton  to  the  east  of  the  parish  church. 
It  was  rebuilt  in  1813,  and  the  congregation  removed 
in  1823  to  Dovecot  Street  to  a  new  chapel  c.illed 
Brunswick.  It  had  a  library  connected  with  it.  This 
building  remains  in  use,  and  there  are  more  recent 
chapels  in  North  Terrace,  1 867,  Oxbridge  Lane,  Yarm 
Road,  1904,  and  mission  stations.  The  Welsh  Wes- 
leyans  have  a  chapel  in  \'illlers  Street  dating  about 
1878.  The  Primitive  Methodists  held  their  first 
'  camp  meeting  '  in  i  82  I  and  had  a  room  in  Playhouse 
Yard  ;  they  opened  a  chapel  in  Maritime  Street  in 
1825,'*  and  now  have  three — Pandise  Row,  1866, 
Norton  Road,  1876,  and  Bowesfield  Lane,  1887 — 
besides  some  mission  rooms.     The  Wesleyan  Associa- 


'^  Plan  of  1724  in  Richmond,  Local 
Records  of  Stockton. 

'*  IbiJ.  p.  181. 

"*  Brewster,  op.  cil.  92. 

*"  Ibid.  91  (Act,  2  Geo.  Ill,  cap.  52)  ; 
Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  iSi  n.  The  f0rm.1l 
opening  seems  to  have  been  in  1771.  In 
Brewster's  2nd  edition  (1829)  a  view  of 
the  bridge  is  given. 

^  Brewster  (p.  92)  •tales  that  the 
boathouse   became  an   iron-foundry,   and 


a  soap  factor)'  was  built  on  the  land  ad- 
joining. 

"  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  182. 

-'Brewster,  op.  cit.  8S  n.  In  iS+8 
700  houses  drew  their  supply  from  this 
well  (Fordyce,  op.  cit.  ii,  18;;). 

"  Richmond,  Local  Rtc.  p.  214  ;  For- 
dyce, op.  cit.  ii,  175. 

-^  Brewster,  op.  cit.  103.  It  w-as 
broken  up  after  the  Free  Library  was 
formed. 

349 


'•  Heavisides,     Annah    of   Stockton-on- 
Tect,  74- 

*'  Fordyce,  op.  cit.  it,  172. 

»'  Diet.  Nat.  Biog. 

"  Cal.  S.  P.  Dim.  1672,  p.  401. 

*•  tfeilryl  Journ.  (ed.   1903),  ii,   105. 

"  Ibid,  ii,  220. 

"  Richmond,  Prot.  Nonconf.  in  Stockton^ 

^'  ff  etUys  Journ.  Iii,  }8o, 
^*  Fordyce,  op.  cit.  ii,  165, 


A   HISTORY  OF   DURHAM 


tion,  afterwards  (1856)  the  United  Methodists  and  now 
the  Free  Methodists,  built  a  chapel  in  Regent  Street 
in  1838,  and  the  Wesleyan  Reformers,  who  united 
with  them,  opened  a  meeting-place  in  Mill  Lane  in 
1 85  I.  The  New  Connexion,  now  also  Free  Metho- 
dists, held  their  first  services  in  1862,  and  opened 
Zion  Chapel,  in  Norton  Road,  in  1864. 

The  Independents  formed  a  congregation  about 
1799,  "iceting  in  Green  Dragon  Yard,  Finkle  Street, 
and  built  a  chapel  in  West  Row  in  181S.  From  this 
there  was  a  secession  in  1842.  The  seceders,  styling 
themselves  Congregationalists,  had  a  meeting-place  in 
Tennant  Street,  and  in  1845  built  a  chapel  in  Nor- 
ton Road.'^  A  second,  Christ  Church,  Yarm  Road, 
was  built  in  1878.  The  Welsh  Congregationalists 
have  a  chapel  in  Barrett  Street  dating  from  1866. 
The  older  congregation  at  West  Row  called  themselves 
Scotch  Presbyterians  and  became  part  of  the  United 
Presbyterians.^''  There  are  now  two  congregations  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church  of  England  in  Stockton  : 
St.  Andrew's,  Tower  Street,  built  in  1861  in  succes- 
sion to  West  Row,  and  St.  George's,  Yarm  Road, 
1876.  The  Welsh  Methodist  or  Welsh  Presbyterian 
church  in  B.irrett  Street  goes  back  to  1870. 

The  Particular  Baptists  had  a  meeting-place  in  the 
middle  of  the  i8th  century,  and  in  1809  converted  a 
warehouse  in  West  Row  into  a  chapel.^'  The  Baptists 
have  now  three  pl.ices  of  worship  :  the  Tabernacle, 
Wellington  Street,  which  represents  the  original  con- 
gregation (1869);  Northcote  Street  (1885J;  and 
Lightfoot  Grove  (1904)  ;  and  there  is  a  Welsh  Baptist 
chapel  called  Bethesda  in  Portrack  Lane,  established 
in  1870. 

The  English  Presbyterians  of  the  post-Restoration 
time,  now  Unitarians,  had  a  minister  in  1688,  and  met 
in  a  room  in  Bolton  House  Yard  afterwards  occupied 
by  the  Methodists.  In  1 699  they  built  a  meeting-house 
on  Mill  Garth,  opposite  the  parish  church.  This  was 
registered  in  i  706,  and  a  trust  deed  was  agreed  upon 
in  1709.  The  chapel,  which  was  rebuilt  in  1756, 
was  closed  from  1817  to  1820  on  the  dismissal  of 
Samuel  Kennedy.  There  was  a  library  in  it.  The 
Unitarians  removed  to  a  new  chapel  in  Wellington 
Street  in  1873.^'* 

The  Society  of  Friends,  established  in  Norton  as 
early  as  I  671,-''"  had  a  meeting-place  in  Stockton  before 
1724,  when  it  is  found  marked  on  a  plan  of  the 
town.''"  This  was  in  Dovecot  Street  until  18 14,  when 
a  new  one  was  built  further  up  the  street  in  Mill 
Lane,  now  Dovecot  Street. 

The  Salvation  Army,  the  Plymouth  Brethren  and 
various  religious  bodies  have  meeting-places  in  the 
town . 

After  the  Reformation  Catholicism  appears  to  have 
died  out  completely  with  the  exception  of  the  families 
of  Sayer  and  Witham  in  Preston.  A  new  beginning 
is  said  to  have  been   made  in  1783,  and  a  chapel  in 


Playhouse  Yard  is  noted  on  Brewster's  plan  of  1 796. 
This  remained  in  use  until  St.  Mary's,  in  Norton 
Road,  a  building  designed  by  Pugin,  was  opened  in 
1842.*'  A  chapel  of  ease  at  Portrack,  the  Sacred 
Heart,  is  served  from  it.  At  the  south  end  of  the 
town  a  school  chapel,  St.  Cuthbert's,  was  opened  in 
1884. 

A  Jewish  synagogue  was  opened  in  Skinner  Street 
about  188;  ;  it  was  rebuilt  in  1906  in  Hartington 
Road.  The  Latter  Day  Saints,  or  Mormons,  had  a 
meeting-place  in  Brunswick  Street  in  1857.''- 

The  public  baths  at  the  north  end  of  the  town 
were  first  opened  in  1859'"  and  rebuilt  in  1892. 
The  union  workhouse,  in  Portrack  Lane,  was  built  in 
1 85 1  in  place  of  an  older  one  in  Bishop  Street.''^ 
The  fire  engines  were  in  old  times  kept  in  the  church 
porch,  and  later  in  Brunswick  Street.''^  Now  the  fire 
brigade  station  is  in  West  Row,^''  and  the  county 
police  station,  where  the  courts  are  held,  was  about 
1870  removed  from  West  Row  (Borough  Hall)*'  to 
Church  Row. 

The  electric  telegraph,  then  in  the  hands  of  private 
companies,  was  introduced  in  1853,3  line  from  Leeds 
to  Hartlepool  passing  through  the  town  ;  another  line 
crossed  Stockton  in  1864."*  The  Corporation  now 
owns  the  gas  and  electric  lighting  works,  which  are  at 
the  north  end  of  the  town,  and  the  water  supply  is 
under  the  control  of  the  Tees  \'alley  Water  Board,  on 
which  the  borough  has  five  representatives.  Gas  was 
first  supplied  under  an  Act  obtained  in  1822'"  ;  the 
works  were  in  the  hands  of  a  private  company  until 
I  857,  when  they  were  purchased  by  the  Corporation.'" 
The  electric  lighting  works  date  from  1890."  The 
first  Act  for  a  good  supply  of  water  was  obtained  in 
1851,'-  and  reservoirs  were  established  at  Carlton  and 
elsewhere,  more  recently  in  Dinsdale.  A  water  board 
for  Stockton  and  Middlesbrough  on  purchasing  the 
undertaking  was  established  In  1876,'''  and  this  became 
the  Tees  Valley  Water  Board  in  1899.^''  The  Cor- 
poration has  a  fever  hospital,  parks,  library  and 
cemeteries.  In  171 8  the  first  order  for  paving  the 
town  was  made,  and  two  public  pumps  were  provided." 

In  Dovecot  Street  are  the  Temperance  Hall,  opened 
in  1865,'''  the  rooms  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association,  founded  here  in  1861,'' and  the  alms- 
houses. The  Temperance  Society  was  founded  in 
1830  at  the  Friends'  meeting-house."*  The  first 
almshouses  were  built  near  the  old  parochial  chapel 
about  1682  and  rebuilt  in  1816'';  they  were  sold 
in  1896,  and  the  present  houses  built  in  1 902. 

The  Grammar  school,  founded  without  any  endow- 
ment in  1785  in  West  Row,''"  was  removed  to  Skinner 
Street  in  I  848,  and  is  now  in  Norton  Road.  There 
is  also  a  secondary  and  technical  school  maintained  by 
the  Durham  County  Council.  A  Blue  Coat  school 
founded  by  public  subscription  in  1721,  at  first  for 
boys,  but  later  for  boys  and  girls,  became  a  public 


^'  Richmond,  Pror.  Noncortf.  in  Snckinn, 

57-. 

^  Richmond,  Local  Rec.  p.  195  ;  For- 
dycc,  loc.  cit. 

^^  Fordyce,  loc.  cit. 

**  The  story  is  given  fully,  with  extracts 
from  the  registers,  &c.,  by  Richmond, 
Prot.  Nomonf.  in  Stockton^  10—48  ;  of. 
Fordyce,  ioc.  cit. 

^*  Prot.  Nonconf.  in  Stockton^  56. 

'"  Richmond,  Local  Rec. 

"  Kelly,  Engl.  Calh,  Misiioni,  374, 


•"^  Fordyce,  op.  cit.  ii,  166. 

*^  Heavisides,  op.  cit.  So. 

**  Richmond,  Local  Rec.  p.  202, 

^^  The  Fire  Brigade  began  as  a  volun- 
teer corps. 

^  Fordyce, op. cit.  ii,  184.      *' Ibid.  178. 

*^  Richmond,  Local  Rec.  pp.  2lg,  265. 

*^  Act  incorporating  the  company  (Local 
and  Pers.  Act,  3  Geo.  IV, cap.  3  3).  Another 
Act  was  obtained  in  1846  (ibid.  9  &  10 
Vict.  cap.  216). 

'"  Ibid.  20  &  21  Vict.  cap.  52. 


5'  Ibid.  53  &  54  Vict.  cap.  88. 

"  Ibid.  14  &  15  Vict.  cap.  90. 

"  Ibid.  39  &  40  Vict.  cap.  230. 

"  Ibid.  62  &  63  Vict.  cap.  51. 

"  Brewster,  op.  cit.  88. 

^*  Heavisides,  op.  cit.  p.  214. 

^'  Richmond,  Local  Rec.  p.  253. 

^'  Ibid.  p.  158. 

"  Brewster,  op.  cit.  89  ;  Richmond, 
op.  cit.  186  ;  Heavisidts,  op.  cit.  82  ; 
Char.  Com.  Rep.  xxiii,   I  14. 

™  Brewster,  op.  cit.  94. 


STOCKTON  WARD 


STOCKTON  ON  TEES 


elementary  school  in  1870  and  later  was  incorporated 
in  the  Boys'  High  School.  The  county  court, 
opened  here  in  1847,  is  in  Bridge  Road,  where  also  is 
now  the  custom-house.  The  sessions  of  the  county 
court  were  formerly  held  in  the  town-hall.  The 
first  custom  house,  in  1680,  was  in  the  yard  of  an 
inn,  the  '  Red  Lion.'  In  1696  it  was  removed  to  the 
river  side  at  the  end  of  Finkle  Street,  where  a  new 
building  w.is  made  for  it  in  1  730,'''  replaced  by  another 
in  Housewife  Lane,  Smithfieid,  in  1828.'^-  Afterwards 
the  custom-house  was  removed  to  Borough  Hall, 
High  Street. 

A  cottage  hospital  was  maintained  on  Thistle  Green 
from  about  1865  '''  until  the  Stockton  and  Thornaby 
hospital  was  built  in  1876  on  a  site  off  Yarm  Lane. 
The  Corporation  fever  hospital,  built  in  l  893,  is  placed 
on  the  Durham  road,  and  there  is  a  smallpox  hospital 
at  Somerville. 

Ropner  Park,  in  Hartburn  Lane,  was  presented  to 
the  town  by  Sir  Robert  Ropner,  bart.,  and  was  opened 
in  1893  by  the  Duke  of  York,  now  King  George  V. 
There  are  also  recreation  grounds  at  the  north  end  of 
the  town  which  were  opened  in  1892  in  Portrack 
Lane  and  Durham  Road.  A  customary  bowling  green 
on  the  Saltholme  is  mentioned  in  the  partition  of  the 
common  lands  in  1659.''^  Regattas  have  been  held 
from  time  to  time  since  1825.''^  Cockfighting  used 
to  be  a  favourite  sport. 

In  the  I  8th  century  the  '  Stockton  races '  were  held 
on  the  low  ground  on  the  Yorkshire  side  of  the  Tees.^** 
They  were  discontinued,  but  revived  in  1 8  39,  and  are 
held  on  Mandale  Marshes,  formerly  in  Stockton  and 
now  in  Thornaby.^'  There  used  to  be  a  pack  of  otter 
hounds  ;  otters  infested  the  river  according  to  the 
rhjme  :  — 

An  otter  in  the  Tees 

You  may  find  at  your  case, 

and  they  did  much  damage  to  the  fisheries. ''"  Seals 
also  at  one  time  were  numerous  and  preyed  on  the 
salmon,  so  that  a  century  ago  it  was  the  custom  for  the 
fishermen  to  devote  a  day  or  two  occasionally  to 
hunting  the  seals.^' 

Stockton  has  a  prominent  place  in  the  history  of 
railways,  for  the  first  line  on  which  locomotive  engines 
were  used  is  that  from  Stockton  to  Darlington.  This 
was  begun  in  1822  and  formally  opened  on  27  Sep- 
tember 182;.'"  The  station  was  at  the  south  end  of 
the  town  and  is  now  a  goods  station.  The  line 
was  continued  along  the  line  of  quays.  In  1830  a  sus- 
pension bridge  was  thrown  across  the  Tees  to  carry  a 
line  to  Middlesbrough  ;  this  had  to  be  supported  by 
timber  struts,  and  in  1844  was  replaced  by  an  iron 
bridge.''  Coals  were  delivered  at  Stockton  by  the  Port 
Clarence  railway  in  1833.  A  railway  to  Hartlepool 
was  opened  in  1841,'-  the  station  being  in  Bishopton 
Lane  ;    the  company  was  incorporated  in  1842.      In 


1852  it  was  amalgamated  with  the  Hartlepool  West 
Harbour  and  Dock  Company  as  the  West  Hartlepool 
Harbour  and  Railway  Company,and  took  over  the  Port 
Clarence  line.'^  In  1 846  the  Leeds  and  Northern  rail- 
way, now  the  North  Eastern,  obtained  powers  to  make 
a  branch  to  Stockton  by  way  of  Yarm  and  Egglescliffe, 
and  the  station  in  Bishopton  Lane  was  opened  on 
1;  May  1852.'^'  By  amalgamation  in  1S54  and  later 
all  the  lines  have  been  united  in  the  North  Eastern 
system,  and  the  Bishopton  Lane  station  has  been  en- 
larged and  made  the  only  passenger  station  in  the 
parish,  that  called  Eaglescliffe  Station  being  just  out- 
side on  the  south.  There  is  a  branch  goods  line  with 
a  station  in  Norton  Road,  at  the  north  end,  running 
to  the  river  side  ;  near  this  point  there  is  a  ferry 
across  to  Thornaby.  The  Stockton  and  Castle  Eden 
branch  passes  on  the  west  through  Stockton  and  East 
Hartburn.  The  tramways  through  Stockton  connect 
the  town  with  Thornaby,  Middlesbrough  and  North 
Ormcsby  in  one  direction  and  with  Norton  in  another  ; 
they  were  first  formed  in  1882,'^ and  are  owned  by  a 
private  company.  Before  that  time  there  was  an 
omnibus  service  to  Norton. 

A  weekly  newspaper,  the  Stockton  and  Thornaby 
HertilJ,  is  published  at  Stockton  on  Saturdays.  It  was 
founded  in  1858.  The  earliest  newspaper  published 
here  was  the  Advertiser,  begun  in  1858,  but  lasting 
only  a  year.  A  local  magazine  called  the  Stockton  Bee 
began  in  i  793  and  continued  until  I  795  ;  it  contained 
essays,  poems,  puzzles  and  other  miscellaneous  articles."' 
The  Gazette  was  founded  in  1859  by  the  efforts  of 
Robert  Spears,"'  a  Unitarian  minister  then  stationed 
at  Stockton.  It  continues  as  th.e.  North-eastern  Gazette, 
published  at  Middlesbrough.  The  Kc:vs  and  Adver- 
tiser, begun  in  1 864,''^  and  the  Examiner,  later,  did 
not  succeed. 

East  Hartburn  contains  the  village  so  named  on  its 
eastern  border,  adjoining  Stockton,  and  the  hamlet  of 
Fairfield  has  sprung  up  in  the  northern  corner. 
Preston  has  part  of  the  hamlet  of  Eaglescliffe  Junction 
in  the  south-west  ;  north  of  it  lies  Cowley  Moor.  The 
Whinstone  dyke,  here  75  ft.  wide,  enters  the  county 
in  Preston,  where  it  is  being  quarried."^  Each  of 
these  townships  has  a  Parish  Council  for  administering 
its  local  affairs. 

The  early  history  of  Stockton  is  bound  up  with  that 
of  Norton.  From  the  names  it  may  be  surmised  that 
Stockton  was  the  original  Anglian  settlement  formed 
upon  a  defensible  site  beside  the  river,  and  that  Norton 
afterwards  grew  up  to  the  north  either  as  pleasanter  to 
dwell  in  or  more  secure  from  attack.  Later,  while  the 
church  w.^s  built  at  Norton,  wh  ch  thus  gave  a  name 
to  the  parish,  the  bishops  preferred  to  establish  their 
manor-house  at  Stockton,'"'^  which  provided  a  name  for 
the  ward  or  administrative  division  of  the  county. 

King  John   paid  three  visits  to  Stockton  :   in  Feb- 


"  Brewster,  op.  cit.  67. 

^*  Fordycc,  op.  cit,  ii,  176  ;  Richmond, 
op.  cit.  1 52,  21+. 

■^  Heavisides,  op.  cit.  82. 

^*  Brewster,  op.  cit.  162. 

^  Heavisides,  op.  cit.  138. 

««  Far.  Coll.  (Hist.  MSS.  Com.),  ii, 
431  ;  Richmond,  Local  Rec.  30^.  There 
were  races  in  1724.  A  race  bill  of  17^5 
is  printed  on  p.  305.  Tlie  races  lasted  four 
days  ;  on  one  day  was  a  r;ice  for  women. 
There  was  a  main  of  cocks  each  day,  and 
an  assembly  was  kept  every  night. 


^'  Heavisides,  op.  cit.  133, 

^  Fordyce,  op.  cit.  ii,  192, 

*^  Heavisides,  op.  cit.  40. 

^^  Sykcs,  Local  Records,  ii,  1 87  j  Local 
and  Personal  Acts,  x  &  2  Geo,  IV, 
cap.     44  ;    Richmond,     op.     cit,      138, 

'*  Fordycc,  op.  cit.  ii,  186.  There  is  a 
view  of  the  suspension  bridge  in  Brewster, 
op.  cit.  2nd  cd.  The  passenger  station 
was  established  on  the  Yorkshire  side,  in 
South  Stockton. 

''  Richmond,  Local  Rec,  166. 

351 


'^  Fordyce,  loc.  cit, 

'«  Ibid. 

'*  Tramway  by-laws  in  Loud.  Gaz. 
I  Aug.  1882,  p.  3595. 

•'  There  is  a  copy  in  the  British 
Museum. 

'■  Dice.  Nat.  Biog.  (luppl.), 

'^  Richmond,  Local  Rec,  pp.  93,  234, 
236,  243,  271. 

''■'  I'.C.H.  Dur.  i,  23  J  Fordyce,  op.  cit. 
ii,  199. 

''^  The  bishops  may  have  continued  an 
ancient  arrangement. 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


ru.iry  i  200-1  on  his  way  from  Scarborough  to  Dur- 
ham and  Newcastle,  again  in  April  izio  and  in 
February  12 1 2-1 3,  this  time  on  his  way  south.*" 
That  the  Bishops  of  Durham  frequently  resided  there 
is  evident  from  grants  d.itcd  at  Stocicton,*'-  and  when 
Bishop  Nicholas  de  Karnham  resigned  the  bishopric  in 
1249  in  order  to  devote  his  last  days  to  a  life  of  con- 
templation, Stocictoii  was  one  of  the  manors  reserved 
for  his  maintenance,'*-'  and  there  he  died  in  1257."* 

The  Reformation  period  seems  to  have  passed 
quietly  by,  but  in  1 569  nine  men  from  this  place 
joined  the  Northern  Rising,  of  whom  two  were  exe- 
cuted."' In  the  exaction  of  ship  money  by  Charles  I 
Stockton  was  joined  with  some  other  towns  to  provide 
a  ship,*"^  and  in  1637  John  Biirdon,  a  townsman  and 
constable  of  the  ward,  was  summoned  to  answer  for 
his  neglect  in  not  collecting  the  ship  money  or  in  not 
accounting  for  it."'  In  1 640  there  is  mention  of  butter 
for  the  king's  forces  ready  to  be  shipped  from  Stock- 
ton.** Later  in  that  ye.ir  the  Scots  invaded  England 
and  defeated  the  king's  troops  at  Newburn  on 
28  August."'  Dr.  Morton  the  bishop  at  first  took 
refuge  in  his  castle  at  Stockton  and  then  crossed  over 
into  Yorkshire.''"  At  the  beginning  of  October  the 
Scottish  horse  approached  the  town."'  By  the  treaty 
of  26  October  the  Tees  was  to  be  the  division  between 
the  king's  forces  and  the  Scots,  with  the  exception  that 
the  town  and  castle  of  Stockton  and  the  village  of 
Eaglescliffe  were  to  remain  the  king's.'^  Stockton  was 
regarded  as  a  place  of  military  importance,'^  but  no 
adequate  provision  was  made  for  defending  it.'*  At 
the  beginning  of  January  the  troops  were  in  disorder 
and  there  were  no  provisions  for  them  "  ;  in  February 
they  were  clamouring  for  their  pay."'  The  registers 
record  the  deaths  of  several  soldiers  between  20  De- 
cember 1640  and  6  May  1641.'''  When  the  Civil 
War  broke  out  the  castle  w.is  garrisoned,  but  the  Scots 
again  invaded  Durham,  and  on  24  July  1 644  the  castle 
surrendered  to  Lord  Calendar  without  resistance,'" 
and  was  garrisoned  by  them  until,  by  the  treaty  of 
I  646,  they  withdrew  to  Scotland  early  in  1 647,  having 
received  their  jf  200,000."  During  the  occupation 
serious  complaints  had  been  made  by  the  people  of 
the  district  concerning  the  oppressive  conduct  of  James 
Levingstone,  the  governor.'""  Some  meetings  of  the 
Parliamentary  Commissioners  were  held  in  Stockton,' 
but  the  '  delinquents '  in  the  parish  were  few,  Col.  Sir 
Edmund  Duncan,  Richard  Grubham,  Lawrence  Sayer 
of  Preston  and  Leonard  Stott  being  the  only  persons 


named. ^  In  view  of  war  with  the  Dutch  the  defence 
of  Stockton  was  considered  in  1664  ;  it  was  one  ot 
the  'naked'  places  of  the  coast. ^  In  1672  the  Dutch 
war  ships  and  priv.ueers  were  very  active,  and  vessels 
often  put  into  the  Tees  to  avoid  them  or  to  wait  for 
a  convoy. ■• 

In  I  740  there  was  a  great  disturbance  here  ;  wheat 
was  scarce,  and  in  May  and  June  the  populace  refused 
to  allow  any  to  be  exported  from  the  town.  Soldiers 
were  brought  in  to  overawe  them,  some  prisoners  were 
made  and  sent  to  Durham,  but  there  the  mob  released 
them.''  Troops,  this  time  Germans,"  were  again 
brought  to  Stockton  in  1745-6  during  the  alarm 
ciused  by  the  early  successes  of  the  Scottish  Jacobites 
under  Charles  Edward  the  Young  Pretender,  and  their 
advance  to  Carlisle  and  Derby.  Their  final  defeat  at 
Culloden  was  celebrated  in  festive  manner  ;  among 
other  illuminations  was  that  provided  by  a  raft  laden 
with  combustibles  on  fire  and  sent  floating  down  the 
Tees.'  Wesley,  who  visited  the  town  many  times, 
gives  the  following  account  of  a  press-gang  raid  in 
July  1759":— 

I  began  near  Stockton  market-place  as  usual.  I  had  hardly 
finished  the  hymn  when  I  observed  the  people  in  great  confusion, 
which  was  occasioned  by  a  lieutenant  ol'  a  man-of-war  who  had 
chosen  that  time  to  bring  his  press-gang  anil  ordered  tliem  to 
take  Joseph  Jones  and  William  AUwood.  Joseph  Jones  telling 
him,  *Sir,  I  belong  to  Mr.  Wesley,'  after  a  few  words  he  let  him 
go;  as  he  did  likewise  William  AUwood,  after  a  few  hours, 
understanding  he  was  a  licensed  preacher.  He  likewise  seized 
upon  a  young  man  of  the  town,  but  the  women  rescued  him  by 
main  strength.  They  also  broke  tlie  lieutenant's  head,  and  so 
stoned  both  him  and  his  men  that  they  ran  away  with  all  speed. 

The  wars  with  the  French  in  the  latter  part  of  the 
I  8th  century  contributed  in  certain  ways,  as  in  ship- 
building, to  the  material  prosperity  of  the  town,  but 
alarm  was  caused  in  1779  by  the  appearance  of  Paul 
Jones,  the  American  privateer,  off  the  mouth  of  the 
Tees,  where  he  captured  a  sloop.'  A  small  band  of 
volunteers  was  raised  about  that  time  for  the  defence 
of  the  town,'"  and  another  corps  in  1798  called  the 
Loyal  Stockton  Volunteers  or  '  Blue  Coats.'  "  These 
were  disbanded  in  1802,  but  again  enrolled  in  1803, 
and  finally  disembodied  in  181  3.'*  In  1788  the  cen- 
tenary of  the  Revolution  was  celebrated  by  bonfires." 
In  1783  there  were  four  post-days  weekly. '<  In  the 
same  year  the  Darlington  and  Seaton  coach  passed 
through  Stockton  twice  a  week."  A  mail  coach  from 
Sunderland  via  Stockton  to  Borough  bridge,  where  it 
joined  the  London  mail,  was  established  in  1806  and 


^'  Itinerary  in  introduction  Rof.  Lit, 
Pal.  (Rcc.  Com.)  ;  Cal.  Roi.  Chart.  (Rec. 
Com.),  86,  190. 

*-  E.g.  Feod.  Prior,  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc), 
i86n.,  i87n.  ;  Cal.  Chart,  R,  1300-26, 
p.  193  ;  Reg,  Palai.  Duticlm,  (Rolls  Scr.), 
paaim, 

^  Cal,  Pal,  1247-58,  pp.  37,  49  ;  Cat, 
Chart.  R.  1226-57,  p.  338. 

8'  Matth.  Paris,  Chrtn.  Maj,  (Rolls 
Ser.),  V,  650. 

"  Sharp,  Mem,  of  the  Rehellion  o/"l  569, 
p.  251. 

'^  Cal.   S.   P.   Dom.   1634-5,    pp.    143, 

374- 

''  Ibid.  1637,  pp.  229,  382. 

**  Ibid.  1639-40,  p.  563. 

*9  r.C.H.   bur.   ii,  169. 

'•"'  Letters  dated  at  Stockton  Castle 
29-30  August  are  in  Cal.  S.  P.  Dom, 
1640,  pp.  647,  651  ;  Rushworth,  Hist, 
Coll,  ii  (2),  1239. 


"  Cal.  S.  P.  Dom,  1640-1,  pp.  138, 
168. 

^-  Ruslnvorth,  op.  cit.  ii  (2),  1306. 

"  Ibid. 

"  Cal,  S.  p.  Dom.  1640-1,  pp.  276, 
301,429. 

''  Ibid.  403,  413. 

'■"'•  Ibid.  464. 

^'  Brewster,  op.  cit.  16. 

'^  r.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  171;  Hilt.  MSS. 
Com.  Rep.  xiii,  App.  i,  181.  Lord  Cal- 
endar reported  that  there  was  only  one 
cannon  in  the  castle. 

"  Cal.  S.  P.  Dom.  1645-7,  PP-  16,  >'5i 
226  ;  Rushworth,  op.  cit.  iv  (i),  233,  389. 

""Cat.  S.  P.  Dom.  1641-3,  p.  470 
(wrongly  dated)  ;    1645-7,  p.  56. 

'  Ree.  Com.  for  Comp,  (Surt.  Soc),  2,  34. 

'  Ibid.  3,  24,  35. 

'  Cat.  S.  P.  Dom.  1664-5,  pp.  146, 
215. 

*  Sec  the  numerous  letters  in  Cal,  S.  P. 


Dom,   1671-2,   p.    5705   1672,  pp.   205, 
324,  450,  483  ;   1672-3,  pp.  62,  87,  190, 

203.  256,  5»5- 

^  Brewster,  op.  cit.  152. 

^  Richmond,  however,  states  that  the 
local  volunteers  raised  were  called 
•Prussians.'  There  were  also  Dutch 
soldiers  in  the  town,  and  in  1746  there 
are  entries  in  the  parish  registers  of  the 
burials  of  German  and  Dutch  soldiers. 

'  Brewster,  op.  cit.  154. 

^  IVeikyi  Journ.  (1903  ed.),  ii,  469. 

^  Heavisides,  op.  cit.  189. 

"*  T.  Richmond,  Noriconf,  in  Stockton, 
64.      Sec  also  Brewster,  op.  cit.  155. 

^'  Richmond,  loc.  cit. 

'^  Richmond,  op.  cit.  pp.  loi,  loj, 
119. 

'*  Brewster,  op.  cit.  157. 

'*  Richmond,  Local  Rec.  p.  83.  There 
seems  to  have  been  a  daily  post  by  1803. 

'^  Ibid.  p.  83. 


STOCKTON  WARD 


STOCKTON  ON  TEES 


ran  till  183 2."*  The  Tees  Bank  was  established  in 
1785  by  Henry  Hutchinson  and  continued  until 
1825  '^  ;  another,  the  Stockton  and  Cleveland,  failed 
in  1815,  when  the  Commercial  Bank  appeared.'"*  A 
savings  bank  was  formed  in  1816.'" 

Of  minor  events  may  be  mentioned  a  visit  of  the 
Duke  of  Wellington  in  i  827,  when  he  was  entertained 
by  the  Corporation.-'^  Wordsworth  wrote  part  of  the 
White  Doe  ofRyhtone  while  on  a  visit  to  the  Hutchin- 
sons  at  Stockton  in  1807.''  A  less  important  visitor 
was  Joanna  Southcott  in  1803  ;  she  made  few  con- 
verts.''- In  1832  there  were  great  rejoicings  over  the 
passing  of  the  Reform  Bill.^''  The  Rev.  John  Brewster, 
the  first  historian  of  Stockton,  who  was  assistant  curate 
and  lecturer  from  1776  to  1799  and  then  vicar  until 
1805,  was  held  in  great  esteem,  and  no  doubt  aided  or 
stimulated  the  various  charitable  and  intellectual 
eftbrts  of  the  time.-^  His  history  was  first  published 
in  1796.^^ 

In  the  1 8th  century  Ralph  Bradley,  a  barrister  of 
Gray's  Inn,  practised  at  Stockton,  and  was  said  to  have 
managed  the  concerns  of  almost  the  whole  county  of 
Durham  ;  he  died  in  1788. 2*'  Joseph  Reed,  a  drama- 
tist, was  born  at  Stockton  in  1723,  and  for  a  time 
followed  his  father's  business  as  a  ropemaker  ;  in  1757 
he  removed  to  London,  where  he  died  in  1787.^' 
Brass  Crosbie,  born  at  Stockton  in  1725,  went  to 
London,  where  he  practised  as  an  attorney.  He  be- 
came City  Remembrancer  in  1760  and  Lord  Mayor 
in  1770  ;  during  his  term  of  oiHce  he  refused  press- 
gangs  permission  to  work  in  the  city  and  defied  the 
House  of  Commons  by  allowing  reports  of  its  pro- 
ceedings to  be  printed.  He  was  in  consequence  im- 
prisoned in  the  Tower,  becoming  a  popular  hero. 
He  died  in  1793.-*  Christopher  Allison  was  a  local 
seaman  whose  story  attracted  much  attention.  He 
took  part — by  his  own  statement  a  leading  part — in 
the  capture  of  a  French  privateer  in  1758.  He  died 
in  1808.^"  Nathan  Brunton,  born  at  Stockton  in 
1744.,  entered  the  navy  as  a  seaman,  obtained  a  com- 
mission and  rose  to  be  a  vice-admiral.  He  died  at 
Stockton  in  1814.'"  Thomas  Sheraton,  the  famous 
cabinet-maker  and  designer  of  furniture,  was  born  at 
Stockton  in  1751.  He  removed  to  Soho  about  1790 
and  published  books  of  designs  and  taught  drawing. 
He  was  also  a  zealous  Baptist  preacher.  He  died  in 
l8o6.'i  Margaret  Nicholson,  who  attacked  King 
George  III  in  17S6,  was  also  a  native  of  Stockton. 
She  was  insane  at  the  time,  and  died  in  Bedlam  in 
1828.^^  Joseph  Ritson,  the  celebrated  antiquary,  wai 
born  at  Stockton  in  1752  in  humble  circumstances. 
He  became  a  solicitor,  and  in  1775  settled  in  London. 
He  studied  English  literature  and  history,  and  was 
an  authority  on  ballad  poetry.  In  1 781  he  pub- 
lished the  Stockton  Jubilee,  a  satire  on  the  inhabitants 


of  his  native  place.  On  the  other  hand  he  assisted 
Hutchinson  and  lircwster  in  their  histories  of  the 
county  and  the  town,  and  made  a  collection  of  Durham 
ballads,  some  relating  to  Stockton.  He  died  in  1803.^' 
Admiral  Sir  Thomas  Bertie  was  a  son  of  George  Hoar, 
and  was  born  at  Stockton  in  1758.  He  entered  the 
navy  in  1773  and  took  part  in  a  great  number  of 
actions,  particularly  distinguishing  himself  at  the  battle 
of  Copenhagen,  retiring  from  the  service  in  18 10. 
In  1788  he  married  Catharine  Dorothy  daughter  of 
Peregrine  Bertie,  and  took  her  name.  He  died  in 
1825  at  Twyford,  in  Hampshire.'''  Lieut. -Col. 
William  Sleigh,  born  at  Stockton  about  the  same  time 
as  Sir  Thomas  Bertie,  joined  the  19th  Regiment  and 
served  in  the  American  war.  He  died  in  1825  at  his 
native  place. '^  A  contemporary,  Grace  Horsfall,  the 
wife  of  George  Sutton  of  Stockton  and  Elton,  whom 
she  married  in  1780,  founded  the  Stockton  School  of 
Industry  for  girls  in  1803,  and  deserves  remembrance 
for  a  life  of  charitable  effort.  She  died  in  1814,  and 
has  a  monument  in  the  church. '''  The  school  is  con- 
tinued as  Holy  Trinity  Girls'  School.  John  Walker, 
born  at  Stockton  about  I  78  I,  became  a  chemist  there 
in  181  8,  and  about  1827  invented  friction  matches. 
He  died  in  1859,  and  a  tablet  commemorating  him 
has  been  placed  on  the  wall  of  59  High  Street. '^ 

The  Bishops  of  Durham  had  a  manor- 
CJSTLE  house  at  Stockton  from  the  late  i  2th  cen- 
tury at  least.  The  '  hall '  of  Bishop 
Pudsey  stood  near  the  banks  of  the  Tees,  probably  on 
the  site  of  the  later  castle.^'  The  d.ite  when  the  castle 
was  built  or  the  manor-house  fortified  is  not  known. 
Bishop  Kellaw,  who  died  in  I  3  1 6,  built  a  '  beautiful 
chamber  '  at  Stockton, ''  and  this  was  perhaps  the  scene 
of  the  bishop's  assertion  of  his  palatine  rights  in  i  3 1  2,'"' 
though  at  other  times  the  chapel  seems  to  have  been 
used  as  theofficial  room.^'  A  deed  of  1428  was  dated 
in  the  '  chapter-house  '  of  the  manor.^-  The  house  is 
called  a  castle  in  1376  in  an  inquiry  concerning  the 
abduction  from  it  of  one  of  the  bishop's  wards.^' 
Leland  also  mentions  the  castle  about  1535,''^  and  in 
1577  inquiry  was  made  as  to  the  condition  of  the 
manor-house  of  Stockton  commonly  called  Stockton 
Castle.  It  was  then  stated  that  the  place  went  to 
decay  under  Bishop  Pilkington's  rule,  and  that  nearly 
£1,600  would  be  required  to  put  it  in  good  repair. 
The  report  names  the  tower  north  of  the  chapel,  the 
west  tower,  the  tower  over  the  stairs  ;  of  the  hall, 
measuring  63  ft.  by  33  ft.  with  walls  36  ft.  high  and 
4  ft.  thick,  nothing  remained  but  the  walls  ;  the 
ch.ipel,  measuring  63  ft.  by  1  8  ft.,  with  its  four  turrets 
needed  repairs.  There  was  a  staith  of  timber  in  front 
of  the  house  for  its  protection  from  the  Tees  ;  it  was 
'  sore  decayed,'  and  if  not  repaired  the  water  would 
undermine  the  house.'''    Probably  nothing  substantial 


"  Fordyce,  op.  cit.  ii,  180;  Richmond, 
op,  cit.  III. 

'^  Mackenzie  and  Ross,  op.  cit.  ii,  39. 

'^  Ibid.  ;  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  180  j 
Riclimond,  op.  cit.  125. 

'^  Fordyce,  op.  cit.  ii,  182. 

»»  Ibid.  1 155. 

•'  Diet.  Nat.  Biog. 

-■'  Richmond,  Loca/  Rcc.  p.  106. 

-■*  Heavisidcs,  op.  cit.  19S. 

"  Diet.  Nat.  Biog.     Sec  Egglescliff'e. 

-•'  A  second  cnl.Trged  edition,  with 
portrait  of  the  author,  &c.,  came  out  in 
1829. 


-«  Diet.  Nat.  Biag. 

"  Ibid. 

'"  Ibid.  ;  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  196,  with 
portr.Tit. 

'"  Brewster,  op.  cit.  136. 

'"  Fordyce,  op.  cit.  ii,  161. 

»'  Did.  Nat.  «/of. 

»  Ibid. 

"*  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  193  ;  Did.  Nat. 
Biog. 

"  Fordyce,  op.  cit.  ii,  169. 

'-''  Ibid.  162.  Shortly  before  his  death 
Sleigh  was  in  command  of  the  volunteer 
cavalry  of  the  district. 

353 


"  Ibid.  161  ;  Richmond,  op.  cit.  103. 

'"  Diet.  Nat.  Biog. 

'"  r.C.H.  Dur.  i,  337. 

'»  Hist.  Dunelm.  Serif  t.  Tret  (Surt. 
Soc),  97. 

*^  Reg.  Palat.  Dunelm.  (RolU  Ser.),  i, 
205. 

*'  Ibid.  319,  471,  4:'+;  iv,  42+. 

"  Cat.  Pat.  1429-36,  p.  182. 

^'  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  403. 

*'  Itiii.  (ed.  Hcarne),  vii,  50. 

"  Printed  in  ylre/i.  Act.  (New  Ser.), 
vii,  1 20.  See  also  Cat.  S.  P.  Dom.  i  595-7, 
p.  217  ;  ibid.  Addenda,  15S0-1625,  p.  553. 

45 


A  HISTORY   OF  DURHAM 


was  done,  for  in  1647  the  castle  was  'ruinous  and  in 
great  decay,'  the  moat  was  partly  filled  up,  the  orchards 
anJ  gardens  within  the  moat  destroyed  and  the  park 
had  been  disparked.  The  castle  demesnes  included  a 
'  meadow  or  park  '  and  Smithy  Hill  and  orchard,  both 
'under  the  castle  wall,'  and  other  fields  and  inclosures, 
about  370  acres  in  all,  including  the  Great  Summer 
Field  and  the  Winter  Field."  The  castle  is  said  to 
have  been  destroyed  in  1652  in  accordance  with  an 
order  of  the  House  of  Commons,  and  the  site  is  now 
known  by  the  names  of  certain  streets — Castlegate, 
Tower  Street  and  Moat  Street.  A  small  portion 
called  a  barn  remained  till  the  middle  of  last  century,^' 
and  portions  of  the  old  wall  may  still  be  seen  in 
Castlegate.  A  the.itre  has  been  built  on  part  of  the  site. 
The  date  of  the  formation  of  the 
BOROUGH  borough  of  STOCKTON  is  not  known, 
and  no  ch.irter  exists.  Its  sharply 
defined  limits,  originally  it  would  seem  including  only 
the  houses  on  both  sides  of  the  High  Street  and  the 
tofts  of  land  on  which  they  stood,^**  indicate  a  com- 
paratively late  formation.  The  borough  did  not  exist 
at  the  time  of  Bishop  Pudsey's  survey  of  I  184,  Stock- 
ton being  then  apparently  an  agricultural  manor. 
In  1197  it  was  tallaged  as  a  '  villata,' "  but  in 
1283  when  the  bishopric,  during  a  vacancy,  was  in 
the  king's  hands,  the  tallage  of  the  borough  of  Stock- 
ton as  well  as  of  the  bondmen  was  .iccounted  for 
at  the  royal  exchequer.^"  In  1307  the  borough  was 
again  in  the  king's  hands,'^  also  in  1311.^'  On  the 
former  occasion  the  rent  of  the  borough  for  three 
terms  was  23/.  and  for  two  terms  i  is.  312'.*'  In  1310 
Bishop  Bek  granted  a  market  and  fair  to  the  town, 
without,  however,  mentioning  the  burgesses.'^ 

The  earliest  indication  of  the  constitution  of  the 
borough  is  obtained  from  an  account  of  the  customs  of 
Newcastle  sent  to  the  Mayor,  bailiff  and  burgesses  of 
Stockton  for  their  guidance  by  the  Mayor  and  bailiffs 
of  Newcastle  in  1344.  This  may  be  taken  to  show 
that  Stockton,  like  Hartlepool,  claimed  the  same 
customs  as  Newcastle.  Briefly  the  customs  mentioned 
were  these  ''  : — 

1.  Merclinndise  arriving  at  Newcastle  was  to  be  sold  by  the 
merchants  between  sunrise  and  sunset.  2,  A  burgess  if  a  *host* 
was  not  to  buy  of  his  guest  if  a  stranger.  5.  No  burgess  was  to 
buy  before  the  goods  were  technically  *  in  port,'  i.e.,  until  after  a 
plank  had  been  laid  to  the  ship.  4.  A  merchant  who  was  not  a 
burgess  could  buy  only  of  a  burgess.  5.  The  mayor  and  sounder 
part  of  the  commonalty  could  make  orders  for  the  good  of  the 
town.  6.  A  burgess,  and  a  burgess's  son,  miglit  have  mill  and 
oven  and  measure.  8.  A  burgess  might  grind  corn  where  he 
pleased.  10.  A  burgess  might  bequeath  purchased  lands  freely. 
The  other  rules  concerned  the  sale  of  fish  and  herring  and  of  bad 
provisions,  prohibited  forestalling,  and  asserted  the  usual  freedom 
for  a  serf  who  had  resided  in  the  borough  for  a  year  without 
being  claimed. 

The  second  of  these  clauses  suggests  the  existence  in 


Stockton  of  a  company  of  host  men  corresponding  to 
that  of  Newcastle,  but  no  other  evidence  on  the  subject 
has  been  found.     The  next  document  which  throws 
light  on  the  history  of  the  borough  is  Bishop  Hatfield's 
survey  made  about  1382.^''     From  this  it  appears  that 
there  were  two  classes  of  burgesses,  both  paying  a  rent 
to  the  bishop  and  owing  suit  at  the  borough  court  held 
every  three  weeks.     The  first  class  consisted  of  the 
burgesses  actually  living  in   the  borough,  the  other  of 
burgesses  outside  the  borough  with  an   interest  in  a 
burgage  tenement.     There  were  forty-six  such  tene- 
ments, the  normal  rent  being  6d.  or  8c/.    Most  of  the 
out-tenants  had  only  a  quarter  of  a  burg.ige  each,  while 
several  of  the  in-tenants  had  one  or  two.     The  bur- 
gesses were  free  of  toll  throughout  the  bishopric  except 
in  the  wapentake  of  Sadberge.     All  the  profits  of  the 
borough,  including  tolls,  perquisites  of  court,  fines  for 
alienations,  forfeitures,  the  toll  called  '  towirst '  and  the 
burgage  rents,  were  let   for  ^5    6s.   Si/,  to  Richard 
Maunce  '  and   his  fellows.'      Richard  Maunce  was  a 
burgess,  but  it  does  not  appear  that  he  was  acting  on 
behalf  of  his  fellow-burgesses,  who  never,  so  far  as  is 
known,   farmed   the   borough    in    common.     Several 
leases  to  individuals  occur  in  the  14th  and  early  15th 
century,  the  earliest  on   record  being  that  of  1358, 
when   Walter    Denand    and   Henry   Het  leased    the 
borough  for  a  rent  of  j[^.^^    The  rent  in  141 9  was 
£4  6s.  Srf'.'^     Later  the  normal  practice  was  for  the 
borough  to  be  held  by  an  officer  of  the  bishop  called 
'  bailirt"  of  the  borough.'     He  was  also  '  keeper  of  the 
manor,'  and  received  a  fee  of  £6   13/.  ^d.''^     In  the 
time  of  Bishop  Shirwode  (1484-94)  a  detailed  account 
was  given   of  the  receipts  from   the   borough.    They 
amounted  nominally  to  £6  os.  6d.,  but  there  were 
'  decayed  rents '  of  6s.  %(/.,  the  farm  was    1 1  ■^s.  \d., 
perquisites  of  court  came  to  5/.  4a'.,  and  fines  of  various 
burgesses  to  103/.  jil.^'^     The  bailiff  of  the  borough 
paid  60/.  in  1493-4.*^^     To  judge  from  the  practice 
of  the  igth  century  it  was  the  custom  for  the  bishop's 
bailiff  to  attend  at  the  borough  court  already  men- 
tioned, in  which  the  mayor  presided  and  the  burgesses 
were  '  the  jurors.'  *- 

In  1602  the  Mayor  and  burgesses  of  Stockton  peti- 
tioned Bishop  Matthew  for  a  renewal  of  the  grant  of 
market  and  fair,  and  received  in  return  a  charter 
recognizing  them  as  the  municipal  body  under  that 
style.'''  There  is  no  charter  of  incorporation  from 
the  Crown. 

About  1620  the  Corporation  put  forward  a  claim 
to  the  dues  paid  by  ships  coming  into  port.  The 
bishop,  however,  proved  his  right  to  these  dues  called 
anchorage  and  plankage  ;  they  had  been  paid  to  him 
in  the  time  of  Henry  VI,  and  the  staith  at  which 
ships  discharged,  then  in  decay,  was  in  the  outer  court 
of  the  bishop's  castle.'''    The  bishop  then  gave  a  lease 


**'  Surtecs,  op.  cit.  iii,  172. 

^^  There  is  a  view  in  Brewster,  Paroch. 
Hist,  of  StQcktori-upon-Tees,  22. 

*■■  "There  are  plans  of  1724  in  Rich- 
mond's Lociil  Records  and  of  1796  in 
Brewster's  Hist,  oj  Stockton, 

<'■'  Madox,  Hist,  of  Exchcq.  i,  714; 
Surtees  states  that  the  bailiff  of  the 
borough  was  also  keeper  of  the  castle  and 
that  the  earliest  known  was  Thomas  de 
Middleham  in  1259  (op.  cit.  iii,  171). 
'John  called  the  bailiff  of  Stockton' 
occurs  about  1300,  but  the  borough  is 
not  named  (Egerton  Chart.  530). 


*"  Pipe  R.  1 1  Edw.  I,  m.  2. 
^'  Pari.  R.  (Rcc.  Com.),  i,  205. 
'•-  Reg.    Palat.    Dundm.     (Rolls     Ser.), 
iv,  89. 

■''  BolJoii  Bk.  (Surt.  Soc),  p.  xxxviii. 

^^  Brewster,  op.  cit.  27. 

^■'  Ibid.  28  et  seq. 

^^  Hatfield's    Surv.   (Surt.    Soc),    164, 

.67- 

■'"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  12,  fol.  206  d.  ; 
see  also  ibid,  no,  14,  fol.  19. 

^'  Ibid.  p.  1075. 

^'  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  rxxvi,  App. 
38,    143;    xl,  App.  484;   Brewster,   op. 

354 


cit.  24.  Two  bailiffs  of  the  borough 
occur  in  1475  {Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xxxv, 
104). 

^"  Eccl.  Com.  Dur.  Rec.  no.  220199. 

°'  Ibid.  no.  220197,  '°''  2'- 

^-'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  5,  no.  6,  ni.  22  (6)  ; 
Manic.  Corp.  Com.  Rep.  (1835),  App. 
pt.  iii,  1729. 

"  Brewster,  op.  cit.  51.  The  list  of 
mayors  collected  by  Ritson,  and  communi- 
cated to  Brewster,  begins  in  1495  with 
Robert  Burdon  (ibid.  p.  81). 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  1;,  no.  fi,  m.  22  ;  cf. 
m.  43. 


STOCKTON  WARD 


STOCKTON  ON  TEES 


of  the  dues  to  Rowland  Wetherilt,  but  afterwards  the 
Corporation  held  the  leasc,^*  and  this  system  has  con- 
tinued to  the  present  time.  At  some  time  before 
1796  the  market  tolls,  which  had  been  reserved  to  the 
bishop  in  the  latest  charter  (1666),  passed  to  the 
Corporation,  which  seems  also  to  have  leased  the  bur- 
gage rents. ^''  The  town  officials  were  at  that  date  the 
mayor,  aldermen  and  recorder,  the  recorder  being 
steward  also  of  the  bishop's  court  Icet  and  court  baron. 
'  Alderman '  was  merely  a  name  given  to  the  ex- 
mayors.  There  was  no  limit  to  their  number,  but  there 
were  only  five  in  1795  ;  they  remained  aldermen  as 
long  as  they  held  burgage  property.  There  was  no 
select  borough  council ;  the  mayor  and  the  whole  body 
of  burgesses  managed  the  affairs  of  the  town.  The 
mayor  was  elected  annually  by  the  burgesses^'  on  the 
Tuesday  after  Michaelmas  (29  September)  ;  an  allow- 
ance of  j^30  a  year  was  made  to  him,  and  he  was  a 
justice  of  the  peace  and  a  justice  in  the  Durham  court 
of  pleas  ex  officio.  The  borough  court  was  held  at 
the  town-hall  or  town-house  ;  two  courts  were  held 
each  year  for  the  trial  of  petty  causes  within  the 
borough.  The  town's  scrjeant  was  the  constable  of 
the  borough.''^  There  were  122  holders  of  burgage 
tenements,  the  number  of  tenements  being  probably 
seventy-two,  as  in  the  reign  of  Elizabeth.''^ 

An  Improvement  Act  for  Stociiton  was  passed  in 
1820,  under  which  a  board  of  ninety-four  commis- 
sioners were  appointed,  the  mayor  and  aldermen  being 
included  ex  officio.'^  This  seems  to  have  given  the 
aldermen  for  the  first  time  a  definite  function. 

The  report  of  1835  shows  little  change  from  1796. 
The  title  of  the  corporation  was  '  M.-iyor,  Aldermen, 
Burgesses  and  Commonalty.'  There  were  fifty-three 
burgesses  and  seventy-one  burg.igc  tenements,  com- 
prising about  one-fourth  of  the  town.  The  number 
of  aldermen  was  now  said  to  be  limited  to  eight. 
Courts  baron,  over  which  the  mayor  presided,  were 
held  eight  times  in  the  year  for  the  recovery  of  debts 
under  40/.  All  the  officers  of  the  town,  including 
collectors  of  river  dues,  testers  of  weights  and  measures, 
&c.,  were  appointed  by  the  mayor,  except  the 
recorder,  who,  as  already  stated,  was  the  bishop's 
nominee,  and  three  auditors,  who  were  elected  by  the 
burgesses.''  Freedom  of  the  corporation  was  con- 
ferred by  ownership  of  the  burgage  tenements. 

Under  the  Municipal  Corporations  Act  of  1835  the 
borough  area  remained  unchanged,  but  was  divided 
into  two  wards  with  nine  councillors  to  each,  and  the 
first  election  took  place  on  26  December  1835.'- 
At  the  same  time  a  Commission  of  the  Peace  was 
granted    for    the     borough,    the    recordership    being 


abolished.  In  1852  the  borough  boundaries  were 
extended  to  cover  a  larger  part  of  the  township,  Lus- 
tram  Beck  being  the  boundary,  and  the  area  was 
divided  into  four  wards  '^ — North-East,  North-West, 
South-East  and  South- West — by  High  Street  and  the 
cross  streets  at  the  town-hall  (Dovecot  Street  and 
Bishop  Street).  Each  ward  had  two  aldermen  and 
six  councillors.  Part  of  the  township  outside  the 
borough  was  in  the  South  Stockton  local  government 
district.  In  1889  a  further  extension  was  made.  The 
borough  is  now  conterminous  with  the  township,'^ 
and  is  divided  into  ten  wards,  each  with  an  alderman 
and  three  councillors,  named  Central,  Exchange, 
South-East,  South-West,  North-West,  West  End, 
Parkfield,  Victoria,  Tilery  and  Portrack.  In  191 3 
parts  of  East  Hartburn  and  Norton  were  brought 
within  the  township  and  borough.  Two  wards, 
Hartburn  and  Norton,  were  added  and  Portrack  and 
Tilery  wards  amalgamated.  The  number  of  aldermen 
and  councillors  was  correspondingly  increased. '^^ 

The  borough  police  was  in  185  I  merged  in  the 
county  force.''  Petty  sessions  for  the  borough  are 
held  daily  at  the  police-court  ;  the  county  magistrates 
meet  fortnightly.  A  school  board  was  formed  in 
1870."'^  Stockton  is  also  the  seat  of  a  rural  district 
council  and  poor  law  union. 

By  the  Act  of  1867  Stockton,  in  conjunction  with 
Thornaby  and  part  of  Norton,  became  a  Parliamen- 
tary borough,  returning  one  member. 

The  market  day  under  the  charter  of  13 10  was 
Wednesday,  while  the  fair  was  held  on  the  feast  of  the 
Translation  of  St.  Thomas  of  Canterbury  (7  July)  and 
the  week  following.  The  same  da)'s  were  appointed 
in  the  charters  reviving  the  market  and  fair  which 
were  granted  by  Bishop  Matthew  in  1602  and  Bishop 
Cosin  in  1666.''  In  1720  the  market  day  was  said 
to  be  Saturday,'"  in  1808  it  was  Wednesday,  and  fairs 
were  held  on  27  January,  18  July  and  the  Monday 
after  I  3  October.^'*  In  1 849,  as  at  the  present  day, 
there  were  both  Wednesday  and  Saturday  markets. 
Fairs  were  then  held  on  the  Wednesday  before 
13  May  and  on  23  November.**"  These  still  remain 
as  hiring  fairs.  There  are  besides  cattle  fairs  in 
April  and  October.  Cattle  markets  were  established 
in  I  8 1 1  monthly  at  first  and  weekly  later.*'  By  the 
Stockton  Improvement  and  Extension  Act  of  1 869 
the  corporation  was  empowered  to  regulate  the  markets 
and  fairs  and  take  the  profits.  In  1876  they  obtained 
an  Act  enabling  them  to  purchase  The  Green  on  the 
east  side  of  the  churchyard  for  a  new  market-place.**'^ 

Stockton  as  a  port  first  comes  into  notice  in  1228, 
when    a    certain    ship    which   had   been    arrested  at 


^^  Ibid.  66.  British  s!iip3  paid  ii.  loJ. 
for  anchorage  and  plaiikage  and  foreign 
ones  paid  double.  The  Cinque  Ports  were 
exempt.     Various  goods  paid  dues  also, 

*^'  Brewster,  op.  cit.  80. 

*' The  'borough  rights*  were  not  of 
equal  size,  and  if  one  were  subdivided  each 
owner  exercised  his  burgess  right  in  turn 
(Mackenzie  and  Ross,  op.  cit.  ii,  21-2). 

"^  Brewster,  op.  cit.  77-84  ;  Surtees, 
op.  cit.  iii,  175. 

*■'■'  Brewster,  op.  cit.  ;^9-40.  There  is  an 
engraving  of  the  borough  seal  (ibid.  148)  ; 
it  shows  castle  with  anchor  and  the  legend 
Sig,  Corp.  de  Stockton  in  Com.  Pal. 
Dunclm.  In  the  second  edition  of  the 
same  work  there  is  a  list  of  the  borough 


holders  of  1829  (p.  473)  and  a  plan  of 
the  town  in  1828  (p.  22). 

™  Mimic.  Corp.  Com.  R{f>.  (1S35). 

"'  Fordyce,  op.  cit.  ii,  157  ;  Local  and 
Pers.  Act,  i  Geo.  IV,  cap.  62.  This  Act 
was  repealed  in  1S52,  when  the  powers  of 
the  Commissioners  were  transferred  to 
the  council  of  the  enlarged  borough. 

^'^  Fordyce,  op.  cit.  177. 

"  Local  and  Pcrs.  Act,  15  &  16  Vict, 
cap.  18. 

''  Ibid.  ^2  &  55  Vict.  cap.  92. 

"a  Local  Act,  3  <St  4  Geo.  V,  cap.  143. 
The  part  of  East  Hartburn  which  was 
not  included  in  the  borough  was  amal- 
gamated with  the  parish  of  Elton. 

"  Fordyce,  op.  cit.  ii,  178. 

355 


'*  LonJ.  Gaz.  7  Nov.  iS-i,  p.  4543  j 
for  the  then  municipal  borough. 

"  Brt'wster,  op.  cit.  ^o~z, 

^^  A/jf.  Brit.  (1720-31),  i,  610. 

^»  Carlisle,  Topog.  Diet. 

*"*  Lewis,  Tof>og.  Diet. 

^'  Fordyce,  op.  cit.  ii,  179. 

^*a  Local  Act,  39  &40  Vict.  cap.  1 18. 
The  Green,  formerly  waste  land  of  the 
manor,  had  been  fenced  in  iSo$  and  in 
iS^S  was  acquired  from  the  Ecclesiastical 
Commissioners  for  pleasure  grounds  for 
the  inhabitants.  The  corporation  bought 
it  from  the  vicar  and  the  other  trustcet, 
and  also  purchased  the  vicarage  house 
and  two  dwellinj-housei  adjoining  on 
3  December  1875. 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


Billingliam  was  loaded  at  Stockton  and  the  bishop's 
men  took  6d.  'by  custom.'*'-  It  is  mentioned  as  a 
port  in  1543."'  In  1565,  however,  Tees  mouth 
was  not  considered  a  convenient  haven  because  Stock- 
ton, the  nearest  landing-place,  was  lo  miles  inland."^ 
In  the  I  7th  century  Stockton  was  a  member  of  the 
port  of  Newcastle.***  At  that  time  it  was  '  a  very  in- 
telligible port  and  one  of  more  trade  than  any  between 
Hull  and  Newcastle.  It  had  a  great  trade  with 
Holland  for  butter  and  le.id,  and  now  will  have  one 
with  Denmark.'  **"  The  Baltic  trade  was  so  important 
that  the  Eastland  merch.ints  thought  it  desirable  to 
appoint  a  surveyor  there  in  1671.*'  In  1677  a  junk 
of  between  200  and  300  tons  was  launched,  the  largest 
vessel  till  then  known  there,  and  another  of  the  same 
size  was  building.***  At  the  same  time  exports  of  corn 
are  recorded.*"  The  growing  importance  of  the  place 
is  shown  by  the  transference  to  it  of  the  Customs 
officers  in  1680  ;  till  then  they  had  been  stationed  at 
H.irtlepool.''"  Free  quays  were  set  out  under  a  royal 
commission  in  1683,  and  there  were  also  the  private 
quays  of  James  Cooke,  Robert  Jackson,  Matthew 
Wigginer,  —  Atkinson  and  Thomas  Crow.'-"  In  1 795 
the  vessels  belonging  to  the  port  numbered  forty-seven, 
with  a  tonnage  of  5,730,  an  average  of  125  tons 
each.'-  During  the  19th  century  the  town  and  port 
made  great  progress,  the  chief  causes  being  the  opening 
of  the  railway  in  1825  and  the  discovery  of  ironstone 
in  Cleveland  about  1850.  Various  shipping  companies 
were  formed  from  1803  onward  '^  ;  the  improvement 
in  the  river  navigation  assisted  trade  and  Stockton 
began  to  be  a  bonding  port  in  1815."*  The  first 
steamboat  appeared  in  1822,  and  in  1824  there  was 
one  belonging  to  the  port, ^*  yet  in  1831  the  eighty 
ships  of  Stockton  had  only  7,970  tons  burthen  in  all,"* 
showing  a  diminution  in  average  size  since  1795.  In 
1866,  after  Hartlepool  and  Middlesbrough  had  been 
made  separate  ports,  there  were  thirty-one  Stockton 
vessels  with  a  tonnage  of  6,109  !  '"  '9°'  there  were 
also  thirty-one  with  22,179  '°"^-  The  Tees  Naviga- 
tion Company,  which  controlled  the  river  from  the 
making  of  the  'old  cut'  in  1808-10,  was  in  1852 
superseded  by  the  Tecs  Conservancy  Commission," 
which  has  its  headquarters  at  Middlesbrough. 

The  port  of  Stockton  now  begins  at  Newport,  half- 
way between  Thornaby  and  Middlesbrough.  The 
following  bodies  had  power  to  levy  dues  in  1855  : 
The  Tees  Conservancy  Commission,  for  light  dues,  Sic. ; 
Stockton  Corporation,  lessees  of  the  Bishop  of  Durham, 
for  anchorage  and  plankage  on  ships  and  town  dues  on 


cargo  ;  Trinity  House,  Newcastle,  for  primage  on 
cargo  ;  the  Trustees  of  Ramsgate  Harbour,  the  Warden 
and  Assistants  of  Dover,  the  Bridlington  Harbour 
Trustees  and  the  Russia  Company."* 

The  industries  of  Stockton  are  numerous  and  varied. 
There  is  a  considerable  shipping  trade,  both  foreign 
and  coastwise,  from  the  quays  along  the  river.  The 
foreign  trade  is  chiefly  with  Holland  and  the  Baltic 
ports.  The  exports  at  present  are  chiefly  iron  and 
coal  from  the  mines  of  the  surrounding  district,  the 
imports  are  iron  ore,  timber,  wheat,  hemp  and  flax, 
hides  and  tallow.  Formerly  wheat  was  exported,  but 
the  local  demand  almost  overtook  the  growth  before 
1800.""  Lead  was  at  one  time  the  chief  export,  but 
the  trade  was  diverted  to  other  ports.""'  Coal  was 
imported  until  the  opening  of  the  railway  reversed  the 
case.'  The  fisheries  of  the  Tees  have  always  been 
important  ;  salmon  are  the  chief  fish  taken.-  There 
was  a  dispute  between  the  fishermen  with  draw  nets 
and  those  with  '  haling  '  nets  in  i  530  '  ;  an  order  was 
made  that  none  should  fish  with  '  kydyll '  nets  for 
smelts,  &c.,  from  Salthow  (rSaltholme)  upwards  be- 
tween 25  April  and  i  August.'' 

The  town  contains  large  iron  and  steel  works. 
Shipbuilding  and  steam  engine  making  are  extensively 
carried  on,  and  ropes  are  made.  The  ropemaking 
and  shipbuilding  industries  date  from  the  i8th  century 
at  least.'  In  1779  a  frigate  named  Bellona  was  built 
here  for  the  navy,  but  was  wrecked  on  its  first  voyage.' 
At  that  time,  on  account  of  the  war,  three  shipbuilding 
yards  had  constant  employment  and  another  was  tried 
at  Portrack.'  The  plan  in  Brewster's  History  of  a 
few  years  later  date  shows  yards  at  Smithfield,  on  the 
site  of  the  North  Shore  yard,  and  a  rope  walk  west  of 
the  church  ;  there  was  another  rope  walk  at  Portrack. 
Iron  and  brass  founding  is  carried  on,  bricks  and  tiles 
are  made,  and  cement.  In  addition  there  are  saw- 
mills, corn-mills,  sweet  factories  and  breweries  as  well 
as  minor  industries. 

There  were  in  the  early  19th  century  factories  for 
sail-cloths,  damask  and  worsted.  Damask  weaving  had 
died  out  by  1830,  but  linen,  sail-cloth  and  worsted 
were  still  made,  and  lead  was  rolled  and  smelted.  A 
steam  corn-mill  was  erected  in  1821,  and  there  were 
other  mills,  besides  foundries,  breweries,  shipbuilding 
yards,  roperies  and  brickworks.'  A  soap  manufactory 
was  given  up  in  1 8 14."  The  Chamber  of  Commerce 
was  established  in  1850,"^  and  similar  societies  had 
been  formed  in  1823  and  1832. 

Two  Stockton  tradesmen  issued  'farthing'  tokens 


^'^Ftai.  Prior.  Dundm.  (Siirt.  Soc), 
241. 

^  L.  and  P.  Hin.  VIll,  xviii  (l),  200. 

**  Cal.  S.  P.  Dom.  1601-3,  P-  573- 

"^  Ntvicaule  Merchant  JiJzienturcrs 
(Surt.  Soc),  ii,  i  5i-z. 

^  Cal.  S.  P.  Dom.  1671-2,  p.  376. 

«'  r.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  308. 

*■'  Cal.  S.  P.  Dom.  1676-7,  p.  573. 

"'  Ibid.  356,424,434. 

*"  Brewster,  op.  cit.  64. 

"  Ibid.  Ten  quays  are  marked  on 
the  plan  of  1724. 

9»  Ibid.  76. 

''Ibid.  194.  "  Ibid.  196. 

'^  Ibid.  195. 

^  Mackenzie  and  Rosi,  op.  cit.  ii,  46. 

"  Local  and  Pers.  Act,  i;  &  16  Vict, 
cap.  162.  There  arc  many  amending 
and  supplementary  Acts. 


''  Fordyce,  op.  cit.  ii,  192.  There 
were  then  twenty-two  private  quays,  four 
public  quays,  and  five  coal  staiths  (ibid. 
>94). 

'*  Brewster,  op.  cit.  69.  Surtecs  in 
1823  stated  that  the  wheat  export  had 
become  one  of  flour  (op.  cit.  iii,  178). 

'*  Brewster,  op.  cit,  73.  Hull  had 
taken  the  place  of  Stockton.  Surtees 
(loc.  cit.)  found  that  Stockton  had  re- 
gained this  trade. 

'  Fordyce,  op.  cit.  ii,  197. 

'  Brewster,  op.  cit.  59  ;  Fordyce,  op. 
cit.  ii,  191. 

■*  Dep.  Keeper^ s  Rep.  xxxvii,  App.  41. 

^  Brewster,  op.  cit.  38-9. 

^  The  following  is  part  of  a  description 
of  Stockton  written  in  1784  :  'Abundance 
of  fine  large  salmon  are  caught  here  .  ,  . 
After  the  town  is  supplied,  those  which 


remain  are  carried  by  the  fish  machines 
to  York,  Leeds,  &c.  The  ale  brewed 
here  is  highly  esteemed  by  the  lovers  of 
that  liquor.  Much  sail  cloth  is  manu- 
factured, and  many  ships,  greatly  admired 
for  their  beauty  and  strength,  are  built 
here  ;  a  company  of  gentlemen  are  like- 
wise engaged  in  the  business  of  sugar 
refining.  Several  ships  are  constantly 
employed  by  the  merchants  of  this  place 
in  the  London  trade  ;  they  also  carry  on 
a  traffic  with  Holland,  Norway,  &c. ; 
their  exports,  consisting  chiefly  of  lead, 
com,  butter,  pork,  &c.,  are  very  con- 
siderable' {Genl.  Ma^.  liv  [2],  736). 

^  Heavisides,  op.  cit.  189. 

^  Brewster,  op.  cit.  69-70. 

®  Mackenzie  and  Ross,  op,  cit.  ii,  40. 

^  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  180. 

"^  Fordyce,  op.  cit.  ii,  197. 


356 


STOCKTON   WARD 


STOCKTON  ON  TEES 


Bishopric  of  Dur- 
ham. Azure  a  cross  or 
between  Jour  lions  argent. 


in  or  about  1666 — John  Wells  two  and  Robert  Jack- 
son one."  The  former  of  these  became  the  leading 
Nonconformist  of  the  town  and  died  in  1709.'^ 

It  seems  probable  that  STOCKTON 

MANORS     was  included  in  the  grant  of  Norton  (q.v.) 

to  St.  Cuthbert  made  by  Ulfcytel  son  of 

Osulf.     Since  the  earliest  references  to  it  the  manor 

has  belonged  to  the  see  of  Durham. 

In  I  I  84  the  demesne  of  the  vill  was  at  farm  and 
the  remaining  land  was  held  in  tenures  similar  to  those 
of  Norton.  There  were  eleven 
bondmen  besides  one  who  held 
half  in  Stockton  and  half  in 
Hartburn,  six  farmers,  three 
cottiers,  one  free  and  one  semi- 
free  tenant.  The  smith  and 
the  pinder  held  respectively 
one  toft  and  6  acres.  The  ferry 
over  the  Tees  brought  in  a  rent 
of  zod.  One  oxgang  belong- 
ing to  the  vill  was  on  the  York- 
shire side  of  the  river.'^ 

In  the  Pipe  Roll  of  1197, 
under  the  tallage  of  the  vills, 
Stockton  is  mentioned  as  con- 
tributing £-j  OS.  4^'.!''    The  old  wool  of  the  town  was 
sold  for  ^173  6;.  8a'.'* 

During  the  13th  century  the  borough  area  was 
separated  from  the  agricultural  manor.'"'  A  roll  of 
receipts  of  1307  gives  2/.  6J.  as  the  farm  of  Stockton 
ferry  boat  "  ;  Alan  was  then  reeve  of  Stockton,  and 
the  issues  of  the  manor  amounted  to  £^z-^^  Wood- 
lade  amounting  to  zis.  loid".  was  paid  to  the  reeve. '^ 
The  accounts  of  part  of  i  3  1  i  show  receipts  of  42/.  <)d. 
from  pinders  and  from  the  ferry.-** 

The  survey  of  about  1384  shows  that  9  carucates  of 
land  containing  810  acres  belonged  to  the  demesne. 
Attached  to  the  castle  or  manor-house  were  the  park, 
which  was  let  for  a  rent  of  £S,  and  140  acres  of 
meadow  worth  3/.  an  acre  lying  in  Northmede,  Hay- 
gate,  Sundrenes,  Westhalburn,  Lusthorne,  Lynehalgh, 
Lyttelnes,  Elvetmore,  Campsyke,  Cotegrene,  Cold- 
syke,  Cotacredene,  Esthalburn,  Grenesmedow,  Pyke- 
sike,  Hawbankes,  Haybrigate,  Halburnhevde,  Knap- 
dale,  Bernerdmyre,  Cronnerpole,  Sandlandheved, 
Mirehead  and  Pighill.  The  bondage  tenants  were 
now  ten  in  number,  each  with  a  normal  tenement  of 
2  oxgangs.  The  remaining  3  oxgangs  had  become 
'  exchequer  land,'  but  were  still  liable  to  certain 
bondage  services.  There  were  besides  five  other 
parcels  of  exchequer  lands  of  various  extents.  Two 
farmers  are  mentioned  holding  three  tenements,  e.ich 
of  1  oxgang.  There  were  two  cottier  tenements, 
one  called  '  Castleman.'  The  6  acres  which  in  1184 
were  held  by  the  pinder  were  now  held  in  common 


by  the  tenants,  who  also  held  the  common  oven.  They 
paid  1  2</.  a  year  for  castle  ward.  The  new  holding  of 
the  pinder  consisted  of  meadow  in  Miresheved,  Wyb- 
bysgar,  Porkside,  Beligate  and  Jarmegate.  The  rent 
from  the  ferry  had  risen  to  5  3/.  ^J.-^ 

Court  rolls  are  preserved  from  i  348.  The  members 
of  the  halmote  district  of  Stockton  were  Hartburn, 
Preston,  Norton,  Hardwick  and  Carlton. -'- 

The  court  rolls  record  various  demises  of  demesne 
lands,  herbage,  &c.  In  I  394  John  Joyfull  and  others 
took  the  Turfpits  in  the  Bishopholme  with  the  '  fog- 
gage  '  in  Lustorn  (Lustring)  meadow  and  Elmetmire 
for  twelve  years  ;  also  8  acres  of  meadow  called  Lus- 
terend,  which  was  not  leased  with  the  demesne.-' 
The  herbage  of  the  park  was  in  I  398  demised  for 
three  years  at  a  rent  of  13  marks -^  ;  in  1402  the 
rent  of  the  herbage  of  the  demesne  lands  was  j^2l." 
The  park  and  demesne  lands  were  leased  to  Adam 
Barne  in  1 410  at  a  rent  of  j£2  5  ji.  ^.d.'^'^  Place-names 
which  occur  in  these  rolls  are  Brigplace,  Saltamleys, 
Kelesike,  Overcourtfield.  William  Storird  was  in 
1465  fined  for  not  doing  his  part  of  Burnsbrig.-'  A 
demise  of  the  mill  '  at  the  ancient  farm  as  before  ' 
was  made  in  1351.-"  The  ferry,  with  its  boat,  was 
demised  to  Ralph  de  Hardwick  in  1349  ^'  ^'-  ^'^-  ^ 
year  for  three  years,^'  and  in  141 6  John  del  Row  had 
the  boat  for  two  years,  with  all  suits  of  the  same, 
entry  and  exit  and  passages  over  the  water.'"  The 
grant  was  renewed  to  him  in  1417  at  a  rent  of 
73/.  4rf'.  unless  someone  else  would  pay  ^^4  or  more." 
The  anchor  belonging  to  the  boat  was  valued  at  half 
a  mark  in  1420.'-  There  were  numerous  leases  of 
fisheries  or  fishgarths  in  the  Tees.  One  at  Tining- 
holmend  was  in  1413  demised  at  5/.  a  year  instead  of 
the  old  rent  of  40<i'.,'^  and  William  Culy  had  leave  to 
make  a  new  one  at  Outsandgole,  40  tt.  long,  at  2/. 
rent.'^  Fisheries  called  Tillingholme  and  Saltholm- 
side,  each  with  four  nets,  in  1438  and  later  paid  rents 
of  6s.  Sd.^^  In  1472  the  fishery  for  sparling  at 
Tillingholmeside  was  demised  at  3/.  ^d.  and  not  more, 
because  it  had  been  completely  destroyed  by  the  water, 
and  had  therefore  remained  in  the  lord's  hands  for 
twelve  years  past.'*  A  year  later  the  rent  of  Tilling- 
holme weir  was  6s.  Sd.,^^  but  about  1490  Tilling- 
holmeside was  untenanted  for  several  years.'* 

In  1518  the  bishop's  stock  at  this  manor  comprised 
20  great  fat  oxen,  20  smaller  ones,  30  fat  cows  and 
200  fat  wethers,  valued  at  about  £.77-^^  The  survey 
of  the  manor  made  in  1647  states  that  the  bishop  had 
royalties  of  the  Tees,  whales,  sturgeon  and  porpoises, 
within  the  manor  of  Stockton,  and  all  wrecks  of  the 
sea.  The  copyholders  were  bound  to  do  suit  and 
service  at  the  courts,  carry  the  lord's  provisions  and 
household  stuft'from  the  castle  to  Durham  or  Bishop 
Auckland  at  the  rate  of  id.i  bushel  for  corn  and  \d.  a 


"  Boyne,  Trade  Tokens  (cd.  William- 
son), i,  106. 

'-  T.  Richmond,  Hist.  Pror.  Nonconf.  in 
Stockton,  18. 

"  r.C.H.  Dur.  i,   337. 

*^  BoLion  Bk.  (Surt.  Soc),  App.  p.  vi. 

'*  Ibid.  p.  V.  *®  Sec  above. 

^'  Boldon  Bk.  (Surt.  Soc),  p.  xxvi. 

^^  Ibid.  p.  xxxii. 

''  Ibid.  p.  XXXV. 

'"  Mins.  Accts.  bdle.  1144,  no.  17; 
Reg.  Palat.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Set.),  iv,  90,  91. 

"  Haifeifs  Surv.  (Surt.  Soc),  1 66-70. 

-'  Dur.  Rec  cl.  3,  no,  i i-ii,  fassim. 


-'  Ibid.  no.  13,  fol.  126.  Another  in 
fol.  413. 

"  Ibid.  fol.  27+2.  Another  in  no.  14, 
p.  117  ;  rent  12  ni.irks. 

'■"  Ibid.  no.  13,  fol.  413.  Another  in 
no.  14,  p.  336. 

"  Ibid.  no.  14,  p.  375.     Again,  p.  834. 

"  Ibid.  no.  16,  fol.  146  d. 

"Ibid.  no.  12,  fol.  51  d.  This  mill 
was  probably  at  Norton. 

'*  Ibid.  fol.  24.  See  also  no.  13,  fol. 
71,  365  d.;  no.  14,  p.  153. 

'"  IbiJ.  no.  14,  p.  766. 

'^'  Ibid.  p.  SS9.     Later  leases    are    in 

357 


no.   i|;,   p.    26   (rent  461.   8./.),   p,    771 
(5 1  J.);  no.  16,  p.  277  (5"-  *d.). 

"  Ibid.  no.  14,  p.  iiSi. 

"  Ibid.  p.  578. 

"  Ibid.  p.  592.     Another,  p.  810 

"  Ibid.  no.  1;,  pp.  13,  82,  485. 
ibid.  p.  500  (Linghalghsidc),  p 
(Calisisgarth  next  Linhalows),  p. 
no.  16,  fol.  57. 

"  Ibid.  no.  16,  fol.  263  d. 

'•  Ibid.  fol.  277  d. 

»*  Ibid.    no.   i8,    fol.    102  d 
fol.  28. 

»  L.  and  P.  Hen.  nil,  ii,  4258 


Also 

567 
632; 


no.   19, 


A   HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


mile,  meat  and  drink  also  being  allowed  ;  but  these 
and  other  services  were  of  little  value.  The  fines  on 
death  were  certain  in  each  holding.  There  were  no 
cottages.  The  tenants  in  Stockton  township  paid  8/. 
'service  silver,'  and  those  in  Hartburn  the  same. 
There  were  no  warrens  or  forests.  The  castle,  manor, 
&c.,  were  sold  to  Col.  William  Underwood  and  James 
Nelthorpe  for  ^6,165  10^.  2^^/.  in  March  164.7-8. 
The  s.ile  included  the  rents,  &c.,  of  freehold  and  cus- 
tomary lands  in  Stockton,  Norton,  Hartburn  and 
Carlton,  the  meadow  called  the  Park  and  other  closes, 
the  common  bake-house  in  Stockton,  the  ferry  boat, 
shops  under  the  tollbooth,  anchorage  and  plankage 
from  vessels  in  the  port  or  creek  of  Stockton  and  dues 
on  goods,  the  mill  and  two  common  ovens  of  Norton 
with  Ladykiln  and  Hermitage  garth,  the  profits  of  the 
courts,  royalties  for  hunting,  fishes  roy.il  and  other 
rights.  The  port  dues  had  been  granted  by  the  bishop 
to  the  Mayor  and  burgesses  of  Stockton  in  1635  for 
twenty-one  years  at  20s.  a  year.^"  The  manor  was 
regained  by  the  see  on  the  Restoration. 

About  1790  the  copyhold  court  was  held  at  the 
'  Star  and  Garter.'  ■"  The  manor  is  now  in  the  hands 
of  the  Ecclesiastical  Commissioners  in  right  of  the  see. 

The  most  important  free  tenant  in  Stockton  about 
1 1 84  was  Adam  son  of  Walter,  who  held  a  carucate 
and  an  oxgang  for  half  a  mark.''-  By  1384.  4  ox- 
gangs  of  this  were  held  by  John  de  Ursall  (Worsall), 
two  by  William  Osberne  and  two  by  Robert  Culy.'" 
John  de  Worsall,  who  was  still  the  tenant  in  1400,''^ 
perhaps  held  in  right  of  his  wife  Joan,  who  died  a 
widow  in  1429  holding  a  ploughland  (120  acres)  in 
Stockton,  I  5  acres  in  the  moor,  meadow  in  '  Helve- 
ton,'  of  which  part  had  been  made  arable,  and  another 
oxgang  of  land  and  some  meadow  by  charter  of  Bishop 
Philip  (i  197-1208);  her  heir  was  her  niece  Agnes 
wife  of  John  Selby  and  daughter  of  Joan's  sister  Agnes, 
aged  sixty. ■'^  The  rent  was  i  mark,  and  a  like  estate 
was  recorded  on  the  death  of  Agnes  Selby  in  1439. 
Her  heirs  were  her  daughters,  Cecily  wife  of  Robert 
Lawson  of  Fishburn  and  Alice  wife  of  Thomas  Hunt.^'^ 

William  Osberne  was  in  1400  stated  to  have  held 
30  acres  by  knight's  service  and  suit  of  court  in  con- 
junction with  John  Worsall  and  John  Culy,  paying 
3/.  rent.""  His  son  Richard  held  the  same  at  his 
death  in  1 421,  when  William  Osberne,  chaplain,  was 
found  to  be  his  son  and  heir.''^  In  145  I  the  heirs  of 
William  were  Emm.i  widow  of  William  Elstob,  Alice 
widow  of  Robert  Rand,  Cecily  wife  of  Adam  Rung- 
thwaite,  Alice  wife  of  Thomas  Ashby,  John  Fowler, 
son  and  heir  of  Joan  sister  of  William  Osberne,  and 
Robert  Monk,  son  and  heir  of  Agnes,  another  sister.'" 
The  history  of  their  respective  shares  cannot  be  traced. 


The  holding  of  the  Culys  belonged  to  John  Culy 
in  1400.  In  1422  Robert  Culy  died  in  possession, 
leaving  a  son  and  heir  John,  who  died  seised  in  1426."* 
William  the  son  of  John  was  succeeded  by  his  brother 
Thomas.'^'  In  1478  Thomas  had  been  succeeded  by 
his  son  Thomas.'-  Ten  years  later  Alice  widow  of 
William  Fowler,  John  Rushden  and  Agnes  his  wife, 
John  Thomson  and  Emma  his  wife,  sisters  and  heirs 
of  William  Culy,  son  and  heir  of  Thomas  Culy, 
held  a  messuage  and  2  oxgangs  of  land  in  Stockton 
of  the  bishop  by  knight's  service  and  a  rent  of 
4^.  4</." 

Part  of  the  estate  apparently  descended  in  the 
Fowler  family.  In  i486  William  Fowler  released  to 
his  son  John  Fowler,  chaplain,  all  his  claim  to  2  ox- 
gangs  in  Stockton. **  Roger  Fowler  of  Stockton  in 
1633  had  a  third  part  of  the  2  oxgangs  by  a  rent  to 
the  bishop  of  1  yr/.     He  left  a  son  and  heir  Roger.'' 

What  appears  to  be  another  third  part  of  the  Culy 
estate  was  held  in  the  1 7th  century  by  Percival, 
Robert  and  William  Bainbridge."* 

The  land  of  the  second  free  tenant  mentioned  in 
I  184,  Robert  de  Carabois,  became  the  endowment  of 
the  chapel.'' 

John  de  Elvet  or  Elwick  held  freely  about  1384 
by  a  rent  of  20/.  4  oxgangs  which  were  perhaps  for- 
merly land  of  the  farmers.  His  wife  Denise  held 
jointly  with  him.  Their  heir  was  a  son  Gilbert,'* 
who  settled  the  estate  on  his  daughter  Maud  with 
remainder  to  Alice  wife  of  John  de  Aislaby."  John 
de  Aislaby,  son  of  Alice,  had  livery  in  1429.  It  de- 
scended, like  part  of  Aislaby  (q.v.),  to  the  Highfields'* 
and  Brandlings.'" 

In  1608-9  Robert  Brandling  sold  to  Thomas 
Lambert  a  messuage  and  4^  oxgangs  in  Stockton,  with 
a  fishery  in  the  Tees. '^^  In  161 5  Thomas  Lambert 
was  summoned  to  the  heralds'  visitation,  but  dis- 
claimed,^'yet  his  arms  were  confirmed.**  He  died  in 
16 19  or  earlier  holding  his  land  partly  of  the  king 
and  partly  of  the  bishop.  He  had  other  lands  in 
Thornaby  and  Preston.  His  heir  was  his  son  Ralph, 
aged  fourteen."'  Ralph  married  Eleanor  Hicks  in 
1625,  and,  dying  a  year  or  two  later,  left  the  same 
estate  to  his  infant  son  Thomas."''' 

Another  messuage  with  I  J  oxgangs  in  Stockton  was 
sold  by  Robert  Brandling  to  Thomas  Burdon,*^'  appa- 
rently the  son  of  William  Burdon,  who  about  1552 
held  land  here  formerly  belonging  to  the  Hospitallers, 
and  in  his  will  of  1587  mentions  his  sons  William, 
Henry,  Roger  and  Thomas."^^  In  1620  Thomas 
Burdon  had  licence  to  alienate  to  Rowland  Wetherell 
I  oxgang  of  land  in  Stockton. ""^  Rowland  Burdon 
was  prominent   in   the  Commonwealth  time.'"     The 


*"  Close,  R.  3401,  pt.  ir,  no.  37.  See 
also  Ree.  Com.  for  Camp.  (Surt.  Soc),  36. 

*^  Brewster,  op.  cit.  84, 

«  y.C.H.  DuT.  i,  337. 

«  HatfitU'i  Sur-v.  (Surt.  Soc),  166. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  135. 

^  Ibid.  fol.  243  ;  Dcp.  Kttpcr'i  Rep. 
xxxiii,  App.  204. 

'^  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  295  d.  ; 
Dcp.  Kccpcr'%  Rtf.  xzxiv,  App.  234. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  135. 

"  Ibid.  fol.  208  d.  ;  Dtp.  Kteperi  Rep. 
xxxiii,  App.  197. 

•^  Dcp.  Keeper's  Rep.  xxiiv,  App.  252  ; 
Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  164,  no.  103. 

»»  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  21 «. 

"  Ibid.  fol.  234,  237  d. 


^'  Ibid.  no.  4,  fol.  72. 

"  Ibid.  no.  18,  fol.  88. 

^'  Ibid.  R.  56,  m.  2d. 

"  Ibid,  file  188,  no.  31. 

"  Ibid,  file  182,  no.  13,  27  ;  file  188, 
no.  32. 

*'  See  below. 

"  Dcp.  Keeper',  Rep.  x.\v,  App.  188. 

"  Ibid,  xxxiii,  App.  183. 

«°  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  164,  no.  112  ; 
Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xliv,  App.  414,  416. 

*1  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xxxvii,  App. 
129. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  94,  m.  25. 

^^  Foster,  Dur.  yisit.  Fed.  244. 

*<  Ibid,  202. 

"  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xliv,  App.  457. 


•'  Ibid.  459.    See  Topog.  anJ  Gen.  ii,  74. 

^'"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  94,  m.  25. 

"  Harl.  R.  D  36,  m.  5/.;  Dur.  fTslls 
and  Invent.  (Surt.  Soc),  125. 

•^  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  loi,  no.  91. 
Giles  Wetherell  in  1638  left  a  son 
Henry  as  heir  (fiep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xliv, 
App.  542). 

'^  Rec.  Com.  for  Comp.  (Surt.  Soc),  2,  7. 
Henry  son  of  Rowland  Burdon  was  one 
of  the  trustees  of  the  Presbyterian  chapel 
in  1709  (Richmond,  Prot.  Nonconf.  in 
Stociron^  10).  His  granddaughter  married 
William  Webster  of  Stockton.  His  elder 
brother  George  Burden  was  ancestor  of 
the  Burdons  of  Castle  Eden  (Surtecs,  op. 
cit.  iii,  416). 


358 


STOCKTON  WARD 


STOCKTON  ON  TEES 


family  house  on  the  west  side  of  High  Street  was 
known  as  the  '  Blue  Posts '  from  two  Frosterley  marble 
pillars  supporting  an  overhanging  story  ;  they  were 
said  to  have  been  taken  from  the  ruins  of  the  castle. 
The  house  was  pulled  down  in  i8l  i''  and  the  pillars 
were  removed  to  the  entrance  hall  of  Col.  Rowland 
Burdon's  house  at  Castle  Eden. 

The  Hospitallers'  tenement  has  been  mentioned 
above  ;  nothing  is  known  of  its  origin.  From  a  Crown 
rental  of  1552  it  appears  that  Mount  Grace  Priory 
held  the  third  pirt  of  2  oxgangs  of  land  ;  William 
Bainbridge  was  tenant,  paying  zos.  rent.'-  This  was 
sold  to  George  Ward  and  others  in  1607.''  Ralph 
Hart,  who  held  2  oxgangs  in  16 1 1,  left  a  brother  and 
heir  William,"'  and  Nicholas  Fletham  was  in  1624 
succeeded  in  l  oxgang  by  a  grandson  Anthony,  son 
of  his  son  Anthony. "^^ 

The  Sayers  of  Preston  also  had  land  in  Stockton.''' 
Elizabeth  Bosscll,  widow,  in  1567  granted  three  mes- 
suages, iScc,  to  Christopher  Wilson."' 

In  1658  a  division  of  the  town  fields  was  made  by 
arbitrators,  the  award  being  published  in  1659  and 
confirmed  by  Bishop  Cosin  after  the  Restoration.''* 
The  liberty  of  drying  fishing  nets  in  the  accustomed 
places  was  reserved,  also  the  bowling-place  on  Salt- 
holme.  Cowholme,  Meadowholme  and  Sahholme 
bridge  are  n.imed.  The  landowners  who  obtained 
90  acres  or  more  were  ;  John  Jesson  and  Roger 
Fewler,  365  ;  John  Jenkins,  343  ;  Thomas  Pfarperley, 
173  ;  Mark  Wapp,  152  ;  Robert  Wright,  107  ; 
Elizabeth  Burdon  and  George  her  son,  102  ;  John 
Bunting,    99  ;    Alice    Burdon    and    James    her    son, 

95."* 

In  HJRTBURN  there  were  in  1 1  84  "  twelve  and 
a  half  villeinage  tenements  each  consisting  of  2  oxgangs 
ol  land  and  rendering  like  those  ol  Stockton  and  Norton. 
One  farmer  held  I  oxgang  for  the  same  services  as  in 
Norton.  There  were  two  cotters  with  tofts  and  crofts 
and  24  acres  in  the  fields  also  rendering  like  the 
Norton  crofters.  The  whole  vill  rendered  one  milch 
cow.  The  demesne  was  at  farm  with  that  of 
Stockton. 

About  1384""  there  was  only  one  farmer,  William 
Baron,  who  held  two  tenements,  one  of  which,  called 
Osbernsland,  had  been  occupied  by  William  Bosse. 
Each  tenement  contained  I  oxgang  of  land  :  for  one 
the  holder  paid  7/.  4a'.  rent  and  worked  like  the 
bondmen,  excepting  the  weekly  works,  woodlades  and 
carts,  for  which  he  compounded  by  i  5rt'.  a  year  ;  for 
the  other  he  paid.  3;.  ^J.  rent  and  worked  as  did  the 
Norton  farmers. 

William  Baron  and  his  comp.inions  held  a  piece  of 
the  Stockton  demesne  lands  called  Northdeynside, 
next  the  sheepfold,  paying  zis.  SJ. 

There  were  four  cottages,  each  paying  6</.,  held  by 
three  tenants.  The  tenants  of  the  vill  held  the  oven, 
paying  2.'.  a  year,  and  the  forge,  paying  z</. 

There  were  eleven  bondage  tenements  of  2  oxgangs 
each  ;  the  other  tenement  and  a  half  recorded  in 
Boldon  Book  had  become  a  free  tenement  and  one  of  the 


farm  holdings  already  recorded.      Each  selfod  rendered 
^d.  and  each  bondman's  servant  I2<<'.  for  works. 

There  were  eight  parcels  of  exchequer  land,  mostly 
tofts  and  crofts,  paying  4^'.  to  14./.  a  year.  One 
parcel,  however,  held  jointly  by  six  tenants,  contained 
24  acres  and  rendered  i  u. 

In  1 46 1  the  whole  vill  was  demised  to  Thomas 
Clerk  and  others  for  three  years  at  a  rent  of  24  marks." 

The  only  free  tenant  at  the  time  of  Hatfield's 
Survey  was  John  Laykan,  who  held  2  oxgangs,  for- 
merly villeinage  land.  He  died  in  or  before  1392, 
holding  a  messuage  and  30  acres  of  the  bishop  in 
socage  by  a  rent  of  i  p.  \d.  His  heir  was  a  sister, 
thirty  years  of  age,  the  wife  of  Thomas  Copyn.*"- 
Joan  relict  of  Richard  Goldsmith  in  1467  obtained 
licence  to  enter  a  toft  and  croft  and  2  oxgangs  of  free 
land  held  of  the  bishop  by  knight's  service"^  ;  her 
husband  had  held  the  same.*^ 

As  early  as  11 84  PRESTON  ivas  chiefly  in  the 
hands  of  tenants  of  a  class  above  the  villeins,  who  are 
c.iUed  drengs  in  I  380.  The  Boldon  Book  states  that 
there  were***  seven  villeins  each  holding  2  oxgangs 
and  five  free  tenants.  Waldwin  held  I  carucate, 
Adam  son  of  Walter  de  Stockton  held  i  carucate  for 
ios.,  Orm  son  of  Cocket  and  William  son  of  Utting 
held  I  carucate  and  Richard  Rund  half  a  carucate. 
They  worked  in  all  ways  like  the  drengage  tenants  of 
Norton  and  Stockton,  i.e.,  they  were  quit  of  personal 
services,  but  obliged  to  find  men  to  do  a  certain 
number  of  days'  work  at  hay-time  and  harvest.  The 
whole  vill  rendered  one  milch  cow. 

Thus  of  the  5  J  carucates  in  the  vill  5^  were  held 
by  the  tenants  in  drengage,  and  in  course  of  time  all 
the  tenements  seem  to  have  been  raised  to  the  same 
status.  In  1353-4  Thomas  de  Seton  had  licence  to 
enter  upon  a  carucate  in  Preston,*"' and  dying  a  few  years 
later  Sir  Thomas  was  in  1359  found  to  have  held  ten 
messuages  and  8  oxgangs  of  land  in  Preston  by  10/.  rent, 
another  8  oxgangs  by  i  8/.  rent,  4  oxgangs  by  id.  rent, 
and  23  acres  in  drengage.  His  heir  w.is  a  daughter 
Alice,  wife  ofThomasdeCarcw[Carrow]  theyounger.'*' 
In  I  361-2  Isabel  widow  of  Thomas  de  Seton  had  a 
third  part  of  the  '  manor '  of  Preston  and  other  lands 
assigned  to  her  as  dower. ^"^  In  1376  a  commission 
was  appointed  to  inquire  into  the  conduct  of  John  de 
Carcw  and  others  who  had  entered  the  castle  of 
Stockton  and  carried  away  John  [de  CarewJ  son  and 
heir  of  Alice  the  daughter  and  heir  of  Thomas  de 
Seton,  while  he  was  the  bishop's  ward.'^ 

About  1380  John  de  Carew,  who  held  Thomas  de 
Seton's  lands,  was  the  chief  drengage  tenant.  He 
rendered  38/.  oJ</.,  doing  foreign  service  and  suit  of 
court. ^^ 

The  Seton  estate,  which  was  the  dominant  one,  was 
called  the  manor.  John  son  of  Sir  Thomas  de  Carew 
was  in  1387  found  to  have  held  (he  same  estate  in 
Preston  as  his  grandfather.  Sir  Thomas  de  Seton,  by  the 
same  rents.  His  heirs  were  William  Sayer,  aged  six 
years,  and  Joan  wife  of  John  son  of  Lawrence  'Jum- 
bys  '  de  Seton,  aged  thirty."    Joan  being  of  age  seisin 


"'  Surtccs,  op.  cit.  iii,  181. 
"  Harl.  R.  D  56,  m.  6/.. 
■■*  Pat.  5  J.is.  I,  pt.  xvii. 
^*  Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  5,  tile  1S3,  no.  10, 
'^  Ibid,  file  189,  no.  ill. 
""  Dc/>.   Keeper's  Rep.   xliv,   App,    469 
(Maunscll),  504,  511. 
''  Clo?e,  10  Eliz.  no.  7, 


"»  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  4  (2),  fol.  S6. 

'*  Brewster,  op.  cit.  161-2. 

'^y.C.H.  Dur.  i,  357. 

8"  HalfeU's  Surr:\%\xn.  Soc),  170. 

'■'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  16,  fol.  86  d. 

"  Ibid.  no.  2,  fol.  117. 

"  Ibid.  fol.  160  d. 

8*  See  the  account  of  Elloo. 

359 


"  KC.H.  Dur.  I,  337. 
"  Dur.  Rec,  cl.  3,  no.  12,  fol.  101  d. 
"  Ibid.  no.  2,  fol.  62. 
^'^  Def>.  keeper's  Refi.   xicxi,  App.  161. 
See  also  ibid,  xxxii,  App.  317. 
^  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  403. 
»  HutfcLrs  Suri:  (Surt.  Soc),  193. 
"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  157  d. 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


Sayeb  of  Preston. 
Gules  a  chcvcron  belzoim 
three  sea-pies  argent. 


of  a  moiety  was  at  once  given  to  her,'-  and  the  ward- 
ship and  marriage  of  William  Sayer  were  granted  to 
John  de  Wyke,  the  bi.-hop's  chamberlain. '^  William 
Sayer  died  in  or  before  14.00  holding  a  messuage  and 
5^  oxgangs  of  land  in  Preston  by  a  rent  of  8/.  5jd'.  ; 
the  heir  was  his  son  John,  aged 
half  a  year."  The  wardship 
and  marriage  were  granted  to 
Roger  de  Fulthorp.'-"  John 
S.iyer  proved  his  age  in  14.2  i  : 
he  had  been  born  at  Norton  on 
7  January  1399-1400,  and 
baptized  next  day  by  William 
Laton,  vicar  of  Norton."'  His 
mother  Isabel,  d.iughter  and 
heir  of  Roger  de  Fulthorp, 
died  in  1439  holding  9  acres 
in  Preston  by  feilty  ;  her  son 
John  was  then  said  to  be  thirty 
years  of  age."^  John  Sayer  lived 

till  1473,  when  he  was  found  to  have  held  'a  manor  'of 
1 1  oxgangs  in  Preston  upon  Tees  by  a  rent  of  1 9/.  o\d. 
His  heir  was  a  son  John,  aged  fifty  ;  to  him  and  his  wife 
Joan  the  father  had  in  1449  conveyed  parts  of  his 
estate.'*  The  younger  John,  who  was  in  1458  ap- 
pointed to  accompany  Lord  Fauconberg,  then  in 
command  of  a  fleet,  but  evaded  the  enterprise,^'  died 
in  or  before  1496  holding  the  manor  of  Preston  by  the 
fortieth  part  of  a  knight's  fee  and  a  rent  of  38/.  o|d'. — 
the  whole  rent  payable  in  1384 — and  two  messuages 
20  oxgangs  of  land  and  9  acres  called  Websterland,  two 
cottages  and  a  fishery.  He  left  as  heir  a  son  William, 
aged  forty  ;  Joan  the  widow  survived  him."*  Willinm 
Sayer  of  Worsall  (Yorks.)  was 
in  1515  found  to  have  held  the 
manor  of  Preston  upon  Tecs 
with  a  fishery  there,  with  lands 
and  rents  in  various  other 
places  in  the  county.  John, 
aged  thirty,  was  his  son  and 
heir.'  John  Sayer  afterwards 
made  a  settlement  of  this 
manor,-  and  in  1525  gave  cer- 
tain lands  to  his  son  William 
and  Margaret  his  wife. 
William  died  in  1531  holding 
the  manor  of  Preston,'  and  his 
widow  Margaret  married  John 

Maunsell.''  William's  son  and  heir  John  Sayer,  aged 
ten  at  his  father's  death,  died  in  1584,  leaving  a  son 
and  heir  John,  then  aged  thirty-nine,  who  had  married 
Frances  Conyers.'  John  Sayer  made  a  feoffment  of 
this  manor  in  1597,"  and  after  his  death  in  1635  '^"^ 
manor  went  to  his  nephew  Lawrence  Sayer,  son  of  a 
brother  Richard,  by  virtue  of  a  settlement  made  in 


Sa^-er  of  Worsall. 
Gules  a  cheveron  betzceen 
three  sea-pies  argent 
zeilh  a  chief  ermine. 


16 10.  The  next  heir,  however,  was  Dorothy  wife  of 
William  Bulmer,  daughter  of  another  brother,  George 
Sayer.'  Under  the  Commonwealth  the  estates  of 
Lawrence  Sayer  of  Worsall  and  Yarm  were  seized  as 
those  of  a  'Papist  delinquent,'*  but  at  that  time 
Preston  upon  Tees  appears  to  have  been  mortgaged  to 
Thomas  Metham.'  Nevertheless  the  manor  was 
declared  forfeit  and  sold  by  the  Treason  trustees  in 
1653  to  Gilbert  Crouch  and  Martin  Lister.'"  Law- 
rence Sayer,  son  and  heir  of  Lawrence,  appears  to 
have  surrendered  his  right  in  it  to  Crouch,  and  about 
1673  the  estate  was  purchased  by  trustees  for  George 
Witham  of  Cliffe  (Vorks.)."  The  manor  appears  to 
have  come  into  the  hands  of  Sir 
William  Wyvill,  who  in  1683 
conveyed  it  to  the  same  George 
Witham,  and  Sir  Marmaduke 
Wyvill,  who  acquired  a  further 
estate  from  Robert  Sayer,  con- 
veyed it  in  1688  to  the  same 
George.  The  new  owner  in 
estate  in 
grandson 
In   1717 


Witham  of  Cliffe. 
Or  a  bend  hettcten  three 
eagles  close  gules. 


1 702    devised    his 
Preston      to      his 
William  Witham. '- 
Catherine  Witham  of  Preston 
upon    Tees,    widow    of    Dr. 
Marmaduke      Witham,      and 
Bishop  Witham,  a  vicar  apos- 
tolic, as  'George  Witham  of  Cliffe,  gent.,'  registered 
their  annuities   from   Preston. '^     In    1722    William 
Witham  sold  the  estate  to  Sir  John  Eden,  bart.,  of 
Windleston." 

Sir  John  Eden  died  in  1728,  and  his  great-grandson 
Sir  Robert  Johnson-Eden,'*  who  succeeded  in  18  12 
and  died  in  1844,  about  1820  conveyed  his  Preston 
estate  to  David  IJurton  Fowler,  who  had  previously 
acquired  Witham  Hall,  another  part  of  the  Witham 
family's  former  possessions.'^  Mr.  Fowler  built 
Preston  Hall  in  1825  and  died  in  1828,  having  be- 
queathed the  estate  to  a  grand-nephew  Marshall 
Robinson,  who  took  the  name  of  Fowler."  His  son 
Marshall  Fowler  sold  Preston  Hall  to  Sir  Robert 
Ropner,  but  continued  to  reside  there  till  his  death. 
It  is  now  the  residence  of  Mr.  Leonard  Ropner, 
youngest  son  of  the  late  Sir  Robert  Ropner. 

In  1403  it  was  found  that  John  son  of  Lawrence  de 
Seton  h.ad  held,  in  right  of  Joan  his  wife,  a  messuage, 
4  oxgangs  of  land  and  10  acres  in  Preston,  or  rather 
less  than  William  Sayer  ;  the  services  were  unknown. 
The  heir  was  a  son  Thomas,  aged  twenty-two." 
About  the  same  time  the  grandfather's  widow,  Isabel 
de  Seton,  died  in  possession  of  her  third  part  ;  the 
heirs  were  the  above-named  John  Sayer  and  Thomas 
de  Seton." 

In  1426-7  Thomas  made  a  number  of  feoffments 


"  Dep.  Kerper's  Rep.  xxxii,  App.  319. 

''Ibid.  330. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  133  d. 

^■*  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xxxiii,  App.  59. 

^  Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  195  d. 

''  Ibid.  fol.  294.  Dower  had  been 
assigned  to  her  in  Preston,  &c.,  in  14.01 
{Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xxxiii,  App.  79). 

'■"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  4,  fol.  56. 

"  Cal.  Pal.  1452-61,  pp.  429,  510. 

""  Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  3,  file  169,  no.  11. 

■  Ibid.  no.  3,  fol.  31. 

•  Dep,  Keeper's  Rep.  xxxvi,  App.  143, 

'  Ibid,  iliv,  App.  504-5.     See  also  the 


Yorkshire  inquisition  where  the  will  is 
recited.  William  desired  to  be  buried  in 
the  Friars'  church  at  Yarm  (Chan.  Inq. 
p.m.  [Ser.  2],  Ivi,  46). 

*  Dtp.  Keeper's  Rep.  xliv,  App.  469. 

'  Chan.  Inq.  p.m.  (Ser.  2),  ccviii,  176. 
The  elder  John's  wife,  Dorothy,  died 
before  him. 

*  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xixvli,  App.  133. 
'  Ibid,  xliv,  App.  511. 

*  Rec.  Com.  for  Comp.  (Surt.  Soc),  6, 
7.  57- 

'  Ibid.  226.  "  Ibid.  227. 

"  The  details  are  given  by  Surtees,  op. 


cit.  iii,  189.  Isabel  Witham  of  Preston, 
widow,  was  a  *  Papist '  under  a  sequestra- 
tion in  1653  [Rec.  Com. for  Comp,  [Surt. 
Soc.  J,  74). 

^2  Surteei,  loc.  cit.  The  Wyvills  may 
have  been  trustees,  for  there  was  a  family 
connexion  with  Witham- 

"  Estcourt  and  Payne,  Engl,  Calh,  Non- 
jurors^ 52.  '*  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

'»  G.E.C.  Baronetage,  iv,  54. 

**  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  189. 

'"  Fordyce,  op.  cit.  ii,  200. 

'*  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  144 

"  Ibid.  fol.  142. 


360 


STOCKTON  WARD 


STOCKTON  ON  TEES 


of  his  lands  in  Preston  upon  Tees  and  elsewhere,  by 
which  they  came  into  the  hands  of  William  Hutton  of 
Hardvvick.-'J  After  an  inquisition  made  in  1435  William 
son  of  Gilbert  Hutton  of  Hardwick  was  allowed  to 
grant  certain  lands  in  Sedgefield  to  the  altar  of 
St.  Katherine  in  the  parish  church  there,  because  he 
would  still  continue  to  hold  two  messuages  and  1 1 
oxgangs  of  land  in  Preston  upon  Tees  ;  these  were 
held  of  the  bishop  by  a  rent  of  1 9/.  and  suit  of  court.-' 
In  1459-60  the  feoffees  of  William  Hutton  deceased 
confirmed  to  his  daughter  Isabel  his  lands  in  Preston 
and  elsewhere,  with  various  remainders.--  This  estate 
was  acquired  by  the  Sayer  family,  as  appears  from  the 
inquisition  of  John  Sayer  in  1496. 

John  Randolph  was  in  1361  recorded  to  have  held 
nine  messuages  and  9  oxgangs  of  land  in  Preston  by 
homage  and  suit  of  court  ;  also  another  oxgang,  which 
had  come  into  the  bishop's  hands  by  virtue  of  an  in- 
quisition made  in  the  time  of  Bishop  Lewis  (d.  1333), 
and  for  which  he  paid  6s.  %d.  rent.  The  heirs  were 
daughters  :  Margaret  wife  of  William  de  Hett,  Joan 
wife  of  William  de  Elmeden,  Agnes  wife  of  John 
Fossour,  and  Alice,  all  over  sixteen  years  old.'' 

The  inheritance  of  John  Randolph  can  be  traced 
for  some  time,  though  it  appears  to  be  omitted  in 
Hatfield's  Survey.-*  William  de  Hett  died  in  or 
before  1388  holding  a  messuage  and  30  acres  in 
Preston  by  knights'  service  and  suit  of  court.  His 
son  Thomas,  aged  thirty,  succeeded,-^  and  in  1390 
was  found  to  have  held  i  oxgang  of  land  in  Preston 
upon  Tecs,  as  of  the  manor  of  Hett,  by  knight's  ser- 
vice. Thomas  had  had  two  sisters  :  Elizabeth,  who 
had  been  wife  of  Nicholas  de  H.iwkeswell  and  had 
left  a  son  and  heir  Robert,  aged  fourteen,  and  Alice 
wife  of  William  de  Blakiston.-*^  Robert  de  Hawkes- 
well  died  on  10  August  1404  holding  two  messuages 
and  z^  oxgangs  of  land  by  knight's  service.-'  He  left 
a  son  John,  who  died  i  March  1419-20  holding  the 
same  estate  ;  his  heir  was  Joan  widow-  of  Nicholas 
Gower,  aged  forty,  she  being  daughter  of  Alice  sister 
of  John's  grandmother  Elizabeth.-'  Some  other 
Gowers  occur  in  the  records  in  addition  to  the  lords 
of  Elton, -^  but  the  Preston  lands  descended,  like  Hett 
in  Merrington  parish  and  Haliwell,  to  Nicholas 
Gower,  who  died  in  1496  or  1497  holding  2J  ox- 
gangs of  land  by  knight's  service  and  suit  of  court,'" 
and  to  Thomas  Gower  (1561)." 

The  Elmeden  part  of  the  Hett  lands  in  Preston 
descended  in  a  succession  of  William  Elmedcns  until 
the  1 6th  century,  when  an  heiress  Elizabeth  married 
William  Bulmer.'-  Thomas  Elmeden  before  1403 
sold  6  oxgangs  in  Preston  to  William  Hutton." 


In  1360  Ranulf  de  Preston  held  a  messuage  and 
10  oxgangs  of  land  of  the  bishop  by  the  eighth  part  of 
a  knight's  fee  ;  his  heir  was  a  daughter  Alice,  aged 
fifteen.'^  Cecily  the  widow  of  Ranulf  held  a  third 
part  in  dower  down  to  1381,  when  Alice  was  wife  of 
Robert  de  Eden.'*  Robert  Eden  died  in  or  before 
141  3  holding  by  knight's  service  three  messuages  and 
10  oxgangs  of  land  in  Preston  ;  his  son  and  heir 
Thomas  was  of  full  age.'^  Thomas  Eden,  who  died 
in  1437,  held  the  same  estate  by  the  twentieth  part  of  a 
knight's  fee  ;  his  son  William,  aged  thirty,  succeeded.'' 
He  in  turn  was  in  February  1475-6  succeeded  by  a 
son  Thomas,  aged  thirty."*  Thomas  died  about 
1479-80,"  and  his  widow  Isabel  had  dower. ^'^  The 
next  step  is  not  clear,  for  about  the  same  time  the 
wardship  and  marriage  of  Thomas  son  and  heir  of 
William  Eden,  who  had  held  land  in  Preston,  were 
granted  to  John  Halyman  ■"  ;  but  another  William 
Eden  succeeded,  who,  at  his  death  in  1509,  left  a 
son  and  heir  William,  under 
age.''-  This  may  be  the 
William  Eden  of  Durham  who 
stands  at  the  head  of  the  re- 
corded pedigree  of  the  family.^' 
The  inquisitions  do  not  show- 
that  he  had  any  land  in  Pres- 
ton." It  seems  probable,  how-- 
ever,  that  this  estate  descended 
in  his  family,  and  was  finally 
inherited  by  Sir  John  Eden, 
purchaser    of   the    manor    in 

1722. 

Lands  in  Preston  upon  Tees 

were   granted  to  Thomas   de 

Claxton    in    or   before    1384, 

when  John  de  Nevill,  lord  of  Raby,  confirmed  the 

same.-*" 

The  court  rolls  sho\v  demises  of  part  of  the  episcopal 

demesne  to  Richard  Osberne  in  1416  and  1 42 1  and 

to  William  Osberne,  chaplain,  in    1444-     Littleness, 

Sundemess  and  other  parcels  in   the  field  of  Preston 

were  included.     The  rent  declined  from  £i6  a  year 

to^2l.« 

In  the  1 7th  century  families  named  Lambert  *'  of 

Stockton  and   Wilde  ^*  of   Ketton   had   land   in   the 

township. 

The  church  of  ST.  THOMAS  is  a 

CHURCHES     building    of    red     brick    with    stone 
dressings   erected    in    1710-lz  ^'   in 

the  plain  classic  style  of  the  day.      It  consists  of  a 

chancel  45  ft.  by  22  ft.,  nave  of  six  bays  105  ft.  6  in. 

by  22  ft.,  with  north  and  south  aisles  each  17  ft.  wide, 


Eden.  Gules  a 
cbeveron  argent  between 
three  sheaves  or  ailb 
three  scallops  satle  on 
the  cheveron. 


'"  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xiiiii,  App.  132, 
191,  201,  203.  Cf.  Shotton  io  Sedge- 
field  parish. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  272.  The 
land  is  the  share  of  John  de  Seton  in 
1403,  augmented  by  the  widow's  third. 

"  Dtp.  Keeper's  Rfp.  xxxv,  App.   1  26. 

-'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  66. 

•*  The  principal  tenant  besides  John 
de  Carew  mentioned  in  the  survey  was 
William  Baron,  who  paid  a  rent  of  101. 
(Hatfield's  Surf.  [Surt.  Soc  ],  193). 
Nothing  more  is  heard  of  his  holding. 

'^  Dur.  Rec  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  156. 

«  Ibid.  fol.  146  d. 

"  Ibid.  fol.  206. 

-'  Ibid.  fol.  I90d.  ;  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep. 
xxxiii,  App.  116,  1S6. 


"  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xxxiii,  App.  1 46  ; 
xixvi,  App.  7,  4,  103. 

*'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  169,  no.  6. 

"  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xliv,  App.  405. 
There  is  a  short  pedigree  in  Ord,  Hist. 
artii  .intiq.  of  Cle-vetdndf  5o5" 

"  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xlv,  App.  1 89  ; 
xliv,  377-Si.  See  also  ibid,  xxxiv,  App. 
202,  222,  229,  245. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  33,  m.  28. 

"  Ibid.  no.  2,  lol.  63  d. 

'^  Ibid.  fol.  io6. 

''  Ibid.  fol.  169. 

^'  Ibid.  fol.  2«6. 

'"  Ibid.  no.  4,  fol.  63. 

"  Dfp.  Keeper's  Rep.  iixv,  App.  147. 

•"  Ibid.  148. 

"  Dur.    Rec.    cl.    3,    R.    54,    m.    10. 

361 


William  seems  to  have  been  brother  and 
heir  of  Thomas. 

"  Ibid.  no.  3,  fol.  4  ;  Dep.  Keeper's 
Rep.  xxxvi,  App.  105. 

"  Foster,  Dur.  I'isit.  Fed.  ill. 

"  For  the  f.inuly  see  the  account  of 
Windlestone  in  Auckland. 

*^  Add.  Chart.   34944. 

<«  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  14,  pp.  766, 
120;  ;  no.  1;,  p.  263. 

*'"  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xliv,  .\ff.  459. 
See  Stockton. 

•"  Ibid.  539,  1:41. 

"  Foundation  stone  laid  5  June  1710  ; 
consecrated  21  Aug.  171 2.  The  dimen- 
sions given  above  are  all  internal.  The 
tower  is  15  ft.  square  and  the  width 
across  nave  and  aisles  60  It. 


46 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


and  west  tower  80  ft.  high,  and  stands  slightly  to  the 
north  of  the  old  chapel  which  was  pulled  down  at  the 
time  of  its  erection.  No  record  of  the  appearance  of 
the  old  chapel  has  been  preserved,  but  it  was  pro- 
nounced 'ruinous  and  too  little'  in  1705.'"  The 
nave  and  aisles  of  the  present  building  are  under  one 
flat-pitched  roof  originally  covered  with  lead,  for 
which  slates  were  substituted  in  1793.  A  vestry  was 
erected  at  the  east  end  of  the  north  aisle  in  1 7 19, 
together  with  a  west  gallery  in  which  an  organ  was 
placed  in  1759.''  A  second  gallery  was  erected  on  the 
north  side  in  1748  and  another  on  the  south  in  1827, 
but  during  the  remaining  years  of  the  1 9th  century  no 
alterations  were  made  in  the  fabric.  In  1906  the  old 
ch.incel,  which  was  very  short  and  little  more  than  a 
recess  at  the  east  end,  was  rebuilt  on  a  larger  scale,  the 
floor  of  the  nave  relaid,  and  the  old  pews  replaced  by 
modern  oak  seating.  A  side  chapel  and  clergy  vestry 
from  designs  by  Mr.  W.  D.  Caroe  were  added  in 
1925  and  paid  for  out  of  a  bequest  by  Mr.T.  L.  Kirk 
of  Norton.  A  quire  vestry  was  at  the  same  time 
built  from  subscriptions  of  the  congregation. 

Externally  the  building  is  of  little  architectural 
interest,  the  detail  being  very  plain^  The  nave  has 
si.x  large  round-headed  windows  on  each  side  and  two 
well-designed  doorways  on  the  south  below  the  end 
windows.  The  walls  terminate  in  a  cornice  and  plain 
brick  parapet. 

The  new  chancel  ^-  and  its  fittings  form  a  very  fine 
piece  of  modern  Renaissance  work.  As  seen  from  the 
west  end  of  the  church  in  contrast  with  the  long  plain 
nave  it  has  an  appearance  of  much  dignity  and  beauty. 
It  contains  very  fine  pavements  of  Sicilian,  Frosterley 
and  Egyptian  marbles.  The  old  altar  rails  have  been 
retained.  They  are  said  to  have  been  made  by  Capt. 
Christopher  out  of  drift  oak  picked  up  by  Capt.  Cook, 
with  whom  he  sailed  on  his  last  voyage. 

The  nave  arcades  consist  of  six  semicircular  arches 
springing  from  square  pillars,  and  there  is  a  semi- 
circular chancel  arch.  The  piers  and  arches  are  all 
plastered,  and  there  are  flat  plaster  ceilings  to  the  nave 
and  aisles.  The  side  galleries  extend  as  far  as  the 
fourth  bay  from  the  west  and  are  contained  within  the 
aisles.  The  organ  retains  its  old  position  in  the  west 
gallery. 

The  tower,  which  forms  the  west  porch,  is  of  three 
stages  with  large  round-headed  belfry  windows  and  a 
straight  brick  parapet  and  angle  pinnacles.  The  west 
doorway  is  of  some  architectural  merit,  and  there  is  a 
large  west  window  with  a  rounded  head  and  pediment 
above.  The  angles  are  emphasized  by  stone  quoins. 
A  clock  and  chimes  were  placed  in  the  tower  in  1736. 


The  vestry  is  panelled  in  oak  all  round,  and  the 
pulpit  is  the  original  1 8th-century  one  of  oak  of  good 
design.  The  font  also  is  original,  with  an  octagonal 
fluted  bowl  of  Frosterley  marble.  The  organ  built  in 
1759  "'^^  replaced  by  a  new  instrument  in  igoo. 

There  is  a  ring  of  ten  bells,  two  of  which  are  by 
Christopher  Hodgson,  1696,  and  four  by  Samuel 
Smith  of  York,  1714.  The  other  four,  cast  by  Llew- 
ellins  &  James  of  Bristol,  were  added  in  1898  as  a 
memorial  of  the  sixty  years  of  Queen  Victoria's 
reign.*'' 

The  plate  consists  of  a  chalice  and  cover  made  at 
York  in  1688  by  John  Oliver,  inscribed  '  Capcl  de 
Stockton  89  ex  dono  WiUmi  Lee  '  ;  another  chalice 
and  cover  of  the  same  date  and  make  inscribed  '  Capel 
de  Stockton  89  Tho.  Rudd  Curat  Stephan  Whidwright 
guard';  a  paten  of  1702  inscribed  'Tho.  Rudd 
Curate,  Tho.  Sutton  and  Rob'  Thursby  Chappie 
Wardens  of  Stockton  March  y"  26"'  1703  '  ;  a  paten 
of  171 1  with  the  mark  of  Seth  Lofthouse,  London  ; 
two  fl.igons  of  1728  made  by  Thomas  Farrer,  London, 
one  inscribed  '  The  Gift  of  Nicholas  Swainston  Esq' 
Anno  Domini  1727,'  and  the  other  'Mrs.  Ann 
Stainsby  widow  of  Mr.  Robert  Stainsby  gave  ten 
guineas  towards  this  piece  of  plate  '  ;  a  flagon  of  i  730, 
Newcastle  make,  inscribed  '  The  Gift  of  Mr.  Rob' 
Bishoprick  1730';  two  plates  of  1743  made  by 
Humphrey  Payne  of  London  inscribed  'Stockton 
Church  1743  '  ;  a  large  almsdish  of  I  743  made  by 
John  Gilpin,  London,  inscribed '  The  Gift  of  Catharine 
Jackson'  ;  a  small  cylindrical  cup  and  paten,  1821  ; 
a  small  chalice  and  paten  of  1824,  both  inscribed 
with  the  names  of  the  vicar,  curate  and  churchwardens, 
1825  ;  and  two  chalices  of  1863  by  Barnard  &  Sons 
of  London.** 

The  registers  begin  in  162  I. 

In  the  south-west  corner  of  the  churchyard  is  a 
handsome  war  memorial  erected  by  public  subscription 
from  a  design  by  Mr.  H.  V.  Lanchester,  F.R.I.B.A., 
and  at  a  cost  of  ^^7,500.  It  was  unveiled  by  the 
Earl  of  Durham  and  dedicated  by  the  Bishop  of 
Durham  on  31  May  1923. 

The  church  of  the  HOW  TRINITV,  in  the  High 
Street,  was  completed  in  1837.  It  is  a  building  in 
the  Gothic  style  consisting  of  a  chancel,  nave  with 
north  and  south  aisles,  north  and  south  transepts  and 
west  tower  with  spire.  The  parish  was  formed  in 
1837.*^  The  living  is  a  vicarage  in  the  gift  of  the 
Bishop  of  Durham. 

The  church  of  ST.  JJMES,  in  Portrack  Lane,  was 
completed  in  1868.  It  is  a  stone  building  in  the 
style  of  the  early  14th  century,  consisting  of  a  chancel, 


'"  Surtecs,  op.  cit.  iii,  1S4. 

**  The  organ  was  improved  in  1784. 
A  new  organ  was  erected  in  1901. 

"  It  was  designed  by  the  late  Mr.  R.  J. 
Johnson  and  carried  out  by  Mr.  A. 
Crawford  Hick. 

'^  The  six  old  bells  are  inscribed  as 
follows  :  (i  and  2)  '  Christo  Hodgson 
made  mee  1696.  Thomas  Readman, 
William  Hewler,  Church  Wardens'; 
(3)  'Te  Devm  Lavdamvs.  1714';  (4) 
•Cantate  Domino  Canticvm  Novvm. 
1714'  ;  (5)  '  Lavdate  Dominvm  Cymbalis 
Sonoris.  1714';  (6) 'Gloria  in  Excelsis 
Deo.  1714.'  Each  of  the  four  new 
bells  has  a  medallion  portrait  of  Queen 
Victoria,  and  bears  an  inscription  ;  {7) 
'Fear  Cod  honour  the    King.     To    the 


Glory  of  God  and  in  Commemoration  of 
the  60th  year  of  the  reign  of  Queen 
Victoria  this  bell  is  presented  by  George 
James  Clarkson,  Founder  of  the  Stockton 
Society  of  Change  Ringers  and  first 
Secretary  of  the  Diocesan  Association  of 
Ringers  for  Durham  and  Northumber- 
land'; (8)  'Day  by  day  we  magnify 
Thee.  To  the  Glory  of  God  and  in 
Commemoration  of  the  60th  year  of  the 
reign  of  Queen  Victoria,  this  bell  is  pre- 
sented by  the  Clergy  and  officials  of  this 
church.  Henry  Martin,  Vicar.  Frederick 
Robson,  George  Hickson  Wass,  Church- 
wardens '  ;  (g)  *  Charity  never  faileth. 
To  the  Glory  of  the  Great  Architect  of 
the  Universe  and  in  Commemoration  of 
the    60th    year   of   the    reign    of  Queen 


Victoria,  this  bell  is  presented  by  the 
Freemasons  of  this  town,*  Ac.  ;  (10) 
'Righteousness  exalteth  a  nation.  To  the 
Glory  of  God  and  in  Commemoration  of 
the  60th  year  of  the  reign  of  Queen 
Victoria,  this  bell  is  presented  by  public 
subscription.*  .  .  .  '  From  my  heart  I 
thank  my  beloved  people.  May  God  bless 
them.  Victoria  R.  and  I.  June  22nd, 
1S97.'  The  four  new  bells  arrived  at 
the  church  20  June  1898,  but  remained 
in  the  porch  for  some  months.  They 
were  first  rung  on  Easter  Day  and 
dedicated  on  2  May  1899. 

^*  Proc.  Soc,  of  Antiq.  Newcastle^  iii, 
290-1. 

■"  LonAn  G'ao.  29  Dec.  1837,  p. 
3384. 


362 


Stockton-on-Tees  Church  from  thi.  South 


STOCKTON  WARD 


STOCKTON  ON  TEES 


nave  with  aisles,  north  and  south  transepts,  organ 
chamber,  south  porch,  and  west  tower  with  spire.  The 
parish  was  formed  in  1864*°  from  that  of  St.  Thomas. 
The  living  is  a  vicarage  in  the  gift  of  the  Crown  and 
the  Bishop  of  Durham  alternately. 

The  church  of  67'.  JOHN  BAPTIST,  in  Alma 
Street,  was  completed  in  1874.  It  is  a  brick  building 
in  the  Basilican  style,  and  consists  of  an  apsidal  chan- 
cel, nave  with  north  and  south  aisles,  and  south  porch. 
The  parish  was  formed  from  that  of  St.  Thomas  in 
1 87 1."  The  living  is  a  vicarage  in  the  gift  of  the 
Bishop  of  Durham. 

The  church  of  ST.  PETER,  in  Yarm  Road,  was 
completed  in  1881.  It  is  a  brick  building  with  stone 
dressings,  in  the  Gothic  style,  and  consists  of  a  chancel, 
nave  with  north  and  south  aisles,  south  porch  and  west 
tower.  The  parish  was  formed  from  the  parishes  of 
St.  Thomas  and  Holy  Trinity  in  1875."*  The  living 
is  a  vic.ir.ige  in  the  gift  of  the  Crown  and  the  Bishop 
of  Durham  alternately. 

The  church  of  ST.  PJUL,  in  Wellington  Street, 
was  built  in  1885.  It  is  a  brick  building  with  stone 
facings  in  the  13th-century  style,  and  consists  of  a 
chancel,  nave,  vestry,  organ  chamber,  south-west  porch 
and  bell  gable.  The  parish  was  formed  in  1875  out 
of  St.  Thomas  and  Holy  Trinity  parishes.^'  The 
living  is  a  vicarage  in  the  same  gift. 

The  church  oC  JLL  SAINTS,  Preston  upon  Tees, 
is  a  small  building  attached  as  a  mission  church  to 
Holy  Trinity.  Other  mission  churches  in  the  parish 
are  that  in  Bowesfield  Lane  and  another  at  Fairfield 
served  by  the  clergy  of  St.  Paul's.  St.  James'  Hall  in 
Tilery  is  licensed  for  public  worship  and  served  by 
St.  James*. 

In  the  ordination  of  the  chapel  of 
ADyOlfSON  Stockton  m.ide  before  1237  it  was 
agreed  that  the  vicar  of  Norton  should 
find  the  chaplain  and  th.U  his  parishioners  in  Stockton, 
Preston  and  Hartburn  should  have  right  of  baptism 
and  burial  at  Stockton,  visiting  the  mother  church 
and  making  their  offerings  there  on  the  feast  of  the 
Assumption  (15  August).  They  were  to  p.iy  the 
vicar  of  Norton  50/.  a  year  and  to  offer  \d.  with  the 
blessed  bread  every  Sunday  at  Stockton  except  on 
the  days  when  they  gave  blessed  bre.id  to  Norton.'''' 
Stockton  chapel,  which  may  have  been  of  much  earlier 
origin,  thus  became  a  parochial  chapelry  practically 
independent  of  the  parish  church.  Later  it  was 
described  as  the  free  chapel  of  St.  Thomas  the  Martyr. 
The  payment  of  50/.  appe.irs  to  have  been  augmented 
afterwards,  for  in  an  account  made  about  1705  it  was 
recorded  that  the  inhabitants  of  the  chapelry  paid  £-^ 
a  year  to  the  vicar  of  Norton  towards  a  curate  to  be 
maintained  at  Stockton.  This  payment  was  called 
the  '  Priest's  own,'  and  was  collected  at  the  rate  of 
lid.  from  each  2  oxgangs  of  land,  widows  paying  %r/. 
and  others  who  had  no  land  61/.      For  tithes  of  fish 


each  cobble  paid  4/.  and  gave  a  salmon  cock  or  scurf 
worth  6</'.''' 

The  parochial  chapel  obtained  an  endowment  of 
land  by  gift  from  Bishop  Nicholas  de  Farnham 
(1241-9).  This  was  described  as  4  oxgangs  late  of 
Maud  de  Combe,  and  was  evidently  the  land  held 
about  I  184  by  Robert  de  Cambois  (Combe).''-  On 
the  confiscation  of  such  chapels  by  Henry  VIII  and 
Edward  VI  it  was  returned  that  the  chaplain's  house 
was  worth  6/.  8(/.  a  year  ;  four  burgages,  with  barn 
and  4  oxgangs  of  land,  paid  j^4  14/.  lod.  ;  another 
piece  of  land,  the  third  part  of  an  oxgang,  for  the 
maintenance  of  two  candles  burning  before  the  Blessed 
Sacrament,  paid  5;.  ;  rents  of  m.  dd.  and  itd.  were 
due  to  the  bishop  for  the  lands  ;  and  the  net  income 
was  £1  3/.'^^  The  lead  and  bells  of  the  chapel  were 
also  noticed,"'  but  the  fabric  was  spared  on  the  ground 
that  it  stood  a  mile  from  the  parish  church  and  was 
used  by  the  people  of  various  parishes  '  in  the  winter 
time,  when  for  rainy  floods  they  could  come  none 
whither  else  to  hear  divine  service.'  ''*  During  the 
Northern  rising  of  1 569  the  altar  was  rebuilt  in 
Stockton  Church,*^*  and  probably  mass  was  said  there, 
but  nothing  more  is  stated.  About  ten  years  later  the 
curate  was  unlicensed '''  and  the  roof  of  the  chapel 
was  in  decay. ''' 

The  old  endowment  w.is  sold  by  the  Crown  in 
161  3  to  Francis  Morrice  and  Francis  Philipps  with 
many  other  like  parcels,  being  described  as  the  mansion- 
house  of  the  chaplain  and  4.^  oxgangs  of  land  belong- 
ing to  the  chapel.'''^  In  16 1  8  the  grantees  sold  it  to 
Richard  Grubham,'"  and  it  was  in  1644  sequestered 
by  the  Parliament  for  his  adherence  to  the  king's 
party,"'  but  about  1648  it  was  acquired  by  John 
Jenkins,  a  Welshman  and  a  major  in  Cromwell's  army, 
who  lived  in  Stockton  at  the  corner  of  Bishopton 
Lane.'-  The  estate  was  known  as  the  '  queen's  land,' 
and  a  moiety  was  in  1653  claimed  by  Rowland  Bur- 
don,  whose  sister  had  married  Jenkins,"'  but  their 
claim  seems  to  have  failed.  Jenkins  died  in  1 661, 
having  made  a  gift  to  the  poor  of  the  place,  and  in 
his  will  mentions  his  burgages  and  4^  oxgangs  of  land, 
obviously  the  chapel  endowment  ;  the  Grange  field 
and  Miln  eye  were  perhaps  portions  of  it.'*  The 
land  was  probably  that  marked  '  freehold '  on  the  plan 
of  1724,  just  north  of  the  old  borough  boundary.'^ 

It  is  not  clear  how  the  curate  or  chaplain  was 
maintained  after  the  Reformation.  In  the  Suri'ey  of 
1647  the  benefice  is  called  '  a  poor  pension,  not  worth 
above  ^^30  or  ^^35.'"'^  A  note  by  Thomas  Rudd 
states  that  '  Rowland  Salkeld  was  left  curate  at  Stock- 
ton by  Mr.  Mallory  (vicar  of  Norton),  who  was  forced 
from  his  vicarage  and  went  to  the  West  Indies,  and 
should  have  a  fifth  of  the  vicarage.  But  Mr.  Salkeld 
got  the  chapel  turned  into  a  vicarage,  which  he 
secured  to  himself  "" 

Thomas  Rudd  became  curate  of  Stockton  in  1663, 


30     Aug.     1S64,    p. 


*^  London     Ga-z 
4206. 

'"  Ibid.  28  Mar.  18-1,  p.  1621. 

''  Ibid.  29  Oct.  1875,  p.  5092. 

"  Ibid. 

*"  Brewster,   op.  cit.  166  ;   Surtees,  op. 
cit.  iii,  392. 

"  Brewster,  op.  cit.  116. 

«»  Cf.   r.C.H.   Dur.   i,    3  37,   and   Hai- 
Jield^i  Suri'.  (Surt.  Soc),  169. 

^  Brewster,  op.  cit.  113,  17+-5  ;  Harl. 


R.  D  36  (B.M.),  m.  23  ;  Bp.  Bamn' 
Injunc.  (Surt.  Soc),  p.  Ixix. 

•''  Invtni.  C/i.  Goj./i  (Surt.  Soc),  146, 
150.  "^  Brewster,  op.  cit.  114. 

'■^  Dur.  Dtp.  and  Ecd.  Proc.  (Surt.  Soc), 
199. 

"  Bf>.  Barnci'  Injunc.  (Surt.  Soc),  55. 

•*  Ibid.  I  30. 

"  Pat.ioJas.I,pt.riii(3Feb.).  There 
was  an  earlier  grant  (Pat.  7  Jas.  I,  pt.  x). 

'"  Brewster,  op.  cit.  (2nd  ed.),  289. 


"'  Rtc.  Com. for  Comf.  (Surt.  Soc),  35 

*-  There  is  a  view  of  the  house  io 
Brewster's  2nd  edition,  p.  232.  It  was 
afterwards  owned  by  the  Raisbacks  and 
then  the  Allisons. 

"Chan.  Proc  (Ser.  2),  bdle.  433, 
no.  55. 

'*  Brewster,  op.  cit.  (1st  cd.),  134. 

^^  In  Richmond's  Loc.  Records. 

"  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  172. 

''  Brewster,  op,  cit.  1 15. 


363 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


and  revived  Salkeld's  plan  for  making  an  independent 
parish.  He  first  caused  the  chapel  to  be  replaced  by 
a  new  church  on  a  fresh  site  given  by  the  bishop  in 
1710-12,  and  then  procured  an  Act  of  Parliament  by 
which  from  24  June  171  3  Stockton  became  a  parish 
with  the  same  bounds  as  the  ancient  chapelry.'*  The 
incumbent  was  to  be  styled  vicar  of  Stockton,  and  to 
answer  for  a  third  part  of  the  firstfruits  and  other 
charges  hitherto  levied  upon  Norton.  To  compen- 
sate for  loss  of  rates  ;^loo  was  paid  to  Norton. '^ 
The  Bishop  of  Durham  was  made  patron  of  the  new 
benefice,  and  this  arrangement  continues. 

At  the  formation  of  the  parish  the  Bishop  of  Dur- 
ham was  empowered  to  grant  some  land  for  an  en- 
dowment. He  gave  a  piece  close  to  the  church  as  a 
site  for  a  vicarage  and  another  piece,  between  Sliver 
Street  and  Bishop  Street,  the  older  South  and  North 
Street!,  with  Thistle  Green.  Soon  afterwards  the 
vicar  and  vestry  granted  this  land  out  on  lease  for 
1,000  years.  As  the  town  grew  it  became  obvious 
that  this  policy  had  been  erroneous,  but  an  attempt 
to  upset  the  lease  in  1817  was  defeated  on  trial."" 

The  '  chapel  of  the  manor '  was  within  the  bishop's 
manor-houie  or  castle,  and  is  often  mentioned  in  con- 
nexion with  charters  granted  there,"^  ordinations 
held,^-  and  other  episcopal  rites  performed.**' 

The  educational  charities  have 
CHARITIES     already  been  dealt  with.^^ 

The  official  trustees  hold  a  sum  of 
^^3,946  14/.  4</.  5  per  cent.  VVar  Stock,  producing 
jfl97  6/.  8</.  a  year,  in  trust  for  the  Grammar 
school,  which  includes  a  sum  of  ;(^9oo  consols  derived 
under  the  will  of  George  Sutton,  proved  in  the  P.C.C. 
on  24  April  1 817.  The  official  trustees  also  hold 
£i,7-2)^  8/.  lod.  consols,  the  annual  dividends, 
amounting  to  j^;5  15/.  8/,  being  applicable  as  an 
exhibition  endowment. 

Elizabeth  Whitley's  Foundation,  created  by  a  codicil 
to  her  will  proved  at  Durham  15  December  1772, 
consists  of  a  sum  of  j^32i  10/.  id.  consols,  the  annual 
dividends  of  which,  amounting  to  ^^8  os.  %J.,  are 
applicable,  under  an  order  of  the  court  of  Chancery  of 
7  August  1867,  in  keeping  in  repair  Elizabeth  Whit- 
ley's monument  in  Stockton  churchyard  ;  so  much  of 
the  income  not  required  for  this  purpose  is  applied 
for  the  benefit  of  St.  Thomas's  School. 

St.  Thomas's  School  also  receives  the  sum  ofj^l  5/., 
the  dividends  on  £jf\  \-js.  ()d.  India  3  per  cent,  stock 
derived  under  the  will  of  William  Clarke  Vincent, 
proved  at  Wakefield  on  2  December  1 896,  the  original 
trusts  of  these  charities  for  the  repair  of  monuments  in 
the  churchyard  being  void.  The  sums  of  stock  are 
held  by  the  official  trustees. 

Charitable  Institutions. — The  Almshouses  and 
Stockton  Dispensary.  The  old  almshouses,  which 
appear  to  have  been  founded  in  1862,  were  in  1895 
sold  for  j^5,ooo,  a  portion  of  which  was  applied  in  the 
purchase  of  a  new  site  and  the  erection  of  new  alms- 
houses with  accommodation  for  a  dispensary,  the 
residue  being  invested  in  ^1,561  17/.  jd.  India 
3  per  cent,  stock  with  the  official  trustees,  producing 
£\6   1 7/.  yearly.     The  new  almshouses  consist  of  a 


two-storied  building,  two  rooms  on  the  ground  floor 
of  which  are  used  as  a  dispensary.  The  almshouses 
are  occupied  by  eighteen  aged  women. 

In  addition  to  the  sum  of  ^3°°  consols  derived 
under  the  will  of  George  Sutton  above  referred  to, 
the  almshouses  were  endowed  with  X"-"^  consols  by 
the  will  of  Mary  Raisbeck,  proved  on  25  November 
1853  ;  with  j^ijo  consols  by  the  will  of  Mary  Lam- 
bert, proved  at  Durham  on  26  February  1875  ;  with 
^(^285  6/.  id.  consols  by  the  will  of  Lydia  Wilson, 
proved  at  Durham  on  16  March  1876;  and  with 
£l,ySj  12s.  id.  consols  forming  the  endowment  of 
the  Dinsdale  Memorial  Charity  Fund  by  declaration 
of  trust  of  24  Oct.  1923.  The  sums  of  stock  are 
held  by  the  official  trustees.  The  dispensary  above 
referred  to  is  conducted  by  a  committee  of  subscribers, 
and  is  supported  by  voluntary  contributions,  and  with 
the  interest  of  certain  invested  funds.  The  charity  is 
regulated  by  schemes  of  the  Ch.irity  Commissioners 
of  1870  and  1898. 

The  Stockton  and  Thornaby  Hospital,  comprised 
in  a  deed  of  3  August  1875,  is  supported  mainly  by 
voluntary  contributions.  The  official  trustees,  however, 
hold  in  trust  for  the  hospital  a  sum  of  j^2i9  I  It.  id. 
London  County  3  per  cent,  stock,  derived  under  the 
will  of  Edward  D'Oyley  Bailey,  proved  at  London  on 
26  .August  1896.  Asumof/525  3  i  per  cent,  stock 
of  the  Stockton  Corporation  is  also  held  by  the  trustees 
of  the  hospital,  arising  from  a  legacy  of  ^250  by  the 
will  of  James  Brown,  1901,  and  a  gift  of  ;^25o  by 
Frank  Brown,  and  a  legacy  of  £2  5  by  the  will  of 
Miss  Elizabeth  Clifton.  Joseph  Richardson,  by  his 
will  proved  at  London  on  5  December  1902,  be- 
queathed jf  1,000  to  the  Free  Surgical  Hospital,  of 
which  ^500  was  appropriated  to  the  hospital  building 
fund  and  ^^500  invested  in  £s^S  '4'-  3'^-  London 
County  3  per  cent,  stock  with  the  official  trustees,  the 
dividends  of  which  are  being  accumulated  to  replace 
j^2  5o,  part  of  thej^joo  expended  in  buildings.  The 
offici.al  trustees  also  hold  ^^5,031  12/.  $d.  5  per  cent. 
War  Stock,  made  up  from  various  bequests,  producing 
^^251  11/.  6d.  ;  ;^35°  3'-  ^°'^-  India  3  per  cent, 
stock,  being  a  legacy  from  Alderman  A.  G.  Rudd  ; 
_^I46  13;.  Sd.  Port  of  London  4  per  cent.  B  stock, 
being  legacies  from  H.  Tossall  and  Jane  Heslop  ; 
^^524  6s.  Port  of  London  3  per  cent.  A  stock,  being 
legacies  from  T.  E.  Atterby  and  Kate  Walker  ; 
/i,ooo  5  per  cent.  War  Stock,  being  the  Madge 
Free  Cot  Fund  founded  by  declaration  of  trust 
24  July  1919  ;  and  j(^  1,700  5  per  cent.  War  Stock, 
being  the  Littleboy  Free  Bed  Fund  founded  by 
declaration  of  trust  14  Sept.  1925.  Special  invest- 
ments for  the  Extension  Fund  Account,  not  held  by 
the  official  trustees,  are  / 10,000  5  per  cent.  National 
War  Bonds,  1928,  being  the  donation  of  Sir  Robert 
Ropner,  and  ^^5,746  15/.  Sd.  4  per  cent.  Funding 
Stock,  being  a  bequest  from  the  estate  of  the  late 
Wilfrid  Evelyn  Littleboy. 

The  Ropner  Convalescent  Home,  comprised  in  a 
deed  of  9  August  1897,  consists  of  a  house  and  about 
3  J  acres  of  land  situate  in  Middleton-One-Row,  pur- 
chased with  j^2,ooo  given  by  Robert  Ropner  in  com- 


"  Statute  of  12  Anne  printed  in 
Brewster,  op.  cit.  168.  A  further  Act 
of  I  George  I  is  printed  in  Brewster, 
op.  cit.  175.  Rudd  became  rector  of  Long 
Newton  in  171 2,  before  the  Vicarage  Act 
came  into  force. 


"  Brewster,  op.  cit.  123. 

*"  Surtees,  op.  cit.  ill,  iSl,  403-4; 
Brewster,  op.  cit.  {2nd  cd.),  475.  The 
bounds  of  the  land  are  marked  on  the 
plan  of  1724. 


364 


*'  Reg.  Palm.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.), 
i,  319  ;  iv,424.  *' Ibid,  iii,  1 1 1,  &c. 

'»  r«f.£Aor.(Surt.Soc.),iii,  328  ct  seq., 
the  veiling  of  Ellen  Urmstow,  widow, 
in  IJ.36. 

»•  y.C.H.  Dur.  i,  401,  403. 


STOCKTON  WARD 


STRANTON 


■memoratton  of  the  sixtieth  anniversary  of  the  reign  of 
Queen  Victoria  for  the  benefit  of  workmen,  their  wives 
and  families,  and  the  poor  of  Stocicton  and  Thornaby 
on  Tees. 

Distributive  Charities. — In  1 66 1  Major  John 
Jenkins,  by  his  will,  gave  52/.  yearly  out  of  lands  in 
Stockton  to  pay  every  Sabbath  Day  i  td.  in  white 
bread.  The  charity  was  distributed  every  Sunday 
before  the  altar  of  the  parish  church.  Part  of  the 
rent  charge  was  redeemed  in  1920  by  the  transfer  of 
£,z%  13/.  \d.  consols  to  the  official  trustees.  The 
income  is  now  [,\  ijs.  11  J.  from  the  rent  charge 
and  14J.  4^.  from  dividends. 

The  charity  of  Elizabeth  Bunting,  founded  by  a 
deed  of  i  May  1777,  is  endowed  with  £-}jS  13/.  6J. 
consols,  with  the  official  trustees.  The  annual  divi- 
dends, amounting  to  £()  g/.  ^d.,  are,  under  a  scheme 
of  23  January  1872,  distributed  by  the  vicars  of 
Stockton-on-Tees,  Holy  Trinity,  St.  James,  and 
St.  John  the  Baptist  in  their  respective  parishes, 
generally  in  money  doles  of  10/. 

In  1 78 1  John  Snowden,  by  his  will,  gave  X"-"-" 
stock  to  the  vicar  and  churchwardens  of  Norton  and 
Stockton,  the  interest  to  be  distributed  to  decayed  house- 
keepers, preference  to  be  shown  to  any  in  the  shoe- 
making  business.  The  legacy  is  now  represented  by 
;^8l  js.  lod.  consols,  producing  £z  os.  Sd.  yearly. 
The  income  is  distributed  among  poor  shoemakers 
chosen  from  the  whole  of  the  ancient  parish. 

George  Sutton,  by  his  will  proved  at  London  on 
24.  April  1817,  bequeathed  certain  stocks  upon  trust 
for  charitable  purposes.  These  legacies  are  now 
represented  by  a  sum  of  j^l,309  o;.  ()d.  consols,  with 
the  official  trustees,  producing  yearly  ^32  14/.  ^d.  ; 
the  interest  on  j^333  6/.  Sd.  consols  to  be  applied  in 
providing  blankets  for  the  poor  ;  the  interest  on 
^^67 5  14;.  id.  towards  the  stipend  of  the  organist  of 
the  parish  church,  and  on  ^f  300  consols  for  the  dis- 
pensary of  Stockton. 

The  official  trustees  also  hold,  under  a  declaration 
of  trust  of  25  July  1894,  a  sum  of  ^(^209  19/.  lod. 
consols,  purchased  with  money  subscribed  some  years 
previously  by  private  individuals  to  supplement  the 
Blanket  Club  branch  of  George  Sutton's  charities 
known  as  Mrs.  Sutton's  Blanket  Club.  The  annual 
dividends,  amounting  to  ^^5  5/.,  are  applied  in  the 
distribution  of  blankets. 

George  King,  by  his  will  proved  at  York  on 
17  October  1826,  bequeathed  his  residuary  estate, 
the  interest  to  be  applied,  irrespective  of  and  in 
addition  to  the  amount  received  (if  any)  for  poor  law 
relief,  for  the  relief  of  the  poor.     The  endowment 


consists  of  ^^1,626  7/.  ^d.  consols,  with  the  official 
trustees,  producing  £^0  I  3/.  yearly.  The  charity  is 
regulated  by  a  scheme  of  the  Charity  Commissioners 
of  1 1  September  1891. 

Anne  Barker,  by  a  codicil  to  her  will  proved  at 
London  in  i860,  gave  £^0,  the  income  to  be  distri- 
buted among  poor  not  in  receipt  of  parochial  relief. 
The  legacy  is  represented  by  £^j  5/.  2d.  consols, 
with  the  official  trustees,  and  the  income,  amounting 
to  £j  61.  \d.  yearly,  is  distributed  in  small  sums. 

John  Farmer,  by  his  will  proved  at  Durham  in 
1879,  gave  /^loo,  the  interest  to  be  distributed  at 
Christmas  among  the  old  people  residing  in  the  work- 
house of  Stockton-on-Tees.  The  legacy,  less  duty,  is 
represented  by  ^[105  5/.  ■>,d.  5  per  cent.  War  Stock 
with  the  official  trustees,  producing  £^  5/.  \d.  yearly. 

The  same  testator  left  ^100,  the  interest  to  be 
divided  equally  among  the  Scripture  readers  engaged 
in  connexion  with  the  churches  of  St.  Thomas,  Holy 
Trinity,  St.  James  and  St.  John,  in  Stockton.  The 
legacy,  less  duty,  was  invested  in  ^^83  i6j.  i^d.  India 
3  per  cent,  stock,  with  the  official  trustees.  The 
income,  amounting  to  £z  10/.,  is  divided  among  the 
readers  in  the  ecclesiastical  parishes  of  Stockton  and 
Stockton  St.  James. 

Ecclesiastical  District  of  Holy  Trinity. — The  Holy 
Trinity  National  School,^'  founded  by  deed  poll 
I  March  1847,  is  endowed  with  a  sum  of  £\~o 
13/.  rd.  consols,  arising  under  the  will  of  George 
Sutton  above  mentioned. 

George  Robinson,  by  his  will  proved  at  London  in 
1866,  directed  his  trustees,  on  the  termination  of 
certain  life  interests,  to  transfer  twenty  Preference 
Shares  in  the  North  Eastern  Railway  Company  to  the 
official  trustees,  half  the  income  therefrom  to  be  dis- 
tributed among  the  poor  of  Holy  Trinity  and  the 
remaining  moiety  among  the  poor  of  St.  John  in 
Darlington.  The  last  of  the  life  interests  determined 
on  8  September  1899,  and  in  1900  ^^67 5  London 
and  North  Eastern  Railway  first  guaranteed  4  per 
cent,  stock,  representing  the  twenty  Preference  Shares, 
was  transferred  to  the  official  trustees.  The  stock 
produces  ^^27  yearly,  one-half  of  which  is  applicable 
to  Holy  Trinity. 

Ecclesiastical  District  of  St.  John  Baptist. — Edward 
D'Oyley  Bayley,  by  his  will  proved  at  London  on 
26  August  1896,  bequeathed,  subject  to  certain  life 
interests,  since  determined,  ^^200  for  the  benefit  of 
the  organist  of  St.  John's  Church.  The  endowment 
consists  of  a  sum  of  ;^2I9  11/.  zd.  London  County 
3  per  cent.  Consolidated  Stock,  with  the  official 
trustees,  producing  £(>  \\s.  8</.  yearly. 


STRANTON 


Strannton  (xv  cent.)  ;  Straynton  (xvi  cent.). 

This  parish  lies  in  the  south-east  corner  of  Durham. 
The  boundaries  of  the  old  parish  were  on  the  east  the 
sea,  on  the  south  Grcatham  Creek,  an  arm  of  the 
Tees,  on  the  south-west  the  parish  of  Greatham,  on 
the  west  the  township  of  Claxton,  the  boundary  here 
being  Greatham  Beck  and  the  townships  of  Elwick 
Hall  and  Dalton  Piercy,  on  the  north  Hart,  Throston 
and  Hartlepool. 

The  1831  parish  contained  the  townships  of 
Stranton,  Seaton  Carew  and  Brierton. 


Stranton  and  West  Hartlepool  lie  on  Magnesian 
Limestone,  while  Brierton  and  the  Seatons  are  on 
Red  Sandstone.  The  coast  is  low-lying  and  bordered 
by  sandhills  ;  there  is  a  low  reef  of  rocks,  the  Long 
Scar,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  off  the  coast  between 
West  Hartlepool  and  Seaton  Carew,  and  another  low 
reef,  the  Little  Scar,  on  the  coast  near  Seaton  Carew. 
The  sea  is  encroaching  on  the  shore,  and  its  advance 
has  been  increasingly  rapid  in  recent  years. 


**  r.C.H.  Dur.  i,  40}. 


36s 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


In  West  Hartlepool  there  are  363  acres  of  arable 
land  and  100  acres  of  permanent  grass  ;  in  Brierton 
454  acres  of  arable  land,  204  acres  of  permanent 
grass  and  14  acres  of  plantation  ;  in  Seaton  1,388 
acres  of  arable  land,  204  acres  of  permanent  grass  and 
9  acres  of  plantation. •  The  whole  parish  is  a  plain, 
and  the  land  seldom  rises  more  than  100  ft.  above  the 
sea  level.  The  soil  is  loam,  and  the  chief  crops  arc 
wheat,  barley,  oats,  potatoes  and  turnips. 

Place  names  of  interest  are  Foggy  Furze,  between 
Seaton  Carew  and  West  H.irtlepool,  the  North  Garc 
Sands,  by  Seaton,  Cold  Knuckles  and  Ch.ipel  Open 
on  the  Seaton  sandhills. 

A  branch  from  the  Durham  and  Hartlepool  road 
leads  from  Hart  to  West  H.irtlepool  ;  the  Stockton 
road  leaves  West  Hartlepool  on  the  south  and  passes 
through  Seaton.  There  are  roads  from  the  various 
villages  to  West  Hartlepool,  but  there  are  no  other 
main  roads  in  the  parish.  The  West  Hartlepool 
branch  of  the  London  and  North  Eastern  Railway 
has  stations  at  West  Hartlepool  and  Seaton  Carew, 
which  were  taken  over  from  earlier  local  lines. - 

The  Ward  Jackson  Public  Park  was  opened  at 
West  Hartlepool  on  I  1  July  I  883. 

The  Municipal  Buildings  in  Church  Square  were 
opened  on  i  May  1S89  ;  the  Public  Library  adjoins 
them.  The  Town  Hall  was  opened  in  1 893  and 
the  Market  Hall  was  opened  in  the  same  year,  market 
day  being  Saturday.  The  Technical  College  was 
opened  in  1896  and  the  Cameron  Hospital  in  1905. 

On  I  June  1852  the  Jackson  Dock  was  opened, 
called  after  Ralph  Ward  Jackson.  The  Swainson 
Dock  followed  it  on  3  June  1856.  Subsequently  two 
North  Eastern  Railway  Docks  were  constructed. 
The  area  in  Hartlepool  and  West  Hartlepool  covered 
by  docks  is  at  present  201  acres. 

St.  Joseph's  Roman  Catholic  chapel  in  West  Hartle- 
pool was  consecrated  in  1 894.  Of  the  three  Con- 
gregational chapels  St.  George's  was  opened  in  1902, 
Bellevue  in  1875,  and  Tower  Street  in  1854.  The 
Swedish  church  was  founded  in  1884.  There  are 
two  chapels  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  England, 
opened  in  1880  and  1900  respectively,  while  a  Baptist 
chapel  was  opened  in  1867.  There  is  a  Jews'  syna- 
gogue, which  was  opened  in  1872.  The  earliest  of 
four  Primitive  Methodist  chapels  was  opened  in  1861, 
a  Wesleyan  chapel  in  1872,  a  Wesley  an  Methodist  in 
1905,  and  the  remaining  three  Primitive  Methodist 
chapels  in  1875,  1894  and  1897.  The  Friends  have 
a  meeting-house  in  York  Road. 

Saltworks  were  carried  on  at  Seaton  Carew  from 
the  14th  to  the  16th  century.'  Fishing  and  agri- 
culture are  the  occupations  of  the  country  inhabitants 
of  the  parish,  while  shipbuilding  is  the  chief  industry 
of  West  Hartlepool.''  The  Hartlepools  form  the  fifth 
port  in  the  kingdom  for  the  import  of  timber  ;  other 
imports  are  iron  and  provisions.  The  exports  are 
coal,  coke  and  machinery.  The  iron  is  wrought  by 
the  South  Durham  Steel  and  Iron  Company  and  at 
the  Seaton  Carew  Iron  Works. 


The  little  village  of  Brierton  lies  in  the  south-west 
corner  of  the  old  parish,  and  is  connected  with 
Seaton  Carew  by  Brierton  Lane. 

On  the  coast  of  the  parish  to  the  south  of  West 
Hartlepool  lie  Seaton  Carew  and  Seaton.  At  present 
they  are  two  distinct  townships,  Seaton  Carew  lying 
within  the  municipality  of  West  Hartlepool  and 
Seaton  outside  it,  but  in  earlier  times  the  whole  was 
called  Seaton  Carew.  The  name  is  derived  from  the 
family  of  Carew,  who  held  the  manor  from  the  12th 
century.  At  the  beginning  of  the  19th  century  the 
boundary  between  Stranton  and  Seaton  Carew  was 
marked  by  a  wall  called  the  White  Dyke,  and  a 
boundary  post  on  the  seashore.  On  the  southern 
boundary  of  the  manor  there  was  another  boundary 
post  at  Wambling's  Run,  a  little  stream  at  Tees 
mouth  which  divided  Seaton  Carew  from  Greena- 
bella.'  There  is  an  open  village  green  at  Seaton 
Carew.  The  custom  of  riding  the  boundaries  was 
maintained  here  in  the  earlier  part  of  the  19th  cen- 
tury.' Inland  from  Seaton  Carew  lies  the  village  of 
Oughton. 

There  is  very  little  to  connect  Stranton  with 
general  history.  Traces  of  Roman  occupation  have 
been  discovered  on  the  sandhills  near  Seaton  Carew 
in  the  shape  of  an  ancient  midden  containing  fragments 
of  Samian  ware,  fibulae.  Sec'  During  the  rebellion 
of  I  569  the  rebels  stole  '  a  sylver  pece  '  from  the  vicar 
of  Stranton,"  and  one  man  of  the  parish  was  executed 
as  a  rebel. ^  In  1597  there  was  a  severe  outbreak  of 
the  plague,  which  began  on  2 1  May  and  lasted 
throughout  the  summer.'"  At  the  beginning  of  the 
19th  century  there  were  traces  of  entrenchments  on  a 
hill  at  Tunstall,  which,  it  was  conjectured,  might  have 
been  made  by  the  Scots  when  they  occupied  Hartle- 
pool." 

The  whole  of  the  parish  of 
M.JNORS,  Izjc.  Stranton  at  the  time  of  the  Norman 
Conquest  formed  part  of  Hartness, 
and  passed  by  marriage  to  the  family  of  Brus.'-  In 
1220  William  de  Feugeres  paid  homage  to  the  king 
for  his  father's  lands  in  BRIERTON  (Brereton,  xiv 
cent.  ;  Brearton,  xvi  cent.  ;  Briarton,  xvii  cent.)  and 
elsewhere.  The  Feugeres  were  a  Norman  family 
who  held  lands  in  the  North  Riding  of  Yorkshire,  and 
it  is  probable,  though  not  certain,  that  Brierton  in 
Hartness  is  meant  here.'^  It  is  not  mentioned  again 
among  the  lands  of  the  Feugeres,'''  but  is  certainly 
referred  to  for  the  first  time  in  a  suit  of  I  305  brought 
by  Ralph  son  of  William  against  Geoffrey  de  Hartle- 
pool, from  which  it  appears  that  William  Sayer  and 
Margaret  his  wife  had  enfeoffed  Geoffrey  of  the 
manor  of  Brierton,  reserving  a  rent  of  £30,  40  quarters 
of  wheat,  40  quarters  of  barley  and  20  quarters 
of  oats.  This  rent  Ralph  had  bought  from  William 
Sayer  and  Margaret,  but  Geoffrey  refused  to  pay.'' 
In  I  31  5  Ralph  Fitz  William  died  seised  of  j{[50  rent 
from  the  manor  of  Brierton  ;  it  was  held  by  his  son 
Robert  at  his  death  less  than  two  years  later.'"  In 
1344  William  Lord  Greystock,  grandson  of  Robert, 


'  Statisiics  from  BJ.  of  Agric.  {1905). 

*  See  Hartlepool. 

'  I'.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  294  ;  Reg.  Pa/at. 
Dunclm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  iv,  370  ;  Dur.  Rec. 
cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  107,  297  ;  file  170,  no.  3  ; 
file  177,  no.  99. 

*  y.C.H.  Dur.  ii,  307. 

'  Arch.  All.  (New  Ser.),  x,  105,  11  j  n. 


^  Ibid.  111.  '  Ibid.  103. 

'  Surtees,  Hist,  and  Antij.  of  Dur.  iii, 
125  n. 

"  Sharp,  Mem.  of  the  Rebellion  of  I  569, 
250. 

'"  Par.  Reg. 

"  Surtees,  op.  cit.  I  23.    Sec  Hartlepool. 

'=  See  Hart. 


366 


'^  Guisbro*  Chartul.  (Surt.  Soc),  ii, 
57  n.;  Cat.  Rot.  CIjus.  (Rec.  Com.),  i, 
188,4.45.  'Mbid. 

'^  Plae.  Abbrev.  (Rec.  Com.),  30S  ; 
Reg.  Palat.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  ii,  1056  ; 
I.apsle)',  Co.  Palal.  of  Dur.  211-12. 

"■  Cat.  Inj.  p.m.  (Edw.  II),  vi,  24,  32  ; 
Cal.  Close,  1313-18,  p.  489. 


STOCKTON  WARD 


STRANTON 


had  the  manor  in  his  own  hands,''  and  from  that  date 
till  1652  it  followed  the  descent  of  the  manor  of 
Coniscliffe '*  (q.v.).  In  1 65  3  Mary  wife  of  Sir 
Francis  Howard,  for  whose  delinquency  it  was  seques- 
tered, obtained  her  fifth  for  the  support  of  herself  and 
her  nine  young  children."  After  this  the  descent  of 
Brierton  is  doubtful  for  some  years.  In  1669  Robert 
and  Brian  Roper,  who  had  speculated  in  sequestered 
lands  during  the  Commonwealth,-"  quitclaimed  Brier- 
ton  to  Francis  Howard  and  Anne  his  wife.-'  In 
1699  Charles  Turner  purchased  the  manor  of  Brierton 
from  Sir  William  Blackett,  bart.-^  The  Turners  used 
most  of  the  property  to  endow  the  school  in  con- 
nexion with  Kirltleatham  Hospital  in  Cleveland, 
Yorkshire,-'  which  had  been  founded  in  1676  by  Sir 
William  Turner,  bart.,-^  and  the  hospital  still  owns  a 
large  est.ue  in  Brierton. 

The  little  manor  ofMORLESTOX  (Morleston  next 
Tunstall.xvcent.,  xvii  cent.)  lay  in  the  north  of  Stranton 
parish  on  the  boundary  between  Stranton  and  Hart. 
Its  situation  is  now  so  completely  forgotten  that  it  is 
impossible  to  say  in  which  township  it  lay.  It  is  not 
marked  on  the  ordnance  maps,  and  the  county  his- 
torians at  the  beginning  of  the  19th  century  do  not 
seem  to  have  known  where  it  was.  In  1344.  Morle- 
ston was  held  of  Robert  de  Clifford  for  life  by  Sir 
Richard  de  Aldeburg.-*  In  1352-3  it  was  found  that 
Andrew  de  Markenfield  -'■  had  enfeoffed  Nicholas 
Gaston,  chaplain,  of  seven  messuages  and  14  oxgangs  of 
land  in  Morleston  and  Throston,  and  had  afterwards 
joined  with  Joan  widow  of  Richard  de  Aldeburgh  in 
wrongfully  disseising  him.-'  In  1389  Sir  Thomas  de 
Markenfield,  kt.,  held  land  in  Morleston  of  Sir  Roger 
de  Clifford,  kt.-*  Sir  Thomas  de  Markenfield,  kt., 
Denise  his  wife,  Thomas  his  son  and  Beatrice  his  son's 
wife  quitclaimed  to  four  trustees  ten  messuages, 
20  oxgangs  8  acres  of  meadow  and  20  acres  of  pasture 
in  Hart,  Morleston  and  Nether  Throston  in  1396.-' 
This  was  probably  part  of  a  sale  to  Sir  William 
Fulthorpe,  kt.,  who  held  Morleston  of  Maud  de 
Clifford  in  1403.'"  After  this  Morleston  followed 
the  descent  of  Tunstall,  into  which  it  was  absorbed. 
Morleston  is  mentioned  by  name  for  the  last  time  in 
the  sale  by  Fairfax  to  Riddell  in  1632.'' 

OUGHTON  (Ovetun,  xii  cent.  ;  Oueton,  xiii 
cent.  ;  Oweton,  xv  cent.  ;  Owlton,  Owton,  xvi  cent.) 
is  first  mentioned  in  1146-51,  when  Robert  de  Brus 
held  in  demesne  at  Seaton  90  acres  which  were 
anciently  in  the  field  of  Oughton,  and  in  Oughton 
itself  220  acres.'- 


In  1189  Peter  Carcw  held  one  knight's  fee  in 
Seaton  and  Oughton,'*'  but  there  is  no  connected 
descent  of  the  manor.  Between  1 2 18  and  1234 
Avice  de  Clare  obtained  licence  from  Michael  the 
Prior  and  the  convent  of  Guisborough  to  have  a 
chantry  in  ihe  chapel  of  Oughton  as  long  as  she  lived. '^ 
Thomas  de  Carew  (Carrow)  claimed  two-thirds  of  two 
carucates  except  one  oxgang  against  Avice  in  1269  ;  it 
does  not  appear  with  what  success**^  In  1358  a 
deed  was  enrolled  by  which  Robert  son  of  John  de 
Sheraton  granted  to  Richard  Aske  an  annuity  of  j^io 
from  his  lands  in  Oughton.'^ 

In  143 1-2  Thomas  Lambert  held  the  manor  of 
Oughton,  and  had  held  it  for  some  yean.  Although 
there  are  several  links  missing  in  the  pedigree,  it 
teems  probable  that  he  was  the  ancestor  of  Robert 
Lambert  of  Oughton,  who  in  1  524  received  a  general 
pardon  and  gave  sureties  forgood  behaviour.'''  In  1543 
Nicholas  Lambert,  the  son  of  Robert,  settled  Oughton 
in  tail  upon  his  sons  Robert,  George  and  Clement 
successively.'"  Robert,  the  eldest  son,  was  attainted  for 
taking  part  in  the  Rising  of  the  North,  and  narrowly 
escaped  execution ;  his  lands  here,  including  a  windmill 
and  a  manor-house  of  stone  roofed  with  slate,  were  for- 
feited to  the  Crown.'*  Oughton  was  leased  in  Sep- 
tember I  571  for  thirty-one  years  to  William  Knolls." 
In  February  1574-5  the  queen  granted  the  reversion 
to  Edward  Gresham  and  Percival  Gunston,^'^  who  in 
1585  received  licence  to  alienate  it  to  Richard  Brook- 
man.^'  Brookman  sold  Oughton  in  1588  to  Richard 
Belhisis,^-  who  settled  it  on  his  nephew  James  in  tail- 
male  with  remainder  to  his  other  nephews  Bryan  and 
Charles.'"  Sir  Richard  Bellasis,  grandson  of  Bryan, 
Thomas  Swinburne  and  Isabel  Bellasis,  widow,  con- 
veyed it  in  1642  to  Gerard  Salvin  and  William 
Killinghall,  possibly  for  a  mortgage,  as  it  had  been 
settled  on  Sir  Richard's  son  William  in  1640.'*^ 
There  were  further  conveyances  by  William  Bellasis, 
junior,  and  Katherine  his  wife  to  Nicholas  Salvin  in 
1670,''^  and  by  Sir  Henry  Bellasis  and  Katherine 
Bellasis,  widow,  to  Anthony  Salvin  in  1682.''*  It 
remained  in  the  family  of  Salvin  (see  Croxdale  in 
Auckland)''"  until  the  beginning  of  the  1 9th  century, 
when  William  Thomas  Salvin  sold  it  to  George 
Fletcher.^*  Before  1857  it  had  been  purchased  by 
Ralph  Watson  of  Middleton  House,  West  Hartlepool," 
and  it  is  now  the  property  of  Thomas  Swinburne. 

SEJTOS  C/fREIf  (Setone,  xii  cent.  ;  Sethon, 
xiii  cent.  ;  Seton  Carrewe,  xiv  cent.  ;  Seton  Kerrowe, 
XV  cent.)  is  first  mentioned  between  1 146  and  1151, 


"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  29,  m.  17  d. 

"Ibid.  no.  2,  lol.  62,  142,  iS6d., 
280  d.  ;  no.  3,  fol.  44  ;  file  172,  no.  4  ; 
file  174,  no.  7  ;  no.  6,  fol.  24,  41  ;  £xch. 
Dcp.  East.  10  Jas.  I,  no.  37  ;  Dur.  Rcc. 
cl.  3,  R.  86,  m.  14  ;  HousehoU  Bookt  of 
Lord  IViUiam  Ho'warJ  (SurL  Soc),  396, 
409,  414  ;  Cdl.  Com.  for  Comp.  iv,  2588  J 
Rec.  Com.  for  Comp.  (Surt.  Soc),  34. 

'"  Rcc.  Com.  for  Comp.  (Surt.  Soc),  251. 

•"  Sec  Trimdon  parish. 

"  Dur.  Rec  cl.  12,  no.  8  (i). 

"  Feet  of  F.  Hil.  10  Will.  III. 

"  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  133. 

-^  Graves,  Hiit.  of  CUvelanJ^  392  ; 
Char.  Com.  Rep.  viii,  738. 

"  Cal.  Inf.  p.m.  (Edw.  Ill),  viii,  384. 

-^  In  1343  Sir  Andrew  dc  Markenfield, 
kt.,  obtained  a  pardon  for  the  outlawry 
which  he  had  incurred  by  failing  to  appear 
before  the  justices  in  answer  to  an  accusa- 


tion of  trespass  brought  against  him  by 
Elias  son  of  Gilbert  Crust  of  Morleston 
and  Agnes  his  wife  (Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,R.  29, 
m.  147).  *■  Ibid.  R.  92,  m.  16  d. 

-*  Chan.  Inq.  p.m.  13  Ric.  II,  no.  14. 

"  Dur.  Rec  cl.  3,  R.  92,  m.  i6d. 

*'  Chan.  Inq.  p.m.  4  Hen.  IV,  no.  37. 

"  See  Tunstall  below. 

"^  Guiikro'  Chart.  (Surt.  Soc),  ii,  323, 
and  see  Hart. 

"  Hist.  Dunelm.  Script.  Trei  (Surt. 
Soc),  p.  be. 

'*  Guisbro'  Chartu!.  (Surt.  Soc),  ii,  326. 

""Assize  R.  224,  m.  4. 

'^  Dur.  Rec  cl.  3,  R.  30,  m.  12.  In 
146S  a  niessu.ige  here  held  in  chief  for 
one-tenth  of  a  knight's  fee  belonged  to 
Thomas  Fulthorpe  (ibid.  no.  4,  fol.  33). 

^_  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  73,  m.  20. 

''  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  132-3  ;  Foster, 
Dur.  risit.  PeJ.  201. 


'''  Sharp,  op.  cit.  44  n.  ;  Cal.  S.  P. 
Dim.  1566-79,  p.  280;  Exch.  K.R. 
Misc.  Bks.  xjcxviii,  fol.  234. 

''  Pat.  13  Elir.  pt.  vii,  m.  29. 

*"  Ibid.  17  Eliz.  pt.  xiii,  m.  18. 

*'  Ibid.  27  Eliz.  pt.  xiii,  m.  14. 

'-  Ibid.  31  Eliz.  pt.  xiv,  m.  12. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  192,  no.  25  ; 
Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  132, 

"  Dur.  Rec  cl.  12,  no.  5  (2)  j  cl.  3, 
R.  1 1 7,  no.  II.  See  Morton,  in  Houghton- 
le-Spring,  for  this  family, 

"  Dur.  Rec  cl.  12,  no.  8  (2)  ;  cl.  3, 
R.  1 17,  no.  11  J  cf.  Recov.  R.  East.  1654, 
m.  II. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  i  2,  no.  1 1  (2). 

"  Com.  Pleas  D.  Enr.  East.  28  Geo.  II, 
m.  34. 

'■^  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

"  Fordyce,  Hiit.  of  Co.  Pa/at.  0/  Dur. 


367 


A  HISTORY  OF  DURHAM 


when  Robert  de  Brus  held  230  acres  of  demesne  there 
as  part  of  Hartness.'*'  Seaton  was  not,  however,  held 
of  the  Brus  fee.  It  was  stated  in  the  13th  century 
that  Robert  de  Carew,  ancestor  of  the  family  from 
which  the  place  took  its  name,  held  his  land  in  Oughton 
which  belonged  to  his  fee  of  Seaton  in  the  reign  of 
Henry  I.''"*  This  was  evidently  the  Robert  de  Carew 
who  in  1 166  answered  to  the  king  for  a  knight's  fee 
of  5  carucates  in  the  county  of  Northumberland,  a 
third  of  which  was  held  by  his  brother  William.^' 
Robert,  who  was  living  in  1  171,  had  a  son  and  heir 
Peter.^^  In  1 1 89  Richard  I  granted  to  Bishop 
Pudsey,  among  the  other  appurtenances  of  the  wapen- 
take of  Sadberge,  the  services  of  Peter  Carew  and  his 
heirs  for  one  knight's  fee  in  Seaton  and  Oughton. *- 
The  fee  owed  castle  service  of  I  3/.  \ti.  to  Sadberge 
Castle.*'*  Peter  de  Carew  witnessed  a  charter  of  1 197 
or  later,^*  and  in  1200  his  son  Walter  obtained  from 
the  Prior  of  Guisborougli  a  grant  of  a  perpetual 
chantry  in  the  chapel  of  Seaton,  and  in  return  granted 
to  the  monastery  60  acres  of  land  and  pasturages  for 
100  sheep  and  their  lambs  in  Seaton.**  About  1212 
Robert  de  Burg.ite  had  custody  of  the  heir  of  Walter 
de  Carew  and  of  one  knight's  fee  which  Walter  had 
held  in  the  wapentake  of  Sadberge.*''  This  heir  must 
have  been  Walter's  son  Thomas,  who  held  the  fee  in 
the  time  of  Bishop  Walter  de  Kirkham  (i  249^1  260) 
and  in  1269.^'  Walter,  said  to  have  been  the  son  of 
Thomas,^'-*  was  the  father  of  John  de  Carew,  who 
was  found  on  15  May  1337  to  have  died  holding 
for  a  quarter  of  a  knight's  fee  the  manor  of 
Seaton  Carew,  his  heir  being  his  son  John,  aged 
twenty-one,*"  who  obtained  a  grant  of  free  warren  at 
Seaton  Carew  in  1340.*^  In  1342  John  de  Carew 
acknowledged  that  a  whale  which  had  been  cast  ashore 
at  Seaton  Carew  was  a  royal  fish,  and  belonged  of 
right  to  the  Bishop  of  Durham  ;  he  paid  a  fine  of 
100  marks  for  dividing  it  among  his  friends."" 
Thomas  son  of  John  de  Carew  died  in  his  father's 
lifetime,  and  on  20  September  1379  it  was  found  that 
John's  heir  was  his  grandson  John  son  of  Thomas  dc 
Carew,  aged  nineteen.'''  The  wardship  of  two-thirds 
of  his  lands  was  granted  to  Alan  Lambard  and  John 
de  Se.iton  of  Hartlepool."-  In  1380-1  a  deed  was 
enrolled  by  which  lands  and  salt  mines  in  Seaton 
Carew  were  settled  upon  John  son  of  Thomas  de 
Carew,  kt.,  and  Isabel  his  wife."^  It  appears  that 
John  granted  a  rent  from  land  and  a  saltpit  in  Seaton 
Carew  to  Robert  de  Lumlcy,  whose  brother  Ralph 
was  found  to  be  heir  to  the  property  on  3  May 
1 38 1."'  John  de  Carew  died  childless  before 
20   September   1387.''*      His  widow  Isabel  married 


Robert  Umfraville,  with  whom  she  leased  land  in 
Seaton  Carew  to  Thomas  Lumley.""  She  held  in 
dower  eight  messuages,  twelve  cottages,  seventeen 
saltpits,  200  acres  of  arable  and  12  of  me.idow  in 
Seaton  Carew,  and  had  by  settlement  a  life  interest 
in  four  messuages,  4  oxgangs  and  four  saltpits."' 
The  heirs  of  John  de  Carew  in  the  manor  were  the 
representatives  of  his  four  aunts,  sisters  of  his  father, 
Sir  Thomas.  These  sisters  were  Alice  wife  of  John 
de  Whitworth,  Isabel  wife  of  Thomas  Porter,  Avice 
wife  of  Thomas  de  Embleton,  and  Joan,  who  was  un- 
married at  the  time  of  her  nephew's  death,  but  after- 
wards became  the  wife  of  Richard  Hayton."'*  No 
partition  was  made  of  the  manor.  During  the  life- 
time of  Isabel  Umfraville,  Joan  daughter  and  heir  of 
Alice  de  Whitworth,  with  her  husband  John  de  Hoton, 
conveyed  her  share  to  Ralph  Earl  of  Westmorland,"' 
who  in  March  1418-19  granted  it  to  his  nephew 
Sir  John  Lumlcy.'"  William  Porter,  son  of  Isabel, 
granted  his  share  also  to  Sir  John  Lumlcy,"  who  at 
his  death  in  or  about  142  1  was  said  to  hold  two  fourth 
parts  of  the  manor  and  also  a  third  part  which  Isabel 
Umfraville  held  for  life  in  dower,  'receiving  therefrom 
43  marks  per  annum,'  of  which  third  part  a  moiety 
was  of  the  inheritance  of  John.'-  The  actual  state  of 
affairs  seems  to  have  been  that  John  Lumley  held  two 
separate  fourths,  part  of  which  was  included  in  the 
dower  third  held  for  life  by  Isabel  Umfraville."'  On 
her  death  in  1437  Thomas  Lumley,  son  and  heir  of 
John,  succeeded  to  half  her  part  of  the  manor,"  while 
the  other  half  passed  to  the  representatives  of  Avice 
and  Joan  dc  Carew.'* 

The  Lumleys'  share  of  Seaton  Carew  followed  the 
descent  of  their  manor  of  Stranton  (q.v.)  till  the  division 
among  the  three  co-heirs  of  Sir  William  Reade.'" 
Two-thirds  of  it  were  in  the  possession  of  George  Lord 
Berkeley  in  January  1673-4,"'  but  its  later  history  is 
disconnected.  In  1697  John  and  Christopher  Ful- 
thorpe  conveyed  a  third  part  of  a  moiety  of  the  manor 
and  other  lands  to  Thomas  Craggs,  who  left  part  of  it 
to  his  son  Thomas  in  1714.'"  The  younger  Thomas 
sold  it  in  1 725  to  his  brother  Joseph,  who  in  1747 
conveyed  it  to  William,  Robert  and  Joseph  Preston. 
Robert  Preston  acquired  the  rights  of  both  his 
brothers,'^  and  must  have  bought  more  of  the  manor 
from  other  tenants,  for  in  1766  he  had  three-eighths 
of  the  whole.*"  In  1769  he  bought  the  remainder  of 
the  Craggs  estate,  which  had  been  left  by  Thomas 
Craggs  in  1714  to  his  wife  Elizabeth.  She  sold  it  to 
William  Ransom,  whose  devisee  was  Elizabeth  Ran- 
som. William  Elstob,  son  of  Elizabeth  Ransom,  sold 
it  to  Robert  Preston  in  1769.*'    Another  portion  was 


^^  Guishro'  Chartul.  (Surt.  Soc),  ii,  323. 

^Oa  Assize  R.  224,  ni.  4. 

»'  Red  Bk.  Exch.  (Rolls  Ser.),  444. 

^'^  Ibid.  53  ;  Feod.  Prior.  Dumlm. 
(Surt.  Soc),  121  n. 

°''  Hist.  Durtclm.  Script.  Tres  (Surt. 
Soc),  p.  Ix. 

"  Bp.  Hatfield'!  Surv.  (Surt.  Soc),  1 98. 

^*  Feod.  Prior.  Dunelm.  (Surt.  Soc), 
150  n. 

^■'  Exch.  Dep.  Spec.  Com.  no.  3773  ; 
Hutchinson,  Hist,  and  Antiq.  of  Dur.  iii, 
41.  The  land  given  by  Walter  de  Carew 
is  mentioned  in  tlie  Gulsborough  Rental 
of  1299  {Guisbr'  Chartul.  \%\m.  Soc], 
ii,  437).  See  also  Assize  R,  224,  m.  4  ; 
Red  Bk.  Exch.  (Rolls  Ser.),  178. 

"  Testa  de  NeviU  (Rec  Com.),  395. 


^^  Assize  R.  224,  m.  4  ;  Surtees,  op. 
cit.  i,  p.  cxxviii. 

*^a  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  I  30. 

^'^  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  6. 

^'■>  Reg.  Palat.   Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  iii, 

''"'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  30,  m.  14. 

''■'  Ibid.  no.  2,  fol.  102  d.,  153  d. 

''•  Ibid.  R.  31,  ni.  12. 

"  Ibid. 

'^  Ibid.  no.  2,  fol.  107. 

«^  Ibid.  fol.  I57d. 

'^'-  Ibid.  R.  37,  m.  6d. 

'•'  Ibid.  no.  2,  fol.  297  i  R.  31,  m.  12  ; 
R.  46,  m.  5. 

^  Dep.  Keeper's  Rep.  xxxii,  311  ;  Dur. 
Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  233. 

*'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  297. 


"  Anct.  D.  (P.R.O.),  D  423. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  297. 

'^  Ibid.  fol.  299  d.  It  is  also  stated 
that  one  of  the  fourth  parts  had  belonged 
to  Ralph  Lumley,  father  of  John.  This 
cannot  be  reconciled  with  the  above  facts. 

"  Cf.  ibid.  fnl.  297. 

'*  Ibid. 

'^  Ibid. 

'I*  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  3,  fol.  5  ;  no.  6, 
fol.  53  ;  Chan.  Inq.  p.m.  (Ser.  2),  cxcii, 
II  ;  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  189,  no.  66, 

^'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  9  (i). 

''^  Surtees,  op,  cit.  iii,  132. 

"  Ibid. 

*"  Dur.    Rec.   cl.  2,  no.    132,    fol.  45, 

74- 

''•  Surtees,  loc  cit. 


368 


STOCKTON   WARD 


STRANTON 


conveyed  in  1728  by  John  son  and  heir  of  Christo- 
pher Maire  and  Robert  Forster,  a  mortgagee,  to  David 
Mordue,  who  in  1755  conveyed  it  to  John  Dent, 
owner  already  of  one-eighth  of  the  manor.**-  John 
Dent  claimed  manorial  rights  in  1766,"^  and  sold  his 
share  in  1769  to  Robert  Preston.  A  third  part  of  a 
moiety  of  the  manor  was  conveyed  by  Robert  Preston 
in  1779  to  Peter  Holford,  perhaps  for  settlement.*'' 
His  estate  was  bought  in  1792  from  his  assignees  by 
George  Pearson  of  Durham,  whose  daughter  and  heir 
Elizabeth  Jane  married  George  Hutton  Wilkinson  of 
Harperley  in  Auckland.''*  In  184.9  ^-  H.  Wilkinson 
sold  half  the  manor  to  the  trustees  of  Lord  Eldon."" 
The  present  earl  has  the  only  manorial  rights 
remaining  here. 

A  conveyance  in  173 1  of  the  'manor'  of  Seaton 
Carew  with  130  acres  of  land  by  Joseph  Hall  and 
Katherine  his  wife  and  Robert  Wharton  and  Mary 
his  wife  **'  probably  h.is  reference  to  a  part  of  the 
Reade  moiety. 

Avice,  the  third  co-heir  of  John  de  Carew,  was 
twice  married,  her  first  husband  being  Simon  Lang- 
ton  '*  and  her  second  Thomas  de  Embleton.**'  On 
16  March  14.25-6  it  was  found  that  Thomas  Langton, 
aged  forty,  was  her  son  and  heir.  She  died  seised  of 
a  quarter  of  the  manor  of  Seaton  Carew,  and  the  same 
proportion  of  lands  called  Hallcroft,  Chapelgarth, 
Stakgarth  and  Ryland,  a  saltpit,  a  ferry  across  the 
Tees,  and  rents  from  other  lands,  including  a  rent 
from  a  saltpit  called  Make-beggar.'"'  Thomas  Lang- 
ton  was  lord  of  Wynyard  in  Grindon  (q.v.),  and  his 
estate  here  followed  the  descent  of  Wynyard  '■"  till 
the  division  among  the  heirs  of  William  Claxton  at 
the  end  of  the  1 6th  century. 

These  co-heirs  conveyed  their  portions  about  the 
year  161  2  to  Robert  Johnson  of  Oughton,''- who  also 
bought  the  fourth  quarter  of  the  manor  assigned  in 
1387  to  Joan  de  Carew. ''^  Joan  married  Richard 
Hayton,  and  in  14.26  it  was  found  th.it  she  had  died 
seised  of  a  quarter  of  the  manor  of  Seaton  Carew,  the 
extent  of  which  is  given  as  in  the  inquisition  of  Avice 
de  Embleton."'  |ohn,  her  son  and  heir,'*  seems  to 
have  been  succeeded  by  Richard  Hayton,  probably 
his  son,  who  on  5  January  14.98-9  was  found  to  have 
died  seised  of  a  quarter  of  the  manor  of  Seaton  Carew, 
his  heir  being  his  son  Robert,  aged  forty.'"'  On  his 
death  in  January  i  501-2  it  was  found  that  Robert's 
heir  was  his  son  Robert,  aged  thirty.''"  This  Robert 
Hayton  had  a  son  William  who  married  a  certain 
Alice,  probably  of  the  family  of  Lumley  of  Ludworth.'* 
On  this  marriage  the  quarter  of  Seaton  Carew  was 
settled.  William  Hayton  apparently  died  childless, 
and  the  manor  was  reconveyed  to  trustees  to  hold  for 


Alice  during  her  life,  with  reversion  to  Roger  Lumley 
of  Ludworth.  Alice  married  as  her  second  husband 
Roger  Booth,  and  after  her  death  in  I  548  it  was  found 
that  the  reversion  of  the  quarter  of  Seaton  Carew  had 
been  settled  by  Roger  Lumley  on  the  marriage  of  his 
daughter  Anne  with  Thomas  Trollope  of  Thornley  " 
(q.v.).  It  was  inherited  by  Thomas's  son  John 
Trollope,  who  in  i  563  sold  it  to  Bertram  Anderson."* 
Bertram  died  in  I  571,  leaving  a  son  and  heir  Henry 
Anderson,  aged  twenty-two.'  Henry  Anderson  died 
in  1605,  his  heir  being  his  son  Henry,- who  in  1621 
sold  his  quarter  of  the  manor  of  Seaton  Carew  to 
Robert  Johnson,  gent.,  the  purchaser  of  the  Claxtons' 
quarter.'  In  1638  a  quarter  of  the  manor  was  settled 
on  Nicholas  Johnson,  son  of  Robert.**  The  family 
appears  to  have  lived  at  Toft  House,  Seaton  Carew,  for 
the  rest  of  the  17th  century.  Anthony  and  William 
Johnson  paid  the  subsidy  of  1670  for  Seaton  Carew.* 
James  Johnson  of  Seaton  Carew  voted  at  the  Durham 
County  election  of  1675,^  and  he  and  his  son  William 
mortgaged  their  estate  called  Tofts  in  Seaton  Carew 
in  1706.  William  had  a  son  James,  who  added  to 
the  property  and  in  1730  left  it  to  his  brothers 
Matthias  and  Nicholas  Johnson.  The  estate  was  sold 
in  1750  by  Nicholas  Johnson  to  William  Metcalfe, 
who  by  his  will  made  in  1774  left  it  to  his  nephews 
John  and  William,  sons  of  his  brother  David,  in  trust 
for  his  niece  Mary  wife  of  his  nephew  George  Met- 
calfe, with  remainder  to  William  and  George,  sons  of 
George  Metcalfe.  In  1793  William  son  of  George 
and  Mary  Metcalfe  barred  the  entail  and  in  1828 
left  the  property  to  trustees  for  sale,  who  in  1832  sold 
it  to  John  Lord  Eldon.*-''  Robert,  William,  Anthony 
and  Nicholas  Johnson  were  freeholders  in  Seaton 
Carew  in  1681.' 

In  March  I  73  1-2  Anthony  Johnson  and  Catherine 
his  wife  conveyed  four  messuages  and  about  240  acres 
of  land  in  Seaton  Carew  and  Hartlepool  with  an 
eighth  part  of  the  manor  of  Seaton  Carew  to  John 
Simpson,  with  a  warrant  against  the  heirs  of  Catherine.* 
This  is  the  last  occasion  on  which  the  Johnsons  are 
mentioned  in  connexion  with  the  manor.  It  seems 
probable  that  this  part  of  their  estate  was  acquired  by 
the  Chilton  f.imily.  William  Chilton  and  Anne  his  wife 
made  a  conveyance  of  the  m.inor  and  700  acres  here 
in  1731,"  and  members  of  the  family  occur  in  the 
18th-century  lists  of  freeholders.  In  1766  the 
claimants  to  the  manor,  besides  Robert  Preston  and 
John  Dent,'"  were  John  Wilson,  Robert  Harrison  in 
right  of  his  wife  Ann,  the  Rev.  James  Horseman, 
the  Rev.  Thomas  Drake,  Cuthbert  Scurfield,  Nicholas 
Chilton  of  Fishburn  and  Robert  Chilton  of  Carr 
House."      In    1 77 1   John  Wilson,  William   Metcalf, 


Ci. 


Sec 


^^  Surtccs,  loc.  cit. 

"*'  Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  2,  no.  132,  fol.  41;,  74. 

*<  Ibid.  cl.  12,  no.  35  (3). 

^  Surtccs,  loc.  cit. 

*"  D.  ^lenes  the  E.irl  ol  Eldon. 

"  Dur.   Rcc.   cl.  12,   no.    13  (4). 
Stranton. 

™  Dtp.  Ktepir's   Rep.   xlv,    229. 
Wynyard,  Grindon  parish. 

^  Sec  above. 

w  Dur.    Rcc.   cl.    3,   no.   2 
R.  38,  m.  14. 

"  Ibid.  no.  2,  fol.   297  ;  fol 
174,   no.    5  i  R.   72,   m.    18  ; 
no.  30  ;   R.  84,  m.  8  ;  R.  92,  m.  4.     S 
Wynyard  in  Grindon,     la  1574  William 
Claxton    conveyed   the  manor  of  Seaton 


fol.    227  ; 


301 
file 


file 
178, 


Carew  to  John  Laxton  (Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  3, 
no.  ii;7). 

■'-  Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  3,  R.  94,  m.  23,  24,  52  ; 
cl.   12,  no.  2  (3). 

■"  See  below. 

"  Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  233  ; 
R.  38,  m.  14  ;  R.  46,  m.  5. 

'■'■^  Ibid.  ss  Ibid,  file  169,  no.  18. 

"  Ibid,  file  170,  no.  3. 

-'^  Sec  Ludworth,  Pittington  parish. 

"  Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  3,  file  177,  no.  75. 

'""Ibid.  no.  114;  no.  6,  fol.  34: 
R.  ^e,  m.  6. 

'  Ibid,  file  178,  no.  60. 

'  Chan.  Inq.  p.m.  (Scr.  2),  dciliii,  8. 

'  Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  12,  no.  3  (2).  In  1612 
Sir  William  Blakiston  and  Alice  hii  wife 


369 


conveyed  a  thiid  of  a  quarter  of  the 
manor  to  Robert  Johnson  (Ibid.  no.  2  [3]). 
In  1609  Francis  Marley  and  CassaniJra 
his  wife  received  licence  to  alienate  a 
ihird  of  a  quarter  of  the  manor  to 
William  Jennison  (Ibid.  cl.  3,  R.  94., 
m.  23). 

'  Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  3,  R.  109,  no.  6. 

*  Subsidy  of  1670,  Spearman  MSS. 
(D.  and  C.  Lib.  Dur.). 

'  Poll  Book,  Lib.  Soc.  Antiq.  Newcastle. 

''a  D.  penrs  the  Earl  of  Eldon. 

'  Dur.  Freehold  Bk.  D.  and  C.  Lib. 
Dur. 

'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  23  (4). 

'  Ibid.  l»  See  aboTc. 

"  Dur.  Rcc.  cl.  I,  no.  132,  fol.  45,  74. 

47 


A   HISTORY   OF   DURHAM 


Robert  Chilton,  Ralph  Bradley  and  Robert  Harrison 
occur  as  freeholders.'-  The  manor  of  Seaton  Carew, 
again  with  700  acres  attached  to  it,  was  conveyed  by 
Robert  Henry  M.icJonald  and  Mary  his  wife  and 
James  Huntley  and  Anne  his  wife  to  Nicholas  Chilton 
in  1795." 

Land  in  Seaton  Carew  w.is  settled  in  1 706  on 
Thomas  Davison  and  his  wife  Anne  daughter  of  Sir 
John  Bland.  In  17 19  this  land  passed  in  cxch.inge 
to  John  Porrett,  who,  with  Faith  his  wife,  sold  it  in 
that  year  to  Nicholas  Bradley  of  Greatham.  Nicholas 
bequeathed  it  in  1 742  to  his  son  Ralph,  who 
purchased  another  estate  here  called  Salvin  Flat  or 
Admire  Flat  in  I  759  from  William  Croxdale.  Ralph 
sold  these  estates  in  1778  to  John  Horsley,  whose 
assignees  in  bankruptcy  sold  them  in  i  789  to  Tliomas 
Short.  In  1800  Short  sold  to  John  Sanderson  fif 
Stockton,  who  became  a  bankrupt  in  i8oz.  His 
trustees  sold  the  estate  to  Willi.im  Robinson,  on  whose 
de.uh  in  1807  his  son  Edward  succeeded.  Edward 
sold  the  property  to  his  youngest  brother  Wllli.im, 
who  became  a  bankrupt  in  1830,  and  his  assignees 
sold  the  estate  in  I  831  to  John  Lord  Eldon."''' 

Merton  College,  Oxford,  holds  an  estate  in  Seaton 
Carew  which  originated  in  a  grant  from  Bishop  Robert 
Stichill  in  126S  of  8  oxgangs  here,  which  he  had  of 
the  grant  of  Walter  de  Carew.'*  This  '  manor  '  was 
sequestered  for  the  recusancy  of  a  lessee  in  1 654,  but 
the  college  successfully  claimed  it.'-"'  In  1698  half  the 
manor  of  Stillington  (q.v.),  with  lands  in  Seaton,  was 
leased  by  the  college  to  Sir  Ralph  Jennison,  and  again 
in  1791  we  find  it  in  lease  to  Robert  Preston.'^ 

Land  here  called  '  Maisterionland  '  was  held  in  the 
14th  century  of  the  lords  of  the  manor  by  the  fimily 
of  Scton.  Thom.is  Seton,  who  died  in  or  about  1359, 
had  a  daughter  and  heir  Alice,  who  married  Sir 
Thomas  Carew  and  became  the  mother  of  John  Carew, 
the  last  heir  male  of  the  family.''  On  the  death  of 
John  in  i  387  it  was  found  that  his  heirs  on  the  motlier's 
side  were  the  descendants  of  Adam,  the  younger 
brother  of  his  grandfather  Thomas  de  Seton.  This 
Adam  had  two  daughters,  Agnes,  who  married  a  Sayer, 
and  Jo.in,  who  married  John  son  of  Laurence  de  Seton. 
The  whole  of  the  estate,  which  consisted  of  a  waste 
messuage,  six  cottages  and  100  acres,  was  held  by 
Isabel  Umfraville  in  dower,'''  though  [ohn  son  of 
Laurence  de  Seton  was  said  in  1 404  to  h.ive  died  in 
possession  of  a  portion  of  it  in  right  of  his  wife  Joan." 
His  son  Thomas  conveyed  his  right  in  it  during  the 
lifetime  of  Is.ibel  to  John  Lumley,  whose  heir  was  his 
son  Thomas. 2"     On  the  death  of  Isabel  '  Maisterion- 


land '  consequently  passed  to  Thomas  Lumley  and  John 
Sayer,  the  representative  of  Agnes."  The  Lumley  por- 
tion no  doubt  folloivcd  the  descent  of  Thomas's  share 
in  the  manor.--  The  other  remained  in  the  hands 
of  the  Sayer  family  of  Worsall  (Yoiks.)  ='  till  1638, 
when  Laurence  Sayer  had  licence  to  grant  two  mes- 
suages and  280  acres  in  Seaton  Carew  to  Robert 
Johnson.-*  It  was  thus  united  to  another  part  of  the 
manor. 

Another  small  estate  here,  consisting  of  one  mes- 
suage, 2  oxgangs  6  acres  and  a  saltpit,  was  held  in 
I  345  by  John  Kelioe  of  Seaton  -'  of  John  de  Carew. 
His  son  and  heir  Adam  -^  seems  to  have  died  without 
issue,  and  another  son  John  succeeded.  The  latter 
had  a  son,  another  John,  who  died  in  or  about  1407, 
leaving  a  daughter  and  heir  Alice,  who  married  Robert 
Lambton.^"  Her  estate  followed  the  descent  of  the 
Lambton  moiety  of  Stainton  (q.v.)  till  at  least  1612.^* 
In  1461  and  1598  it  included  a  capital  messuage.-' 

It  has  already  been  stated  that  STRy4NTON  formed 
part  of  Hartness.  About  11 46-5  I  Robert  de  Brus 
held  231  acres  of  demesne  in  Stranton.^"  The  manor 
is  mentioned  in  the  fine  of  1 200-1  between  Peter 
de  Brus,  Baron  of  Skelton,  and  William  de  Brus  of 
Annandale  and  Hart."  In  1279  t^i^re  was  a  fine 
between  Robert  de  Brus  of  Annandale,  '  the  compe- 
titor,' and  John  Fitz  Marmaduke,  by  which  Robert 
granted  to  John  9  oxgangs  of  land  with  appurtenances 
in  Stranton,  to  be  held  by  John  and  Isabel  his  wife 
and  their  issue. ^' 

Apparently  Cristiana,''  widow  of  Robert,  claimed 
dower  in  the  manor  of  Stranton  against  John 
Fitz  Marmaduke  in  1296.^*  John  died  in  131 1, 
and  in  the  inventory  taken  at  his  death  a  list  of 
the  goods  at  his  manor  of  Stranton  is  given.'^  He 
was  lord  of  Ravensworth  (q.v.),  and  his  descendants 
were  the  Lumleys  of  Ravensworth.  They  continued 
to  hold  a  manor  in  Stranton,  which  was  called  the 
West  Manor "'  to  distinguish  it  from  the  vill  of 
Stranton,  which  was  held  by  the  Lumleys  of  Lumley 
Castle.''  The  West  Manor  remained  in  the  possession 
successively  of  the  Lumleys,  Boyntons  and  Gascoignes 
until  the  beginning  of  the  17th  century.  In  1607 
Anthony  Dodsworth  had  a  grant  of  the  manor  of 
Stranton  from  Sir  William  Gascoigne,  kt.,  and  Barbara 
his  wife.'** 

On  4  August  1627  it  was  found  that  Anthonj- 
Dodsworth,  aged  sixteen,  was  the  son  and  heir  of 
Anthony  Dodsworth  of  Stranton.''  Anthony  Dods- 
worth of  Stranton  compounded  for  his  estate  in  1645, 
and  received  a  pardon  in  1651.*"     He  was  buried  at 


"  Decrees  and  Orders  (Exch.  K.R.) 
(Ser.  4),  no.  30  ;  Mich.  1771,  no.  5. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  39  (3).  This 
was  apparently  a  release  from  the  heirs 
of  Mary  and  Anne. 

"a  D.  fenis  the  Earl  of  Eldon. 

'*  Deeds  of  Merton  College  at  the 
Bursary  ;  cf.  Assize  R.  zz;,  m.  i  d. 

'^  CaL  Com,  for  Comp.  iv,  2797. 

"  Chan.  Decree  R.  171 1,  no.  6  ;  D. 
ptnei  the  Earl  of  Eldon. 

"  Dtp.  Keeper' i  Rep.  xlv,  259. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  297, 

"Ibid.  fol.  144. 

'»  Ibid.  fol.  297. 

^'  Ibid.  '-^  See  above. 

'^  Dur.  Rc-c.  cl.  3,  no.  4,  fol.  57  j  (file 
169,  no.  II  ;  ("lie  173,  no.  41  ;  (ile  177, 
no.  79  ;  file  18S,  no.  72, 


"  Ibid.  R.  109,  no.  13. 

'■'  Reg.  Palar.  Dunelm.  (Rolls  Ser.),  iv, 
370;  Chan.  Misc.  Inq.  bdle.  57,  hie  :, 
no.  17. 

'"  Ibid. 

■'  See  Stainton. 

''  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  46,  m.  22-3  ; 
file  168,  no.  4;  file  166,  no.  52;  file 
183,  no.  66;  Chan.  Inq.  p.m.  (Ser.  2), 
dcxliii,  14, 

*■'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  166,  no.  52  ; 
Chan.  Inq.  p.m.  (Ser.  2),  dcxliii,  14. 

■^"  Guiihro'  Chartul.  (Surt,  Soc.),  ii,  323. 

■*'  Feet  of  F.  Northumb.  Trin.  2  John. 
See  Hart. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  92,  m.  16  d. 

■*■*  Sec  Ravensworth,  Lamesley  parish  ; 
Douglas,  Peerage  of  ScolUnJ  (cd.  Paul), 
432  n. 


''  Cal.  Close,  1288-96,  p.  514.  In 
1279  Robert  de  Brus  gave  lands  in 
Stranton  to  John  Fitz  Marmaduke  and 
Isabel  his  wife  and  their  issue,  with  re- 
version to  Robert  on  the  death  of  survivor 
in  default  of  issue.  John  was  to  provide 
an  archer  for  40  days  when  war  happened 
between  the  Tync  and  the  Tees  and  do 
foreign  service  (Lansd.  MS.  902,  fol. 
216  d.). 

»'  Dur.  H^ilh  and  Invent.  (Surt.  Soc), 
i,  19. 

'•  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no.  2,  fol.  1 17  d. 

*^  See  below. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  2  (2). 

■*^  Ibid,  file  189,  no.  174. 

*"  Rec.  Com.  for  Comp.  (Surt.  Soc),  60, 
183  n.  ;  cf.  Recov.  R.  Mich.  1650, 
m.  134. 


STOCKTON   WARD 


STRANTON 


DouswoRTH  of  Stran- 
ton.  Argent  a  cbeveron 
between  three  bunting 
borns  sable  zvitb  a 
quarter  gules. 


Stranton  on  i8  April  1668.^'  His  heir  was  his  son 
Anthony  Dodsnorth/*  on  whose  marriage  with  Eliza- 
beth daughter  of  Henry  Maddeson,  Stranton  had  been 
settled  in  1662.^'  Anthony  and  Elizabeth  sold  their 
lands  in  Stranton,  including 
the  West  Hall,  Cadcotes, 
Marchdykes  and  an  eighth  of 
the  pasture  called  the  Snuke,  in 
1683  to  Richard  and  William 
Reed  of  Hart.  William  Reed 
released  his  interest  to  Richard 
in  1698,  and  by  will  dated 
I  7  I  2  Richard  left  his  lands  in 
Stranton  to  his  wife  Dorothy. 
She  married  Edward  Surtees  of 
Mainsforth  in  Bishop  Middle- 
ham  (q.v.)  in  1 7 1  5,  and  Stran- 
ton was  settled  upon  their 
son  Reed  Surtees.  He  devised 
his  property   in    1 790   to   his 

nephew  George  Surtees,  who  sold  it  to  his  brother 
Robert  Surtees  of  Mainsforth.  This  Robert  was  the 
father  of  Robert  Surtees  the  historian,  who  inherited 
the  Stranton  property  and  died  in  1834.^^  The 
borough  of  West  Hartlepool  now  covers  most  of  the 
manor,  which  has  been  broken  up  into  numerous 
small  estates. 

The  vill  of  Stranton  was  a  distinct  manor  belonging 
to  the  elder  branch  of  the  Lumley  family .■•'  It  was 
held  like  the  West  Manor  as  a  member  of  the  manor 
of  Hart.^*"  It  is  first  mentioned  in  1389,  when  Sir 
Ralph  de  Lumley,  kt.,  held  it.'''  On  7  May  1400 
King  Henry  IV  granted  to  his  brother  John  Earl  of 
Somerset  all  the  possessions  of  the  late  Ralph  de 
Lumley,  kt.,  forfeited  to  the  king  by  his  treason,  to 
hold  during  the  life  of  R.ilph's  son  Thomas,  also 
attainted,  and  during  the  minority  of  Thomas's  heir  ; 
out  of  this  grant,  however,  were  excepted  the  manors  of 
Stranton  and  '  Beautrone,'  which  the  king  had  granted 
to  Ralph's  widow  Eleanor  for  lite  to  maintain  herself 
and  her  twelve  infants.^' 

In  1403  the  vill  of  Stranton  was  held  of  Maud  de 
Clifford  by  John  Lumley,  a  minor  in  the  custody  of 
the  king.''^ 

In  1457-8  Sir  Thomas  Lumley,  kt.,  and  .Margaret 
his  wife  had  a  grant  of  wreck  within  their  lordships 
of  Stranton  and  Seaton  Carew.^"  From  this  time  the 
manor  followed  the  descent  of  Little  Lumley  until 
1 562,  when  John  Lord  Lumley  sold  his  manors  of 
Stranton,  Seaton  Carew  and  Newburn  Row  to  Sir 
Thomas  Gresham,  kt.*'  Gresham  left  them  to 
Dame  Anne  his  wife  and  her  heirs.^-  He  died  on 
21  November  I  579.*^  His  wife  survived  him  by  nine 
years,  and  was  succeeded  by  her  son  by  a  former 
husband.  Sir  William   Reade.^^     Sir  William  had  an 


only  daughter  Anne,  who  married  Michael  Stanhope 
and  died  in  her  father's  lifetime.  In  1622  it  was 
found  that  William  Reade's  heirs  were  Jane,  aged 
twenty-one,  wife  of  William  Wothepell,  Elizabeth, 
aged  nineteen,  wife  of  George  Lord  Berkeley,  and 
Bridget  Stanhope,  aged  seven,  the  three  daughters  of 
Anne  Stanhope  and  granddaughters  of  William 
Reade.'*  By  divi-ion  among  the  co-heirs  and  subse- 
quent sales  the  property  was  broken  up,  and  it  is 
impossible  to  trace  a  connected  line  further.  Part  of 
it  seems  to  have  been  acquired  by  the  family  of 
Gibson,  who  built  the  East  Hall  of  Stranton.*'  Isabel 
sister  of  William  Gibson  married  Thomas  Bromley  of 
Hart,  whose  grandson  George  Bromley  left  an  estate 
here  in  1737  to  his  wife  Mary."  By  her  second 
husband  Robert  Hilton  Mary  had  a  daughter  and  heir 
Mary,  who  married  the  Rev.  William  LongstafF.*'* 
A  moiety  of  the  manor  and  750  acres  of  land  belonged 
in  I  795  to  William  Longstaff,  surgeon.*'  In  the  early 
19th  century  this  estate  was  held  in  moieties  by 
Hilton  Longitaff,  grandson  of  the  Rev.  William  Long- 
staff,  and  Mary  daughter  of  William  Longstaff  and 
wife  of  VVilliam  Lynn.'" 

Another  portion  of  the  manor  called  in  1731  a 
third  part  belonged  during  most  of  the  i8th  century 
to  the  Whartons  of  Old  Park."  Part  of  it  was  sold 
before  1823  by  Robert  Wharton  Middleton.'* 

The  manorial  rights  have  now  lapsed. 

Land  at  Stranton  held  by  Guisborough  Priory  under 
grants  from  Robert  de  Brus  (5  oxgangs)  "  and  Bishop 
Hugh  Pudsey  (2  oxgangs)  '^  was  granted  as  the  manor 
of  Stranton  in  1609  to  George  Salter  and  John 
Williams.'*  It  was  acquired  from  them  by  Robert 
Gibson,  Nicholas  Dodshon  and  John  Dodshon,  who 
held  it  in  1629."     Its  later  history  is  uncertain. 

In  1146-51  Robert  de  Brus  held  138  acres  I  rood 
of  demesne  in  TUNSTJLL.*^'  After  this  the  place 
is  not  mentioned  again  until  near  the  close  of  the 
14th  century.  In  1389  it  was  stated  that  Roger  de 
Fulthorpe  and  Elizabeth  his  wife  had  been  enfeoffed 
of  the  manor  of  Tunstall  with  remainder  to  their  heirs 
in  tail.'*  This  Roger  de  Fulthorpe  was  a  cadet  of 
the  family  of  Fulthorpe  of  Fulthorpe  in  Grindon 
(q.v.)  ;  in  a  pedigree  of  161 5  he  is  called  the  son  of 
Alan  Fulthorpe.'"  He  was  one  of  the  adherents  of 
Richard  II  who  were  impeached  by  the  Merciless  Par- 
liament in  1388,  but  his  forfeited  lands  were  restored 
to  his  son  Sir  William  Fulthorpe,  kt."'^  According  to 
the  pedigree  of  161  5  Sir  William  Fulthorpe  married 
Isabel  sister  of  Sir  Ralph  de  Lumley,  kt.,  and  was 
succeeded  in  turn  by  Roger,  William "'  and  Thomas, 
his  son,  grandson  and  great-grandson  respectively.'* 
On  5  October  1468  it  was  found  that  Thomas  Ful- 
thorpe had  died  without  heirs  male,  having  settled 
his    lands   to   the    use   of  his    daughters    Isabel   and 


"  Par.  Reg. 

"  Foster,  op.  cit.  103. 

*■*  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  122. 

*'  Ibid.;  see  Mainsforth,  Bishop  Middle- 
ham  parish. 

"  See  Lumle)r  Castle,  Cheater  le  Street 
parish. 

*^  Chan.  Ini).  p.m.  13  Ric.  II,  no.  14. 

"  Ibid. 

*'  Cat.  Pat.  1399-1401,  pp.  219,  281. 

"  Chan.  Inq.  p.m.  4  Hen.  IV,  file  177, 
no.  37. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  45,  m.  8. 

5'  Ibid.  R.  82,  m.  7  i  no.  6,  fol.  35. 


^'  Feet  of  F.  Dur.  Trin.  13  Eliz. 

^  Chan.  Inq.  p.m.  (Ser.  2),  cxcii,  1 1  j 
Chan.  Proc.  (Ser.  2),  bdle.  210,  no.  56. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  192,  no.  23  ; 
Surtees,  op.  cit.  Hi,  121.  He  had  seisin 
in  1  596  under  the  name  of  Edward  Reade 
(Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  92,  m.  15). 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  189,  no.  66. 

"  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  121. 

"  Ibid.  122.  «  Ibid. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  39  (3). 

^  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 

"  Ibid,  i  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  28  (4). 

"  Surtees,  loc.  cit. 


"  Guishra'  Chartul.  (Surt.  Soc),  341. 

**  Exch.  Dep.  Spec.  Com.  no.  3773. 

"  Pat.  7  Jas.  I,  pt.  iiii,  no.  2. 

«*  E»ch.  Dep.  Hil.  5  Chas.  I,  no.  13. 

"  Guishro'  Ciijrfu/.  (Surt.  Soc),  ii,  323. 
An  Alice  deTunstall  held  lands  of  William 
Fiti  Gilbert  probably  in  Tunstall  (Teita 
Je  Xetill  [Rec.  Com.],  393). 

*»  Cal.  Pat.  1388-92,  p.  127. 

"  Foster,  op.  cit.  131. 

'"Cat.  Pal.  1388-92,  pp.  I2-,  168; 
Lapsley,  op.  cit.  48  n. 

"  bur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  }6,  m.  {. 

"  Foster,  loc.  cit. 


A  HISTORY  OF   DURHAM 


Radcliff.        .-Itgfnt 
a  bend  entailed  sable. 


Philippa.'^  All  his  lands  were  divided  between  these 
two'*  and  a  third  daughter  Jane,  who  was  not  men- 
tioned in  1468,  the  division  being  completed  by 
1501-2." 

The  eldest  daughter  Isabel  married  Henry  Rad- 
cliff/" Her  heir  in  1  500  was  her  son  Ralph  Rad- 
cliff," who  left  an  only  daughter  Margaret  in  1  512."* 
Before  1527-8  she  had  been  married  to  Brian 
Palmes,'*  but  he  was  attainted  for  taking  part  in  the 
Rising  of  the  North  in  1569,  and  she  died  childless."" 
Her  heir  was  her  cousin  Roger  Radcliff,"'  who  died 
early  in  1589/2  His  brothers  William  and  Ralph 
Radcliff  and  his  cousin  Charles  Radcliff  "^  had  a  pardon 
enrolled  in  the  same  year  for 
settling  a  moiety  of  the  manor 
of  Tunstall  nigh  Stranton  and 
other  lands  on  William  Rad- 
cliff and  his  heirs,  and  in  de- 
fault of  heirs  on  Charles."* 
The  moiety  of  Tunstall  was 
held  by  Charles  Radcliff  in 
1607-8."'  It  seems  to  have 
been  transferred  to  Thomas 
\'iscount  Fairfax  of  Emley,  who 
sold  it  on  5  October  1632  to 
Thomas  RiddellofGateshead'" 
(q.v.).  The  estate  was  seques- 
tered from  Thomas  Riddell's  son  Sir  Thomas  Riddell, 
kt.,  a  Royalist,  in  164.4-5,"'  and  finally  sold  to  John 
Tonge  on  18  March  165  1.""  After  this  it  cannot  be 
traced  further;  possibly  it  was  bought  by  the  Kulthorpes. 

It  will  be  observed  that  the  portion  of  Tunstall 
belonging  to  the  Radcliffs  is  usually  called  a  moiety."' 
The  manor  seems  to  have  been  shared  between  the 
two  elder  daughters  of  Thomas  Fulthorpe,  Isabel  and 
Philippa,  Jane  the  younger  no  doubt  receiving  com- 
pensation in  lands  elsewhere.  Philippa  was  the  wife 
of  Richard  Booth  of  Durham.  Their  son  Ralph 
Booth  died  in  the  lifetime  of  his  parents,"''  leaving 
(5  October  i  506)  two  daughters  Anne  and  Jane,  who 
were  the  co-heirs  of  their  grandparents.  Jane  married 
George  Smith  of  Nunstanton  in  Aycliffe, -and  had  an 
only  daughter  Anne,  who  married  John  Swinburne.''' 
In  I  546  the  Swinburnes  conveyed  their  portion  of 
Tunstall  in  Stranton  to  George  Orde  for  the  purpose 
of  a  settlement  on  Anne  and  her  issue  with  remainder 
to  Cuthbert  Smith  and  his  brothers  William  and 
George  in  tail  male.''  Anne  the  sister  of  Jane  Smith 
married  her  distant  cousin  Thomas  Fulthorpe,  a 
younger  son  of  the  elder  branch  of  the  family.*'' 
Their  son  Christopher  Fulthorpe  married  Mary 
daughter  of  William  Blakeston  of  Coxhoe,  and  died 
before  1578-9,'''  when  his  son  Nicholas  Fulthorpe 
did  homage  for  Tunstall.'-'*  In  158 1-2  a  deed  was 
enrolled  settling  a  third  of  the  manor    of  Tunstall 


Fulthorpe  of  Tun- 
stall. Argent  a  miH- 
rind  cross  sable. 


upon  Anne  Carson,  widow,  for  life  with  remainder  to 
Nicholas  Fulthorpe.*"  Anne  Carson  (nee  Booth), 
who  had  married  again,  was  the  grandmother  of 
Nicholas. '•*'  In  161  2  Christopher  Fulthorpe,  son  of 
Nicholas,  received  a  grant  from  the  Crown  of  a  moiety 
of  the  manor  of  Tunstall,  then  in  his  own  occupation.'" 
Nicholas  died  seised  of '  the  manor  or  half  the  manor  ' 
in  1618.**  Christopher  made 
a  settlement  of  the  manor  in 
1629.'"**  He  married  Mary 
daughter  of  Clement  Colmore, 
Chancellor  of  the  Diocese  of 
Durham,  and  died  on  25  Feb- 
ruary 1661.  He  was  succeeded 
by  his  son  Clement  Fulthorpe, 
who  married  Isabel  daughter  of 
Sir  John  Calverley,  kt.,  of 
Littleburn,  Durham.  They 
had  a  large  family,  of  whom 
the  most  important  forTunstall 
Manor  were  John,  the  eldest 
son,  and  Christopher,  the  third 

son.'  John's  only  son  died  in  his  father's  lifetime, 
and  Christopher  Fulthorpe,  who  had  a  surviving 
son,  bought  the  estate  of  Tunstall  from  his  brother. 
John  Fulthorpe  died  in  1698,  and  Christopher's 
right  to  the  property  was  disputed  by  the  represent- 
atives of  John's  daughters  on  the  grounds  that 
Christopher  had  taken  advantage  of  his  brother's 
melancholy  after  the  death  of  his  son  to  obtain  the 
property  for  a  very  inadequate  consideration.  The 
case  was  tried  in  Chancery,  but  was  decided  in 
favour  of  Christopher,  whose  son,  however,  also 
died.  By  will  dated  13  June  1707  Christopher 
Fulthorpe  left  his  property  to  his  three  granddaughters 
Mary,  Elizabeth  and  Margaret  Ellis,  subject  to  an 
endowment  for  a  free  school,-  which  was  not  estab- 
lished until  1841,^  and  with  the  provision  that  his 
granddaughters  should  either  marry  persons  of  the 
name  of  Fulthorpe  or  assume  the  name  on  their 
marriage.'  One  of  the  co-heirs  married  Robert 
Raikes  of  Northallerton,  and  her  son  took  the  name  of 
Robert  Raikes  Fulthorpe.  He  inherited  the  estate, 
but  sold  or  mortgaged  almost  the  whole  of  it  in 
separate  portions,  and  the  descent  cannot  be  traced 
further.  They  seem  to  have  been  bought  during 
the  19th  century  by  Earl  Egerton  of  Tatton  (Ches.), 
who  sold  to  Messrs.  E.  and  W.  Richardson,  the  pre- 
sent proprietors,  in  1906. 

The  origin  of  the  borough  of  WEST  HARTLE- 
POOL has  already  been  described.'  The  borough 
was  incorporated  on  12  July  1887,  when  it  was 
divided  into  six  wards.  In  1901  the  North- West 
Ward  was  subdivided  into  three.  The  corporation 
now  consists  of  a  mayor,  eight  aldermen  and  twenty- 


''  Foiter,  loc.  cit.  ;  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  no. 
4,  fol.  33.     See  Hurworth,  Kelloe  pariah. 

^'  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  51,  m.  3. 

"  Ibid.  R.  61,  m.  24. 

'*  Foster,  op.  cit.  131. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  file  169,  no.  45. 

'*  Ibid.  R.  70,  m.  15  ;  file  173,  no.  50. 

"Ibid.  R.  72,  m.  15. 

"°  See  Red  Hurwortli,  Kelloe  parish. 

*'  Foster,  op.  cit.  267. 

"  Dur.  fTill,  and  In-vtni.  (Surt.  See), 
ii,  325  n. 

"^  Surteei,  op.  cit.  iii,  128-9;  Fo"er, 
op,  cit.  267. 


•"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  86,  m.  3  d. 

»^  Ibid.  R.  93,  m.  II. 

^  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  130  ;  Dur.  Rec. 
cl.  3,  R.  107,  no.  8  ;  cl.  12,  no.  4  (2). 

"'  Rec. Com. for  Comp.  (Surt.Soc), 24,  37. 

'^^  Cal.  Com.  for  Comp.  iii,  2037. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  70,  m.  12. 

*"  Sec  Black  Hurworth,   Kelloe  parish. 

"  Ibid. 

"  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  i  (i)  ;  cl.  3,  no. 
6,  fol.  36.  Swinburne  had  no  lands  here 
at  his  forfeiture  in  1570. 

^^  Foster,  op.  cit.  131,  See  also  Dur. 
Rec.  cl.  12,  no.  I  (1). 


^  Fu3ter,  op.  cit,  131. 

3^  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  85,  m.  6. 

*^Ibid.  R,  84,  m.  II. 

^' Exch.  Dtp.  Mich.  18  Jai.  I, 
no.  5. 

^^  Pat.  10  Jas.  I,  pt.  viii. 

*^  See  Black.  Hurworth,  Kelloe  pariah. 

'""  Dur.  Rec.  cl.  3,  R.  106,  no.  13  ;  cl. 
12,  no.  4  (2). 

'  Foster,  op.  cit.  131. 

*  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  130. 

*  Fordyce,  op.  cit.  ii,  285. 

*  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  131. 
^  See  Hartlepool, 


STOCKTON   WARD 


STRANTON 


our  councillors.  The  borough  commission  of  the 
peace  was  granted  in  1893,  and  West  Hartlepool  was 
made  a  county  borough  in  May  1902. 

The  church  of  JLL  SJINTS 
CHURCHES  stands  on  an  ancient  and  elevated  site 
on  the  south  side  of  the  modern  town 
of  West  Hartlepool,  but  originally  towards  the  west 
part  of  the  village''  of  Stranton.  The  level  of  the 
churchyard  is  considerably  above  that  of  the  road 
which  forms  its  boundary  on  the  east  and  south  sides, 
but  the  site  is  now  hemmed  in  by  modern  buildings 
on  the  north  and  west.  The  church  consists  of  a 
chancel   36  ft.  by    16  ft.  6  in.,  with  north  aisle  and 


on  the  following  lines.  About  1280a  north  aisle  was 
added  to  the  nave  and  a  west  tower  built,  the  tower 
arch  and  the  north  arcade  being  approximately  of  this 
date,  and  in  the  14th  century  the  chancel  was  appa- 
rently reconstructed,  the  south  aisle  of  the  nave  added 
and  the  tower  remodelled  and  rebuilt  in  its  upper  p.irt. 
In  the  1  5th  century  the  chapel  was  added  on  the  north 
side  of  the  chancel,  the  whole  of  the  north  chancel  wall 
being  taken  down  and  a:i  arcade  of  two  arches  inserted. 
A  new  chancel  arch  was  also  erected,  and  the  porch 
may  be  of  the  same  date,  and  probably  other  alterations 
were  made  in  the  building  at  the  same  period,  the 
clearstory  being  possibly  then  added,  but  the  plan  re- 


Stranton  Church  from  the  South 


chapel  and  south  organ  chamber,  clearstoried  nave 
49  ft.  6  in.  by  18  ft.  2  in.,  with  north  aisle  17  ft. 
9  in.  wide  and  south  aisle  i  2  ft.  6  in.  wide,  south 
porch  and  west  tower  I  5  ft.  6  in.  by  I  2  ft.,  all  these 
measurements  being  internal.  There  are  also  two 
modern  vestries  on  the  north  side. 

The  earliest  portion  of  the  building  is  the  lower 
part  of  the  east  and  south  walls  of  the  chancel,  which 
is  apparently  of  12th-century  date,  the  jamb  and 
springing  of  a  semicircular  arch  being  still  in  lilu  in 
the  east  wall  inside,  about  I  5  in.  from  the  south-east 
corner.  Five  voussoirs  of  the  arch  alone  remain  of 
what  was  the  southern  light  of  the  original  east 
window,  the  springing  of  which  is  considerably  lower 
than  that  of  the  present  pointed  opening.  This  and 
the  adjoining  masonry  are  the  only  fragments  remain- 
ing in  situ  of  a  church  consisting  of  a  chancel  and 
probably  an  aisleless  nave,  the  dimensions  of  which 
m.iy  have  been  approximately  the  same  as  at  present. 
Some  fragments  discovered  in  1889  during  the  con- 
struction of  the  organ  chamber  probably  belong  to  this 
1 2th-century  church, and  include  two  small  sunk  crosses 
— probably  consecration  crosses.  The  church  has  been 
much  tampered  with  from  time  to  time,  but  the 
development  of  the  plan  seems  to  have  been  somewhat 


'  Surtee*,  op.  cil.  iii,  1Z4. 


mained  unchanged  down  to  modern  times.  Great 
alterations  were  effected  in  the  fabric,  however,  in  the 
I  Sth  century,  when  a  gallerj-  was  erected  in  the  north 
aisle,  and  the  nave  roof  completely  altered  on  that  side. 
The  north  clearstory  was  then  done  away  with,  the 
aisle  wall  raised  and  the  new  roof  taken  at  a  flatter 
pitch  over  both  nave  and  aisles  on  that  side,  the  south 
clearstory  remaining  unaltered.  The  chancel  roof 
was  also  altered  either  at  this  or  some  other  not  very 
distant  period,  the  side  walls  being  raised  and  a  roof 
of  flatter  pitch  erected.  The  chapel  on  the  north  side 
of  the  chancel  was  turned  into  a  school,  the  arches 
being  closed  up,  and  the  fabric  also  underwent  the 
usual  '  improvements '  of  the  period,  inside  the  roofs 
being  ceiled  and  the  w.ills  and  stonework  limew.ished. 
Surtees,  about  1823,  calls  it  a  '  handsome  structure  of 
ashlar  work,' "  but  Sir  Stephen  Glynne  in  1  843  styles 
it  '  a  church  of  some  appearance  but  little  good  work.'  * 
In  1852  a  general  restoration  took  place,  in  the  course 
of  which  the  chancel  aisle  or  chapel  was  opened  out, 
the  piers  and  arches  of  the  nave  arcades  stripped  of 
their  many  coats  of  whitewash  and  re-chiselled,  the 
greater  part  of  the  walls  stripped  of  their  plaster,  and 
a  vestry  opening  from  the  north-west  corner  of  the 
chapel   added.     A  further  restoration  of  the  interio 


Ibid. 


'  Pne,  Soc.  Antij.  NtvKOiili  (Scr.  3),  iii,  120. 


373 


A   HISTORY   OF   DURHAM 


was  carried  out  in  1889,  when  the  plaster  was  removed 
from  the  walls  on  the  north  side,  the  floor  relaid,  an 
organ  chamber  crectej  in  the  angle  of  the  south  aisle 
and  chancel,  and  new  oak  seating  substituted  for  the 
old  pews,  wliich  were  used  as  panelling  round  the 
walls.  The  larger  north-west  vestry  was  added  in  1  896. 

The  church  throughout  is  built  of  wrought  stone. 
The  east  gable  of  the  chancel  h.is  been  rebuilt,  and 
the  east  window  is  a  modern  pointed  one  of  four  tre- 
foiled  lights  with  tracery  in  the  head.  The  chancel 
roof  is  covered  with  slates  overhanging  at  the  eaves, 
and  is  considerably  lower  than  that  of  the  nave.  The 
chancel  was  lighted  on  the  south  side  by  two  pointed 
14th-century  windows,  one  of  which  remains  near  the 
east  end.  It  consists  of  three  lights,  with  flowing 
tracery  of  good  design  and  external  hood  mould, 
but  the  cuspings  have  been  cut  away.  The  other 
window  was  removed  when  the  organ  chamber  was 
erected  and  Inserted  in  its  eastern  wall.  It  is  of  two 
trefoiled  lights  with  a  quatrefoil  in  the  head.  The 
chancel  walls  are  without  plinth  or  string-course. 
The  only  remains  of  the  ancient  ritual  arrangements 
in  the  chancel  consist  of  a  piscina  with  semicircular 
moulded  head  ornamented  in  the  hollow  with  a  line 
of  four-leaved  flowers — a  very  beautiful  piece  of  work. 
The  bowl  projects,  and  is  slightly  carved  on  the 
underside.  The  north  side  of  the  chancel  is  open  to 
the  chapel  by  an  arcade  of  two  wide  pointed  arches 
of  two  chamfered  orders  springing  from  an  octagonal 
pier  with  moulded  capital  and  base,  and  from  similar 
responds,  the  western  one  being,  however,  practically  a 
pier  built  up  against  the  older  masonry  of  the  nave 
wall.  The  chapel  is  17  ft.  in  width,  but  slightly  less 
in  length  than  the  chancel,  its  east  wall  setting  back 
externally  about  2  ft.,  and  is  lighted  on  the  north  side 
by  two  1 5th-century  segmental-headed  windows,  each 
of  two  cinquefoiled  lights  and  perpendicul.ir  tracery. 
The  east  window  is  modern.  The  chancel  .irch  is 
a  sharply  pointed  one  of  two  chamfered  orders,  the 
inner  springing  on  the  north  side  from  the  western 
pier,  or  respond,  of  the  chancel  arcade,  and  the  outer 
dying  into  the  wall  above.  The  arch  is  probably 
a  rebuilding  in  the  old  position  of  an  earlier  one 
demolished  when  the  chapel  was  erected.  On  the 
south  side  it  springs  from  a  half-octagonal  respond 
with  capital  and  base  corresponding  to  the  piers  on  the 
north  side  of  the  chancel.  All  the  fittings  are  modern. 
There  is  no  chancel  screen,  but  the  easternmost  bay 
of  the  north  arcade  is  filled  with  an  oak  screen  erected 
in  1889.  At  its  west  end  the  chapel  is  separated  from 
the  north  nave  aisle  by  a  badly-shaped  wide  pointed 
arch  of  a  single  chamfered  order. 

The  nave  is  of  two  bays  with  three  square-headed 
clearstoried  windows  of  two  pointed  lights  on  the 
south  side,  and  a  modern  slated  roof  On  the  north 
side  are  two  blocked  clearstory  windows,  now  seen 
only  from  the  inside,  the  later  flat-pitched  roof 
covering  them  externally.  The  line  of  the  old  roof 
and  north  clearstory  is  still  visible  in  the  east  gable 
of  the  nave,  the  raise  J  portion  of  which  Is  built  upon 
the  old  walling.  The  south  aisle  is  under  a  separate 
lean-to  slated  roof  The  north  arcade  consists  of 
two  wide  pointed  arches  of  unequal  spacing.  They 
are  of  two  orders,  springing  from  an  octagonal  pier 
with  moulded  capital  and  from  long  responds  of 
similar  type.  The  detail  of  the  capitals  seems  to 
indicate  a  date   about    the   middle  or   latter  half  of 


the  1 3th  century.  The  wall  is  3  ft.  thick,  and 
the  openings  respectively  18  ft.  9  in.  and  19  ft.  in 
width.  Both  arches  of  the  south  arcade  are  of  two 
chamfered  orders,  and  spring  directly  without 
capital  or  impost  from  an  undivided  octagonal  pier 
and  from  similar  responds  at  each  end.  The  west 
f.ice  of  the  eastern  respond  has  been  cut  away,  the 
inner  order  of  the  arch  being  cut  back  to  accom- 
modate it,  and  the  western  arch,  which,  owing  to  its 
greater  width,  is  aLo  higher  than  the  other,  has  been 
entirely  rebuilt.  The  work  in  its  original  state  prob- 
ably belonged  to  the  latter  half  of  the  14th  century, 
but  it  contains  so  little  architectural  detail  that  a  later 
date  might  be  argued  for  it. 

Both  aisles  extend  the  full  length  of  the  nave.  All 
the  windows  are  modern.  The  south  aisle  east  of  the 
porch  was  formerly  divided  into  three  bays  externally 
by  buttresses  with  a  window  to  each  bay,  but  the 
easternmost  buttress  has  been  removed  and  a  window 
inserted  in  its  place  instead  of  the  two  which  formerly 
existed.  The  aisle  is  now  open  at  its  east  end  to  the 
organ  chamber,  which  projects  externally  in  front  of 
it.  A  piscina  with  plain  semicircular  head  remains 
in  the  south  wall  in  the  usual  position,  but  the  bowl 
has  been  mutilated.  Built  into  the  wall  above  is  part 
of  a  trefoil-headed  niche  with  a  crocketed  canopy 
supported  by  small  human  figures  of  late  14th  or 
I  5th-century  date.  Six  ancient  fragments  found  in 
1889,  Including  the  two  consecration  crosses,  are  built 
into  the  cast  wall  above  the  arch.  The  nave  and  north 
aisle  retain  their  flat  plaster  ceilings.  The  south 
doorway  has  a  pointed  arch  of  two  chamfered  orders, 
and  the  outer  arch  of  the  porch  is  of  a  single  cham- 
fered order  with  hood  mould,  and  an  ogee-headed 
niche  above.  The  porch  has  a  stone  seat  on  each 
Side. 

The  tower,  the  greater  length  of  which  is  from 
north  to  south,  is  of  three  stages  marked  by  chamfered 
set-backs,  and  has  diagonal  buttresses  of  five  stages  to 
the  height  of  the  belfry  floor,  above  which  they  are 
continued  with  less  projection  to  the  embattled  para- 
pet, terminating  as  angle  pinnacles.  The  lower  stage 
is  blank  on  the  north  and  south  sides,  but  has  a  west 
window  of  three  pointed  lights  under  a  flat  arch. 
There  is  a  dwarf  buttress  below.  The  middle  stage 
is  blank  except  for  a  slit  in  the  south  and  west  sides, 
and  the  walls  are  without  plinth  except  to  the  but- 
tresses. The  belfry  windows  are  of  two  trefoiled 
lights  with  rounded  head,  from  the  middle  of  which 
rises  a  small  pilaster  shaft  going  up  In  front  of  the 
parapet,  and  terminating  in  an  intermediate  pinnacle. 
A  clock  dating  from  1864  has  a  dial  on  each  side 
immediately  below  the  belfry  windows.  The  tower 
arch  is  of  lancet  form,  and  consists  of  two  chamfered 
orders  dying  into  the  wall  high  up  at  the  springing. 
There  is  no  vice,  access  to  the  upper  stages  being  by  an 
iron  ladder. 

An  organ  was  erected  in  1853,  but  the  present 
instrument  dates  from  1889.  In  1863  the  pews  were 
of  oak  and  had  quaint  iron  'snecks'   on   their  doors. 

The  font  and  pulpit  and  all  the  fittings  are  modern. 

A  monument  '  richly  executed  '  to  the  memory  of 
James  Bellasis  of  '  Owten,'  who  died  in  1640,  was 
removed  from  the  north  wall  of  the  church  in  1850 
and  placed  in  the  belfry,  but  was  broken  up  in  1852.' 

^  The  monumental  inscriptions  are  given  in  Surteei,  loc.  cil. 


374 


STOCKTON   WARD 


STRANTON 


There  is  a  ring  of  eight  bells.  The  fourth  and 
sixth  are  old,  but  the  rest  were  cast  by  Mcars  and 
Stainbank  in  1908.  Before  this  date  there  ucre 
three  bells,  but  the  third,  which  bore  the  inscription 
'Clangore  dulci  sono  psallam  tibi  Deus  1699,'  had 
been  recast  in  1898.  It  was  again  recast  ten  years 
later,  when  the  ring  was  increased  to  eight,  and 
retains  the  old  inscription.  It  is  now  the  seventh. 
The  fourth,  probably  by  Samuel  Smith  of  York,  bears 
the  inscription  '  V'enite  exvltcmvs  Domino.  S.S.  1664,' 
and  the  sixth  is  of  pre-Reformation  date,  with  the 
inscription  in  Gothic  characters '  +  Sea  Maria  era  pro 
nobs.' '» 

The  plate  includes  a  chalice  of  1639  with  the 
maker's  mark  C  C  with  a  column  between  the  letters, 
and  a  pewter  flagon   inscribed  '  Rich'' Conder  A.B. 

Vicar.     Mr.  George.^  l\Tu^'  Ch-Wens.' " 
°  (  Elstob 

The  registers  begin  in  1 580. 

The  churchyard  lies  on  the  north,  east  and  south 
sides  of  the  building,  the  chief  entrance  being  from 
the  south,  opposite  the  porch.  The  gates  '  with 
pillars  and  steps'  were  erected  in  1730,  but  the  gate 
piers  were  renewed  in  1844,  when  the  burial  ground 
was  enlarged. 

The  church  of  the  HOL}'  TRIMTV,  SEJTOX 
CJREIf,  was  built  in  1831  and  altered  in  1864 
and  189!.  It  is  a  stone  building  in  the  13th-century 
style,  consisting  of  a  chancel,  nave,  south  porch  and 
west  tower.  The  township  of  Seaton  Carew  became 
a  district  chapelry  in  1 842.'-  The  living  is  a  vicarage 
in  the  gift  of  the  Bishop  of  Durham. 

CHRIST  CHURCH,  WEST  HARTLEPOOL, 
was  built  in  1854.  It  is  a  building  of  stone  in  a 
Gothic  style,  consisting  of  an  apsidal  chancel,  nave, 
north  and  south  aisles,  north  and  south  transepts, 
south  porch,  north-east  vestry  and  tower.  The  parish 
was  formed  from  Stranton  in  1859.'^  T\\s  living  is 
a  vicarage  in  the  gift  of  the  Bishop  of  Durham. 

The  church  of  ST.  JAMES,  in  Musgrave  Street, 
was  built  in  1868.  It  is  a  stone  building  in  the  style 
of  the  early  14th  century,  consisting  of  a  chancel, 
nave  with  north  and  south  aisles,  south  porch  and  bell- 
turret.  The  parish  was  formed  from  Christ  Church 
in  1870.'^     The  living  is  a  vicarage  in  the  same  gift. 

The  church  of  ST.  PAUL,  in  Grange  Road,  was 
built  in  1886.  It  is  a  building  of  red  brick  with 
stone  dressings  in  the  13th-century  style,  and  consists 
of  a  chancel,  nave  with  north  and  south  aisles,  and  a 
tower  with  spire  at  the  north-west  angle.  The  parish 
was  formed  in  1886.  The  living  is  a  vicarage  in  the 
same  gift. 

The  church  of  ST.  AIDAN,  at  the  junction  of 
Stockton  Road  and  Oxford  Street,  was  built  in  1890. 
It  is  a  building  of  brick  with  freestone  dressings  in  the 
13th-century  style,  and  consists  of  a  chancel,   nave 


with  north  and  south  aisles,  and  north  porch.  The 
parish,  which  includes  the  districts  of  Belle  V'ue  and 
Longhill,  was  formed  in  1891.  The  living  is  a 
vicarage  in  the  same  gift. 

The  church  of  Sr.  OSWALD,  in  Brougham  Terrace, 
was  completed  in  1904.  It  is  a  stone  building  in  the 
15th-century  style,  and  consists  of  a  continuous 
chancel  and  nave,  north  and  south  aisles,  south  chapel, 
north  and  south  porches  at  the  west  end  of  the  aisles, 
and  west  tower.  The  parish  was  formed  in  1904. 
The  living  is  a  vicarage  in  the  gift  of  the  vicar  of 
Christ  Church  for  the  next  turn,  after  that  the  Bishop 
of  Durham. 

The  church  of  ST.  MATTHEW,  opened  in  1902, 
is  a  building  of  pressed  red  brick  with  stone  facings  in 
the  15th-century  style.  It  is  a  mission  church  served 
by  the  clergy  of  All  Saints. 

The  church  of  Stranton  was 
ADrOWSON  granted  by  Robert  de  Brus  to  the 
priory  of  Guisborough  between  i  1 19 
and  1 1  29."  It  was  appropriated  to  the  priory  and 
a  vicarage  was  ordained  before  1 234.'*  After  the 
Dissolution  the  advowson  seems  to  have  remained  in 
the  Crown  till  the  grant  of  the  rectory  in  1607  to 
Philip  Chewte  and  Richard  Moore.''  They  sold  it 
two  years  later  to  John  Dodsworth  of  Thornton  Wat- 
lass  Yorkshire."  No  grant  of  the  advowson  to  the 
Dodsworths  has  been  found,  but  John's  descendant, 
John  Dodsworth,  presented  in  1 67 1,"  and  his  cousin 
and  heir  John  -"  conveyed  the  advowson  with  the 
rectory  to  Godfrey  Lawson  in  1678.^1  There  was  a 
presentation  by  the  Crown  in  168  I, -^  but  the  Dods- 
worth family  retained  its  interest,  and  John  Dods- 
worth, son  of  the  last  John,  presented  in  1727." 
Eleven  years  later  the  patron  was  Matthew  White,-* 
whose  daughter  and  ultimate  heir  Elizabeth  married 
Matthew  Ridley.^^  Her  son  Sir  Matthew  White 
Ridley  presented  in  1 796.  He  was  succeeded  by  a 
son,  grandson  and  great-grandson  of  the  same  name. 2'' 
The  advowson  was  purchased  in  1 885  by  Thomas 
Robinson  of  Glaisdale,  Yorkshire,  and  passed  to  his 
son  Mr.  Thomas  Robinson  of  North  Ferriby,  York- 
shire. It  now  belongs  to  the  trustees  of  St.  John's 
College,  Durham. 

The  descent  of  the  rectory  after  the  conveyance  by 
John  Dodsworth  to  Godfrey  Lawson  is  confused.  In 
'769-71  certain  farmers  in  Stranton  and  Seaton 
Carew  from  whom  agistment  tithe  was  claimed  stated 
that  Lawson  and  Dodsworth  had  sold  the  tithes  to 
various  persons."  On  the  other  hand  Thomas 
Wharton  of  Old  Park  claimed  the  impropriation 
under  a  conveyance  of  1729  by  John  Dodsworth  to 
Robert  Wharton. =*  Part  of  the  tithes  of  Stranton 
township  still  belonged  to  his  descendant,  Robert 
Wharton  Middleton,  of  Old  Park,  about  1823. »» 
Another  part   had   recently    been  alienated.'"     The 


^^  Proc.  Soc.  Antfj.  Nrwcaslle,  iii,  6  \ 
Gent,  Mag.  Sept.  1865,  and  information 
from  Rev.  J.  Bennclt,  vicar. 

"  Proc.  Soc.  Anriij.  Newcastle,  iii, 
292. 

"  LonJ.  Gaz.  4  Jan.  1 842,  p.  5 . 

"  Ibid.  18  Jan.  i8;9,  p.  170. 

"  Ibid.  12  Apr.  1870,  p.  2140. 

'^  Guhhro  Charrnl.  (Surt.  Soc.),  i,  3, 
5,  6,  12,  14,  114. 

'*  Willi.im  Vicar  of  Stranton  was  con- 
temporary with  Prior  Mich.icl  1218-34 
(ibid,  ii,  327). 


''  Bf!.  Barnes  Injunc.  (Surt.  Soc),  4  ; 
Pat.  5  Jas.  I,  pt.  XX,  m.  24. 

"•  Decrees  and  Ordera  (Exch.  K..R.) 
(Ser.  4),  XXX,  Mich.  1 77 1,  no.  15. 

"  Inst.  Bks.  (P.R.O.). 

»»  Gen.  (New  Ser.),  xxiv,  37-8. 

"  Feet  of  F.  Dur.  East.  30  Chas.  II. 

"  Inst.  Bks.  (P.R.O.). 

"  Ibid.  ;  Gen.  (New  Ser.),  loc.  cit. 

"  Inst.  Bks.  (P.R.O.). 

'-'  Mackenzie,  I'lCM  of  Noilkumh.  ii, 
39"  ;  G.E.C.  Baronetage,  v,  106. 

*  G.E.C.  op.  cit.  107. 

375 


"  Decrees  and  Orders  (Exch.  K.R.) 
(Ser.  4),  XXI,  Mich.  1771,  no.  5. 

-*  Ibid.  In  Februiry  1731-2  Robert 
Wharton,  with  Joseph  Hall  and  Catherine 
his  wife,  John  Weares  and  Susanna  his 
wife,  and  James  Potts  and  Marj-  his  wife, 
made  a  conveyance  of  the  rectorv  to 
Francis  Middleton  (Feet  of  F.  Dur.  Hil. 
5  Geo.  II).  Probably  John  Dodsworth 
conveyed  the  advowson  to  Matthew 
White  at  about  the  same  date. 

"  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  122. 

»»  Ibid. 


A   HISTORY   OF  DURHAM 


impropriators  in    1 84.9    were  John    Stephenson   and 
others." 

A  chapel  at  Oughton  is  mentioned  in  the  13th 
century  .'- 

The  chapel  of  Seaton  is  first  mentioned  in  the  year 
1200,  when  a  chantry  here  was  granted  to  Walter  de 
Carew.'^  In  a  confirmation  charter  to  Guisborough 
dated  131  I  it  is  stated  that  Bishop  Philip  de  Poitou 
(l  197-1208)  confirmed  the  chapel  of  Seaton  to  the 
monastery.'^  Another  confirmation  of  about  the  same 
date  implies  that  this  chapel  was  among  the  appur- 
tenances of  the  church  of  Stranton  granted  by  Robert 
de  Brus  to  the  priory.'^  It  is  said  to  have  been  under 
the  invocation  of  St.  Thomas  of  Canterbury. ^^  In  I  3  i  5 
there  was  a  dispute  between  the  Prior  of  Guisborough 
and  thevic.ir  of  Stranton  as  to  whether  the  2  oxgangs 
granted  by  Bishop  Philip  and  Walter  de  Carew  were 
a  separate  endowment  for  the  chapel  of  Seaton  or  a 
general  gift  to  the  monastery,  the  vicar  being  respon- 
sible for  the  maintenance  of  the  chapel.  The  Bishop 
of  Durham,  appointed  as  arbitrator,  decided  that  the 
gift  was  made  to  the  monastery,  but  that  the  monks 
must  allow  the  vicar  10/.  a  year  for  the  maintenance 
of  the  chapel. '^  Seaton  chapel  is  mentioned  with  the 
vicarage  of  Stranton  in  153;,'' and  in  1577-88  it 
was  a  chapel  served  by  a  stipendiary  priest.'^  It 
was  in  ruins  in  1622,'"  and  no  trace  of  it  now 
remains. 

William  Smith,  by  his  will  and  a 
CHARITIES  codicil  thereto  proved  at  Durham  on 
30  November  1874,  bequeathed  his 
residuary  personal  estate  to  his  trustees  upon  trust 
that  out  of  the  income  thereof  two  life  annuities  of 
£1^  and  £^0  should  be  paid  to  the  persons  therein 
mentioned,  and  that  after  the  determination  of  such 
life  interests  the  income  thereof  should  be  applied  in 
supplying  food  and  raiment,  clothing  and  bedding  for 
the  poor.  It  is  understood  that  the  income  of  the 
residuary  estate  was  insufficient  to  pay  the  said 
annuities  without  recourse  to  the  capital. 

This  parish  is  possessed  of  a  parish  room  conveyed 
by  a  deed  of  10  September  1900  to  be  used  primarily 
for  the  purpose  of  a  Sunday  school. 

West  Hartlepool. — John  Farmer,  by  his  will 
proved  at  Durham  on  3  January  1879,  bequeathed 
j(^loo,  the  income  to  be  applied  for  the  benefit  of 
seamen's  widows  in  the  parish  of  West  Hartlepool. 
The  legacy  with  accumulations  is  represented  by 
£lS^  H'-  i'^-  ^i  P^'  cent  consols,  with  the  official 
trustees,  producing  j^3  1  8/.  4a'.  yearly.  The  charity 
is  regulated  by  a  scheme  of  the  Charity  Commissioners 
of  6  September  1895. 

The  West  Hartlepool  Diamond  Jubilee  Almshouses, 
erected  by  public  subscription  as  a  memorial  of  Queen 
Victoria  upon  a  site  belonging  to  the  corporation, 
consist  of  fourteen  tenements  occupied  by  aged  men 
and  women  who  have  been  resident  in  the  borough 
for  not  less  than  twenty  years  The  almshouses  are 
endowed  with  ^(^2,165  li.  ()d.  New  South  Wales 
3  per  cent,  stock  ;  £i^  West  Hartlepool  4I  percent. 


Housing  Bonds  ;  ^46 1  ()s.zd.  \\  per  cent.  Converiion 
Stock  (representing  a  bequest  by  Joseph  Forster 
Wilson),  and  j^2,635  15;.  id.  3^  per  cent.  Conversion 
Stock  (representing  a  bequest  by  Sir  William  Cresswell 
Gray,  bart.),  with  the  official  trustees,  the  annual 
dividends  of  which,  amounting  to  X'79  i'-t  '"''^ 
applied  in  the  upkeep  of  the  almshouses. 

The  West  Hartlepool  Literary  and  Mechanics' 
Institution,  comprised  in  a  deed  of  2  August  1852, 
was  founded  by  voluntary  contributions. 

The  chapel  premises  of  the  United  Methodist  Free 
Church  in  Lynn  Street,  comprised  in  deeds  of  1853, 
I  86 1  and  1878,  are  endowed  with  premises  known 
as  the  caretaker's  house,  let  at  £2\  a  year,  and  a 
dwelling-house  known  as  No.  23  Farndale  Terrace, 
occupied  by  the  minister  of  the  chapel  at  a  rent  of 
j^2  5  a  year.  The  rents  are  applied  for  chapel  pur- 
poses. 

The  West  Hartlepool  County  Borough  Schools 
have  been  already  dealt  with.^' 

Eliza  Jane  Gray,  by  her  will  proved  26  October 
•9'7>  8*^^  ;C.3.°°o>  'he  interest  to  be  applied  by  the 
vicar  and  churchwardens  towards  the  stipends  of  the 
organist,  choir,  etc.,  and  others  employed  in  services 
at  St.  Oswald  Church  or  for  purposes  of  divine 
services  and  cost  of  heating,  lighting  and  cleaning  the 
church,  any  surplus  for  the  improvement  or  decora- 
tion of  the  church.  The  endowment  now  consists 
of  ^^4,167  14/.  id.  3  J  per  cent.  Conversion  Stock, 
with  the  official  trustees,  producing  £\\')  \'Js.  ^d. 
yearly. 

Isaac  BundreJ,  by  his  will  proved  12  April  1923, 
gave  the  residue  of  his  estate  to  the  Mayor  of  West 
Hartlepool,  the  income  to  be  applied  in  assisting 
crippled  children.  The  residuary  estate  is  represented 
bv  £^93  '9'-  ^i^-  5  pcf  cent.  War  Stock,  with  the 
official  trustees,  producing  £n  13/.  lod.  jearly. 

Helen  Belk,  by  her  will  proved  at  Durham  26  Sep- 
tember 1 90 1,  directed  that  her  personal  estate  be  sold 
and  gave  the  residue  to  the  vicar  and  churchwardens  of 
St.  Paul'?,  West  Hartlepool,  the  income  to  be  applied 
for  the  benefit  of  sick  or  destitute  women.  The 
endowment  consists  of  ^^3, 023  "Ji.  44'.  invested  with 
the  West  Hartlepool  Corporation  at  5  per  cent.  In 
1925  the  sum  of  ;(^g2  was  distributed  in  grants  to  3* 
women  and  girls.  Donations  are  also  made  to 
hospitals  and  institutions  of  like  character. 

Thomas  Tiplady  Brown,  by  his  will  proved  at 
Wakefield  7  June  igi6,  gave  £ioo  to  the  trustees  of 
Burbank  Street  Chapel  for  the  trust  fund.  The 
money  is  on  mortgage  with  West  Hartlepool  Corpo- 
ration at  5  per  cent.,  and  the  income  is  applied  to 
the  general  purposes  of  the  chapel. 

The  Parish  Hall  of  Christ  Church,  West 
Hartlepool,  comprised  in  deeds  of  30  June  I  894  and 
25  April  1903,  is  regulated  by  a  scheme  of  the 
Charity  Commissioners  dated  6  March  191  7.  The 
property  consists  of  a  piece  of  land  in  Brunswick 
Street,  together  with  the  building  thereon.  The 
vicar  and  churchwardens  are  the  trustees. 


"  Lewis,  Topog.  Diet.  '-  See  above. 

^  See  above  under  Seaton  Carew. 
"  Reg.   PaUl.   Dunelm.   (Rolls  Ser.),  ii, 
1131. 

^•'  Gutihro'  Chartttl.    (Surt.    Soc),   i,  3  ; 

'i.  339- 


^'  Surtees,  op.  cit.  iii,  132. 

^'  Rig.   Palai.   Dunclm.  (Rolls   Ser.),  i, 

325- 

3»  ralor  Eecl.  (Rcc.  Com.),  v,  3 1 9. 

™  Hist.     Dimelm.    Script.     Tres      (Surt. 
Soc.),  5. 


"•  Exch.  Dep.  Spec.  Com.  no.  3773 
(Inst.  Bks.  [P.R.O.]).  It  is  mentioned  a« 
late  as  1646,  but  by  that  time  it  can  have 
been  only  a  name. 

<'  See  r.C.H.  Dur.  i,  402. 


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